1. Best Practices for Using the CCR Standards with Gifted & Talented/Advanced Learners
Welcome the participants and jump right in to the session.
You may want to conduct an informal survey of the group to find out how familiar/comfortable they are with instructional strategies used to differentiate instruction for gifted/advanced students.
You could use the “fist to five” strategy. This is a quick way to pre-assess the participants’ comfort level with the topic. Ask the participants to hold up a closed fist or the number of fingers that corresponds with their comfort level. For example, a closed fist would signify no comfort with the topic, but holding up five fingers would demonstrate a strong comfort level with the topic.
Maryland State Department of Education
2015 College & Career Readiness Conferences

2. Pre-Assessment
What is your comfort level with instructional strategies used to differentiate instruction for gifted/advanced learners?
You may want to conduct an informal survey of the group to find out how familiar/comfortable they are with instructional strategies used to differentiate instruction for gifted/advanced students.
You could use the “fist to five” strategy. This is a quick way to pre-assess the participants’ comfort level with the topic. Ask the participants to hold up a closed fist or the number of fingers that corresponds with their comfort level. For example, a closed fist would signify no comfort with the topic, but holding up five fingers would demonstrate a strong comfort level with the topic.
At this time, you could also share how important the idea of pre-assessment is in the gifted/advanced classroom.

3. Using the 4-A’s Text Protocol
In your group, read the text silently. Write notes on sticky notes in answer to the following four questions:
What Assumptions does the author of the text hold?
What do you Agree with in the text?
What do you Argue with in the text?
What parts of the text can you Act upon at your school/in your district?
Discuss each question as a group. Select one or two answers that you can all agree upon. Write the answers on sticky notes. Place each note on a group chart using chart paper. (Sample chart on next slide.)
Have one group member summarize your article and share your
4–A responses with the whole group.
What does this mean for our work with students? teachers?
Goal of this activity: To introduce and discuss some key topics in gifted education. You are starting to paint a picture of what a gifted classroom should look like.
Assign each table (group) an article to read. There are five different articles. Each table should be assigned a different article. The participants who sit together at a table will read and discuss the same article. All of the articles are posted on Blackboard (except one Scientists of the Past...copies are in the session folder). There are copies of the articles in your session folder just in case. IF YOU USE THE COPIES PLEASE COLLECT THE COPIES OF THE ARTICLES AT THE END OF THIS ACTIVITY AND PLACE THEM BACK IN THE SESSION FOLDER. If you have a favorite article, feel free to add it to the selection.
Have participants work through the 4-A’s Text Protocol using their assigned articles. Remind participants that the 4-A’s text protocol can be used with teachers during professional learning and with students in the classroom. Have participants share their summaries/conclusions with the whole group. A sample 4-A’s chart is on the next slide.
Articles - Elementary Session
Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards for Gifted and Talented Students (NAGC Position Statement)
The Value of Noise and Confusion
Yes – Elementary Students Can Use Socratic Circles
The RAFT strategy is a lifesaver for differentiating writing!
Scientists of the Past Informing the Scientists of the Future
Articles – Secondary Session
Setting the Bar for High-Ability Students (Principal Leadership, October 2013)
At the end of each group’s presentation or at the end of all of the presentations, you can ask the following question:
What does this mean for our work with students? teachers?

4. Using the 4-A’s Text Protocol
Each group will use the chart paper in the room to create a chart like the one shown in this slide.

