What do I do

now?
Answers to questions
teachers with gifted
students ask most
often.

Essential Questions

What is a gifted student?

How are gifted children different from high
achievers?
How do I make a good referral?
What is the purpose of gifted education?
What does the EASD K-8 program look like?
How can I be more supportive of the gifted
students in my class?
What resources are out there to help me?
2

What is a Gifted
Student?

Myths about gifted

children

Gifted kids rise to the top of a

classroom:
Not necessarily. Gifted children can
have hidden learning disabilities
that go undiscovered because they
can easily compensate for them in
the early years.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)

Myths about gifted

children cont
Gifted children are so smart they do fine
with or without special programs:
They may appear to do fine on their own,
but without proper challenge, they can
become bored and unruly. As the years go
by they may find it harder and harder as
work does become more challenging,
since they never faced a challenge before.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)

Myths about gifted

children cont
If

Children are off task, inattentive or

hyperactive they can only be ADHD.
There is no rule that states that if a child is
exhibiting behaviors consistent with hyperactivity
and/or inattentiveness they have to be ADHD. A
gifted child may simply be bored and amusing
themselves. Further, they may appear ADHD
because their minds are fast moving.
(Josie Moore-EASD)

Myths about gifted

children cont
Gifted and bright mean the same thing:
There is no rule that states that a child who is
capable of scoring in the high ninety
percentiles on group achievement testing and
getting all As must be considered gifted.
Remember, group achievement testing is
grade level testing. Such high scores are
certainly high achievers but not necessarily
gifted. Further, there is no rule that states a
child identified as gifted should be achieving
to high standards in the classroom.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)

What is a Gifted Student?

A child with outstanding intellectual and creative ability

that requires specially designed programs and/or
support services not ordinarily provided in the regular
education program (22 Pa. Code16.1)
Mentally and physically involved instead of just
attentive
Constructs abstractions instead of just understanding
ideas
Answers in detail instead of just answering question
Plays around yet tests well instead of working hard.

What is a Gifted Student?

A child with outstanding intellectual and

creative ability that requires specially
designed programs and/or support
services not ordinarily provided in the
regular education program
(22 Pa. Code16.1)

A child with an IQ of 130 or higher when

multiple criteria as set forth in
department guidelines indicates gifted
ability
.
(22 Pa. Code16.21d)

Multiple Criteria?

Criteria, other than IQ score, must be used to

indicate gifted abilitySuch As.

Academic

performance
significantly above grade level or
the normal age group in one or
more subjects as measured by
nationally normed and validated
achievement tests.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)

10

Multiple Criteria?

Criteria, other than IQ score, must be used to

indicate gifted abilitySuch As.
Rate of Acquisition/Retention

Demonstrated Achievement, performance or

expertise in one or more academic areas.

Early and measured use of high level thinking

skills, academic creativity, leadership skills,
intense academic interest areas,
communication skills, foreign language
aptitude or technology expertise.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)

11

Multiple Criteria
continued..
Intervening

factors masking
giftedness such as ESL, SLD,
physical impairment, emotional
disability, gender, race bias, or
socio/cultural deprivation.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)

12

EASD Matrix

(Criteria Used to determine need)

Standardized

Achievement in Math,
Reading, Language 90% or better.
A score of 80 or higher on the Teacher
and Parent Questionnaire forms
A score of 1-3 repetitions on the
Teacher/Parent Questionnaire forms.
GPA
Special factors (e.g. ESL, SLD etc)
13

Gifted stats

A gifted student falls

within the end of a
standard bell curve.

The gifted population

across the nation
constitutes the top 2%.

Image from www..librarythinkquest.org

14

How are Gifted

Children different
From High
Achievers
15

High Achiever or Gifted?

Knows the answers

2. Interested
3. Attentive
4. Has good ideas
5. Works hard
6. Answers the questions
7. Top Group
8. Listens with interest
9. Learns with ease
10. Understands ideas
1.

(Szabos, J, 1989)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Asks the questions

Highly curious
Mentally & Physically
involved
Has wild silly ideas
Plays around yet tests well
Discusses in Detail
Beyond top group
Strong feelings and opinions
Already knows
Constructs abstractions
(Szabos, J, 1989)

16

How do I make a
good referral?

