Academic Enrichment AE Task Force Final Report

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Academic Enrichment (AE) Task Force Final Report

• Outline of Presentation
• Task Force Schedule Update
• Charter Elements - Completed Activities
• Highlights of Other District Offerings
• Highlights of Survey Results
• Recommendations - Oversight
• Recommendations - Communication
• Recommendations - Programming by Grade Level
• Conclusions
• Feedback

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Schedule Summary Since Interim Report
Meeting Date Interim Report-out to
School Board of Education (BOE) 11/28 Fifth
(Dec) Task Force Meeting 12/14 Survey
subcommittee 12/19 Demographics
subcommittee 12/21 January Task Force Meeting
1 1/4/2006 (special presentation by Anna
Sugarman) Survey subcommittee 1/9 K-2
subcommittee 1/5 3-5 subcommittee 1/11 6
-8 subcommittee 1/5 January Task Force
Meeting 2 1/18/2006 Submit Recommendations
to Long Term Planning (LRP) Board 1/23/2006 6-8
subcommittee 1/26, 2/2 Demographics
subcommittee 1/30 February (Final) Task Force
Meeting 2/2/2006 Final Report-out to School
Board 2/13/2006

• Shifted from fact-finding to recommendations
  since Interim Report
• Recommendations completed to support LRP final
  BOE presentation
• Task Force process largely successful - Provided
  a forum for all to be heard

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Charter Points and Actions

• Review Recent Literature regarding academic
  enrichment
• Review characteristics of Scotia-Glenville (S-G)
  student body to identify students to be served by
  AE programs
• Review present K-8 S-G AE Programs regarding
  students served and expected outcomes
• Review programs offered in similar school
  districts available through other sources

• Reviewed 26 articles to better understand
  academic enrichment (AE) issues and frame
  recommendations.
• 17 article summaries included in final report.
• Completed longitudinal study of aptitude scores
  from 1995-2004 to help identify what portion of
  student population should be serviced by AE
  programs
• 7-26 of GR3-6 population IQ gt 121 (gifted)
• 1-12 has IQ gt 130 (highly gifted)
• Noted a downward trend in average IQ scores -
  greater disparity to high ability students
• Presented at Interim Report (11/28)
• Updated current S-G program offering summary.
• Created matrix of current program screening
  criteria
• Documents will form the basis for an updated
  Program Guide (recommendation)
• Summarized offerings from 8 local schools
• Performed 4 site site visits

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Charter Points and Actions - Continued

• Developed and administered electronic teacher
  survey
• Developed and published survey to all parents
• Analyzed data from both surveys to guide
  recommendations
• Identified, defined and characterized 13 program
  options (Presented at Interim Report on 11/28)
• Submitted additional Middle School program
  recommendations to the long term planning process
  (1/23)
• Surveys included questions on preparation for
  9-12 honors
• Reasonably positive average response
• Several strong comments about lack of
  preparation
• Need MS ELA enrichment before 9th grade honors
  English
• Identified a list of 14 potential opportunities
  (Ex Odyssey of the Mind, Junior Great Books,
  etc)
• Recommend three-tier strategy for Programming
  oversight - Steering Committee / Building Study
  Teams / Coordinator
• Quantified resource impact of each recommendation
• Recommended oversight strategy provides on-going
  process for ensuring educational value

• Secure input from Staff and Parents
• Recommend programming options for 4-8
• Review present 9-12 S-G AE Programs to determine
  preparation required
• Review possible extra-curricular programs to
  support AE programs
• Review possible oversight strategies
• Recognize the efficacy of current and proposed
  programs given limited resources

All Charter Points Addressed
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Highlights of Other District Offerings

• Survey of AE programs in local districts -
  Reviewed program characteristics
• Burnt-Hills / Ballston Lake
• Duanesburg
• Galway
• Guilderland
• North Colonie
• Schalmont
• Schenectady
• Shenendahowa
• 8 out of 9 districts offer programs for gifted
  students

• Key Findings
• Wide variation in program offerings
• 4 out of 9 utilize BOCES programs (e.g. Young
  Scholars)
• Acceleration employed in 5 of 8 districts
• Committees on Gifted Education to oversee
  programs and decisions

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Highlights of Other District Offerings - continued
Whole class push-in select pull-out
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Highlights of Surveys

