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Gloucester Township Public Schools

EXCEL PROGRAM

FOR

GIFTED & TALENTED STUDENTS

2014-15 Handbook for Parents, Teaching Staff, and Administrators

Middle School Gifted and Talented Program

Making School Work For All Students

Gloucester Township Public Schools Gifted and Talented Services Department of Curriculum and Instruction Making school work for all students

Forward

The Gloucester Township Board of Education provides a continuum of services that is comprehensive and differentiated according to the multi-faceted needs of gifted learners.

This handbook describes Gloucester Township’s gifted middle school program, Explorations and Challenges for Exceptional Learners (EXCEL). The program was developed to include curricular, instructional, enrichment, and counseling opportunities directed towards challenging and addressing the unique needs of gifted and talented learners.

The New Jersey Department of Education’s administrative code requires that school districts provide appropriate K-12 services for gifted and talented students. This includes appropriate curricular and instructional modifications for gifted and talented students indicating content, process, products, and learning environment. Per state regulations district boards of education must also take into consideration the PreK-Grade 12 National Gifted Program Standards of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in developing programs (www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs).

The Gloucester Township EXCEL Committee has followed both NJ State Code (N.J.A.C. 6A:8-3.1) and gifted program standards established by NAGC in the design of the EXCEL Middle School Program.

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Explorations and Challenges for Exceptional Learners


Table of Contents

Mission and Vision ……………………………………………………………………………… 3

Levels of Service Model ………………………………………………………………………… 4

Shared Responsibilities …………………………………………………………..……………… 5

Research Based Gifted and Talented Practices ..………………………………………………… 6

Curriculum Compacting in the EXCEL Program ………………………..……………………… 7

Field Trips…………………………………………………………...…………………………… 9

Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights ……………………………………...………………………… 10

Gifted and Talented Children’s Characteristics ………………………………………..………. 11

Gifted and Talented Identification ...…………………………………………………………… 13

Identification Procedures ……………………………………………………….……………… 14

Exit Procedures ……………………………………….…………………………...…………… 15

Parent and Educator Resources ……………………………………………………………..….. 16

Additional Documents for use with EXCEL Program:Gifted and Talented Identification Criteria Forms

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MISSION & VISION

Gifted and Talented EXCEL Program Mission:

It is the mission of the Gloucester Township Public Schools to design and develop gifted and talented programming which integrates challenge and rigor for high ability learners, and addresses the unique learning styles and social emotional needs of students with gifts and talents.

“Working together we can ensure that your children and our students receive the public education they deserve, and more importantly, that they need for their futures.”

~ Superintendent John Bilodeau

Gifted and Talented EXCEL Program Vision:

Students identified for the EXCEL program will be immersed in a fast paced educational environment with peers of similar aptitude where they can develop their individual capabilities, creativity, and potential. Students in EXCEL will be offered a continuum of services that provide advanced content, alternate curriculum opportunities, differentiation, acceleration, and counseling. The primary areas of service delivery will occur in Social Studies and Science where teachers will integrate interdisciplinary relationships, problem solving, creativity, advanced readings, research, technology, and 21st century themes. Students will be required to utilize the highest levels of thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application) as they explore historical periods and documents, conduct scientific inquiry, expand research and writing skills , and report on the connections between the liberal arts and sciences with the modern world. Program products and assessments will be modeled on real-world authentic assessments and collegiate scholarship.

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Levels of Service Model of Gifted and Talented Services

Gloucester Township Public Schools provides a multi-tiered level of services model of gifted and talented education. Many students will receive challenging activities and enrichment opportunities within the general education classroom through gifted and talented adaptions and differentiated instructional strategies. These services can be routinely provided by all classroom teachers for any student who shows aptitude for a particular activity or content.

Some students will be identified as gifted and talented students and will receive accelerated learning within the EXCEL science and social studies classes, and/or accelerated mathematics. These students will be immersed in an accelerated paced curriculum with supplemental enrichment activities and/or advanced content.

A few students will receive additional services which include an alternative curriculum, independent projects, specialized programs, or specialized counseling. These services are provided on an individualized basis for student showing advanced aptitude even when compared to other identified gifted and talented students.

