1. Best Practices in Gifted Education
Site Visit Preparation
Mary Schmidt
or ext

2. What We’re Here For..
…to examine best practices in educating the gifted
…to learn requirements of Iowa Code for gifted and talented
…to interpret Iowa Code in relationship to best practices
…to consider ways to organize and document gifted and talented programming and services in preparation for your site visit

3. What We’re NOT Here For…
…to guarantee compliance on a site visit
…to focus on meeting a minimum expectation
This is bigger than a site visit. Code is pretty vague regarding how to implement the requirements. Just meeting Code would be minimal. Compliance is a minimum! We’re all striving for best practices.

4. Agenda What are YOU here for? Gifted Children Defined
Funding for Gifted and Talented
Iowa Code for Gifted and Talented
Today we’ll be talking about these three big pieces of information.

5. Consider your district programming…
What concerns you?
What do you see as areas for improvement?
What is being done “right”?
What questions do you have?

6. Why have a written plan?
Chapter 12 requires gifted and talented to be incorporated into the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Chapter 59 says
281—59.4(257) Program plan. The program plan submitted by school districts shall be part of the
school improvement plan submitted pursuant to Iowa Code section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “a.”
The plan shall include all of the following:
1. Program goals, objectives, and activities to meet the needs of gifted and talented children.
2. Student identification criteria and procedures.
3. Staff professional development.
4. Staff utilization plans.
5. Evaluation criteria and procedures and performance measures.
6. Program budget as defined in rule 281—59.2(257).
7. Qualifications required of personnel administering the program.
8. Other factors required by the department.
Chapter 12 has not yet “caught up with” Chapter 59.
What is embedded in the CSIP is not sufficiently detailed to guide programming on a day-to-day basis.
2) A written plan will help get closer to programming that is embedded in the larger education program and will transcend staff changes.
3) A written plan spells out the procedures and processes to implement comprehensive g/t programming.

7. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
--Unknown
Ultimately, a written plan helps us get to this. It will start with a statement of mission or philosophy. Take a look at the vision/mission/beliefs sample on the wiki.

8. Vision Mission Beliefs
Vision: what we aspire to Mission: why we exist Beliefs: basic tenets that undergird our programming

9. Program Mission/Philosophy
What do you hope to accomplish through g/t programming?
What attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions about gifted children and serving them underlie your programming?
Guides everything you do.
Supports and is supported by district mission, vision, beliefs.
When concerns arise about programming or people are reluctant to provide a given service, we can ask, “Is this consistent with our philosophy and written plan?”

10. Program Evaluation How are we doing? How good is good enough?
How will we know when we’re there?
What do we need to improve?
What data will answer our questions?
Even though review and evaluation are at the end of the list of requirements found in IA Code, we’re going to start with this element. It’s important to know where we are. These are key questions to consider.
Program evaluation is the focus of g/t Academy III.
Solid program evaluation requires a solid written plan. You can’t evaluate without a clear target.
SART

11. Goals and Performance Measures
Guide programming efforts
Related to program evaluation
Long-term (think CSIP-type goal)
Short-term (think APR-ish)
Student Outcomes
You can see on p. 2 of Ch. 59 that student outcomes is a subset of the program goals and objectives required.
Tell us how students should benefit from their programming.
What they will know, understand, & be able to do as a result.

12. Identification Choose areas to serve
Match identification criteria to area
Use multiple criteria
Identifying under-served populations
Identification considerations
Don’t forget to identify K-2! Rethink the term “formal identification”!

13. --Del Seigle, NAGC Past President
Service the strength that brought the child to your attention in the first place.
--Del Seigle, NAGC Past President
The service is the programming; the strength is what we identify.

14. Differentiated Program
Align program with goals
Align programming with student need
Looks different at different levels
Problem areas: K-2 and secondary
Consider an array of options to meet student need (comprehensive)
It’s not a club!
In Ch. 59, this falls under the umbrella of Responsibilities of School Districts 59.5(2) Development of curriculum and instructional strategies

15. Inservice Design
For g/t teacher(s), gen ed teachers, counselors, administrators
Nature and needs of gifted children
District programming details
Relationship to district initiatives and PD
Refer to Chapter 98
Categorical funds are for the PD needs of teachers of gifted
In Ch. 59 this is staff professional development 59.5(8)

17. Staff Qualifications/Staffing Provisions
G/T Endorsement
No more grandparent clause
All endorsed by teachers and coordinators
What are the qualifications of the staff?
Who will staff the program?
How will staff be allocated?
Be sure to develop a staff utilization plan
There’s a difference between a gt coordinator and an oversight administrator.

18. Program Evaluation Program Improvement
Measure progress toward program goals
Weigh district programming against best practices
Ascertain student performance trends
Are gifted students making growth? What does that mean for kids above grade level?
Arkansas Evaluation Initiative templates

19. Gifted and Talented Academy
Year 1:
Not offered during
Year 2:
October 18
November 29
February 12
April 9
Year 3:
October 9
December 13
January 31
April 4
Year 4:
TBD

20. Organizing for the Visit
Consult the Document Review Checklist
Submit GT documents electronically
Wiki
Google site
Use IA Code terms to name files or to create headers within documents
Order as listed on checklist

21. In Closing… …what questions do you still have?
…what support do you need?