10 ways to_make_your_case

ADVOCATING for Gifted Learners:

10 Ways to Make Your Case

Nancy GreenExecutive Director

National Association for Gifted Children1331 H Street, NW Suite 1001

Washington, DC [email protected]

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Little Rock, AR

Warm Up Quiz: What Do We Know?

Why Should Others Care?

10 Ways To Make Your Case

The Role of NAGCMobilizing and Educating Members

Advocacy Resources

Parent Resources

Our Time Together

Mission

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences.

Vigilance Works

• Tell your story using specific examples from your district

• Use the voices of your kids• Plan ahead--identify your objectives and

opportunities to achieve them• Build relationships and make connections• Explain the need/tout results• Hook to events, “Gifted Education Month”• Writer letters to the editor

Why Do We Care?

• Talent Development programs help ALL students

• Research shows that authentic learning, critical thinking skills, enrichment interventions really work

• No law requires bright learners to be served

• Economic climate creates scrutiny

• One advocate/enemy can make all of the difference

Reasons for Public Relations in Gifted Education:

• to promote a better understanding of the nature and needs of high potential children and youth

• to gain positive support for appropriate programs

• to keep all constituent groups informed on key issues

• to build a knowledge base for advocacy

WHAT’s in Your Toolkit

• Be clear about your message and speak with one voice

Every Child Deserves to Learn Something New Every Day

Tool Builder #1

WHAT’S THE CHALLENGE?

“Our nation’s economic competitiveness depends on providing every child with an education that will enable them to compete in a global economy that is predicated on knowledge and innovation.”

March, 2009President Barack Obama

Key National Messages

U.S. Competitiveness

Invest in Excellence - An investment in services for high ability learners is an investment in America's future.

“The wakeup alarm sounded decades ago, but the U.S. has repeatedly hit the snooze button.”

Our nation's quest to remain “first in the world" depends on developing America's greatest minds.


Gifted Students Have Special Learning Needs

• Gifted students don't just learn more, they learn differently.

• Failing to provide appropriate instruction to high-ability students can hinder their development, just as treating an illness with the wrong medications can be harmful to patients.

Low-income does NOT equal Low Performance

• When gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds lose ground year after year, our nation is leaving students behind.

• Nearly half of all lower-income students classified as high-ability in the first grade lose this designation by fifth grade and drop out of school twice as often as their higher-income peers.


• Tell Your Story—authentically

– Tap into the passion of these kids

– Celebrate Successes

– Invite decision makers, legislators to events

Tool Builder #2

Tool Builder #3

• Use Data to Make Your Case– Recent Studies can help

“High Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB”

“The Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families”

What’s happening to advanced learners now?

- from High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB

• While the nation’s lowest-achieving youngsters made rapid gains from 2000 to 2007, the performance of top students was languid.

Loveless, 2008

Fordham Study Results

Teachers, who are much more likely to indicate that struggling students, not advanced learners, are their top priority:

•Asked about the needs of struggling learners, 60% of teachers say they are a top priority at their school. Asked similarly about academically advanced students, only 23% say they are a top priority•78% of teachers say that getting under-achieving students to proficiency has become so important that the needs of advance students take a back seat

What’s happening to advanced learners now?

-from The Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families

• More than one million K-12 children who qualify for full or reduced-price lunch rank in the top quartile academically.

• In elementary and high school, lower-income students neither maintain their status as high achievers nor rise into the ranks of high achievers as frequently as higher-income students.

Wyner et al, 2007

The Data

• 44% of children from low socio-economic backgrounds who are considered high achieving when they enter school…are NO LONGER high achieving by 5th grade.

• A biannual survey of the state gifted education policies, programs, funding and personnel.

• The only national look at the state of gifted education.

• Conducted jointly by NAGC and The Council of State Directors of Program for the Gifted.

2008-2009 State of the Nation in Gifted Education

Gifted Education Works

• Gifted Child Quarterly• Terms and

Definitions ( a glossary)

• Gifted Education Works!• Historical Perspectives• Various Texts

Tool Builder #4

•Collaborate with other Parents

Get Organized, Make a Plan, Implement it, Measure Success

• Decide on a clear goal. • Identify objectives and activities to reach your goal. • Select appropriate strategies and costs involved. • Establish a reasonable timeline with dates for

initiation, completion, and person(s) responsible. • Develop evaluation criteria so you will know when

you have achieved your goal. • Get others involved so that you increase your

support and communications base.

Effective Parent Advocates:

Supporting and Sustaining Gifted Education:

Advocacy Tools You Can Use

Tool Builder #5

Write Letters to the Editor

Tool Builder #6

• Find Partners and Build Relationships

NAGC's Approach

Alliances

AdvocacyAwareness

Tool Builder #7

Jump on trains that are moving:

STEM

All gifted and talented students in the U.S. are identified early and well supported to maximize their academic potential.

Awareness Advocacy Alliances

There are Gifted and Talented Students in All Student

Populations

Gifted Students Don’t Just Make It on Their Own

Gifted and Talented Students Need Specialized Educational

Services

Policies Promoting Equity in Identification and

ServicesAccountability Systems Must Measure Advanced

Achievement

Policies Should Accommodate Accelerated Learning

Advocate for Federal, State and Local Funding

Research Should Translate to Improved Instructional

Practices

Build Coalitions with General Education

Organizations

Use Interest in STEM as Vehicle for Support

National Strategy for High Potential Students

Ask the Strategic questions:

• How can we remind legislators and other key decision makers of the value of gifted education?

• How do we celebrate academic success?• How do we link the accomplishments of our students

to the wider community?• How do we measure results?

Tool Builder #8

Tool Builder #9

• Build bridges, don’t burn them!

Tool Builder #10

• Stay informed, stay involved, keep learning

NAGC’S Advocacy Toolkit

• Know Your Information - Check this out for fast facts about gifted and talented and why we need to advocate for students and programs!

• Know Your Audience - Look here for information about who works on what issues and how to contact them.

• Effective Advocacy - Read expert advice on effective communication and maximizing your impact.

• Support Groups - Advocating as part of a group gives you strength. Here are some suggestions on forming and finding support groups.

• Local Advocacy - Some of the most important decisions happen in your own community or school district, click here to learn more.

• State Advocacy - Advocating in your state? Check here for suggestions on how your state group can assess the legislative landscape.

• Federal Advocacy - Find out how to best communicate your message to Congress.

• Legislative Update - Read about current issues in Congress.

AdvocacyFor All

•Toolkit•FAQ’s•Writing Letters•Working with The Media •Advocacy Efforts•Legislative Update•Action Network•State of the States•New Acceleration Guidelines•Articles

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WHAT’s in Your Toolkit

A Review

1. Be clear about your message and speak with one voice

2. Tell Your Story—authentically

3. Use Data to Make Your Case

4. Collaborate with other Parents—Get Organized, Make a Plan, Implement it, Measure Success

5. Speak Out: Write Letters to the Editor

Tool Kit Review

6. Find Partners and Build Relationships

7. Jump on trains that are moving

8. Ask the strategic questions

9.Stay informed, stay involved, keep learning

10. Have fun, be constructive, build bridges, don’t burn them!

Tool Kit Review

Vigilance Works

• Tell your story using specific examples from your district

• Use the voices of your kids• Plan ahead--identify your objectives and

opportunities to achieve them• Build relationships and make connections• Explain the need/tout results• Hook to events, “Gifted Education Month”• Writer letters to the editor

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

-Margaret Mead

Mark your

calendars now!

Thank You!

www.nagc.org