• 40 Question on-line Teacher Survey
• Total of 179 replies (60 return rate)
• 48 from GR K-3, 16 from GR4-5, 20 from GR6-8
  and 16 from GR9-12
• Key Results - Overall Ratings
• Existing K-2 and 6-8 programs should be improved
• Support implementation of a District-level
  Steering Committee
• Teachers do not receive sufficient support from
  parents and administration on AE
• Inadequate time / resources for AE planning
  little training in enriched or differentiated
  instruction
• 40 Question Parents Survey
• Total of 260 replies
• 117 with students in existing programs 143 with
  students whom have not participated
• 38 from GR K-3, 22 from GR4-5, 24 from GR6-8
  and 16 from GR9-12
• Key Results - Overall Ratings
• Support for Teachers, Staff and Administrators
  in efforts to meet childrens educational needs
• Communication regarding district programs ranked
  as weak
• Concern regarding the transparency of the
  selection / identification process
• Support existing gifted education options (Young
  Scholars / Scotia Scholars / Scimatech)
• Existing K-2 and 6-8 programs should be improved

• Detailed data analysis review of written
  comments
• Results used to guide recommendations

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Oversight Strategy
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Oversight Recommendations - Steering Committee

• Institute a district-wide steering committee
• Conduct evaluations/assessments of programs
• Research and select identification strategies
  and tools
• Be a consistent voice of advocacy for the
  high-ability student population
• Make on-going program recommendations to the
  school board and district administrators
• Research best practices in educating
  high-ability students
• Committee would consist of the program
  coordinator, administrators, teachers, parents
  and community members.

Key to Program Oversight
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Oversight Recommendations - Building Study Team

• Establish (at each building) an Study Team
• Comprised of
• School psychologist
• AE Teacher
• Principal
• Students teachers (current and following year)
• Possibly parent
• The role of this study team is to
• Identify high-ability students
• Develop individualized program plans for
  identified students
• Be familiar with slate of programming options
  available for each grade level to match the
  student needs to the appropriate programming
  option.
• Assign a case manager for every identified
  student
• One representative from each school on District
  Steering Committee

Addresses concern about transparency of
identification process
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Oversight Recommendations - AE Coordinator

• Create K-8 Coordinator
• Teach Academic Enrichment programs at the
  elementary level (K-5) - 40-60
• Oversee programs (K-8) district-wide
• Chair district Steering Committee
• Participate on all Building Study Teams (School
  level)
• Administer the screening / identification
  process
• Perform testing in support of the screening /
  identification process
• Develop and maintain the program communications
  plan documentation
• Advocate for high-ability learners
• Maintain record of student and program
  performance. Administer survey and evaluation
  instruments. Report to BOE (yearly)
• Administer Staff Development in Academic
  Enrichment / Gifted Education

Increase Elementary AE resources by 1 head (or
equivalent such as BOCES consultant)
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Oversight Recommendations - Coordinator
(continued)

• Basis for Recommendation
• Address shortcomings (including lack of
  transparency and consistency) in current
  identification process, as clearly noted in
  parent survey.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive
  communication regarding district offerings to
  address key concerns highlighted in parent
  survey.
• Improve compliance with NYS Education Law
  requiring gifted student identification.
• Increase programming in elementary school
  (particularly K-2) where the parent survey
  identified weakness.
• Augment existing AE Teacher resource to maintain
  pull-out grade 3-5 program
• Provide greater opportunity for teaming between
  primary and AE teachers
• Address lack of AE / gifted education training
  identified in the teacher's survey

Recommendation made to Long Range Planning
process - 1/23/2006
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Recommendations - Communication

• Develop a pamphlet providing an overview of the
  programs
• Organization Philosophy
• Program Options
• Curriculum
• Identification / selection process
• Develop a more detailed program guide
• Both documents should be available for 2006-2007
  school year.
• Development of the initial documents should be a
  joint effort of the Administration, AE Teachers
  and a select number of parents.

