A Quiet Crisis

1. A Quiet Crisis Strategies for Reaching and Teaching our Advanced Learners by Jessica Holt

2. Federal Definition of Giftedness1993 Quiet Crisis Report “Children and youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. ”

3. Quiet Crisis, continued “These children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields.”

4. Quiet Crisis, continued “They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools. Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.”

5. Quiet Crisis, continued “However, they may also have accompanying disabilities and should not be expected to have strengths in all areas of intellectual functioning.”

6. State Definition • Gifted and talented children and youth are those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services. • Possession of these talents and gifts, or the potential for their development, will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability, task commitment and /or motivation, and creative ability.

7. History of Gifted Education • Some schools began providing services to gifted students in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. • By 1920, about two-thirds of all major cities had gifted programs. • Interest dwindled during The Great Depression. • Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale • Terman studies • Long-term study of over 1,500 gifted children • LetaHollingworth

8. Terman and Hollingworth • Students allowed to accelerate are more successful. • Family values and parents’ education are important factors. • The gifted children are psychologically and physically healthier than the average child. • Children with IQs of 140+ waste much of their time in school. • Gifted children need counseling too. Lewis Terman

9. Sputnik and the 21st Century • “Total talent mobilization” • Acceleration • Ability grouping • Telescoping • Math and science curriculum development • Increased funding • Reform movement during the 1980’s moved back toward heterogeneous grouping.

10. Characteristics of the Intellectually Gifted • Precocious language and thought • Logical thinking • Early math, art, and music • Motivation • Persistence • Advanced interests

11. Affective Characteristics • Independence • Self-confidence • High internal control • Self-motivation • Superior humor • High moral thinking • Empathy

12. Characteristics of the Creatively Gifted • Full of ideas • High verbal fluency • High energy • High motivation • Sees relationships • Copes with several ideas at once • Risk-taking • Teachers tend to prefer intellectually gifted students.

13. Negative characteristics • Interpersonal difficulties • Underachievement • Nonconformity • Extreme perfectionism • Excessive self-criticism • Poor self-image • Frustration and anger • Depression • Extreme feelings of alienation

14. Risks of Stereotyping • Underachievers or trouble-makers are neglected. • Twice-exceptional may be overlooked. • Gifted students who have also been diagnosed with a disability • Parents typically assume negative characteristics come with the territory.

15. Identification and Assessment • Intelligence Tests: Stanford-Binet, WISC-IV • Achievement Tests: ITBS, SAT • Creativity Tests: Torrance, Guilford • Nominations • Teacher • Parent • Self • Peer • Rating scales: SIGS • Product Assessment

16. What do IQ test scores indicate? Retrieved from Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page

17. Helping the Twice-Exceptional • According to The NEA, these considerations will aid in the identification of the twice-exceptional: • Using multiple data sources • Avoiding combining multiple pieces of data • Averaging subtest scores into a composite, for example • Reducing qualifying cut-off scores to account for the child’s disability • Using formal, informal, and authentic assessments • Using culturally-sensitive assessments to prevent culture bias

18. What is best for gifted students? • Grade skipping • Credit by examination • Pull-out enrichment • Grade telescoping • Limiting mixed-ability cooperative learning • Subject acceleration • Curriculum compaction • Grouping • Mentoring

19. Instruction Models for Gifted Ed • School-Wide Enrichment Model • Autonomous Learner Model • Integrated Curriculum Model • Mentoring Mathematical Minds Model • The Grid • Multiple Menu Model • Levels of Service Approach • Parallel Curriculum Model • Talents Unlimited

20. How do most giftedstudents like to learn? • Flexible, unstructured tasks • Active participation • Learning through many sensory channels • Quiet environment • Working alone or with other gifted students

21. Teaching the Gifted in the Regular Classroom: Differentiation • Compacting curriculum • Pretesting skills and allowing students to do something different • Incorporating creative and critical thinking into classroom activities • Using projects or independent study

22. Other Considerations • Gifted programs are targeted at a minority of our student population. • Gifted students’ needs are real. • Gifted education is not elitist. • Be fair to minorities, disabled, and disadvantaged students. • Know and avoid the stereotypes. • Employ fair assessment practices. • Make an extra effort to identify and support them. • Avoid thinking “they’ll be fine.” • Gifted students have special needs too.

23. References • Davis, Gary A., Rimm, Sylvia B., & Siegle, Del. (2011). Education of the Gifted and Talented (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NH: Pearson Education, Inc. • Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page (2012). What is Highly Gifted? [Table]. Retrieved from http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm • Kimbrell, T., Barnes-Rose, A. (2009). Gifted and Talented Program Approval Standards. Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.arkansased.org/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/Gifted%20and%20Talented/2009_GT_Revised_Program_Approval_Standards.pdf • Museum of the United States Air Force (2009). Sputnik I. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp? id=7644