Gifted and Talented Academy West Des Moines Session 1 September 16,

Winnie the Witch Why do children need gifted services? Winnie the Witch Winnie on the Web She’s even on Facebook!

Agenda  Welcome and Introductions  Wiki URL  Academy History  Goals  Norms  Iowa Code  Foundation  Home Play  Closure

Materials  Wiki Wiki –Visit –  iEtherpad iEtherpad

Introductions  Name  Assignment  One important thing you hope to gain from this experience

Why the Academy?  A common philosophy  A comprehensive K-12 program plan to guide programming  Teamwork  Establish importance of leadership  It will benefit kids  Sharpening focus

G/T Academy Outcomes  To deepen understanding of the components of comprehensive gifted and talented programming  To construct and/or improve a written comprehensive gifted and talented program plan

Team Role  Honor commitment to complete work between sessions  Everyone contributes  Dedication to learning  Advocacy  Promote learning of others  Be open to change

Administrator Role  Provide and protect time for team to meet  Provide access to data  Provide access to staff  Encourage and guide  Learn with teachers  Be open to change

Group Norms, Processes and Needs  Talk freely - think out loud  Freedom to change your mind  Remember Iowa Core  Make connections  Importance of intercession work  Skills  Support

Iowa Code, NAGC Program Standards, & PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards  Iowa Code provides requirements in law for minimum compliance (Chs. 12 & 59)12 & 59  NAGC PK-12 Gifted Programming Standards provide guidance toward best practices NAGC  PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards identify essential knowledge and skills for teachers of giftedNational Gifted Education Standards

Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming  Comprehensive: –Including many things –Having a wide scope or full view –Extensive; wide; large; full; compendious (dictionary.com)

So what is it? Work with your team to list the components/characteristics of comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Think: comprehensive physical, comprehensive exam

Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming  Includes and integrates multiple domains of giftedness  Provides multiple programming options matched to student need  Addresses both cognitive and affective needs  Is articulated K-12  Is evolutionary in nature  Is essential to and embedded in an effective educational program  Is based on student need  Identifies children with unmet educational needs

CONSENSU S

Managing Complex Change = Change Confusion = = = = = ++++ VisionSkillsIncentivesResources Action Plan Adapted from Knoster, T., Villa R., & Thousand, J. (2000). A framework for thinking about systems change. In R. villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp ). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Anxiety Resistance False Starts Frustration ++++ SkillsIncentivesResources Action Plan ++++ VisionIncentivesResources Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsResources Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsIncentives Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsIncentivesResources

Talk in Your Team  With regard to g/t programming –which areas are strengths? –which areas need attention/work?

Survey Results  Results tabulation sheet –Hard copy or Excel sheet  Transfer numbers –Like my school = 3 –Somewhat like + = 2 –Somewhat like - = 1 –Not like my school = 0  Totals and percentages

It All Starts With…

Vision  What we aspire to  Requires “stretch” Example: ITAG envisions a time when all students, including the gifted and talented, are given an appropriate educational experience that matches their abilities and potential, where they have abundant opportunities for their intellectual and creative challenge and growth, and those who work with them are effectively trained to appreciate, understand, and nurture their unique talents and needs.

Mission/Philosophy Answers the questions  What is our purpose?  Why does the program(ming) exist? What it does  Creates cohesiveness, commitment, and understanding  Gives meaning to our work –Choosing how we’ll work –What work we choose to do --Conzemius & O’Neill, 2002

Belief Statements & Core Values Beliefs: an expression of what we believe to be true Core Values: absolute commitments that translate into behaviors Example: Belief: gifted kids learn best in the company of intellectual peers Core Value: commitment to provide grouping arrangements that promote new learning for gifted kids

Sample M/V/B  Waukee Waukee  What is important for your work?  Critical to connect ELP m/v/b to larger district view

WDMCS Vision: The West Des Moines Community Schools will be a caring community of learners that knows and lifts every child. We will inspire joy in learning. Our schools will excel at preparing each student for his or her life journey. Mission: Working in partnership with each family and the community, it is the mission of the district to educate responsible, lifelong learners so that each student possesses the skills, knowledge, creativity, sense of self- worth and values necessary to thrive in and contribute to a diverse and changing world.

WDMCS District Goals: Using the Mission Statement as our foundation and the Guiding Principles to inform our actions, the district will work toward the realization of the Shared Vision by accomplishing the following goals as set forth by the Board of Education:  Close the gap between present practices and the Shared Vision.  Improve student achievement through effective instructional and assessment practices

Uncovering Assumptions

Assumptions  What assumptions do you hold about gifted children? (+ or -)assumptions  What assumptions do classroom teachers, administrators, and parents in your district/building hold?

Felicia, Nancy, Jen  Summarize chapter 2  Explain how the statement was developed  Share chart w/questions on p  Group works to tweak existing statement

Traits  Comprehensiveness  Rationale  Consistency  Clarity --Purcell & Eckert, 2006

Sample Vision  Waukee – “New learning all day every day for each identified gifted child.” Consider: In what ways will vision impact programming?

Sample Mission/Philosophy The mission of the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association is to recognize, support, and respect the unique and diverse needs of talented and gifted learners through ADVOCACY: by encouraging informed educational professionals, parents, policy makers, and all other stakeholders to take appropriate action for the benefit of talented and gifted learners. EDUCATION: by strengthening and encouraging the recognition and implementation of practices that support identification of talented and gifted learners and accommodation of the social, emotional, and intellectual levels. NETWORKING: by increasing opportunities for collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders with the goal of advancing the abilities and developing the potential of talented and gifted learners.

Evaluating Your Mission/Philosophy Rate your mission/philosophy with regard to  Comprehensiveness  Rationale  Consistency  Clarity

West Des Moines Refer to the hard copy of the WDM ELP Mission/Philosophy and rate it against the characteristics of an effective mission statement. Trait54321 Comprehensiveness Rationale Consistency Clarity --Purcell & Eckert, 2006

Building Consensus Determine  With whom you will share  How you will determine/build consensus Reflect on  How the message was received  Further work needed

Program Evaluation  Baseline data –Complete Self-Audit/Reflection section(s)Self-Audit/Reflection –Bring results to next session  Basis for program goals  Means to improve programming

Home Play  Complete two sections of SA/RT –Program Goals –Identification  Read “Identifying Gifted Children in the Schools” by James Borland.

Next Meeting  December 2, 2011  8-3:30  Location tbd

Memory Mingle 1.How has the information you’ve engaged with so far “pushed” your thinking? 2.Share in triads 3.Identify connections and/or conclusions 4.Share with large group