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Shared Responsibility for Gifted and Talented

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Tier 3Services for a few students (1%)

* Alternate curriculum,* Indepenent or modified assignments *specialized counseling

Tier 2Services for some students (10%)

* EXCEL social studies and science classes* Accelerated math classes

Tier 1Services for many students

* Gifted and Talented adaptaions and instructional strategies within core curriculum *Differentiated instruction


Primary areas of responsibility are categorized in the chart below:

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District Adminstration

District Administration* Create framework for program delivery that aligns to NAGC standards, NJ state code, and district mission and vision* Design program,curriculum, and identification criteria*Evaluate overall program effectiveness* Communicate program goals, changes, and standards to all stakeholders* Approve curricular connection of all instruction, field trips, and activities* Provide professional development and training for staff

Building Administration* Schedule EXCEL classes and activities* Monitor program fidelity within the school* Budget and provide resources* Evaluate teacher effectiveness* Daily oversight of teaching staff* Approve of all field trips activities, schedule, transportation, logistics* All student safety or disciplinary procedures or concerns

EXCEL Teachers* Utilize research-based classroom instruction strategies for diverse gifted students* Monitor student learning and provide feedback* Utilize motivational strategies for different learning styles* Communicate classroom goals, procedures, and expectations to students and parents* Plan field trip experiences and special events* Evaluate all students in the school for possible EXCEL identification based on district procedures and criteria

Parents* Read all guidelines in handbook* Utilize parent resources* Follow Gifted Child's Bill of Rights* Communicate with classroom teacher* Support and extend classroom learning into the home environment

Students* Work collaboratively with all students* Be accountable for a high standard of scholarship* Communicate with the teacher proactively regarding any difficulties with the class* Follow all rules, guidelines, and procedures of the school* Accept leadership and service role in the class, school, and the communnity* Represent the school in a exemplary manner at field trip locations


Research Based Practices for Gifted and Talented Education

The Gloucester Township Public Schools provides the following research based gifted and talented programming practices. These practices provide an accelerated and enriched learning environment for all gifted and talented students. The Middle School EXCEL program utilizes Curriculum Compacting, Accelerated Pacing, and Grouping.

Acceleration Educational acceleration is one of the cornerstones of exemplary gifted education practices, with more research supporting this intervention than any other in the literature on gifted individuals. The practice of educational acceleration has long been used to match high-level students’ general abilities and specific talents with optimal learning opportunities

Curriculum CompactingThis important instructional strategy condenses, modifies, or streamlines the regular curriculum to reduce repetition of previously mastered material. “Compacting” what students already know allows time for acceleration or enrichment beyond the basic curriculum for students who would otherwise be simply practicing what they already know.

GroupingThe practice of grouping, or placing students with similar abilities and/or performance together for instruction, has been shown to positively impact student learning gains. Grouping gifted children together allows for more appropriate, rapid, and advanced instruction, which matches the rapidly developing skills and capabilities of gifted students.

Pull-Out and Other Specialized ProgramsProgramming options for gifted and talented students occur in a variety of ways, and research demonstrates the effectiveness of pull-out programs, specialized classes, and other special programs and schools and the curriculum these services use in raising student achievement.

Teacher TrainingTeachers who know how gifted students learn and are well trained in gifted education strategies are critical to high-level gifted programs; however, most gifted students spend their school days in the regular classroom. Providing basic training for all teachers on recognizing and serving advanced students helps identify and more appropriately educate those students in the regular classroom.

(http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/gifted-education-practices)

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Curriculum Compacting

The Gloucester Township Public Schools employs the practice of an accelerated paced core curriculum with the Curriculum Compacting method. This is a systematic procedure for modifying and individualizing the curriculum for above average ability students. The EXCEL teacher uses pre-assessments and formative assessments to accelerate the pace of the curriculum and avoid re-teaching concepts of facts that the students already know. Additional enrichment activities, field trips, and individualized activities supplement the curriculum in the additional instructional time gained through compacting.

