GIFTED AND TALENTED

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GIFTED AND TALENTED

• ALLEN ISD
• 2004-2005
• Barbara Myer. Gifted and Talented Coordinator

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Teaching Gifted Kids

• All AISD teachers who teach gifted and talented
  students will complete 30 clock hours of gifted
  and talented training in the following areas
• Nature and Need of G/T Learner
• Identification and Assessment
• Social and Emotional Needs of G/T Learner
• Creativity and Instructional Strategies
• Differentiated Curriculum
• Six-hour annual update required.

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Identifying the Gifted and Talented

• Gifted and talented student means a child or
  youth who performs at or shows the potential for
  performing at a remarkably high level of
  accomplishment when compared to others of the
  same age, experience, or environment and who
  exhibits high performance capability in an
  intellectual, creative, or artistic area,
  possesses an unusual capacity for leadership, or
  excels in a specific academic field.

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Who are the Gifted and Talented?

• About the top 5-10 of the total school
  population
• Often not the same as high achieving or bright
  students
• Found in all cultural groups, all races and all
  economic groups

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Allen ISD Gifted and Talented 2004-2005
Total Gifted and Talented 1,586(11)
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GIFTED AND TALENTED SPRING 2004 TESTING

• 469 Students Nominated
• 336 Students Met Prescreen for further testing
• 44 Students Deferred to Summer Testing

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GIFTED AND TALENTED SPRING 2004 TESTING RESULTS
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Identification/Assessment Gifted and Talented
Allen ISD

• Teachers, counselors, parents, self, or other
  interested persons may nominate students.
• Nomination packets will be available at each
  campus office beginning March 1.
• Students may be nominated for the Gifted and
  Talented program during the month of March.
• All students who are nominated are screened for
  eligibility.
• 2005 Aptitude prescreen will be offered.
• Written parental consent is obtained before any
  special testing or individual assessment is
  conducted as part of the identification process.

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Timeline
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Identification/Assessment Gifted and Talented
Allen ISD

• Students must meet the minimum criteria set by
  the District Selection Committee in order to be
  selected for participation in the AISD Gifted and
  Talented program.
• Nominated students may be selected based on both
  quantitative and qualitative measures. Examples
  may include
• Ability Test
• Achievement Test
• Creative Portfolio/Writing Assessment
• Teacher Checklist
• Parent Checklist
• A current aptitude/achievement score is defined
  as no more than two years old.

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Quantitative Assessment

• Aptitude Test
• An Aptitude is a group-administered ability test
  given to all Allen ISD students in grades K and 2
  that provides a School ability index score which
  is applied to the student profile matrix. The
  Leaner Services office coordinates the
  administration of the aptitude to nominated/new
  students who do not have a current
  ability/aptitude test score on file.
• Kindergarten currently tested using CogAT
  aptitude test.
• Prescreen Criteria
• Students who score in the 97 national percentile
  rank or above are eligible for further
  screening/testing.

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Quantitative Assessment

• Achievement Test
• The ITBS is an achievement test given to all AISD
  students in grades 2, 4, and 6. Transfer
  students considered for placement are given an
  ITBS achievement test if needed. Percentile
  scores are then applied to the student profile
  matrix. The following subtests may be
  administered to nominated students.
• Prescreen Criteria
• Students who score in the 96 national percentile
  rank or above are eligible for further
  screening/testing.
• Grades K-5 Grades 6-11
• Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension
• Vocabulary Language Usage
• Mathematics Written Expression

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Qualitative Assessment

• Teacher/Parent Observation Checklist
• An Observation Checklist is used for teachers and
  parents to rate students on observed traits that
  are characteristic of gifted and talented
  students. Teachers and parents are asked to rate
  how individual behaviors have been manifested in
  the classroom and non-academic settings.

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Qualitative Assessment

• Portfolios are samples of student products
  Grades K-5.
• Each year the Gifted and Talented office selects
  activities designed to stimulate open-ended and
  creative thinking. The products may consist of
  drawings, scripted stories, constructed products,
  or writing samples.
• Creative Writing Assessment Grades 6-11
• Students respond to writing prompt and are scored
  holistically for purpose, organization,
  elaboration, depth and complexity.

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Allen ISD MatrixStudent Profile
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Identification

• A three-step process determines the
  identification and selection of students for
  participation in the Allen ISD Gifted and
  Talented program
• Referral and Nomination
• Screening and Assessment
• Selection and Placement
• Actual testing for identification at the
  elementary level should only occur once within
  Kindergarten second grade and once in third
  fifth grade. Additional testing may occur during
  spring assessments in grades two and five for
  placement the following school year.

