Highly Capable Education

1. Highly Capable Education A national to local view

2. National Overview • Standards provide a foundation for developing programs for students and frameworks for teachers. • Through collaboration with various stakeholders, six Gifted Programming Standards for Pre-K – Grade 12 have been developed.

3. Learning and Development Assessment Assessments provide information about identification, learning progress and outcomes, and evaluation of programming for students with gifts and talents in all domains. Educators, recognizing the learning and developmental differences of students with gifts and talents, promote ongoing self-understanding, awareness of their needs, and cognitive and affective growth of these students in school, home and community settings to ensure specific student outcomes.

4. Curriculum Planning and Instruction Learning Environments Learning environments foster personal and social responsibility, multicultural competence, and interpersonal and technical communication skills for leadership in the 21st century to ensure specific student outcomes. Educators apply the theory and research-based models of curriculum and instruction related to students with gifts and talents and respond to their needs by planning, selecting, adapting and creating culturally relevant curriculum and by using a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to ensure specific student outcomes.

5. Programming Professional Development All educators build their knowledge and skills using the NAGC-CEC Teacher Standards for Gifted and Talented Education and the National Staff Development Standards. They formally assess processional development needs, related to the standards, develop and monitor plans, systematically engage in training to meet the identified needs and demonstrate mastery of standard. They access resources to provide for release time, funding for continuing education, and substitute support. These practices are judged through the assessment of relevant student outcomes Educators are aware of empirical evidence regarding: • The cognitive, creative and affective development of learners with gifts and talents. • Programming that meets their concomitant needs. Educators use this expertise systematically and collaboratively to develop, implement, and effectively manage comprehensive services for students with a variety of gifts and talents to ensure specific student outcomes.

6. State Overview Beginning in the Fall of 2011, Highly Capable Programs will be included in the definition of “Basic Education.” “The instructional program of basic education provided by each school district shall include…programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 through 28A.185.030.”

7. Our legislature finds that for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education. (RCW 28A 185.020 (1)) • Our legislature cites research literature to determine that it does not intend to prescribe a single method of identification and will let school districts identify students through multiple, objective criteria. • Funding will be allocated based on 2.314 percent of each districts population.

8. Legislative Findings: • Access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education. • Multiple definitions of highly capable, from intellectual to academic to artistic. • Legislature does not prescribe a single method of identifying students. • Programs funded by the state grant system, must operate in accordance of rules adopted by the OSPI.

9. State Implementation • Districts may apply for grants through the igrant system to fund programs. • Funds will be allocated at 2.314 percent of the district’s FTE. • Recent formula changes change the (approximate) $400 per student calculation to 2.159 hours of additional instruction in a class of 15 students per teacher.

10. District Overview Program for Academically Talented Students

11. Policies and Procedures Nomination Parents Teachers Other Staff Members of the Community Screening & Assessment Parent Permission needed to administer: • Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) • Cognitive Aptitude Test (CogAT) Students must score in the top 10% in cognitive ability and the top 5% in academic achievement to be considered for PATS.

12. Selection Process • The district will: • Notify parents of students who have been nominated and explain the process and procedures • Obtain parental permission to provide services and programs • Schedule meeting of all parents • Conduct annual meeting to review each student’s plan • Conduct cognitive testing A multi-disciplinary team composed of • district administrator • psychologist or other individual who can interpret cognitive and achievement test results • teacher will review data that has been collected for each of the students.

13. P.A.T.S.Program for Academically Talented Students • PATS serves students in 2nd – 5th Grade • Class size at any grade level will be 18 students with an overage allowance for students who enter mid-year with composite scores above those students on the waitlist • Students spend 1 full day session each week working on activities and projects designed to challenge them.

14. P.A.T.S.Program for Academically Talented Students • Funding for the program comes from 2 sources • Approximately 80% comes from the State iGrant program • Remainder from the Olympia School District Budget • A end-of-year report will be made available to the OSPI

15. Resources & Citations • Legal References: • RCW 28A.185.030 Programs – Authority of local school districts – Selection of Students • WAC 392-170 Special service program – Highly Capable Students • National Association for Gifted Children • http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=546