Richard Woods Georgias School Superintendent Educating Georgias Future

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org Georgia Association for Gifted Children March 10, 2015 Gail Humble, Gifted Program Specialist Georgia Department of Education ghumble@doe. k 12. ga. us 10/27/2020

What Is “Gifted” ? • Studies of giftedness in the 1920 s and 30 s brought about instruments to measure “intelligence. ” • Lewis Terman and Leta Hollingworth spearheaded some of the first widely published research on gifted. • The Space Race of the 1950’s and 60’s signaled the need for significant change in education. 10/27/2020 2

• The 20 th Century – a time of advancements in education and psychology which brought empirical and scientific credibility to the field of gifted education. Legislation was passed (PL 94 -142) to guide and fund the education of handicapped children. While gifted students were not included, some states started exploring the need for gifted classes. National Defense Funding provided. Javits Grants. 10/27/2020 3

• The 21 st Century – Research continues in the area of gifted students. The Javits Grants program is recinded and renewed. • Through the years, the definition of gifted has been expanded to become. . . 10/27/2020 4

“ Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. ” 10/27/2020 5

Georgia – a leader in Gifted Education • Beginnings – 1958 – Georgia became the first state to pass legislation requiring districts serve gifted students. • Margaret Bynum, Mary Frasier, Paul Torrence • Multiple Criteria Identification implemented in 1994 -95 • Currently, one of four states to fully fund gifted education 10/27/2020 6

And Today? Rule 160 – 4 – 2 -. 38 10/27/2020 7

Determination of Eligibility Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org Option A/Psychometric: After assessing the student in all four areas, the student must meet eligibility requirements in the following areas: • Mental Ability: ≥ 96 th percentile (grades 3 -12) or 99 th percentile (grades K-2) on a standardized test of mental ability - Composite/Total Score only. • Achievement: ≥ 90 th percentile on Complete Total (not a CORE Total), total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery. 10/27/2020

Determination of Eligibility Option B/ Multiple Criteria: A student must Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org meet eligibility requirements in three of the four following areas (one area must be from a nationally normedreference test): • Mental Ability: ≥ 96 th percentile on a standardized test of mental ability - Component or Composite score • Achievement: 90 th percentile in Complete Total (not a CORE Total), total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery • Creativity: ≥ 90 th percentile / ≥ 90 th percent on a creativity assessment • Motivation: ≥ 90 th percentile / ≥ 90 th percent on a motivation assessment 10/27/2020

Gifted Eligibility Mental Ability: ≥ 96%ile Gifted Eligibility Achievement: ≥ 90%ile Creativity: ≥ 90%ile Motivation: ≥ 90% or ≥ 3. 5 on a 4. 0 scale 10/27/2020

FUNDING 10/27/2020

FTE Gifted Education is one of 19 categories of instruction funded through the state’s Full-time Equivalent Funding Formulas (FTE) For more resources and information about FTE, go to: http: //app 3. doe. k 12. ga. us/owsbin/owa/qbe_reports. public_menu? p_fy=2000

What is a Gifted Segment? Segments (1/6 or Instructional Day) Grades K-2 = 45 minutes Grades 3 -12 = 50 minutes (approximate)

Full Time Reporting Five key points: Class size – set by the GA BOE Resolution process http: //www. gadoe. org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Pages/Class-Size. Information. aspx Teacher has Gifted Education Endorsement or a nonrenewable certificate issued by GA PSC Gifted Education eligible and served student Gifted Education course number Differentiated curriculum, instruction and/or assessment.

Gifted FTE Data FY 2015 Total Gifted Students Served 177, 877 Hispanic Students 12, 223 Asian 15, 481 Black 31, 922 Two or More Races 6, 346 White 111, 411 10/27/2020 15

Our Challenge Today • Research shows that our most talented students do not advance at the same rate as students who achieve at the “lower” and “middle” levels on nationally normed tests. • We must commit to giving gifted and talented students a curriculum that challenges and engages them. • We must challenge ourselves to identify students in all of our under represented groups. 10/27/2020 16

The Excellence Gap • Goal of Education Reform – Close Achievement Gap Among Different Demographic Groups • Success at the basic and proficient levels • Excellence Gap growing • Research shows the gap between high achievers tended to increase between Grades 3 and 8. • The percentage of White students scoring at the advanced level increased slightly while those of Black and Hispanic students were essentially stagnant. (Information based on study of NAEP scores from The Center for Evaluation & Educational Policy) 10/27/2020 17

Excellence Gap – All Students 10/27/2020 18

If We Fail to Nuture Advanced Potential? • Underdevelopment of habits of the mind – less need for the struggle or persistence that promotes advanced learning • Lower achievement gains • Deterioration of potential skills and decreased enthusiasm for learning • Patterns of underachievement, lower performance and/or behavior issues • Hidden Abilities 10/27/2020 19

