Gifted and Talented Gifted and Talented EducationEducation

Gifted and Talented Gifted and Talented EducationEducation

They’re Not Just Gifted On They’re Not Just Gifted On Thursdays!Thursdays!

NISD Core Beliefs

We believe that…• kids come first.• continuous improvement is critical for success

of the Northwest Independent School District.• the success of each student is the shared

responsibility of students, families, schools and communities.

• environment influences learning.

District GATES Mission Statement– The mission of the Northwest I.S.D.

GATES program is to develop the unique potential of each K-12 identified student so that he/she will be a positive influence in society.

GOAL STATEMENTS• To provide differentiated

educational services promoting critical and creative thinking skills.

• To engage students in an academically challenging and motivating program.

• To identify and implement best practices in teaching gifted students.

• To support the needs of highly able students by providing training for teachers.

District Curriculum Philosophy Statement

At Northwest I.S.D., the education of identified gifted students is based on the following four areas of emphasis:

1. Basic Skills2. Enrichment Activities3. Thought Processes4. Personal Development

Basic Skills• A differentiated curriculum coordinated

with the subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

• The arts are recognized as essential to an understanding and appreciation of cultures.

• Instruction is facilitated by continuous monitoring of achievement with the opportunity to accelerate in area(s) of strength.

Enrichment Activities• Involvement in a wide variety of topics

through the use of :– resource persons– technology– written and/or visual media

• Students are assisted with individual and group investigations of real problems and areas of interest that emphasize research, direct involvement, and/or development of a product or service.

Thought Processes• Critical thinking skills: taught

through activities such as “Code Crackers” and grid logic

• Creativity: taught through activities such as written and visual products for units of study

• Problem solving strategies: taught through such activities as “Creative Problem Solving”

Personal Development• Self-esteem, independence, social

skills, leaderships, and dealing with one’s giftedness form the focus of the affective curriculum.

• Activities that promote curiosity, risk-taking and imagination create a bridge between feeling and thinking.

• Students learn communication skills, organization of time and materials, responsibility for tasks, and adaptation to changing situations.

GATESDeveloping students’ abilities to • think critically,• communicate effectively, • reason, • solve problems, • value diversity, • seek alternatives, and • learn ways to find answers to

questions.

Defining Giftedness

• General Intellectual Ability• Specific Academic Aptitude• Creative or Productive Thinkers• Leadership Ability• Visual or Performing Arts

Frequent Characteristics of GT

Children• Unusually large vocabulary; speaks, problem solves in

unusual ways, and physically develops significantly early

• Complex sentence structures• Greater comprehension of language nuances• Longer attention span, persistence• Intensity of feelings and actions; wide range of

emotional highs and lows• Wide range of interests• Strong curiosity; limitless questions• Like to experiment; put ideas or things together in

unusual ways (“Thinking Outside the Box” or “What box?”)

Frequent Characteristics of GT

Children• Learn basic skills quickly and with less

practice than peers• Largely self-taught reading & writing skills as

preschoolers• Unusually good memory; retain information• Unusual sense of humor (sometimes dark);

may use puns and sarcasm• Like to organize people and things (often

compulsively), and devise complex games• Imaginary playmates (as preschoolers)

The High Achiever vs. The Gifted Learner vs. The

Creative Learner

www.bertiekingore.com

NISD Qualifications– Minimum of 3 Criteria for

Quantitative Data• CogAT and/or Naglieri, and ITBS

– Minimum of 2 Criteria for Qualitative Data• KOI, GATES, Slocumb/Payne, NISD Parent

Checklist

The Hazards of Not Meeting The Needs of Our

Gifted Students…

Bottom line…• We will make sure that gifted children’s needs

are being addressed EVERY DAY.• We will make sure that appropriate lessons

(differentiated, tiered, compacted, engaging) are provided.

• We will challenge our gifted students with love, dignity, and respect.

• We will honor and cherish their differences, from their classmates & from each other.

• We will NOT have a “One Size Fits All” program

GATES Program• Serve your GT children through a

weekly pull out program– Minimum standard per week and

Conceptual Lens:• K – 60 min Wonders• 1 – 60 min Patterns• 2 – 90 min Structure• 3 – 120 min Relationships• 4 – 150 min Systems• 5 – 150 min Change / Culture

GT Specialist Position• In addition to regularly scheduled

classes, we assist classroom teachers in planning lesson extensions, compacting, and differentiating lessons for GT students

• Communicate with parents regarding progress, emotional well-being, and social progress through GATES progress reports sent home every six-weeks.

Duke University TIP• Information will be sent home in January.• Qualifications for 2008-09 4th Grade:

– 3rd Grade Math TAKS score at least 2560– 3rd Grade Reading TAKS score at least 2616

• Qualifications for 2008-09 5th Grade:– 4th Grade Math TAKS score at least 2537– 4th Grade Reading TAKS score at least 2497– 4th Grade Writing TAKS score at least 2760

Websites for Gifted Resources

www.sengifted.orgwww.nagc.orgwww.txgifted.orgwww.bertiekingore.comhttp://www.austega.com/gifted/characteristics.htm

Questions, answers, concerns…

Thank you so much for your valuable time!