Revised 5/2016
Gifted Education Handbook Lafayette Co. C-1 Schools
Definitions of Giftedness
Federal
State of Missouri
Lafayette Co. C-1
Characteristics of the gifted
Myths and facts about gifted children
Characteristics of the High Achiever and the Gifted Learner
Needs of gifted children
Cognitive
Affective
Educational
Lafayette Co. C-1 beliefs about gifted children
Philosophy
Goals and Objectives
Student Selection
Screening
Testing
Entrance
Previously identified, new to the district
Suggested timeline
Curriculum
Rationale
Differentiation
Unique appropriateness for gifted children
Program evaluation
Student survey
Parent survey
Staff survey
Continuing in RISE program
Grade point average
Teacher recommendation
Probation
Removal
Re-entry
Parent Information
Resources
Emotional Needs
Glossary of common gifted education terms
Definitions of Giftedness
Federal Definition
The United States Department of Education under the direction of Public Law 91-30, Section 806, established the following definition for purposes of federal education programs.
Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who, by virtue of outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance. These are children who require differential educational programs and/or services beyond those provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and the society.
Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas, singly or in combination:
· General intellectual ability
· Specific academic aptitude
· Creative or productive thinking
· Leadership ability
· Visual and performing arts
· Psychomotor ability
Missouri Definition
The state of Missouri defines gifted children (RSMo 162.675, 1973) as “those children who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity and learning potential as determined by competent professional evaluation to the extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could best be served by an academic environment beyond that offered through a standard grade level curriculum.”
Lafayette County C-1 Definition
We define giftedness as a combination of factors that produce special behavior. These factors include superior ability and achievement, task commitment and creativity. Superior ability and achievement are indicated by test data. Task commitment involves the student’s willingness and ability to carry through on responsibilities and projects. In other words, to stay with a job until it is complete. Creativity involves planning, and often producing, something unique and unusual.
Characteristics of Gifted Children
Gifted students can often be recognized by certain characteristics and behaviors. Gifted students can be found in all ethnic and racial groups. RISE focuses on three ability areas: 1) general intellectual ability, 2) task commitment, and 3) creative/productive thinking ability. A child who is unusually able in one or more of these three areas often…
1. Has an unusually good vocabulary.
2. Has quick mastery and recall of information.
3. Has lots of information on a variety of topics.
4. Is alert and observant (usually sees more or gets more out of a story, film, etc., than others).
5. Reads a great deal on his/her own.
6. Reasons things out, recognizes relationships, comprehends meanings and makes logical associations.
7. Works persistently on things that interest him/her.
8. Is easily bored with routine tasks.
9. Prefers to work independently; requires little direction from teachers.
10. Strives for perfection; is self-critical.
11. Often is self-assertive, may be stubborn in his/her beliefs.
12. Is curious about many things, asks questions about anything and everything.
13. Reveals originality in written, oral, artistic expression.
14. Offers unusual, unique or clever answers.
15. Is uninhibited in giving opinions.
16. Is often concerned with different ways of doing "things" (will modify, improve or adapt).
17. Displays a keen sense of humor.
18. Is nonconforming; accepts disorder, does not fear being different.
-Joseph S. Renzulli, ProfessorUniversity of Connecticut
The behaviors cited are general characteristics. Individual gifted children may not possess all the characteristics. In a supportive home/school environment, certain characteristics (such as those associated with creativity and risk taking) may be much more pronounced.
Superior ability may be found in specific academic areas such as math, social studies, science, or the language arts. Students with a specific academic aptitude may reveal this ability through high performance on standardized tests, high achievement in school subjects, and interest in learning more about topics in that area. These students appear to see relationships and grasp principles more quickly than others. They are able to generalize and synthesize in the content area.
Those individuals who are exceptionally creative may or may not be the same students who are academically gifted. The creative student is one who has an adventurous mind, who comes up with many ideas, alternatives and questions. This student is an original thinker, one whose ideas are unique in comparison with the peer group. The creative thinker generally exhibits a sense of humor and is a risk taker. Creative thinkers are sometimes seen as disruptive or as discipline problems because of their uninhibited behavior, their impulsive reactions, and their non-conformist tendencies.