What Curriculum Compacting is:

A strategy used to modify and/or streamline the regular curriculum while ensuring mastery of basic skills to:

eliminate repetition of previously mastered material upgrade the challenge level of the regular curriculum provide appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration activities encourage personal choice

The Rationale for Curriculum Compacting

1. Advanced Background Knowledge: Many Gifted and Talented students already know most of the grade level content and

skills (Reis, Burns, & Renzulli 1992). Students experience repetition of content each year and know much of the regular

curriculum content before learning it. Research says: “roughly 1.5 million students need a curriculum more rigorous than the current standard” (Davidson Institute, 2006).

Students must meet mastery levels on pretesting/skill plan in order to be compacted. This cuts down unnecessary practice time. (Burns, et al., 2002)

2. Failure to meet needs: Needs of high ability students are often not met in in the regular classrooms.

“study after study tells us what so many bright but bored students already know – challenge is lacking in the regular classroom” (Colangelo, Assouline, and Gross, 2004)

3. General Education Curriculum Can Be Easily Modified:

The pace of instruction and practice time can be easily modified. “ by making changes in depth or breadth… or pacing” (Burns, et al., 2002).

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Eight Steps for Implementing Curriculum Compacting

1. Identify the learning objective

2. Find or develop a pretesting format…establish mastery score

3. Identify students who may benefit from curriculum compacting

4. Pre-test students to determine prior knowledge/skill

5. Eliminate practice or instructional time

6. Streamline instruction or acceleration

7. Keep records of the process and the instructional options available to students

(Reis, Burns, & Renzulli, 1992)

Provide Curriculum Alternatives

escalated coverage of the regular curriculum enrichment kits commercial supplements interest centers, computer software Simulations online course work mini courses Mentorships acceleration via advanced placement, grade skipping, early college admission or

course work… consider online options

Desired Results:

teachers can pace learning on the students’ needs students feel connected to teachers who care enough to alter curriculum and maintain

challenge parents respect the district's child centered approach and teachers who honor their child’s

needs teachers begin to feel more like guides and facilitators of learning school climate and achievement improves

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Field Trips

The following approved field trip locations provide enrichment opportunities for EXCEL students. Each summer, the EXCEL teacher will select and plan two trips per grade level. Note that an additional trip or special event may be added as opportunities arise during the school year.

2014-15 Approved Field Trip List:

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Philadelphia Museum of Art

9/11 Memorial

China Town Tour

Inversand Fossil Exposure

The Mutter Museum

Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center

The Smithsonian

Eastern State Penitentiary

Independence Seaport Museum

Franklin Institute

Pennsylvania Hospital and Physick House

Edelman Planetarium

Philadelphia Zoo

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Gifted Children’s Bill of RightsYou have a right to: know about your giftedness.

learn something new every day.

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.-

- Del Siegel, NAGC President

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Gifted & Talented Children’s General, Learning, and Creative Characteristics

Because gifted children are so diverse, not all exhibit all characteristics all of the time. However, there are common characteristics that many gifted individuals share. Learn more about gifted children and their unique abilities at: www.nagc.org/resourcespublications/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-gifted-education

General Behavior Characteristics

Gifted children's behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways:

1. Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school.

2. Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies.3. Gifted children commonly learn basic skills better, more quickly, and with less practice. 4. They are better able to construct and handle abstractions. 5. They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children

need to have spelled out for them. 6. They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys." 7. They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods. 8. Their interests are both wildly eclectic and intensely focused. 9. They often have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of

hyperactivity. 10. They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults. They may prefer

the company of older children and adults to that of their peers. 11. They like to learn new things, are willing to examine the unusual, and are highly inquisitive. 12. They tackle tasks and problems in a well-organized, goal-directed, and efficient manner. 13. They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very

persistent. "I'd rather do it myself" is a common attitude.

Learning Characteristics

Gifted children are natural learners who often show many of these characteristics:

1. They may show keen powers of observation and a sense of the significant; they have an eye for important details.

2. They may read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines written for children older than they are.

3. They often take great pleasure in intellectual activity. 4. They have well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis. 5. They readily see cause-effect relationships.

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http://www.nagc.org/resourcespublications/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-gifted-education

http://www.nagc.org/resourcespublications/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-gifted-education


6. They often display a questioning attitude and seek information for its own sake as much as for its usefulness.

7. They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies. 8. They often have a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics, which they can

recall quickly. 9. They readily grasp underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about

events, people, or objects. 10. They quickly perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies. 11. They often attack complicated material by separating it into components and analyzing it

systematically.

