Why do schools need to provide special resources for gifted students?
Don’t we want all students to be learning something new every day? All students should have the opportunity and the expectation to make continuous progress during their years in our schools. Like students identified for special education, gifted students also benefit from teachers who recognize and can respond to the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of this population. Longitudinal research indicates that gifted programming has positive and long-reaching effects on student achievement, attainment of advanced degrees, and on future career success.
What should an exemplary gifted education program include?
Great programs provide a range of services which address the psychological, educational, and social needs of gifted learners and help them achieve their potential and contribute to society. They maximize learning; promote students’ interests; enhance independence, creativity, and communication skills; and aid students in understanding their giftedness.
Source: Davis, Rimm & Siegle, Education of the Gifted and Talented, 6th ed., 2011.
What are the possible dangers in not fully supporting gifted students with an engaging curriculum?
In elementary and middle school, we sometimes begin to see underachievement or perfectionism develop in gifted children. Students who haven't been challenged by their elementary curriculum tend to fall apart when they finally are pushed by AP or college level work. The dropout rate in high school and college for gifted students is alarmingly high, particularly for twice-exceptional students.
How can Nancy help your school district?
Some of the services I provide include:
Evaluating current programs and making recommendations for additional student services
Providing instructional coaching and resources to facilitate classroom differentiation
Designing professional development tailored to the needs of your school
Designing instructional strategies like curriculum compacting, literature circles, or Socratic seminar
Designing information on topics such as identifying gifted or highly creative students, and the social, emotional, and academic needs of these students
Consulting with staff and parents of gifted students in Student Study Team meetings
Observing, assessing, and making recommendations for individual students who are struggling in their current placement
What does the new Every Student Succeeds Act legislation have to say about gifted students?
On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law. ESSA affects all students, but a few provisions apply specifically to gifted students:
For the first time, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, both districts and states will be required to include students achieving at the advanced level in their achievement data reporting and to break that data down into subgroups by gender, ethnicity, level of English language acquisition, etc. Previously, reporting was required only for students who were proficient or below grade level.
Addressing the needs of gifted and talented students will be required in the new guidelines for teacher training in districts receiving Title II funds, including research-based strategies like acceleration and curriculum compacting. Districts receiving Title I funds may use these monies for serving gifted students.
The new Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) achievement testing now in use in California and elsewhere is computer adaptive, which means that when a student repeatedly demonstrates ability at grade level, assessment proceeds up to the next grade level, and the next, as long as the student continues to answer correctly. (It also provides assessment at a lower grade level when questions are repeatedly missed.) This is a huge change from the previous STAR testing, which only reported student achievement relative to their current grade level standards. For the first time, students, parents, districts, and states have information on whether students are achieving above grade level.
In 2015, Congress enacted an education-reform law that requires states and districts to more clearly report on the annual performance gains of high-performing students, just as they have long been required to do for students at the low end of the achievement spectrum. The new law also requires states to outline how they support the identification and service of gifted students, and it makes clear that federal teacher-training funds can be used to provide professional development in gifted education.
Source: The National Association for Gifted Children
