Total School Cluster Grouping

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Total School Cluster Grouping
DifferentiationA Comprehensive, Research-Based
Plan for Raising Student Achievement Improving
Teacher Practices
Marcia Gentry, Ph.D Rebecca L. Mann,
Ph.D Purdue University
PowerPoint companion to the book. Developed by
J.S. MacDougall 2008
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Why Do We Educate Children?

• To help each individual child reach his or her
  fullest potential for life-long learning,
  productivity, and citizenry in a diverse
  democracy and a global society

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What is Cluster Grouping?
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General Cluster Grouping

• Common gifted education practice that places a
  group of high achieving, gifted, or high ability
  students in a classroom with other students and
  with a teacher who has received training or who
  is willing to differentiate curriculum and
  instruction for the identified cluster students.
• Is not concerned with the other students or
  classes.

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Total School Cluster Grouping

• Specific, effective, researched application of
  cluster-grouping
• Involves all children and all teachers
• Focuses on gifted education and talent
  development as the basis for all classrooms

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Features of Total School Cluster Grouping

1. Yearly identification based on student
   performance, with the expectation that student
   achievement will increase as students grow,
   develop and respond to appropriately
   differentiated curriculum
2. Identification encompasses low to high achieving
   students, with all student achievement levels
   identified
3. The classroom that contains the cluster of high
   achievers contains no above average students, as
   these students are clustered in the other
   classrooms

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Features of Total School Cluster Grouping

1. Some classrooms may contain clusters of special
   needs students with assistance to the classroom
   teacher
2. Teachers may flexibly group within or among grade
   levels as well as use a variety of flexible
   grouping strategies within their classrooms
3. All teachers receive inservice in gifted
   education strategies

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Research-based Benefits of Cluster Grouping

• Gifted students regularly interact with their
  intellectual and age peers
• Full-time services for gifted students without
  additional costs
• Curricular and instructional differentiation is
  efficient, effective, and likely when a group of
  high achievers is placed with a teacher who has
  skills and knowledge
• High expectations maintained in all classrooms

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Research-based Benefits of Cluster Grouping

• Removing the high achievers from classrooms
  allows other student to emerge as achievers
• Student achievement increases when cluster
  grouping is used
• Over time fewer students are identified as low
  achievers and more students are identified as
  high achievers
• Reduces the range of student achievement levels
  that must be addressed by teachers in all
  classrooms

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Total School Cluster Grouping Model
Implementation Practice
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Unique, Flexible, Identification System

• Key component for all programming
• Done yearly
• Criteria are not fixed
• Supports flexible grouping and regrouping

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Categories of Achievement

• Uses a combination of tests and teachers to
  identify the achievement levels of all students
  that works with any population of learners
• High Achieving
• Above Average
• Average
• Low Average
• Low
• Special education students achievement level

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TerminologyAbility vs. Achievement
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High Achieving

• great at math and reading when compared to their
  age peers

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Above-Average Achieving

• great at math or reading,
• or they are pretty good at math and reading,
• but not as advanced at both as students
  identified as high achieving

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Average Achieving

• achieve in the middle compared to age peers
• Achievement likely on grade level
• In impoverished areas, they might be below grade
  level, but average for the school population

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Low-Average Achieving

• May struggle with reading or math
• Possibly slightly behind peers
• Appear to be able to avoid failure with some
  extra support

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Students with Special Needs

• These students have already been identified
• They can be found in all 5 achievement categories

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Low Achieving

• Struggle with school
• Risk failure
• Regardless of time in school, failure prevails
• Schools as they are do not work for these
  students

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Identification Procedures Guidelines

• Teachers identify student performance
• Look at data from assessments
• Consider local norms
• Obtain a holistic perspective

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Unique, Flexible, Student-Based Identification
System

• Tests are used for means of inclusion only, never
  for exclusion
• Ever know a kid who is really bright but who
  doesnt test well and who, thus doesnt qualify?
• What about the kid who can but wont?
• Who generally knows the kids best, tests or
  teachers?
• Multiple labels allowed!

