Serving highly capable students in rural Districts

1. Serving highly capable students in rural Districts Kathryn Picanco, ed.d. Director, center for gifted education Whitworth University

2. Washington State 28A.185.020 RCW (2009)The legislature finds that, for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education. There are multiple definitions of highly capable, from intellectual to academic to artistic. The research literature strongly supports using multiple criteria to identify highly capable students, and therefore, the legislature does not intend to prescribe a single method.

3. Shift in Thinking FROM Program Centered TO Student Centered

4. Shift in thinking FROMconsidered a separate program not integrated into the regular classroom TO an integrated range of services as a part of the student’s basic education K-12

5. Gifted kids are gifted every day, all day.

6. Psychosocial skills that support Talent DevelopmentPaula Olszewski-Kubilius (ND)Talent development as an emerging framework in gifted education. • Openness to new experience • Self-efficacy • Self-confidence • Grit • Growth mindset • Emotional regulation • Coping skills for failure and disappointment • Resiliency • Comfort with intellectual tension • Ability to handle competition and critique • Psychological independence from parents and teachers

7. Gifted children have unique social, psychological and emotional needs Psychosocial Development Paula Olszewski-Kubilius (ND)Talent development as an emerging framework in gifted education. • Some social-emotional attributes seen as enduring characteristics of all gifted individuals and defining of and inherent within giftedness Not inherent in being gifted Needs result from interaction between gifted individual & environment, influenced by culture and opportunity Psychosocial skills are critical to talent development and these change with domain of talent and stage of developed talent Emphasizes deliberate cultivation of psychosocial skills to support giftedness and high achievement within domains

8. Outcomes of Gifted Education Programs • The anticipated social roles that people of high potential will play should be the main rationale for both supporting special programs and designing learning experiences that will prepare today’s students for responsible leadership roles in the future. (Renzulli, 2012)

9. CCSSO K-12 continuum of services built on a foundation of standards in the 3 areas. College/Career training communication and support

10. Major Changes in WA • All districts need to submit a school board approved program plan by July 1, 2014 • A K-12 continuum of services needs to be in place for identified gifted students • All educators require ongoing professional development about the nature and needs of the gifted learner and instructional strategies to challenge them, not just the teacher for the gifted program • Program evaluation linked to goals Chapter 392-170 WAC. Retrieved from http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=392-170.

11. Key Questions to address • Who are “highly capable” students and what are their learning needs? • What is accelerated learning and what does it look like in a school setting? • What is enhanced instruction and what does it look like in a school setting? • What can a K-12 continuum of services include and look like?

12. Who are “highly capable” students and what are their learning needs?

13. WAC 392-170-036  Definition of Learning Characteristics As used in this chapter, the term learning characteristics means that students who are highly capable may possess, but are not limited to, these learning characteristics: • Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retainwhat has been learned, and to transfer learning to new situations.

14. WAC 392-170-036  Definition of Learning Characteristics • Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their chronological peers. • Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts. • Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength. • Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus.

15. Lessons Learned About Educating the Gifted and Talented: A Synthesis of the ResearchRogers, K. (2007). Lessons Learned About Educating the Gifted and Talented: A Synthesis of the Research. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(4), 382-396. • Gifted learners need daily challenge in their specific area of talent • Opportunities should be provided on a regular basis for gifted learners to be unique and to work independently in their areas of passion and talent • Provide various forms of subject-based and grade-based acceleration to gifted learners as their educational needs require • Provide opportunities for gifted learners to socialize and to learn with like-ability peers • For specific curriculum areas, instructional delivery must be differentiated in pace, amount of review and practice, and organization of content presentation

16. What’s Next?

17. Callahan, C. (September, 2010). Lessons learned from evaluating programs for the gifted. Presented at the Highly Capable Program Technical Working Group Meeting.

18. Service Delivery Models • Integrated classroom support • Cluster grouping • Pull-out program • Special classes • Special schools Schroth, St. (2013). Service delivery models. In Plucker, J. and Callahan, C. (Ed.s), Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (p 577-591). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

19. Differentiation A teaching philosophy where teachers strive to meet the needs of their students by intentionally planning the curriculum and/or instruction based on student interests, learning profile, readiness levels and/or affect. -Tomlinson

20. Differentiation for highly capable Students Kaplan

21. What is Accelerated Learning? “Progress through an educational program at rates faster or at ages younger than conventional.” Pressey in Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. and Gross, M. (2004). A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, Vol. 2.The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

22. A Nation Deceived • Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration, The Ohio State University • http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/Get_Report.aspxhttp://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/Get_Report.aspx

23. Types of Acceleration

24. What is enhanced instruction?

26. Differentiated Quality Curriculum for Highly Capable Students • Higherlevelofabstractness (3.1.4) • Greaterdepthand complexityofcontent, process,andor • product(3.1.4) • Morerapidpaceof learningor taskcompletion(5.1.1) • Problems withmanyfacets;products or outcomes from • ill-formed andopen-endedproblems(3.3.3;3.4.1;3.4.2; • 3.4.3)) • Masteryof content that requiresgreater leapsof insight ormore indirectapplicationsor transferof learning (3.4.4) • Use of more advancedandsophisticatedresources • Matchto each student‟sdevelopmentallevelandculture- based learningneeds(1.2.1) Callahan, C. (September, 2010). Lessons learned from evaluating programs for the gifted. Presented at the Highly Capable Program Technical Working Group Meeting.

27. Key Points • Curriculum is developmentally appropriate • Creativity and problem solving are integrated into the disciplines rather than taught as isolated skills or only as part of competitions Callahan, C. (September, 2010). Lessons learned from evaluating programs for the gifted. Presented at the Highly Capable Program Technical Working Group Meeting.