• Decreased personal satisfaction and self esteem • A fixed mindset • Less productive and engaged lives Teachers must accelerate instructional pace and level to exceed core learning targets or those students will not be challenged to continue to learn. 10/27/2020 20

The reality is that we cannot change students’ backgrounds; we cannot influence what happened or did not happen before they came to us. Our power is in how we use this next step – this current learning opportunity. Bertie Kingore Rigor and Engagement for Growing Minds 10/27/2020 21

Recognize realistic and relevant high-level expectations Integrate complexity and depth in content, process, and product Generate cognitive skills Orchestrate support systems and scaffold success; and Refine assessments to guide instruction and benefit learners 10/27/2020 22

Gifted Delivery Models 10/27/2020 23

Gifted Models and FTE Resource 36, 510 Advanced Content Cluster Group Collaborative Teaching Internship/Mentorship Innovative Model 120, 434 10/27/2020 35, 042 9, 954 558 48 24

2014 - 15 FTE Weights Gifted Ed. Regular Ed. Kdg. $4, 056 (4, 032, 4, 582) $4, 037 Grades 1 -3 $4, 056 $3, 141 Grades 4 -5 $4, 056 $2, 531 Grades 6 -8 $4, 056 $2, 512 Grades 9 -12 $4, 056 $2443 10/27/2020 (4, 012, 4, 559) (3, 123, 3, 531) (2, 516, 2, 834) (2, 497, 2, 790) (2, 430, 2, 744) 25

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent Delivery Models “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org Georgia Code: http: //www. legis. state. ga. us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail. pl? code=20 -2 -152 10/27/2020

Fast Facts on Delivery Models At least 5 segments a week Each system and school needs to decide which model(s) work best for you. Systems can make changes to the delivery models through the Innovative Model Application process. 10/27/2020

Approved Delivery Models Direct Services Indirect Services • Resource Class • Advanced Content Class • Cluster Grouping • Collaborative Teaching • Mentorship/Internship • Approved Innovative Models (K-12) Must be approved by DOE 10/27/2020

Number of Segments Per Instructional Model Resource = no more than 10 per week Cluster Model = no more than 2 per day Advanced Content = no limit Collaborative Model = 8 segments per class, 3 classes + one gifted teacher

Resource (pull out programs) A pullout class focuses on: Enrichment & Acceleration Critical Thinking Creativity Classes can not be blended. 10/27/2020

Gifted Education Delivery Models Advanced Content: Classes are available for grades K-12. Curriculum, instruction, pacing and assessment are accelerated. Classes may be a blend of gifted and honors regular education students. 10/27/2020

Cluster Grouping 5 -8 gifted students at a grade level are placed in a regular education mixed ability classroom Curriculum, pacing and assessments are differentiated so that instruction is appropriately accelerated for the gifted students. 10/27/2020

Collaboration: A gifted program teacher plans differentiated curriculum and instruction with a regular education teacher. The regular education teachers leads classes of gifted education and regular education students based on the developed plans. 10/27/2020

• Internship/Mentorship (9 -12) • A gifted student works with a mentor to explore a profession of interest. The gifted program internship teacher assigned to supervise the internship/mentorship program maintains close contact with both the participating student(s) and the selected mentor(s) to ensure acceptable progress toward the student’s individual learning goals which are based on the approved Georgia standards based curriculum. One or two instructional segments per day may be counted at the gifted FTE weight for students participating in the gifted internship/mentorship program. Each internship/mentorship student must have a contract which document the work to be done, the learning goals for the gifted student, the dates and amount of time the student will be participating in the 10/27/2020 34

Approved Innovative Models • The Ga. DOE encourages the development of innovative programs for gifted students which are clearly in accordance with the needs of the gifted learners and the philosophy of the district. If a school district desires to implement a gifted program delivery model other than one of the models described above, the district must submit a description of that plan to the Gifted Education Specialist at the Ga. DOE. The plan must clearly describe the rationale for the special model, the goals and objectives for the program, the advanced nature of the curriculum which will be provided to gifted learners, how the model’s effectiveness will be evaluated, how gifted FTE funding will be generated and documented, and the anticipated fiscal impact of the model (i. e. , how many FTEs will be generated). 10/27/2020 35

Early Childhood 10/27/2020 36

Early Childhood Gifted Education • Focuses on recognizing, developing and nuturing the strengths and talents of our youngest students. • Research shows that an interactive and responsive environment in early childhood supports both cognitive and affective growth and establishes a pattern of successful learning that can continue throughout children’s lives (Clark, 2002; Smutny, 1998) • The creation of rich and engaging learning environments can enhance and put young children on the path to academic excellence. 10/27/2020 37

