1. + Strengthening the Core: The Baraboo School District Gifted and Talented Certification Cohort Model Presented By: Lori M. Mueller, Baraboo School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Pam Clinkenbeard, UW-Whitewater Professor

2. + Teachers Develop Talents Describing the teachers’ roles across age span / grade level Linking teacher characteristics and competencies to gifted student outcomes Translating research on teacher competencies and gifted students’ needs to teacher preparation programs Sharing exemplars from the digital age

3. + Gifted Education Licensure Program in Wisconsin Provided jointly through UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point Blended model of face-to-face meetings and online learning tasks 12 credits Foundations of Gifted and Talented Education (3 credits) Psychological Issues in Gifted Education (3 credits) Curriculum for Gifted (3 credits) Practicum in Gifted Education (3 credits) *Additional 3 credits for TAG coordinator license (UWW)

4. + Baraboo Cohort Model MOU for a group discount on cost of credits & revenue share PLC – Early release Wednesdays Credit reimbursement - $1500 annually Total cost to individual staff for certification – Less than $300 Support from building-level Gifted and Talented Coaches District commitment to participating staff Inclusion in new alternative compensation model

5. + Planning Steps Discussion with Graduate Dean at UW-Whitewater MOUs with both UW schools Garnering interest with staff Presentation to Board of Education On-site enrollment and registration Scheduling class meetings Acting as facilitator of communication and logistics

6. + Current Status Total number of participants Elementary - 8 Middle - 12 High - 2 Completed Foundations of Gifted and Talented Education Currently taking Curriculum and Methods (elementary) and Psychological Issues in Gifted Education (secondary); reverse next semester Desire to start a second cohort (New staff and life demands/changes)

7. + Challenges Tuition cost Competing initiatives (ie. Educator Effectiveness) Teaching schedules of higher education faculty (tenured and adjunct) Time for continuous learning Mobility and changes in staffing Uncertainty of future funding Keeping a practitioner focus

8. + Rewards Leveraging structures for student gains (embedding gifted ed. into existing infrastructure) Increased capacity for meeting the needs of our advanced learners Engagement of parents, families, and community members Overall improvement of district services Evaluation of teachers based on student growth (attention to student achievement data) RtI (Response to Intervention) with advanced interventions (Tier III) School improvement in gifted education completed during teacher work day (and outside of school day)

9. + Final Project Samples from Cohort Foundations Course Reorganization of the middle school math curriculum system to construct clear paths for math acceleration Development of a cluster grouping plan for language arts in the middle school (grades 6, 7, 8) Case study of two 9-year-old boys and guiding their advanced reading choices Differentiation of several science lessons in one 6 th grade classroom Development of a culturally-sensitive identification plan for Native American students with musical talent (HoChunk tribe)

10. + Questions? Lori M. Mueller Baraboo School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction lmueller@barabooschools.net Dr. Pam Clinkenbeard Professor and Co-Director Challenging Advanced Learners Programs, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater clinkenp@uww.edu