17

How do I make a good

referral?

Review grades and standardized achievement testing throughout

his/her school year. Are they in the 98 th percentile or higher? Are
they at a 3.5 or higher?

Review characteristic of gifted students. Does the student fit

those traits?

Talk to other teachers or the counselor who have gifted students

to learn about what makes them gifted instead of high achievers.

Review the Teacher form. Does the student score a 5 or 4 on most

of the questions asked?

18

How do I make a good

referral cont.

Use the resources you have available to gain

more specific information (internet, guidance
counselor, gifted teacher, school
psychologists, literature etc).

Try accommodations/modifications in the

classroom using the resources in your district
to help you teach at their instructional level.
Are the classroom modifications unsuccessful
in challenging the student?
19

Remember

Remember you must look at student

performance across the years not just this
year.

Remember advanced on the PSSA has no

correlation with gifted.

Remember when looking at Terra Nova

scores, you want the top 2% (98th percentile
or better) in math, reading, writing.
20

Remember cont.

Remember for gifted children, you are replacing

their curriculum with material they have not
mastered not just adding more work because
they have finished their assignments early.

Remember we need to add breadth and depth

to a gifted childs curriculum.

Remember we need to match the material to

the child and not the child the material.

21

What is the
Purpose of
Gifted
Education?
22

Role of Gifted Education in

Schools

To identify the specific talents and abilities of

gifted students and nourish those abilities
through placing students in appropriate
curricula.

To provide an appropriate education based

upon the specific abilities of each student.

To challenge gifted students by providing

educational programming that meets their
academic and intellectual needs .
(Thomas, A & Grimes, T, 1995).

23

Levels of Service in
Programming
Services

offered to all Students

Services offered to many students
Services offered to individuals or
small groups by specialists in school.
Outside services or unusual inschool options offered to individual
students
Ron Schmiedel

24

Gifted Education
components
Acceleration
Affective Needs

Enrichment

Career Investigation

Through a variety of service delivery options!

Ron Schmiedel

25

Independent Study

Counseling services

Student Government Pull-out

Mentorship
Enrichment
Clubs
Acceleration
School in a School

Tiered
Assignments

Grouping

Gifted Program

College classes

Testing out

Resource room
Differentiation
Specialized
Gifted Center
Curriculum
Learning
Grade skipping
contracts
Distance Learning
26

GIEP?

Based on unique needs to the gifted student, not

just on the students classification.

Enables the student to participate in

acceleration or enrichment or both as
appropriate.

Enables the student to receive services

according to their intellectual and academic
abilities and needs within the scope of the K-12
district curriculum.

(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)

27

GIEP cont.

Statement of the students present

educational performance.
Annual goals will describe what the student
can be expected to learn during the year.
Short-term outcomes are the sequential
steps the student must take in order to
reach these Annual goals.
Dates for the beginning and end of the
GIEP.
(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)

28

GIEP cont.
Ways

for determining whether the

goals and learning outcomes are being
met.
Names and positions of the GIEP
participants.
Date of meeting.
List any support services that are
needed.
(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)

29

So What does
the EASD K-8
Program look
like?
30

EASD K-8 Program.

Working collaboratively with the teacher the

gifted program will be a combination of a pushin and pull out program.
students will be able to connect what they are
studying in the classroom with the activities
they will be doing in the gifted program.
Some of the activities they will be doing in the
gifted program will be computer research,
reading genre study, science investigations,
reasoning papers and many open discussions.
31

EASD K-8 Program cont.

More

individualized GIEPs will be

written
1.Area of giftedness more specific
2.Personal Goals more specific
3.SDI (Specifically Designed
Instruction) will be more specific
4.SDI will be provided to the
teacher
32

How this affects you

Modifications

may consist of
compacting, acceleration and/or
enrichment all within the scope of
the K-12 district curriculum.
General educational curriculum will
be adapted/modified as needed.
(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)

33

So How can I be
more
Supportive?

34

What changes can I make?

