1. EQUITY VS. EXCELLENCE Survey Andy Hall, Christine Tindall, Shannon Hemphill

2. Results from a National Teacher Survey  The first survey (Teachers) focuses on teacher preparation and ideas about gifted education.  The second survey (Students) focuses on student needs.  This survey reported on teachers’ own views on how schools are serving high-achieving students.  In other words do teachers believe that, as a whole, there is too much focus on reducing failure rate rather than challenging all students. Please take a moment to complete two surveys. We will then compare our results to the findings of the national survey.

3. Teachers’ Survey Thinking back to the school of education or teacher preparation program you went through, how much focus did it put on how to best teach academically advanced students? Over the past few years, have you had professional development specifically focused on teaching academically advanced students? or struggling students?

4. Student Survey Would you say the needs of the academically struggling students at your school are a: How about the academically advanced students at your school? Would you say their needs are a:

5.  Struggling – 63%  Average- 13%  Advanced – 7%  Equal – 16% Over the past few years, would you say the attention and resources given to academically advanced students at your school has: Who gets the most overall attention at your school?

6.  Struggling – 81%  Average- 4%  Advanced – 5%  Equal – 9%  Struggling- 51%  Average – 19%  Advanced – 10%  Equal – 18% Who is most likely to get one on one attention from a teacher? Who is most likely to be taught with a curriculum and instruction specially designed for their abilities?

7. Getting underachieving students to reach "proficiency" has become so important that the needs of advanced students take a back seat. If you had to pick, what should be a greater priority for the nation's schools:

8. Source Loveless, Tom, Steve Farkas, Ann Duffet. “High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB.” Thomas B. Fordham Institute.