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Gifted and Talented Services

• AIM
• Grades K-6
• Humanities GT
• Grades 7-8
• Phoenix
• Grades 9-12

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AIM (Activating Inquisitive Minds) GRADES K-6

• The AIM program provides a homogeneous grouping
  of identified elementary (K-6) gifted and
  talented students that is designed to maximize
  their potential through in-depth and complex
  exploration of interdisciplinary studies not
  included in the mainstream classroom.
• AIM is a pull-out program where students are
  clustered in a classroom with a gifted and
  talented specialist teacher.
• The AIM curriculum challenges students to develop
  and apply their talents through a variety of
  integrated, multidisciplinary learning activities
  and projects.
• The AIM curriculum will focus on integration of
  Language Arts and Social Studies and Math and
  Science.
• AIM classroom activities focus on logic, problem
  solving, higher order thinking skills, critical
  and creative thinking.

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Suggested Time Served

• Students are served through a pull-out program on
  a weekly basis (2004-2005)
• Kindergarten 1 hour per week
• Grades 1-3 2 ½ to 3 hours per week
• Grades 4-6 4 hours per week
• AIM teachers support regular education classroom
  with compacting, mini lessons, and teacher staff
  development training.

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HUMANITIES GT GRADES 7-8

• These courses are available at each middle school
  campus for identified gifted and talented
  students. Each course is a one-year two period
  class, which grants credit in both Social Studies
  and English/Language Arts.
• Students will develop and utilize reading,
  writing and verbal skills as vehicles for
  exploring and reflecting on the political, social
  and economic issues that have shaped our society
  and defined our roles as citizens.

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Course Description Grade 7

• Humanities GT 7th is a two period course for
  identified Gifted and Talented students designed
  to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs
  of the gifted learner.
• This course grants credit in both history and
  English/Language Arts by integrating language
  arts and Texas history with fine arts through
  student-centered chronological thematic units of
  study.
• Through literary analysis, composition, and
  multimedia communication skills, students will
  explore and reflect on the political, social, and
  economic issues that have shaped our society and
  defined our roles as citizens.

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Texas Humanities ThemesGrade 7
THE POWER OF ONE

• CULTURE
• Exploration
• Colonization
• Geography
• American Settlement Conflict
• Texas Revolution

TRANSFORMATION Republic..Statehood USCSA Cattle
Kingdom Urbanization Oil Boom Depression Contempo
rary Society
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Course Description Grade 8

• Humanities GT 8th is a two period course for
  identified Gifted and Talented students designed
  to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs
  of the gifted learner.
• This course grants credit in both history and
  English/Language Arts by integrating language
  arts and U.S. history with fine arts through
  student-centered chronological thematic units of
  study.
• Through literary analysis, composition, and
  multimedia communication skills, students will
  explore and reflect on the political, social, and
  economic issues that have shaped our society and
  defined our roles as citizens.

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U.S. Humanities Themes
AMERICAN VOICES
IDENTITY Exploration/Colonization Colonial
America Revolutionary War The New Nation Framing
of the Government

• CHANGE AND CONFLICT
• Expansion
• A Divided Nation
• Healing

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PHOENIX GRADES 9-12

• As a humanities-based course, Phoenix offers
  gifted and talented students in grade 9-12 a
  forum for furthering their writing analysis, and
  strong reading skills. In the company of peers
  with similarly complex and divergent levels of
  thinking, Phoenix students explore literature and
  its connection to critical ideas, historical
  influences, and current events.
• Phoenix students are prepared for and encouraged
  to take the rigorous Advanced Placement (AP)
  exams in Language and Literature at the end of
  their junior and senior years, since the course
  incorporates AP standards.

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Course DescriptionPhoenix Grades 9-12

• The Phoenix Program is a humanities based English
  curriculum designed for identified gifted and
  talented students at AHS.
• The program is offered in grades 9 through 12.
• The 9th and 10th grade students engage in a study
  called the American Experience, and the 10th
  grade students focus on the Heros Journey. Both
  integrate a study of literature, history and fine
  arts.
• Juniors and seniors combine for a two-year study
  of ideas that have shaped the world. British and
  World literature are taught in this class.
• The four year program emphasizes critical writing
  and reading, research skills, development of
  written style, and interpretative literary
  analysis in preparation for both AP English
  exams. A summer reading assignment is required.

