1. Welcome families of TD-certified students!
Huntersville Elementary Talent Development: Differentiated Education Plan (DEP) Informational Meeting
Welcome families of TD-certified students!
April 14, 2015
Some content taken and adapted from:
Trinette Atri, Olde Providence Elementary / Emily Foley, Irwin Academic Center

2. Huntersville TD Contact Info:
Sabrina Walters, Talent Development Teacher

3. We will discuss… Mission/Goal Desired Outcomes
Gifted Student Characteristics
The Catalyst Model
Direct vs. Indirect Services
How We Teach Gifted Learners
Who Participates?
Services and Schedule
DEP and Performance Review
TD in Middle School

4. CMS TD Mission: To provide gifted students the opportunity to maximize their potential, demonstrate their motivation, and realize their contributions to self and the global community. CMS TD Goal: To support the development of a content-rich educational experience for students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout CMS.

5. The TD program provides opportunities and resources for learners to…
attain levels of academic achievement consistent with their abilities
engage in abstract, creative, and affective reasoning
apply insightful questioning
develop a capacity to see interconnections among disciplines
practice self-directed learning and independent problem solving
strive for self actualization
maximize their leadership potential
become active participants in the global community

6. Desired Outcomes:
Curriculum studied in greater depth through more challenging lessons and differentiated activities
Curriculum accelerated to include above-grade level material when appropriate
Advanced pace of learning

7. Gifted Student Characteristics Students may exhibit one or more of the following, but are not limited to…
Has much factual information
May not show neatness or order in work
Anticipates outcomes
May disagree with teacher or textbook answers
May frequently respond in an elaborate manner
May not want to stop working on a task
Asks the questions

8. Gifted Student Characteristics Students may exhibit one or more of the following, but are not limited to…
Enjoys learning
Infers
Creates new designs
Has unexpected ideas
Manipulates information
Achieves mastery in 1-2 repetitions

9. The Catalyst Model
“Gifted learners are gifted all the time” – Mary S. Landrum Therefore, gifted education is not an add on for ninety minutes a week. The focus of the Catalyst Model is to differentiate instruction for the gifted and high performing students.

10. So how does the Catalyst Model work?
The classroom teacher and Talent Development teacher share responsibility for the education of gifted students
The TD teacher provides lessons and activities for teachers to use in the heterogeneous classroom AND/OR teaches students directly
The TD teacher provides enrichment and acceleration for students who have shown mastery of objectives being taught in the regular classroom through direct or indirect instruction

11. What are Direct Services?
Direct services, or “face time,” are lessons that are created and taught by the TD Teacher
Direct services can be “pull out” (students pulled into TD/Catalyst classroom) or “push in” (students remain with classroom teacher when TD Teacher comes in to co-teach with classroom teacher)

12. What are Indirect Services?
Indirect services are lessons and activities developed by the TD/Catalyst teacher and provided to the classroom teacher for him/her to use in his/her classroom
Examples are: curriculum compacting, centers, independent contracts, projects, alternative homework/classwork, lessons

13. Why the need for direct and indirect services?
Often there are too many students for one person to reach alone. Differentiation is required in the regular classroom to provide all students with the education they need and deserve.
Since the TD Teacher cannot see all children, all day, every day, the classroom teacher requires activities and lessons from the TD Teacher for those students while they are in the regular classroom.
Without differentiation, everyone would move at the same pace, be evaluated in the same way, and complete the same activities – regardless of their prior knowledge or individual needs

14. How do we teach gifted learners?
Focus on creative thinking, problem solving and logic
Ask higher level questions during novel studies, rather than lower, “knowledge” level questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
Engage students through project-based learning
Utilize research-based resources for gifted students (William & Mary, etc.)

15. How do we teach gifted learners?
Work in abstract thinking and concepts – symbolism, themes, etc.
Increase awareness of the global community through interdisciplinary novel studies and discussion
Teach problem solving strategies in math
Differentiation strategies such as curriculum compacting, contracts, choice menus, independent studies, small group instruction

16. How is TD curriculum different?
Language Arts: Multiple resources such as Socratic Seminars (Paideia), William & Mary, novels, Junior Great Books, integrated writing, etc. Math: Combination of resources such as Math Olympiad competition, Project M3, Hands on Equations, The Problem Solver, etc.

17. How are TD student expectations different?
Critical & Creative Thinking
Handle accelerated & advanced pace
(Refer to Performance Review document)

18. TD is NOT… an add-on extra work separate a status symbol boring
more of the same
extra work
a status symbol
boring
punishment for being smart!