Early Childhood • Characteristics of young, gifted students includes, but is not limited to: • The use of advanced vocabulary and/or the development of early reading skills • Keen observation and curiosity • An unusual retention of information • Periods of intense concentration • An early demonstration of talent in the arts • Task commitment beyond same-age peers • An ability to understand complex concepts, perceive relationships and think abstractly 10/27/2020 38

Necessary Core Elements • Flexibility in the pace at which learning opportunities are provided – curriculum compacting, acceleration, additional time to explore topic in depth. • Challenging and content-rich curriculum that promotes both critical and creative thinking • Opportunities to build advanced literacy skills • Ample and varied materials • Instructional strategies that foster an authentic construction of knowledge based on exploration, manipulative resources, and experiential inquiry. 10/27/2020 39

• Early exposure to advanced concepts in ageappropriate ways • Learning opportunities that provide choice and the development of independent problem solving • The identification and use of individual student interests to encourage investigative behaviors • Interaction and collaboration with diverse peer groups of children having like and different interests and abilities 10/27/2020 40

• Experiences that range from concrete to abstract • Opportunities for social interaction • Engagement in a variety of stimulating learning experiences • Environment that supports healthy risk-taking 10/27/2020 41

Creativity 10/27/2020 42

I know that it is possible to teach children to think creatively. . . I have seen children who had seemed previously to be “non-thinkers” learn to think creatively, and I have seen them continue for years thereafter to think creatively. E Paul Torrance 10/27/2020 43

Can Creativity Be Taught? • Increase creativity consciousness and creative attitudes - the single most important component of teaching for creative growth. • Improve students’ understanding of creativity. • Strengthen creative abilities through exercises. • Teach creative thinking techniques. • Involve students in creative activities. • Foster academic creativity. 10/27/2020 44

Teachers can: • Reinforce creative personality traits (confidence, curiosity, risk taking, playfulness, artistic interests) • Promote independent learning, self-evaluation, and fantasy and imagination • Help students cope with failure and with peer pressure to conform • Establish a creative atmosphere • Raise awareness of blocks to creative thinking 10/27/2020 45

Creative Abilities • Fluency Flexibility • Originality Sensitivity to problems • Problem defining Visualization • Analogical thinking Involving students in creative activities - independent research projects, Future Problem Solving, Odyssey of the Mind – are sound ways to develop creative skills, abilities, attitudes and awareness. 10/27/2020 46

According to Torrance, creative teaching and learning includes exploring, questioning, experimenting, testing ideas and other activities. Creative learning includes sensing a problem; formulating hypotheses or guesses; testing, revising and retesting the hypotheses; and communicating the results. 10/27/2020 47

Thinking Skills Intelligence can be learned, nurtured, and grown. Ability is a repertoire of skills and habits that continuously and incrementally expands. Arthur Costa 10/27/2020 48

What the Research Says • Gifted Education Strategies Work • Acceleration Works • Grouping Works • Curriculum Compacting Works • Advanced Placement Works • Pull-Out Programs and Specialized Classes Work 10/27/2020 49

Infuse into everyday teaching • Critical thinking • Creative thinking • Problem finding and problem solving • Metacognition • Domain-specific patterns and forward reasoning • Correlational reasoning • Reflective inquiry • Questioning created for memory, divergence, convergence, aesthetics, and ethics • Socratic discussion 10/27/2020 50

Higher Level Thinking Skills In teaching for thinking, the concern is not how many answers students know, but what they do when they do not know; the goal is not merely to reproduce knowledge, but to create knowledge and grow in cognitive abilities. 10/27/2020 51

Out in the Field • Talent Development • Assessment • Identification of Under-Represented Groups 10/27/2020 52

Challenges • What do you see as the greatest problems we face in gifted education? • What are some of the organizational changes in your system required to solve this problem? • Are there organizational and individual beliefs associated with this problem that need to change? • Are there things – as a leader – that you need to do differently? 10/27/2020 53

the 10/27/2020 doing is the monumental challenge 54

Helpful Resources National Association for Gifted Children http: //www. nagc. org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe. org Georgia Association for Gifted Children C: /Documents%20 and%20 Settings/Annette%20 Eger/Desktop/2012%20 Web%20 Upda tes/www. gagc. org National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented http: //www. gifted. uconn. edu/nrcgt. html Davidson Institute http: //www. davidsongifted. org Teaching for High Potential http: //www. nagc. org/index. aspx? id=1498 Parenting for High Potential http: //www. nagc. org/index. aspx? id=1180 Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted http: //www. sengifted. org 10/27/2020