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Placement in Classrooms

• Facilitates reduction in the number and range of
  achievement groups for every teacher
• Evenly distributes the behavior problems
• Considers each child, each class each year
• Encourages collaboration within and among grade
  levels

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Developing Class Lists

• Class lists prepared--based on data
• Changes made during placement conference with
  teachers
• Parent requests, behavior issues, separation
  issues, and teacher fit issues are addressed
• One classroom has group of students identified as
  high achieving, with other students identified as
  average, low average or low

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Developing Class Lists

• Other classrooms each contained a group of Above
  Average students
• Sometimes a classroom would contain a LD or EBD
  cluster with assistance of a Teacher Consultant
  in the classroom
• Clusters of students receiving math or reading
  assistance might exist
• Some sites have arranged for clusters of English
  language learners with assistance to the
  classroom teacher

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Student Data Summary Card
Please see Page 37 of the book for a sample data
card
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Sample Classroom Configuration
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Sample Classroom Configuration
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Sample Classroom Configuration
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Sample Classroom Configuration
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Sample Classroom Configuration
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TSCG addresses the limited seats on the gifted
bus syndrome

• Think about the under-represented kids in a
  system of programming that limits the numbers of
  students who can be identified for services
• What if there are more or fewer kids in a given
  year?
• TSCG addresses this, as students who need
  services are served, its that simple.

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Provides full-time services

• Gifted kids are gifted more than once a week
• Integrates the g/t program with the general
  education program
• Adds no additional cost, but adds considerable
  expertise
• Works in conjunction with other programs and
  services, e.g., pull-out, send-out, self-contained

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Programming

• Promotes flexible uses of achievement grouping
• Removes the ceiling
• Targets various readiness and achievement levels
  so that students can make progress
• Facilitates authentic differentiation and
  continuous progress
• Brings gifted education to the masses

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General Education Borrows Gifted Education
Strategies Students Benefit

• Individualization
• Curriculum compacting
• Challenges
• Choices
• Interests
• High teacher expectations
• Use of grouping

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Addresses the Ability-Grouping Myths

• You took my sparks
• The gifted kids are the models and leaders for
  the other kids
• Ability is fixed
• Grouping hurts the kids, removing the high
  achievers causes others to fail
• If we label or tell the students, theyll know
• It can all be done in the regular heterogeneous
  classroom

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Considered the Total School

• Does not rescue gifted kids from general
  education, rather brings general education to
  general education
• Becomes part of the total school plan
• Addresses individual childrens and teachers
  needs

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Program Philosophy and Practices

• Curricular emphasis placed on advanced methods
  and content
• High teacher expectations were the norm
• Flexible, individualized, student oriented
  approach to placement and teaching
• Extensive, responsive, on-going professional
  development
• Flexible grouping

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Research Questions Results(see book for a
complete discussion)

• 1. Is cluster grouping related to teacher
  perceptions of student achievement as measured by
  teacher identification categories?
• 2. How does the achievement of students from a
  school using cluster grouping compare with that
  of students in a similar school not using cluster
  grouping?
• 3. What factors exist within the classroom and
  school using cluster grouping that may influence
  student achievement?

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Methods and Procedures

• Quasi-experimental
• Entire grade levels of students over time
• Use of NCE achievement, repeated measures
• Qualitative component

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Identification Findings

• Changes in identification categories were
  consistent for both classes and beyond and in new
  research
• Number of students identified as HA increased
  during the 3 program years
• Number of students identified as LA decreased
  during the 3 program years

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Identification Frequencies
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Identification Frequencies
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Achievement Increases

• Treatment Comparison Students over 3 program
  years

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Achievement Increases

• Treatment Comparison Students over 3 program
  years

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Student Achievement Increases

• Students in the treatment school began with lower
  total achievement than those in the comparison
  school
• After 3 years in the CG program, treatment school
  students outperformed their comparison school
  counterparts
• Much of the increase can be attributed to the
  students from categories other than high
  achieving.

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Qualitative Findings

• The Use of Grouping
• Teachers Matter
• The General School Environment

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Placement of New Students

• Employ a quick assessment of reading math
  skills
• Provide tentative placement
• Communicate the philosophy and procedures of the
  program to the parents
• Make permanent placement within 2-3 weeks

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Teacher Selection Appointment

• In high achieving classes, teacher must want to
  work with and differentiate for these students
• Must be committed to learning about how to work
  with students through extended study
• Understand that the appointment is for a minimum
  of 3 years

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Establish Parameters and Application Processes

• Consider
• Knowledge background
• Experience skills
• Willingness to engage in additional training in
  gifted education
• Discussions between faculty members

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Implementation Considerations