Myths and Facts About Gifted and Talented Children
Myth: Gifted education and the "gifted' label are "elitist' because gifted programs offer 'special' treatment for smart kids that already have it all.
Fact: Gifted education is, in fact, about meeting the academic and affective needs of students whose abilities and knowledge exceed what is being taught in the regular classroom.
Myth: Gifted kids have 'pushy" parents.
Fact: Parents of gifted children are often less inclined to make an issue of their children for fear of drawing attention and harming their child's school experience. Often, parents of gifted children may be reliving their own negative experience in school and simply want their child to be intellectually challenged each day in school.
Myth: Gifted kids tend to be physically weak and unhealthy.
Fact: Gifted children actually tend to be stronger, have fewer illnesses, and many are outstanding athletes.
Myth: Gifted kids are emotionally unstable and social misfits.
Fact: The opposite is generally true. Many children fail to be identified by teachers because their outward behavior seems so normal. They are often very outgoing and can be outstanding leaders.
Myth: Gifted kids are enthusiastic about school and academic work.
Fact: Gifted children will, in fact, opt for "alternative” ways to demonstrate their intelligence and creativity, if not encouraged to do so in a school environment. Gifted students will often choose the easiest path to an "A” since the "A” comes so easy to them.
Myth: Gifted kids are smart enough to learn by themselves.
Fact: Gifted children require the same professional educational and emotional support as other children, but that support must be appropriate to their needs.
Myth: Gifted kids are usually from upper middle class professional families.
Fact: Gifted children are found in all socioeconomic groups in proportionate numbers.
Myth: Gifted kids with the same level of intelligence have the same abilities and interests.
Fact: Gifted children, like all children, are unique individuals and differ in their abilities, talents, and personalities.
Myth: All children are gifted.
Fact: All individuals have gifts that make them unique, but giftedness refers to extraordinary, exceptional, beyond-the-norm abilities and talents.
Information used with permission of http://jeffcoweb.jeffco.k12.co.us/isu/gifted/parent.htm
Characteristics of the High Achiever and The Gifted Learner.
Grades are only one measure of a student’s learning. Taken alone they do not determine giftedness. Educators use a variety of measures to determine if students need the services provided in gifted programs. The following list was created by Jane Szaby and published by Good Apple Press to help parents recognize some of the subtle differences between good students and gifted learners. These descriptions may overlap and are not mutually exclusive. The high achiever may be more readily identifiable in the classroom setting and considered to be “gifted.” The gifted learner may well be underachieving and not readily recognized.
High Achiever / Gifted LearnerKnows the answers / Asks the questions
Is interested / Is highly curious
Has good ideas / Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard / Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions / Discusses in detail, elaborates
Listens with interest and opinions / Shows strong feelings
Learns with ease / Already knows
6-8 repetitions for mastery / 1-2 repetitions for mastery
Understands ideas / Constructs abstractions
Enjoys peers / Prefers adults
Grasps the meaning / Draws inferences
Completed assignments / Initiates projects
Is receptive / Is intense
Copies accurately / Creates a new design
Enjoys school / Enjoys learning
Absorbs information / Manipulates information
Technician / Inventor
Good "memorizer" / Good guesser
Is alert / Is keenly observant
Is pleased with own learning / Is highly self-critical
Needs of Gifted Children
Why is there a need for gifted education?
Gifted students experience a sense of isolation. One of the biggest advantages of gifted programming is peer identification. Two significant needs children experience between the age of six and twelve are the need for inclusion and independence. Gifted children, specifically, will often compromise their talents to “fit in” with the group while struggling with the conflict of thinking differently. One consequence of the isolation children feel is disruptive behavior: Gifted students may act out conflict and frustration in the form of manipulation or passive aggressive behavior.