Addresses communication weakness identified in
Parent Teacher surveys
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Program Recommendations Grades K-5

• All students
• ??Increase grade 1 and 2 push-in to full-year
  (vs. half-year)
• After school and summer enrichment activities
• Ability grouping for reading and math
• Options available for high-ability learners (as
  directed by BST)
• Pull-out enrichment (see below)
• Acceleration options (limited basis)
• Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade
• Grade skipping
• Subject matter acceleration
• Curriculum compacting
• Guided Reading
• Pull-out enrichment programs
• Increase in-house programs for grade 3-5 to
  twice per week
• Maintain the full-day Young Scholars program for
  grades 45

Improve K-2 offering and strengthen 3-5 offerings
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Program Recommendations Grade 6

• Pull-Out Programs
• Maintain the current 1/2 day program in Math and
  Science (Scotia Scholars - afternoon)
• Implement a 1/2 day program in the humanities
  using a BOCES Gifted-Ed resource (morning)
• Provide 1/2 day BOCES resource to advise /
  consult / train the MS faculty
• Grouping of high-ability learners
• Divide identified high-ability learners evenly
  among 4 teams
• Group in Math / ELA (3-4 per class)
• Basis for Recommendation
• Address shortcomings in 6th grade offerings, as
  clearly noted in Parent survey.
• Enable program continuity from GR4-5 Young
  Scholars to potential new GR7-8 ELA honors
  program, through possible 9-12 ELA acceleration.
• Address disparity in offerings for students who
  excel in disciplines other than Math Science

• Contract BOCES consultant (1 day/week) for
• pull-out ELA program
• 6th grade staff development

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Program Options Grade 7

• Ability group for ELA, Math and Science
• (SciMaTech would accomplish the Math/Science
  portion)
• OR
• Establish an new ELA program
• Selected students (process TBD)
• Every other day, during Tutorial
• In addition to regular ELA classes
• Scheduled to allow participation in SciMaTech as
  well
• Basis for Options
• Address disparity in program offerings for
  students who excel in disciplines other than Math
  Science (Scimatech)
• Provide continuity of programming options in ELA
  throughout the Middle School years, building upon
  the elementary options and preparing for the HS
  options

Consensus not reached Need to finalize
implementation
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Program Options Grade 8

• Ability group for ELA, Math and Science
• (SciMaTech would accomplish the Math/Science
  portion)
• OR
• Establish an new ELA program
• Selected students (process TBD)
• Scheduled during Zero-Period (715am)
• In addition to regular ELA classes
• Scheduled to allow participation in SciMaTech as
  well
• Basis for Options
• Address disparity in program offerings for
  students who excel in disciplines other than Math
  Science (Scimatech)
• Provide continuity of programming options in ELA
  throughout the Middle School years, building upon
  the elementary options and preparing for the HS
  options

Consensus not reached Need to finalize
implementation
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Other Recommendations

• Develop a new acronym for Academic Enrichment
  programming
• Academic Enrichment designation is confusing
• Refers to remedial programming programming for
  high-ability students
• Confusion confirmed by survey results -
  respondents answered regarding remedial programs
• Some feel the the term Gifted Talented is
  problematic
• Sometimes carries a negative connotation in
  general use
• Denotes specific IQ scores, rather than targeted
  traits

High-ability students are children and youth with
outstanding talent, who perform or show potential
for performing at remarkably high levels of
accomplishment when compared with others of their
age and experience or environment. These
students show an exceptional potential in areas
such as general intellectual ability, special
academic aptitude, high levels of creativity,
and/or outstanding ability in visual and
performing arts. When appropriately engaged,
these children demonstrate a high level of task
commitment.
Select an acronym (such as OPAL Opportunities
Programs for Advanced Learners ) to enable the
program to establish its own identity
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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Answers to three key questions

• What do we want from the S-G AE Program ?
• Identify high-ability learners
• Meet their educational needs
• How do we get there ?
• Implement the Task Force recommendations
• Communication
• Process
• Programming
• Maintain on-going support for these core
  programs.
• How will we know we succeeded ?
• A parent or teacher identifies a students need
  and can access programs that are able to meet
  those needs.

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Academic Enrichment Task Force Final Report
Closing

• Special Thanks to
• Custodial staff at Sacandaga - for helping
  arrange facilities for the Task Force meetings
• Mrs. Rosenberry (Sac. Librarian) - for letting
  the us re-arrange her room every meeting
• Dave Versocki - for implementing the electronic
  Teacher survey
• BOE for the opportunity to participate on the
  Task Force
• School PTAs for picking Task Force members
• Teachers Parents for their input
• Anna Sugarman for her January presentation
• Other districts whom answered questions hosted
  visits
• Task Force members for their hard work and
  dedication

School Board and/or Community Feedback ??