• Strong administrator support is imperative
• Well-collected and evaluated data lead to success
• Ensured identification of underrepresented
  populations

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Reaching Out to Parents

• Parents are an asset, not a liability
• Brochures are a great tool for communication
• Be open about all stages and philosophies of the
  program

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Things to Share with Parents

• Categories are
• Not fixed
• Used for placement purposes
• Reflect relative achievement
• Are a combination of various measures

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Professional Development Classroom Practices
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Classroom Practices

• Integrating higher order thinking skills
• Developing of critical thinking
• Teaching students to use creative thinking skills
  and think divergently
• Integrating problem solving
• Assigning long-term high-level projects

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More Classroom Practices

• Using acceleration
• Adjusting assignments based on student skills
• Grouping students so they could spend time with
  like-ability peers
• Developing implementing curricular extensions
  to challenge their students

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More Classroom Practices

• Providing students with choices of partners or
  groups
• Providing students with choice to work alone or
  together
• Using open-ended questioning
• Offering students independent study options
• Using challenging questions

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More Classroom Practices

• Implementing curriculum compacting (Reis, Burns,
  Renzulli, 1992)
• Providing students with problem assignment
  options
• Providing enrichment experiences to students
• Having high expectations for student achievement

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The Use of Grouping

• The key to successful
• grouping is flexibility!
• Between-Class grouping by achievement
• Within-Class grouping by interest

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Role of the Teacher

1. Foster and maintain a positive classroom
   environment.
2. Maintain high, yet realistic expectations of all
   students.
3. Implement strategies to challenge students and
   meet students needs in cluster-grouped
   classrooms.
4. Participate in ongoing professional development
   opportunities.

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Professional Development Effective Teacher
Practices Successful Implementation of the
Total School Cluster Grouping Model
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Complementing Other Services Programs
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The Continuum of ElementaryGifted Education
Enrichment Services Adapted from work by Joseph
Renzulli (1994)

• General classroom enrichment - Discovery,
  inquiry, problem-based learning
• Enrichment clusters - Differentiation
• Curriculum compacting - Individual small group
  counseling
• Social, emotional, physical health - Independent
  study in interest area
• Product/service in interest area - Total school
  cluster grouping, high-achieving cluster
• Total school cluster grouping, all classes -
  Between class grouping by skill level
• Non-graded cluster grouping - Self-contained
  classes, (single or multi-grade)
• Magnet schools - Career awareness
• Integrated technology - Multicultural education
• Foreign language study
• Within- across-grade pull-out by targeted
  ability, subject, interest
• Individual options internships, apprenticeships,
  mentorships IEP dual exceptionalities
• Acceleration options Early admission, grade
  skipping, subject acceleration, dual enrollment
  in middle school classes
• Special talent programs young writers programs,
  Saturday summer programs, Future Problem
  Solving Program International, Math Olympiad,
  Science Olympiad, math leagues, science fairs.
  Etc.

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Next Steps

• This slide show has provided an introduction to
  the what, why, and how of setting up a TSCG model
• Equally important is the development and
  implementation of differentiated curriculum and
  teaching practices for use in all classrooms
• Refer to Part 2 of the book for guidance

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References

• Gentry, M. Mann. R.L. (2008). Total school
  cluster grouping and differentiation A
  comprehensive, research-based plan for raising
  student achievement and improving teachers
  practices. Mansfield Center, CT Creative
  Learning Press.
• Gentry, M. MacDougall, J. (in press). Total
  school cluster grouping Model, research and
  practice, in J.S. Renzulli E.J. Gubbins, Eds,
  Systems and Models for Developing Programs for
  Gifted and Talented (2nd Ed). Mansfield Center,
  CT Creative Learning Press.
• Gentry, M. Keilty, W. (2004). On-going staff
  development planning and implementation Keys to
  program success. Roeper Review, 26, 148-156.

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References

• Gentry, M. Owen, S.V. (1999). An investigation
  of total school flexible cluster grouping on
  identification, achievement, and classroom
  practices. Gifted Child Quarterly, 43, 224-243.
• Gentry, M. (1999). Promoting student achievement
  and exemplary classroom practices through cluster
  grouping A research-based alternative to
  heterogeneous elementary classrooms (Research
  Monograph 99138). Storrs, CT University of
  Connecticut, National Research Center on the
  Gifted and Talented.

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