GT Characteristics and Portfolio Development for Parents and Teachers

1
GT Characteristics and Portfolio Development for
Parents and Teachers

• UISD Department of GT and Advanced Academics

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Objectives

• This session will provide you with an overview of
  the following
• Characteristics of Potentially Gifted Students
• Portfolio Development Qualification and
  Guidelines, Rubric and Evaluation
• Deadlines
• Sample portfolio items

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Fifteen Student Characteristics of Potential
Giftedness

• Extensiveness of students exploratory behavior
• Students criticalness of his or her own
  performance
• Students preferences for complexity, difficulty,
  and novelty in tasks
• Adapted from Elizabeth Hagan, Identification of
  the Gifted pgs. 23-26 (Source Education
  Service Center - Texas Education Agency Staff
  Development Modules)

Region One Education Service Center
OH 13
4
Characteristics

• Learns more rapidly
• Stronger need to know (curious)
• Superior abstract thinking skills
• Superior communication skills
• Longer attention span
• Perceives more unusual relationships

Region One Education Service Center
OH 14
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Characteristics

• Sees/creates patterns
• More intense interests
• More intellectually playful
• Better at sensing discrepancies
• Better retention of information
• More imaginative

Region One Education Service Center
OH 15
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Definition (TEC 29.121)

• Gifted and talented student
• means a child or youth who performs at or shows
  the potential for performing at a remarkably high
  level of accomplishment when compared to others
  of the same age, experience, or environment and
  who
• possesses an unusual capacity for leadership, or
• exhibits high performance capability in an
  intellectual, creative, or artistic area
• excels in a specific academic field.

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State Goal for Services for Gifted Students

• Students who participate in services designed for
  gifted students will demonstrate skills in
  self-directed learning, thinking, research, and
  communication as evidenced by the development of
  innovative products and performances that reflect
  individuality and creativity and are advanced in
  relation to students of similar age, experience,
  and environment.

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Typical Characteristics Of Gifted Hispanic
Children as identified by E.M. Bernal and J.
Reyna (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104
by Jaime A. Castellano Article Identifying and
Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic
Students)
9

• English language skills are rapidly acquired by
  children once they have been exposed to the
  language and given an opportunity to use it
  expressively.
• Leadership ability is exhibited with strong
  interpersonal skills although often in an open or
  modest manner.
• Children tend to have older playmates and can
  easily engage adults in lively conversation
• (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
  A. Castellano
• Article Identifying and Assessing Gifted and
  Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students)

10

• Children enjoy intelligent and (or effective)
  risktaking behavior, often accompanied by a
  sense of drama.
• Children tend to keep themselves entertained or
  busy, especially with imaginative games and
  ingenious applications, such as getting the most
  out of a few simple toys and objects.
• These children accept responsibilities at home
  normally reserved for older children, such as the
  supervision of younger siblings or helping others
  to do their homework.
• (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
  A. Castellano
• Article Identifying and Assessing Gifted and
  Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students)

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• Many are street-wise and are recognized by
  others as youngsters who have the ability to
  make it in the Anglo-dominated society.
• Observant educators who notice these traits in
  particular students may consider referring them
  for further assessment.
• (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
  A. Castellano
• Article Identifying and Assessing Gifted and
  Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students)

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Strengths Problems of Gifted children

• Strengths
• Acquires and retains information quickly.
• Inquisitive attitude intellectual curiosity
  intrinsic motivation searches for significance
• Ability to conceptualize, abstract, synthesize
  enjoys problem solving and intellectual activity.
• Can see cause-effect relations
• (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
  A. Castellano
• Article Identifying and Assessing Gifted and
  Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students)

• Possible Problems
• Impatient with slowness of others dislikes
  routine and drill may resist mastering
  foundation skills may make concepts unduly
  complex.
• Asks embarrassing questions strong-willed
  resists direction seems excessive in interests
  expects the same of others.
• Rejects or omits details resists practice or
  drill questions teaching procedures.
• Difficulty accepting the illogical, such as
  feelings, traditions, or matters to be taken in
  faith.

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• Difficulty in being practical worry about
  humanitarian concerns.
• Constructs complicated rules or systems may be
  seen as bossy, rude, or domineering.
• May use words to escape or avis situations
  becomes bored with school and age-peers seen by
  others as a know it all.
• Critical or intolerant toward others may become
  discouraged or depressed perfectionist.
• May disrupt plans or reject what is already
  known seen by others as different and out of
  step.