19. How do you determine who is in your math and reading groups?
Depends on pre-assessments – math and reading; behavior and ability to work independently; class work; space in the classroom; formative testing; teacher-created assessments – MANY data points
Groups are flexible and can change from unit to unit, novel to novel, and/or quarter to quarter
See both TD certified and catalyst students
Direct – 40%, Indirect – 60% services
Students can be seen for both or just reading or just math, depending on their individual needs and the factors listed above

20. 3rd – 5th Grade Literacy Services
Literacy enrichment will be integrated into Reader’s Workshop time – Mrs. Walters will “PUSH-IN” to the regular classroom and work in collaboration with the homeroom teacher.
4 days a week-2 days each in 2 different classes, minutes per session
Students will continue differentiated direct instruction with the classroom teacher when Mrs. Walters is not present

21. 3rd – 5th Grade Literacy Services
Mastery of pre-tested objectives, classroom performance, TD-identification, and student interest/motivation help determine who is placed into direct services group with Mrs. Walters when applicable
Students will work on novel studies, figurative language, poetry, informational text analysis, themes/concepts, higher order thinking, and academic writing
Mrs. Walters will plan with classroom teachers weekly to collaborate, analyze data, and provide needed extensions, projects, and other differentiation resources for classroom use

22. 3rd – 5th Grade Mathematics Services
Math Enrichment will be two-fold. Mrs. Walters will “PUSH-IN” 1 day/week for problem solving and PULL-OUT 2 days/week for those who compact out of the regular math unit.
Students will continue differentiated direct instruction with the classroom teacher when Mrs. Walters is not present

23. 3rd – 5th Grade Mathematics Services
Mastery of pre-tested objectives, classroom performance, TD-identification, and student interest/motivation help determine who is placed into direct services group with Mrs. Walters when applicable
Students will work on problem solving, algebraic concepts, Math Olympiad, real-world applications, higher order thinking, and 21st century skills
Mrs. Walters will plan with classroom teachers weekly to collaborate, analyze data, and provide needed curriculum compacting, extensions, projects, and other differentiation resources for classroom use

24. 2nd Grade All 2nd Grade services are PULL-OUT
One day/week for Literacy
CMS Advanced Studies Concept Unit: Change
One day/week for Math
Interact Unit: Into the Unknown

25. DEP: Differentiated Education Plan
A document completed annually which lists learning environment, content modifications, and special programs available to the student during that year
This information is kept on file in the cumulative folder
Social/emotional goals are only included as needed
ElementaryDEP

26. End-of-Year Performance Reviews
Students are evaluated in the following domains…
End-of-Year Performance Reviews
Content (Understanding and Use of Subject Matter)
Product (Learning Outcomes)
Process (Skill Development)
Affective (Attitudes and Behaviors)
See the Performance Review document here…
At the end of each year, each TD-certified student in grades 2-5 receives a TD student performance rating, in addition to their regular report card.

27. Each of the 4 sections are scored from 1-4, as follows:
1 – Needs immediate improvement
2 – Needs some improvement
3 – Meets expectations
4 – Exceeds expectations
THESE RATINGS ARE BASED ON TD-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS…NOT ON GRADE-LEVEL WORK!
Ratings of “2” and “3” are the expectation.
A “4” is extraordinary!
These ratings do not affect the report card grades or class placement.

28. Affective Evaluation Product Evaluation
Always completes home- and class work on time
Initiates and goes beyond required assignments
Is motivated and takes responsibility for learning
Shows exceptional ability to work with others
Product Evaluation
Products synthesize from a variety of challenging sources
Products reflect insights gained from exploring “big ideas”
Products demonstrate significant effort in multiple intelligences and exceptional growth

29. Process Evaluation Content Evaluation
Asks provocative questions which probe and analyze problems
Gives diverse, thought-provoking responses which lead to innovative solutions
Insightfully evaluates new information and ideas
Content Evaluation
Thoughtfully interrelates complex knowledge from all subject areas
Exceptional insight to themes and generalizations
Demonstrates sophistication in learning and applying new information to tasks

30. Looking Ahead: Middle School
No formal “TD” program in middle schools – Honors Classes
Bailey Middle – one of 5 CMS middle schools to pilot the “Springboard” official pre-AP program
EOG scores alone are NOT to be used to place TD certified students in middle school, per department instructions – rubric is used for math
Magnet schools (I.B., Performing Arts, Languages)
TD Contact in middle school is ACADEMIC FACILITATOR

31. What questions do YOU have for me?