Gifted Talented Education Prospect Mill Elementary School Tara

Gifted & Talented Education: Prospect Mill Elementary School Tara Recor, Gifted and Talented Education Specialist Dr. Peter Carpenter, Coordinator of Accelerated Learning and Intervention Programs

Common Gifted Education Myths from NAGC 1. All children are gifted 2. Gifted students make everyone else in the class smarter by providing a role model or a challenge 3. Gifted students don't need help; they'll do fine on their own 4. That student can't be gifted; he's receiving poor grades and he’s a behavior problem 5. GT programs are not fair/ GT programs are elitist

Gifted Education Realities All children cannot be gifted “gifted” in educational setting compared with children of the same age based on identification, using multiple measures no connotation

The Annotated Code of Maryland § 8 -201 defines a gifted and talented student as “an elementary or secondary student who is identified by professionally qualified individuals as: (1) Having outstanding talent and performing, or showing the potential for performing, at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with other students of a similar age, experience, or environment; (2) Exhibiting high performance capability in intellectual, creative, or artistic areas; (3) Possessing an unusual leadership capacity; or (4) Excelling in specific academic field. Gifted and Talented definition

Giftedness is. . . a greater awareness, a greater sensitivity, and a greater ability to understand transform perceptions into intellectual and emotional experiences. —Annemarie Roeper (2000)

HCPS Identifies students for Level 3 & Level 4 services by “general intellectual ability” Specifically in Math and Reading, English, Language Arts

HCPS Levels of Service Models Level 1 Opportunities for ALL students Critical & Creative thinking; Talent Development Level 2 Occasional Level 3 Service for Consistent service for SOME students MANY students Flexible ability grouping within specific subject areas Opportunities for Level 4 additional Intensive service for FEW students challenge and extended learning experiences Intense work in highly challenging curriculum or research

Gifted Education Realities Gifted students have different needs and challenges that do not make them good role models. Not seen as role models Can become unmotivated Need like-minded peers – affective needs

Peer pressure Ov er ex cit ab m s i ion t c fr e Pe ilit ies Possible Issues ess tiven i t e p m Introv ersion Co So c ski ial lls lf- / e S em e est tity n ide

It is important that affective goals be attended to as well as the cognitive and academic goals. Self concepts, attitudes, motives, values, interests, and emotions are components of positive self actualization and functioning fully in society and the curriculum must contribute to nurturing the affective domain as well as the cognitive domain. —A. Harry Passow (1986)

Gifted Education Realities Gifted students need help; we can't expect them to learn on their own Not gifted at everything Elementary aged Have different intellectual and affective needs

Heightened Multifaceted Sensitivity & Asynchronous Development Cognitive advanced comprehension efficient information processing excellent memory Affective Over- excitabiltiites: heightened sensitivity heightened self -criticism-- perfectionism emotional intensity (Mendaglio, 2003)

Gifted Education Realities Gifted students can have poor grades and/or be behavior problems Underachievement Asynchronous development Boredom

Asynchronous Development Mismatch between… Intellectual ability Emotional maturity Psychomotor capabilities Social abilities

Bright Child Gifted Learner Knows the answer Asks the questions Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates Top group Beyond the top group Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas 6 -8 repetitions 1 -2 repetitions for mastery Is receptive Is intense Enjoys school Enjoys learning Absorbs information Manipulates information Good memorizer Good guesser Likes sequential presentation Thrives on complexity, ambiguity Is highly self-critical Is pleased with own learning

Bright Child Gifted Learner Knows the answer Asks the questions Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates Top group Beyond the top group Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas 6 -8 repetitions 1 -2 repetitions for mastery Is receptive Is intense Enjoys school Enjoys learning Absorbs information Manipulates information Good memorizer Good guesser Likes sequential presentation Thrives on complexity, ambiguity Is highly self-critical Is pleased with own learning

Intellectual Emotional Imaginational Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities Psychomotor Sensual

Imaginational Rich imagery, visualization, inventive Difficulty in separating real from imaginary Vivid dreams Fantasy; imaginary playmates