• Love of truth, equity and fair play.
• Enjoys organizing things and people into
  structure and order seeks to systemize.
• Large vocabulary and facile verbal proficiency
  broad information in advanced areas.
• Thinks critically has high expectations is
  self-critical and evaluates others.
• Creative and inventive likes new way of doing
  things.
• (from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
  A. Castellano
• Article Identifying and Assessing Gifted and
  Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students)

14

• Keen observer willing to consider the unusual
  open to new experiences.
• Intense concentration long attention span in
  areas of interest goal directed behavior
  persistence.
• Sensitivity empathy for others desire to be
  accepted by others.
• High energy, alertness, eagerness periods of
  intense alertness.
• Independent prefers individualized work
  self-reliant

• Overly intense focus occasional gullibility.
• Resists interruption neglects duties or people
  during periods of focused interests
  stubbornness.
• Sensitivity to criticism or peer rejection
  expects others to have similar values need for
  success and recognition may feel differently and
  alienated.
• Frustration and inactivity eagerness may disrupt
  others schedules needs continual stimulation
  may be seen as hyperactive.
• May reject parent or peer input non conformity
  may be unconventional.

(from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
A. Castellano Article Identifying and
Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic
Students)
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• Diverse interests and abilities versatility.
• Strong sense of humor.

• May appear scattered and disorganized
  frustrations over lack of time others may expect
  continual competence.
• Sees absurdities of situations humor may not be
  understood by peers may become class clown to
  gain attention.

(from ERIC Digest Identifier ED 423104 by Jaime
A. Castellano Article Identifying and
Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic
Students)
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Helping Your Highly Gifted Child. ERIC Digest
E477Author Tolan, Stephanie

• WHAT HIGHLY GIFTED CHILDREN NEED
• Exceptionally gifted children have two primary
  needs.
• First, they need to feel comfortable with
  themselves and with the differences that
  simultaneously open possibilities and create
  difficulty.

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Helping Your Highly Gifted Child. ERIC Digest
E477Author Tolan, Stephanie

• WHAT HIGHLY GIFTED CHILDREN NEED
• Second, they need to develop their astonishing
  potential. There is a strong internal drive to
  develop one's abilities. Thwarting that drive may
  lead to crippling emotional damage.

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• New ideasare not born in a conforming
  environment.
• -William Blake

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Application of Characteristics

• The following forms are utilized by parents and
  teachers to demonstrate examples of behaviors
  illustrating characteristics of potentially
  gifted students
• Parent Jotdown
• Teacher Jotdown
• Cite specific examples rather than simply
  indicating yes.

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Qualification for Portfolio Submission

• All students are required to obtain a minimum
  score of 44.7 on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability
  Test in order to submit a portfolio for
  evaluation. The identification process is halted
  for students scoring below the minimum.
• Exception Students from outside the district
  evaluated during the 30 day identification period
  should submit a portfolio two weeks prior to the
  end of the 30 day period.

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Qualification for Portfolio Submission

• Kinder students need six matrix points from a
  combination of scores on the Naglieri Test and
  Parent/Teacher Jotdown in order to qualify for
  portfolio submission and a total of eleven points
  to qualify for the program.
• 1st-12th grade students need nine matrix points
  from a combination of scores on the test, jot
  down, and grades in order to qualify for
  portfolio submission and a total of fourteen
  points for the program.

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Portfolio Requirements

• Students who meet the minimum criteria will be
  required to submit a portfolio, or the GT
  identification process will be halted.
• Teachers are responsible for developing and
  organizing a portfolio. Counselors are
  responsible for review, support, and submission.
• Parents are encouraged to assist.