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Phoenix Courses Offered

• English 1 Pre-AP/GT Phoenix
• 2220/2221
• Grade 9
• Credit 1
• English 2 Pre-AP/GT Phoenix
• 2222/2223
• Grade 10
• Credit 1
• AP/GT English 3 Phoenix
• 2224/2225
• Grade 11
• Credit 1
• AP/GT English 4 Phoenix
• 2226/2227
• Grade 12
• Credit 1

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GIFTED EDUCATION GOALS

• Interdisciplinary Program
• Relevant Curriculum to Gifted Learners
• Strands of Group Interaction
• Strong Components of Critical Thinking and
  Creative Exploration
• Divergent Questioning Models
• Self Selected Learning for Students
• Independent Research Projects

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Working with Gifted and Talented Students

• To make forward progress from what they know to
  what they dont yet know, gifted students need
  compacting and differentiation.

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COMPACTING AND DIFFERENTIATION

• Compacting means condensing a semester or years
  worth of learning into a shorter time period.
• Differentiation means providing gifted students
  with different tasks and activities than their
  age peers task that lead to real learning for
  them.

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Five Steps to Successful Compacting

• Identify the learning objectives or standards all
  students must learn.
• Offer a pretest opportunity to volunteers who
  think they may have already mastered the content,
  or plan an alternate path through the content for
  those students who can learn the required
  material in less time than their age peers.
• Plan and offer curriculum extensions.
• Eliminate al drill, practice, review for students
  who have already mastered such things.
• Keep accurate records of students compacting
  activities.

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Curriculum must be Differentiated and Defensible

• Five elements of differentiation
• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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DIFFERENTIATED CONTENT

• Content is differentiated through the use of more
  advanced, complex texts and resource materials,
  compacting, learning contracts, interdisciplinary
  learning, accelerated pacing, learning centers,
  and working with mentors.

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DIFFERENTIATED PROCESS

• It encompasses learning style considerations,
  creative and productive thinking and
  conceptualizing, focus on open-ended and
  problem-solving tasks, opportunities for
  meaningful research, and the skills to share what
  they have learned.

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DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT

• Many gifted students choose to illustrate and
  demonstrate their understanding of the content
  and process. They often are more willing to
  produce an actual product, an exhibition,
  independent study, or performance.

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DIFFERENTIATED ENVIRONMENT

• Gifted students typically spend more time in
  independent study than their classmates. They
  thrive in a challenging atmosphere in which
  individual differences are valued and nurtured.

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DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT

• Gifted learners should be encouraged to develop
  their own rubrics and other methods to assess
  their independent study projects.

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LESS IS MORE

• Teacher Input
• LESS whole-group lecturing
• LESS time preparing worksheets
• LESS rote memorization of facts and details

• Student Input
• MORE experimental, inductive, hands-on learning
• MORE reading of real texts, whole books, primary
  sources and non-fictional materials
• MORE emphasis on higher-order thinking
• MORE responsibility transferred to students for
  their work
• MORE varied and cooperative roles
• MORE heterogeneously groups classrooms where
  individualized needs are met

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High Achiever vs. Gifted

• The high achieving child The gifted child
• Knows the answers. Asks the questions.
• Is interested. Is extremely curious.
• Pays attention. Gets involved mentally and
  physically.
• Works hard. Plays around, still gets good
  scores.
• Answers questions. Questions the answers.
• Enjoys same-age peers. Prefers adults or older
  children.
• Is good at memorizing. Is good at guessing.
• Learns easily. Is bored. Already knew answers.
• Listens well. Shows strong feelings and
  opinions.
• Is self-satisfied. Is highly critical of self
  (perfectionist).

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WORKS CITED

• Winebrenner, Susan. Teaching Gifted Kids in the
  Regular Classroom. Minneapolis Free Spirit
  Publishing, 2001.

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HANDOUTSTICKETS TO ENHANCING INSTRUCTION

• TAXONOMY OF THINKING
• BUILDING BLOCKS TO THINK
• VISUAL THINKING IS
• KINESTHETIC THINKING IS
• QUESTIONING ON DISPLAY (Dos and Donts)
• PRODUCT CHOICES CHART
• ACCEPTABLE STUDENT PROJECTS
• VOCABULARY BUIDLERS
• VOCABULARY WEB MODEL
• SILLY NILLIES
• INCREASING THINKING WITH Blooms Taxonomy
• Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
• INTEGRATED THINKING LESSONS
• Content Puzzles, Venn Diagram Variations

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Questions Gifted and Talented Program
COMING SOON Gifted and Talented Web Site under
Learner Services Department
http//www2.ednet10.net/GiftedandTalented/