Intellectual Strong desire Curiosity; to know abundance and to of questions understand Desire to learn

Sensual Enriched perceptions of and reactions to sensory experiences May involve one or more senses Sensory experience may be viewed as too intense Seeks sensory outlets for tension

Heightened excitability— neuromuscular system Intense physical activity Difficulty relaxing Psychomotor Rapid speech Need for movement Less sleep

Emotional Deep attachment Intense joy and exuberance Strong empathy and compassion Concern with death, fears, anxieties, depression

Slocumb-Payne Scales

Gifted Education Realities GT programs are equitable Equal vs. equitable Multiple measures of identification COMAR mandated Prefunded under Bridge to Excellence, 2002

Differences between ability and achievement tests Ability and achievement are different aspects of cognitive development Achievement – knowledge and skills specifically taught in schools (crystallized abilities) Ability – reasoning abilities that are developed indirectly through instruction that challenges students to think in new ways (fluid reasoning abilities) Physical Analogy General level of athletic ability Learned skills to play a specific sport

Assessments for GT Identification Re -screening Cognitive Abilities Test- Cog. AT Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Middle School Students, Second Edition – SAGES 2 Full test: Universal 2 nd grade screening Brief Screener: for students in Grades 3 -5, new to HCPS Age Percentile Scores – compares students to others of same age Reasoning – aptitude Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students – TOMAGS Age Percentile Scores Mathematical reasoning/ability Primary and Intermediate Age Percentile Scores Normal and Gifted Math/Science & LA/SS - Achievement Primary and Intermediate Normal and Gifted Can be used instead of Cog. AT brief screener for new HCPS students Slocumb-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory

The Cognitive Abilities Test- All 2 nd Graders The Cognitive Abilities Test is an exam administered to assess students’ abilities in three areas considered important in determining future academic success: Verbal Reasoning Nonverbal Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning Assesses students in relation to their peers

What kind of abilities does Cog. AT measure? Measures the three major means we use for communicating in our society Verbal Reasoning – student potential measured in relation to the use of symbols Quantitative Reasoning – student potential measured in relation to numbers Nonverbal Reasoning – student potential measured in relation to use of symbols

Terms Used in Assessments Universal Scale Score (USS) – obtained from the raw score Standard Age Score (SAS) – the Universal Scale Score applied to age level norms or grade level norms Percentile – place in population of those scoring lower than the tested student’s score Stanine – division of percentiles into 9 equal groups Composite - an average of the three or two USS scores being used Standard Deviation – distance scores are away from the mean

How to Interpret Cog. AT NOTE: the Scores Cog. AT has a standard deviation of 16, not 15 68% of students fall here > Top 3% 98% of students will fall in here Level 3 3 Level 4

HCPS Levels of Service Models Level 1 Opportunities for ALL students Critical & Creative thinking; Talent Development Level 2 Occasional Level 3 Service for Consistent service for SOME students MANY students Flexible ability grouping within specific subject areas Opportunities for Level 4 additional Intensive service for FEW students challenge and extended learning experiences Intense work in highly challenging curriculum or research

Levels of Service Model Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Levels of Service- PMES Level 1 • • Ag Lab STEM Day Assemblies Field Trips Level 2 • After school activities • Differentiation in classroom Level 4 • Individual project time Cluster grouping • • Conceptual & Inquirybased curricular materials Curriculum compacting Flexible grouping Level 3

Curricular Example - Mathematics Distance from Finish Line Orange Roll Time

Parent Resources HCPS Gifted and Talented Education HCPS. org/gifted Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education (Mc. GATE) Mcgate. org National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) NAGC. org Social Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Sengifted. org #GTChat on Twitter – also have a blog

Gifted Children's Bill of Rights You have a right to know about your giftedness. learn something new everyday. be passionate about your talent area without apologies. have an identity beyond your talent area. feel good about your accomplishments. make mistakes. seek guidance in the development of your talent. have multiple peer groups and a variety of friends. choose which of your talent areas you wish to pursue. not to be gifted at everything.