28. Enhanced Instruction in Rural Communities Traditional Values in Rural Communities • Importance of family and community • Strong work ethic • Deep ties to the land • Stewardship Lawrence, B. (2009). Rural gifted education: A comprehensive literature review. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. 32(4), 461-494. Enhanced Instructional Strategies that Align • Service-Learning • Place-based Learning • Problem-based Learning

29. Positive Effects of grouping for gifted students Rogers, K (October 2011). Presentation at the Washington Association for Educators of the Talented and Gifted conference.

30. What does a K-12 Continuum of Services Include?

32. 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. Gentry, M. and Mann, R. (nd). Total school cluster grouping and differentiation: A comprehensive, research-based plan for raising student achievement and improving teacher practices.Powerpoint companion to the book.

33. Example of a Classroom Composition for the Total School Cluster Grouping Model

35. Getting Started: What are you Already Doing? Program goals could focus on academic specific domains Program evaluation tied to student growth in the identified areas

36. K-8 • K-8 Gates Grant focused on algebraic readiness • Examining materials that will develop algebraic reasoning and differentiate math instruction • Flipped and blended learning environments • WaKIDS - Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

37. Secondary • Technology grant for high school to create online courses to share specialized instructors across districts • Collaborative with Eastern Washington University for the platform and training • College in the School and Advanced Placement • Piloting AP Capstone program in 2014-2015

38. Transitioning Service Ideas

39. Example Philosophy: All students require the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Students identified as highly capable are to receive a qualitatively different and differentiated educational experience. Goals: 1. Highly capable students will receive accelerated and enhanced learning opportunities to advance academic achievement and growth 2. Enrichment opportunities will be provided to foster gifted behaviors. Identification: • CogAT Screener, MAP tests, Rezulli Scales in specific areas, parent/teacher/peer nomination

40. Example: Small District

41. Flexible Grouping Across content areas • Group by readiness flexibly in the classroom to target instruction • Pre-assess • Group by ability/readiness • Teach in small groups • Group by readiness across grade levels • Pre-assess • Group by ability/readiness • Teach in small groups or whole class of similar readiness • Multiage classrooms • Grades 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 • Rotate core curriculum on a three year cycle, not one • Students move progressively through and meet standards/benchmarks by end of three year period

42. Site Based Services: Differentiation for Highly Capable Students Curriculum: Add depth and complexity to tasks when appropriate, inquiry Instruction: • Compact the curriculum and replace with either accelerated or enriched curriculum. • Independent, interest-based projects available and facilitated by the teacher • Project-based learning • Place-based learning

43. Acceleration policies • District policies for: • Early entrance to Kindergarten • Grade skipping when deemed most appropriate option for the student • Dual enrollment • Ability to take advanced coursework out of grade level

44. Dual Enrollment • Can occur at any time during a child’s K-12 education • A child that is significantly advanced in a particular content area may require instruction at then next level of schooling • Example: A fourth grader advanced in math may need to take Algebra at the middle school to be appropriately challenged.

45. Extracurricular • Academic competition preparation • Optional interest based experiences run by community members to share expertise • Creative writing • Dance • Biology • Chess club

46. Professional Development

47. Universal Options Options provided to all students through core curriculum, differentiated instruction, progress monitoring. Enhance success and reduce barriers for vast majority of students. Selected Options Supplemental options provided for small groups who have not met benchmarks to reduce the potential of long term failure. Selected Options Supplemental options provided for small groups who meet benchmarks early or quickly to increase likelihood of continued progress. Targeted Options Individually designed interventions for students who have a high likelihood of academic failure. Targeted Options Individually designed interventions for students who exceed expectations and need extensions or acceleration 1-2% of Students: 10-15% of Students: 70-80% of Students: 10-15% of Students: 1-2% of Students: -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Mean = 0 Deviations + or -

48. Teacher/Principal Evaluation Program 8 Criteria, 26 Standards Instructional Frameworks • CEL 5D+ Teacher Evaluation Rubric 2.0 • Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (2011) • Marzano’s Teacher Evaluation Model Washington State Teacher/Principal Evaluation Project (2013). Criteria and definitions. Retrieved from http://tpep-wa.org/the-model/criteria-and-definitions/.

49. Criterion 1 : The teacher sets high expectations and challenges each student by asking questions of all students with the same frequency and depth by probing incorrect answers of all students in the same manner. Criterion 2: The teacher helps students effectively interact with practice and deepen their understanding of, and generate and test hypotheses about new knowledge, through various methods to engage students. Criterion 3: The teacher has knowledge to design instruction for individual student learning needs and provides interventions to meet those needs. Criterion 4: The teacher has a comprehensive understanding of the subject(s) and standards taught, and skillfully uses the adopted curriculum while developing and communicating clear learning targets (daily) and clear learning goals (longer term) to students. Criterion 5: The teacher fosters and manages a safe, positive learning environment by managing physical space, creating clear and consistent expectations, monitoring and responding to student behavior, and building positive relationships. Criteria 6: The teacher uses multiple data elements to guide students in self-reflection and goal setting, to modify instruction, and to design and modify appropriate student assessments. In addition, the teacher shows that students have made growth and/or met course or grade-level standards using multiple measures. Criteria 7: The teacher communicates and collaborates with the school/community and families in a timely and professional manner. Criteria 8: The teacher collaborates with colleagues about student learning and instructional practices, displays dependability through active participation, and pursues professional development.

50. Professional Development