Placing gifted children with others who have similar abilities and talents may help students experience a sense of well-being. It can also be an extremely humbling experience. For many it is a good experience to be nose-to-nose with others as smart as or smarter than they are.
The purpose of identifying gifted students is to provide differentiated experiences commensurate with their needs. Most of these students are capable of mastering the curriculum more quickly than other students. They benefit from greater breadth in their educational experiences and delight in the opportunity to explore a wide variety of enrichment topics outside the scope of the regular curriculum. In addition, they are able to go much deeper into their areas of special ability and interest than other students. Their needs are such that, when motivated and guided, they can pursue learning on their own.
The gifted student needs to be permitted to demonstrate that basic learning has been mastered and go beyond this basic learning. These students need to be encouraged to select alternate learning activities at a higher level or a faster pace. The gifted student needs to be challenged with activities requiring higher level thinking skills and sustained persistence. They need to develop the skills and knowledge to proceed independently in special learning activities. Most important, the gifted student needs the opportunity to work with and interact with other gifted students. RISE is designed to help meet these needs.
Cognitive Needs
The gifted individual needs:
· Freedom from the restrictions of structured requirements and limited time frames.
· Time and freedom to experiment, to explore subjects of interest.
· Open access to needed learning resources whatever and wherever they may be.
· Confrontation with problems and issues of society for which there are no single predetermined solutions.
· Opportunity to brainstorm ideas.
· Encouragement to ask questions, make discoveries, pursue own interest in=depth.
· Opportunities to work with other gifted/talented students at least part of the time.
· Wide variety of in-depth cultural experiences beyond the usual field trips to zoos, museums, or industries.
· Opportunities to help others.
· Active concern for the gifted among administrators, counselors, teachers.
Affective Needs
Gifted children need to:
· Acknowledge and understand their gifts and talents.
· Know that others may not be able to perform as well or as easily as they do- not to hold unrealistic expectations for others.
· Know about the uncommon personal characteristics associated with and quite often supportive of their gifts and talents.
· Accept and prize their differences.
· See them as others see them- to be aware of negative sanctions that may be placed upon them.
· Develop a strong self-image- to believe in them.
· Develop problem-solving skills that will enable them to deal with social problems, cope with complexities, and influence change.
· Experience a sense of community- to contribute to group cohesiveness.
· Explore ways in which they may work, play, and live with others.
· Learn methods and techniques that will assist them in making their ideas, products, and selves accepted and valued by others.
· Be humane persons, able to share, care and support others.
· Participate in planned programs of psychological education.
Educational Needs
The gifted student needs:
· A flexible academic program that involves higher cognitive concepts and processes, such as those defined by Bloom.
· Active learning with the application of skills instead of the repetition of information from teacher or textbook exposition.
· Divergent thinking activities that encourage the discovery of alternative solutions to a problem or social issue.
· Intellectual flexibility and training in using analysis, synthesis, and evaluation as a regular part of learning.
· Decision-making and problem solving tasks for individuals or for groups as they explore ideas.
Lafayette Co. C-1 Beliefs About Gifted Children
Philosophy
The Board of Education of Lafayette Co. C-1 Schools recognizes in its philosophy of education the need for every learner to be provided with opportunities appropriate to the unique needs and abilities of each individual. Lafayette Co. C-1 builds upon this foundation by providing gifted, talented and creative students with appropriate and differentiated education from kindergarten through grade 12.
Gifted and talented students are a population with special needs. They differ significantly from their chronological peers in abilities, talents, interests and/or psychological maturity. These students must be identified, encouraged, and challenged in order to develop their ability to the fullest potential.
The District's philosophy of service to gifted and talented students advocates the best possible education for all students according to their individual abilities, interests, and needs. This philosophy is reflected in the following statements:
· Every student possesses a unique set of interests, goals, abilities, and liabilities, and has a right to the optimum development of his/her potential.
· Gifted students exhibit outstanding potential compared to age-mates.
· "The gifted" represent a diverse group of students including culturally different, lower socioeconomic status, and special needs students.