5. GT Scenarios
Read the scenario at your table (pink). With the individuals in your group, take 3 minutes to brainstorm some strategies that may be utilized to address the question posed.
Next, read the strategy (yellow) highlighted in Teaching Gifted Children in Today’s Classrooms.
Make a chart that summarizes your scenario, group ideas, and the suggested strategy.
Report your findings to the group. Take some photos of the different charts if you like.
After the 4-As protocol activity, participants should have an introduction to some common topics in gifted education. You are starting to paint a picture of what a gifted classroom should look like. Next, lead them in an activity that allows them to analyze a few common issues in gifted education and strategies that can be used to respond to those issues.
You may introduce this activity by saying . . .
The following questions can be common in a classroom where instruction may not be differentiated for gifted students.
“This is boring!”
“I’m done. Now what should I do?”
Let’s analyze some scenarios adapted from Teaching Gifted Students in Today’s Classroom to address these and other common issues in gifted education.
In your session folder, there will be 4 different scenarios (2 copies each). Give each table one copy of a scenario (includes a pink scenario and a yellow strategy to use in this particular situation). Make sure the participants do NOT look at the yellow piece of paper until after their brainstorming session. Facilitate the activity as stated on the slide.

6. GT Classroom “Look For”
The “Look For” document is NOT an evaluation tool, but a conversation starter . . .
You will not see all of these practices all of the time.
The items on the document are common practices and behaviors that you may see and hear in a classroom that serves gifted and talented/advanced students (not a comprehensive list).
Share a copy of the GT “Look For” document with each participant. They should have access to it electronically on Blackboard. There are copies available in your session folder if necessary. A group of GT specialists created a general “Look For” document to assist school administrators in identifying outstanding practices in GT education. Explain the ideas on the slide:
The “Look For” document is NOT an evaluation tool, but a conversation starter . . .
You will not see all of these practices all of the time.
The items on the document are common practices and behaviors that you may see and hear in a classroom that serves gifted and talented/advanced students (not a comprehensive list).
You may even mention that there are many strong “Look For” documents in existence. NAGC has one posted on their website. William and Mary also has a very detailed document.

7. GT Classroom “Look For”
Review the “Look For” document.
Turn to a person sitting near you.
Discuss some typical practices and behaviors that you have observed in your school/district.
Identify one practice and one behavior that you would like to see more of in your school/district.
Facilitate the activity as noted on the slide. You may have some individuals share their responses with the whole group.

8. Excellence in Gifted & Talented Education (EGATE)
In 2010, The Maryland State Department of Education and the State Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education initiated the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) School Awards Program.
Each EGATE school submits a comprehensive application to document twenty-one different objectives under four program goals: Student Identification, Curriculum, Professional Learning, Program Management and Evaluation.
The application process equates to a year-long gifted program self-study which identifies program strengths and weaknesses.
After reviewing the slide with the participants, invite them to take part in a hands-on activity to analyze the different criteria required of EGATE schools.
You may mention . . .
Why do schools pursue the EGATE status? School teams report that the process leads to shared ownership for gifted education among staff, an ongoing momentum for program improvement, and a great sense of affirmation and pride. EGATE demonstrates that intrinsic rewards can and do motivate excellence.
Please share your experience with the EGATE program during this part of the session.

9. EGATE Card Sort Activity
Collaborate with your colleagues to review the EGATE program criteria cards.
Identify categories for the cards.
Using the paper provided, make a chart and label the categories.
Place the cards under the appropriate categories.
Select one category to share with the whole group.
Category
The purpose of this activity is to encourage principals to embark on a professional learning journey with their faculty and staff – focused on gifted and talented education. It allows them to familiarize themselves with the EGATE categories and criteria and discuss this process with their peers.
You will have six sets of EGATE cards in your session folder. Please collect the cards after the activity and place them back in your session folder.

10. EGATE Card Sort Activity
You can review the actual categories with the group.

11. Resources - Websites National Association for Gifted Children
The Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education (MCGATE)
Maryland Educators of Gifted Students (MEGS)
Share these resources with the group. Add some of your own recommendations.

12. Publications
Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom, Susan Winebrenner
Differentiating the Curriculum for Gifted Learners, Wendy Conklin and Shelly Frei
Share these resources with the group. Add some of your own recommendations.

13. Turn and talk to the person next to you.
Name one new thing that you learned today.
Name one thing that you can do to better support gifted and talented education in your school/district.
This is a brief activity to close out the session. You may also ask if the participants have any additional questions.