1. Welcome to Major Work An Overview of Giftedness
and the Longest Running Gifted Program in the United States
Characteristics of a Gifted Scholar

2. What is Giftedness?
“Gifted” refers to students who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels when compared to others their age.

3. Common Characteristics of Gifted Learners
Exceptional alertness
Asks probing questions
Quick learners
Keen sense of humor
Comprehends nuances
Vivid imaginations
Extensive vocabulary
Concerned about social injustice
Highly sensitive

4. Common Myths about Gifted Learners
Gifted kids don’t need extra help, they will do just fine on their own
“That student can’t be gifted, his grades are so poor”
Gifted kids always complete their assignments
Gifted kids don’t get into trouble…

5. … The reality is that gifted students may become disruptive, often finding ways of amusing themselves when not sufficiently challenged.

6. Often gifted students are assumed to be more emotionally and behaviorally mature as a result of their intellectual ability.

7. CMSD's Major Work Program
CMSD’s Major Work program is the longest running gifted program in the United States
Started in 1921 at Denison Elementary School
Today, Major Work services about 1,000 gifted students in grades 2-6 at 20 Cleveland schools

8. Two Major Work Programs
Self-contained Gifted Classroom
Gifted Pull-out Resource Room

9. Self-contained Gifted Classroom
The self-contained gifted classroom is composed entirely of identified gifted students of the same age who remain together for all academic subjects. Five CMSD schools have self-contained classrooms.

10. Gifted Pull-out Resource Room
The gifted pull-out resource room brings together gifted students of similar ages for about four periods each week. About 18 CMSD schools have gifted pull-out resource rooms.

11. Gifted Identification
The Ohio Department of Education sets all criteria for gifted identification
CMSD identifies gifted students in the following areas:
Superior Cognitive Ability
Reading
Math
Creative Thinking

12. Gifted Identification (continued)
CMSD uses test scores from NWEA and CogAT
Generally, a test score at or above the 95th percentile is required for gifted identification
Ohio end-of-year tests are NOT used for gifted identification

13. Identification vs. Service
Criteria for gifted identification is set by the ODE
Criteria for gifted service is set by each individual school district
Ohio law states that gifted students must be identified, but does NOT require gifted students to be serviced
A student may be identified as gifted and NOT qualify or receive gifted service

14. CMSD’s Gifted Service Policy
To qualify for CMSD gifted service a student must post two consecutive test scores on the NWEA, at or above the 95th percentile in reading, math, or on a nationally normed intelligence test.

15. CMSD’s Gifted Assignment Waiver
Gifted students may be excused from assignments that were missed while attending gifted classes.

16. The Focus of the Gifted Classroom
The gifted curriculum is both enriched and/or accelerated; it extends the Ohio Learning Standards with:
Higher-level Thinking
Abstract Thought
Logical Reasoning
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving
Creative Thinking

17. GREATER emphasis on LESSER emphasis on Higher-level thinking:
analyze, evaluate and
create
Lower-level thinking:
remember, understand,
and apply
Thematic and cross-curricular units
Skill-based direct instruction
 Enrichment projects
 Worksheet homework
Depth and complexity
Basic skills

18. GREATER emphasis on LESSER emphasis on
Teacher created units and lessons
Publisher's materials and textbooks
Enrichment
Test preparation
Logical reasoning and problem solving
Computation, skill-based lessons
Self-assessments and peer-assessments
Teacher assessments
Embracing ambiguity
Seeking “correct answers”

19. GREATER emphasis on LESSER emphasis on
Student offered choices
One size fits all
Reflection
 Must keep moving forward
Curricular acceleration through vertical tiering
Curriculum tethered to grade level standards
Big ideas, generalizations, theorizing
“Smaller work": spelling, grammar, definitions ...

20. Major Work Program Features
Shared Inquiry with Junior Great Books
Independent Research
Socratic Seminars
Zaccaro’s Tiered Math Units
Problem Solving Puzzles like In the Balance: Algebraic/Logical Reasoning Puzzles

21. First and foremost,
always remember that…