Gifted Education in Mobile: Serving Exceptional Learners

1. Gifted 101

2. Gifted Education in MCPSS • Alabama State Act 106 mandates that school systems identify and serve gifted students.   • The Alabama Department of Education Administrative Code provides guidelines for referral, consent, evaluation, eligibility determination, placement and service delivery options, gifted education plan, administration, caseload, and procedural safeguards for gifted students. • Alabama State Act 83-675 protects gifted education in Mobile County. • The Mobile County Public School System's PACE Program was authorized in 1982, however gifted classes have been available since 1970.  • PACE is an acronym for Pursuing Academics, Creativity and Excellence.

3. Defining “Gifted” Intellectually gifted children and youth are those who perform or who have demonstrated the potential to perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Children and youth possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor. Alabama State Code 290-8-9.12

4. Gifted Identification • A student may be referred if they are enrolled in the public school system and are at least 6 years of age. Referral requests may be submitted at any time. • ​For each student referred, information is gathered in the areas of Aptitude, Characteristics, and Performance.  The information is entered on a matrix where points are assigned according to established criteria.  The total number of points earned determines if the student qualifies for gifted services. • A student may be referred for consideration for gifted services by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, and other individuals with knowledge of the student’s abilities. • All second grade students participate in a mandatory Child Find process under the guidance of the Gifted Specialist.

5. Aren’t ALL Children Gifted? • ​No. All children do have abilities and can excel. However, the brains of gifted students work differently than normal students. In their area(s) of giftedness, these students must learn at a faster pace and have depth and complexity in content and activities. Otherwise, this information will be mislearned or students will underachieve.

6. Unique Needs and Characteristics of Gifted Students • Gifted students have unique learning needs that require special education services, or interventions, in order for these students to reach their potential. Frequently, gifted students do not achieve high grades, high scores on standardized tests, and may have discipline issues. • Gifted students may be gifted in one domain or subject area, such as math or science, in all subjects, and/or in creativity, or problem-solving. In their area(s) of giftedness, students must have accelerated pacing, depth, complexity, creative expression, and an emphasis on affective needs.  • A student may be twice exceptional (2e) if they have a disability area identified and are identified gifted. Sometimes the disability masks the giftedness, and sometimes the giftedness masks the disability.

7. Advanced Cognitive Abilities • Although definitely a defining characteristic, Giftedness is more than high performance on a standardized test. • Because of this high ability, students can hold themselves to impossibly high standards, which in turn, can lead to unhealthy perfectionism, procrastination and/or extreme mood swings. • Gifted children seem to learn through osmosis; some refer to them as “sponges.”

8. Affective Characteristics • There are social and emotional issues that may hinder a gifted student’s ability to progress academically. These include, but are not limited to: • Heightened sensitivity • Heightened self-criticism and/or Perfectionism • Emotional intensity • Asynchronous development • Peer relationships • Strong sense of ethics and morality • Executive Skills

9. Under-Represented • Many students from poverty come from families who do not put a lot of emphasis on education and are not read to. These students may seem to be farther behind their age group peers and are therefore less likely to be seen as Gifted by a teacher. • Students from poverty lack early experiences, use of technology and extra-curricular activities. • Students from poverty may delve into an interest more than their peers. This interest may be something from television or something with little or no monetary value. • Students from poverty may not get the best grades or be a teacher pleaser. They may be bored in class and therefore may act out to get attention. • We must identify students at the earliest possible age (Pre-K- 1st grade) in order to help students from poverty to begin to realize their potential. “Low achievement is closely related with lack of resources, and numerous studies have documented the correlation between low socioeconomic status and low achievement (Hodgkinson, 1995). To improve achievement, however, we need to rethink our instruction and instructional arrangements” (Payne 116). --Instruction and Improving Achievement: A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne, Ph.D.

10. Referral to Eligibility • A Gifted Referral begins with Notification and Consent for Gifted Screening and Gifted Rights sent home to the parents. • Once parent consent is signed and returned, the process (and referral date) begins. Work samples and achievement data is collected and the TABS form is completed. An aptitude screener, administered by the Gifted Specialist,is given to the referred student, if needed. • The GRST (Gifted Referral Screening Team), consisting of the Gifted Specialist, the classroom teacher, and one other person that is familiar with the student meets to determine whether or not the student passes screening. • Students that pass screening and need an additional aptitude test will be assessed by a MCPSS psychometrist after passing a Vision/Hearing screening. • The Eligibility decision is determined by the GRSTand a parent notice is sent home. • The Gifted Specialist holds a GEP (Gifted Education Plan) Meeting with the parents to determine appropriate services.

11. Gifted Services • Services for gifted students may vary between school systems. The Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan for Gifted outlines the services provided. Generally, services provided are: • Grades K-2-Consultative-Gifted specialists consult with classroom teachers to provide differentiated activities, lessons, or stations. • Grades 3-5/6-Pull-out Classes-Gifted specialists work with gifted students in a resource room for 3-5 hours per week through concept-based curriculum which incorporates, problem-based and service learning. • Grades 6/7-8-Pull-out, advanced classes, electives- this varies from school system to school system. Most systems provide services through advanced classes or advanced classes and electives. • Grades 9-12-Advanced classes, electives, counseling services for college and career preparation.  Advanced classes may include but are not limited to dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB), Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), etc. • Gifted specialists provide academic and/or enrichment support for students who do not participate in direct services (Indirect Services). Each GT specialist also provides consultative support services to general education teachers.

12. Differentiation One size doesn’t fit all! Differentiation is a conceptual framework for maximizing student learning, by enhancing the instructional match between the learner and various curriculum components. • “High ability students spend more time drilling and practicing content and skills they have mastered than they spend learning challenging content. Repetition is overly prevalent in our schools, which may lead many high ability students to become bored and, ultimately, underachievers in the classroom.” --Reis & Purcell, 1993. --Renzulli & Reis, 1985. • “America’s brightest students have become accustomed to the practice of “getting by.” They realize early in their school career that doing their best and completing assignments quickly rewards them with more of the same rather than new and challenging activities.” --Lisa S. Stamps, 2004

13. The Differentiation Climate • Nurturing and Flexible • Encourages risk-taking • Stimulating and Positive • Challenging • Questioning on higher levels • Collaborative • Variety of resources • Assessment and Reflection • Goal-oriented Ask yourself: Am I “covering the curriculum” or am I “causing learning”?

14. Avenues to Differentiating Instruction • Advanced Content: What do they know or need to know? (1) Provide depth through interdisciplinary concepts • Advanced Process: How do they learn best? (1) Use complex problems that require students to work collaboratively (2)Develop student thinking by teaching criticalreasoning strategies and creative thinking tools • Advanced Products: In what ways can they express what they know or they have learned? • (1) Authentic products for authentic audiences (2) Products that have value to others

15. Differentiated Instruction Is…. 1. Pre-assessing before instruction 2. Adjustment of the core curriculum by content, process, and product. 3. Having high expectations of all students. 4. Educational experiences which extend, replace, or supplement standard curriculum. 5. Students participating in respectful work. 6. Differing the pace of instruction. 7. A blend of whole class, group, and independent learning. Differentiated Instruction is not… 1. All students completing the same work. 2. Teaching to the average student. 3. Focusing only on student weaknesses 4. Assigning more work to high achieving students. 5. Assigning more extra-credit work. 6. Using capable students as tutors. 7. Using only whole class instruction or only individualized instruction.