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Portfolio Requirements

• FIVE items should be submitted.
• A Portfolio Review and Agreement form must be
  signed by teacher, parent and student. This form
  must be turned in with the portfolio. A meeting
  in which the parent, student, and teacher agree
  on the items to be evaluated takes place prior to
  the deadline.
• Each item should be labeled with the Student ID
  number, campus number, and grade level.
• (Copy of paper strips provided).
• NO STUDENT OR CAMPUS NAMES PLEASE

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• Student ID _____________ Student
  ______________Campus _____________Grade
  __________
• This product was completed at home or school.
  Circle one.
• I chose this item for my portfolio because
  _______________________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• Teacher Comments _______________________________
  ___________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• Student ID _____________ Student
  ______________Campus _____________Grade
  __________
• This product was completed at home or school.
  Circle one.
• I chose this item for my portfolio because
  _______________________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________________________________

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Portfolio Development

• START EARLY
• Items could and should be developed beginning
  early in the school year. Save potential
  portfolio products.
• Possible Portfolio Items
• Journal entry, Photo journal (Photos of student
  in which the students face shows are NOT allowed)
• Research project (Science project or other
  discipline)
• Original story (written or dictated)
• Art work
• Interest profile (see sample)
• Placemat
• Heavily guided class assignments are discouraged
  as they appear the same to the evaluation
  committees and do not highlight student
  creativity. Class assignments should allow for
  individualized work and creativity.

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Portfolio Development

• Items NOT to Include
• Awards
• Tests
• Worksheets
• Group Assignments
• Family Albums
• Photographs or videos of the student in which a
  students face is visible

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Possible Portfolio Items for Secondary Students

• Original Research Projects i.e., science project
  in which the scientific method is followed and
  documented
• Formal paper (written on an important historical
  figure or author, current social, political, or
  economic event/problem, or a work of literature)
• Students may communicate the impact of such
  figure/event and his/her/its contribution to
  society.
• Original art work (drawings, sketches, paintings)
  
• Note Photographs of particularly large pieces
  may be submitted. Explanations of art work may
  accompany the items.

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Possible Portfolio Items for Secondary Students

• Journal or photo journal (Responses to works of
  literature, quotes, or life experiences)
• Note Family photos or photos of student (in
  which his/her face is visible) are NOT allowed.
• Oral Presentation based on a study (Recorded on a
  CD or tape)
• Performances (Video or audio)
• Video documentary on a given subject of interest
• Note Students face should NOT be visible.

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Guidelines for Products

• Large three dimensional projects should be
  photographed or videotaped (on a regular VHS tape
  or DVD) with a detailed written explanation.
  Small three dimensional items which fit in
  portfolio envelope will be accepted. All items
  must fit in one envelope.
• Audio cassette tapes should be standard size.
• Computer generated projects should be printed.
  Power point presentations are acceptable on CD.

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Portfolio Development

• Resources
• Sample Interest Profile
• Lists of products
• Examples of Portfolio Products with Explanations
• Placemat Activities Packet (Elementary Teachers)
• Kingore article for parents
• Available at
• http//www.bertiekingore.com/parentassessment.htm

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Portfolio Evaluation

• A committee of educators from the elementary and
  secondary levels meets to evaluate and score
  student portfolios.
• A rubric, the Academic Portfolio Profile, is used
  for documentation and scoring.

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Portfolio Evaluation Descriptors

• Unusual Presentation of Idea
• Work advanced beyond age or grade level
• Complex or intricate presentation of idea
• In-depth understanding of idea
• Resourceful and/or clever use of materials
• Evidence of support of research for the idea
• Organized for effective communication
• Evidence of high interest and perseverance

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Important Dates to Remember

• October 31, 2008-GT Nominations Deadline
• Newspaper Ad will run Sunday, September 28,
  Wednesday, October 1, and Friday, October 10,
  2008.
• November 10-14, 2008-Testing Window for NNAT
  (Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test)-Counselor
  administers.
• November 17, 2008-Counselors submit NNATs to
  GT/AA Office for scoring.
• December 5, 2008-Parent/Teacher Jotdowns due to
  GT/AA Office-Counselor submits.

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UISD Office of GT and Advanced Academics

• Questions or concerns may be directed to our
  office at [phone].
• Ms. Amy Alaniz, Director
• Mrs. Lisa M. Dunn-Flores, Coordinator
• Melva del Corral, Instructional Accountability
  Clerk
• It is the policy of United I.S.D. not to
  discriminate on the basis of race, color,
  national origin, sex, or handicap in its
  programs, services, or activities as required by
  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
  amended Title IX of the Education Amendments of
  1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  of 1973, as amended.

For knowledge itself is power. --Francis Bacon