Creative Characteristics

Gifted children's creative abilities often set them apart from their age-mates. These characteristics may take the following forms:

1. Gifted children are fluent thinkers, able to generate possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.

2. They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different alternatives and approaches to problem solving.

3. They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.

4. They can also see relationships among seemingly unrelated objects, ideas, or facts. 5. They are elaborate thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments

to a basic idea, situation, or problem. 6. They are willing to entertain complexity and seem to thrive on problem solving. 7. They are good guessers and can readily construct hypotheses or "what if" questions. 8. They often are aware of their own impulsiveness and irrationality, and they show emotional

sensitivity. 9. They are extremely curious about objects, ideas, situations, or events. 10. They often display intellectual playfulness and like to fantasize and imagine. 11. They can be less intellectually inhibited than their peers are in expressing opinions and ideas,

and they often disagree spiritedly with others' statements. 12. They are sensitive to beauty and are attracted to aesthetic values.

List courtesy of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and the Rhode Island State Advisory Committee on Gifted & Talented, 2014.

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Identification of Gifted and Talented Students

Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. – NAGC

Those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modification of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities. – New Jersey Department of Education, 2009.

Giftedness is present in children from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor. In order to fairly evaluate students with barriers to advanced achievement, research suggest use of multiple measures including aptitude, diagnostics, and achievement. Gloucester Township Public schools employs various measures to ensure fair identification of all learners with advanced potential as described in the chart below.

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Identification Procedures

Gloucester Township Public Schools utilizes the Otis-Lenin School Ability Test, STAR Reading Enterprise and Star Math Enterprise, NJASK English Language Arts and Mathematics, and grades to evaluate students. All students in the district will be evaluated based on a two-step process of initial screening and detailed evaluation.

Screening Process: The screening process will take place in June of each school year. There are three screening pathways for students. Students scoring 118+ on the OLSAT will automatically be evaluated further. Teacher Recommendations will be solicited by the EXCEL teachers in June. Parent/Student Nominations will be accepted in June. Forms will be available at each school.

Detailed Evaluations: Detailed evaluations of screened students will take place in June- July of each school year. The forms used for evaluations are available in the document Gifted and Talented Identification Criteria Charts.

Screening and Evaluation Process:

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Records reviewed in June

118 + OLSAT score

Accepetd in June

Teacher Recommendations

Accepetd in June

Parent/StudentNomination

Detailed Evaluation based on multiple

measures of aptitude, skills, and

achievement

(June-July)

Students who meet the EXCEL

requirements are placed for the following year

(July-August)


Excel Program Exit Criteria Excel students are required to maintain their academic requirements by meeting the following criteria. Students who fail to meet the performance criteria will be reassigned to an on-level classroom after the 1st semester (end of January) or 2nd semester (end of June) Students are expected to maintain an A/B average in Excel classes for marking period 1-4 report cards.

The first earned “C” on a report card in the EXCEL class places the student on academic probation. Grades in other classes are not considered when assessing the student’s success in the gifted and talented program.

Students who earn a “C” for the first time in Excel social studies / science must participate in a Parent and Teacher conference including a guidance counselor and the Gifted and Talented Supervisor and/or building administrator.

An Action Plan will be developed to remediate the area of underperformance.

The second earned “C” on a report card will result in exit from the EXCEL program. This includes removal from the EXCEL social studies and science classes and any special events or trips related to those classes.

If a student is ineligible for the Excel Program or elects to leave the program, they must requalify through the district identification process.

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Parent and Educator Resources

www.davidsoninstitute.org Davidson Institute for Talent Development

www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank Belin & Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa

www.gifted.uconn.edu Neag School of Education UConn

www.hoagiesgifted.org Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page

www.nagc.org National Association for Gifted Children

www.njagc.org New Jersey Association for Gifted Children

www.nrcgt.org National Research Center on the Gifted & Talented

http://www.sengifted.org/ Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted

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http://www.sengifted.org/

http://www.nrcgt.org/

http://www.njagc.org/

http://www.nagc.org/

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/

http://www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank

http://www.davidsoninstitute.org/