Differentiated instruction
Depth
Compacting
Acceleration
Contracts
Ask questions that are open ended
Ask questions that require higher level
of response.
(http://www.kidsource.com)

35

What changes can I

make.
Group

interactions and simulations

Guided self-management
Creative projects that synthesize
knowledge and ability to
manipulate ideas.
Group gifted students together for
class work.
36

Acceleration

Access to higher level learning activities

than typically provided in regular education
to students of the same age

Early Admission to Kindergarten and/or

First Grade
Grade Skipping
Subject-Matter Acceleration
Curriculum Compacting
Honors Level Courses
College Level Options

Advanced Placement
College in the High School
Concurrent/Dual Enrollment

37

Acceleration cont.
Credit

by examination
Early entrance into Middle
School, High School, or College
Early Graduation

38

Enrichment
In-depth

learning experiences
that enhance the curriculum and
are based upon individual student
strengths, interests, and needs
Seminars
Independent projects
Alternative assignments
Outside of the classroom

39

Curriculum
Differentiation
Effective

differentiation
requires consideration given to
grouping practices
Flexible grouping - Arranging
students by interest or need
Cluster grouping Ability grouping
within a heterogeneous classroom
Cooperative learning groups

40

Differentiation

Is twofold

Group/class

The curriculum, instruction and/or assessment is

modified to better suit the needs of the class or
group
An honors level class must be different from a
regular level class

Individual

The curriculum, instruction and/or assessment are

modified to meet the needs of the individual
students in the class

41

Differentiation

Learning
Environment

Content

Process

Product

Extension of core
learning, using both
acceleration and
enrichment strategies

Promote independent,
self directed, and indepth study

Establish hi-level and

exemplary criteria to
assess student
performance and
products

Encourage a
tolerant and
supportive
environment that
fosters a positive
attitude

Provide opportunity to
create products /
solutions that focus on
real-world issues

Enable the pursuit

of higher-level
learning through
the extension of
classroom activities
into the real-world

Stress higher-level
thinking, creativity, and
problem solving skills

Encourage the
application of advanced
research and
methodological skills

Exposure to challenging
and specialized resources

Focus on open ended

tasks

Set high standards that

demand rigorous
expectations for student
work and performance
demonstration

Allow student-centered
discussions, Socratic
questioning, and
seminar type learning

Require that products

represent application,
analysis, and synthesis
of knowledge

Provide access to
resources and
materials that meet
the students level
of learning

46

Other Programming
Options
Independent

Studies
Curriculum Compacting
Pre-assess
Demonstrate mastery
Alternative activity

Enrichment

Activities

Mentorship
Shadow

Studies
47

What resources
are out there to
help me?
48

Resources
http://www.schoolshistory.org .
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/qcc/homepg.asp
http://www.cloudnet.com/%7Eedrbsass/edres.htm
http://www.nswagtc.org.au/info/links.html
http://www.easdpa.org/district/professional/lesson
plan.htm

49

Resources, contd
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/investigations.htm
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?
mode=browse&intPathID=7686
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html (click
Portal, then select Top in left column
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/hottlinx/
http://www.shambles.net/pages/staff/gifted/

50

Resources, contd

http://www.bestwebquests.com

http://edsitement.neh.fed.us/tab_lesson.asp?subjectArea=2

http://www.intel.com/ca/education/unitplans/

http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/Grad
eIndex/#4

http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/Subj
ectIndex/SubjectIndex.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6097/math.html
(this won't work from school computers, but it is good)

http://www.stetson.edu/hats/teacher.php

51

Resources, cont
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed34217
5.html
Article by Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson describing the
characteristics of a differentiated classroom with an
emphasis on the learning needs of academically
advanced learners.
Article by Sandra Berger describing instructional
and management strategies for the modification of
curriculum based on the needs and characteristics
of gifted students. Explores models and strategies
52
for modify content process, product and learning

Resources cont..
http://teach-nology.com/
School Psychologist
Gifted facilitators
Guidance Counselors
Principals
Websites and books

53

References

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Kidsource website
School history website
Dr. Edmund Sasss website
Georgia Learning Connections website
Szabos, J 1989. Challenge. Good Apple 34.

Ron

Schmiedel from Pine-Richland High

School

54

Good Bye
Thanks for everyone's
help and patience

55