1. Gifted Education in the Ferguson-Florissant School District
Presented by the Probe Staff
Introduce self

2. Probe
Verb To investigate, to explore, & to seek to uncover information about something or someone.
Noun The Gifted Education program for FFSD area students in grades 2-5.
Adjective Describing a student that has been identified as Gifted and served by FFSD.
“My Probe Student attends Probe one day a week where they probe and investigate many topics.”
Used to be an acronym
Now simply the word probe

3. What is the Probe Program?
Provides higher-level learning opportunities for intellectually and academically exceptional students in grades 2-5.
Rigorous and relevant curriculum presented in thematic problem solving units that develop 21st Century skills
Opportunity to regularly interact with their intellectual peers.
Higher level
Thematic problem solving units
Interact w/ intellectual peers

4. Where is Probe? Probe 2-5 program is housed at Duchesne Elementary
Students attend one day a week from 8:45 AM-1:45 PM

5. 2nd-5th grade students identified as gifted
Who can participate?
2nd-5th grade students identified as gifted
from FFSD district schools, non-public schools, and homeschooling families

6. What about sixth graders?
6th graders that qualify for Gifted Services attend the STEAM Academy full time

7. What criteria are used to identify Probe students?
The state has specific guidelines for gifted services.
Each district has DESE approved criteria that identify the top 5% of their population to receive services.
Different districts = different criteria
DESE approved

8. How are students nominated for the Gifted Program?
Universal Screening of all First and Fifth Graders
Parent or Teacher nomination of students in other grades

9. Universal Screening All First grade students - 4th quarter
All Fifth grade students - 1st quarter
Review standardized assessments
15-20 % of children at a grade level will take group tests. (CogAT7 Screener)
Approximately 10% of children at a grade level will move on to the individual test. (KBIT2)
Parents and teachers complete behavior rating scales
Data is reviewed to determine if student meets criteria for gifted services
Read and discuss slide
CogAT consists of analogies
KBIT consists of verbal and nonverbal subtests

10. Parent or Teacher Nominations
Parents and teachers should contact the school counselor, who will send nominations to Susan Luebbers at STEAM.
Nominations follow the same process as universal screening.
Contact school counselor

11. What are gifted traits?
Pass out flyer

12. How do I support students that are gifted in my classroom?
Make sure your students get breakfast before they leave for Probe
Try to plan field trips on non Probe days
Try to limit how much work your students must make up on Probe day
Contact us if your Probe student is struggling academically

13. PROBE STAFF Colin Brown: Probe office professional
Bea Wilmering: 2nd Graders
Susan Cloud: 3rd Graders
Karen Doering: 4th Graders
Michael Vordtriede: 5th Graders
Susan Luebbers: Probe tester
Dr. Sheila Ward: Probe Director and Administrator
Dr. Chris Ries: Director of STEAM & Gifted Education
PROBE STAFF

14. How can we help prepare?
For the youngest children, focus on attributes.
Discuss similarities and differences.

15. Exposure to the format of analogies is helpful
Exposure to the format of analogies is helpful. Help kids see the relationships between items (opposite, big/small, part to whole, etc.)

16. Verbal analogy practice

17. Characteristics of Gifted Learners