Capitol Hill GT Task Force

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Capitol Hill G/T Task Force

• Town Hall Meeting
• April 19, 2005

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Whats the focus?

• Clarify task force mission goals.
• Summarize work to this point
• Process
• Communication
• Criteria established
• research
• Discuss next steps.

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Historical Perspective
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Mission of the Task Force
Provide leadership to Capitol Hill Magnet School
by recommending and planning for the
implementation of a school wide gifted and
talented curriculum and instructional model(s).
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Task Force Members

• Ann Oyen
• John Porter
• Nancy Randall
• Grace Raymond, curriculum coordinator
• Marti Starr
• Melanie Crawford, facilitator

• Jane Blumer
• Heidi Geimer
• Doug Lewer
• David McGill
• Louis Mariucci,
• principal
• Sara Mergens
• John Middleton

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What is a curriculum-instructional model?

• A curriculum-instructional model is a structural
  framework that serves as a guide for developing
  specific educational activities and environments.
  
• A comprehensive model should include
• an identified purpose,
• underlying understanding about the
  characteristics of the learners,
• guidelines for developing learning experiences,
• a body of research surrounding its development or
  an evaluation of its effectiveness.

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Goals for Task Force

• Develop rationale for a school wide G/T
  curriculum and instruction model(s)

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Rationale

• A school wide gifted and talented curriculum and
  instruction model(s) will provide a clear
  framework for
• staff collaboration and cohesion,
• the development and delivery of high quality,
  rigorous curriculum,
• maximizing the academic and social/emotional
  growth for all students, and
• communication to the community at large about our
  mission.

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Goals for Task Force

• Develop rationale for a school wide G/T
  curriculum and instruction model(s)
• Develop a communication plan

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Communication Plan

• The purpose of this plan is to keep all Capitol
  Hill stakeholders informed and updated about the
  progress and work of the G/T Task Force. This
  plan will be consistently evaluated and revised
  to ensure its effectiveness.
• Listed below are the various communication tools
  that will be used.
• Curriculum coordinators weekly email newsletter
• Bulletin board outside curriculum office
• Area on website updated after task force meetings
• Report at monthly staff meetings
• Report at monthly advisory meetings
• Report in monthly PTO newsletter
• Informational flier handed out by staff at parent
  conferences
• Report at monthly site council meetings
• Special presentations made at PTO and site
  council meetings
• Ongoing updates to district personnel
• Communication is vital to the work of the members
  of the G/T Task Force. If at any time you have
  questions or feedback, please take an opportunity
  to communicate with any of the G/T Task Force
  members or facilitator.

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Goals for Task Force

• Develop rationale for a school wide G/T
  curriculum and instruction model(s)
• Develop a communication plan
• Develop criteria for selection of model(s)

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Capitol Hill Mission
Challenging academically gifted and talented
students in a diverse school community
Philosophy
Children and youth with outstanding ability
perform, or show potential for performing, at
remarkably high levels of accomplishment when
compared to others of their age, experience, or
environment. These children and youth exhibit
high performance capability in intellectual,
creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an
unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific
academic fields. They require differentiation
and opportunities not ordinarily
provided. Outstanding ability is present in
children and youth from all cultural groups,
across all economic strata, and in all areas of
human endeavor.
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We believe
Students who are academically gifted and
talented  (and who need a specialized setting in
order to achieve their fullest potential) must be
identified There is academic diversity amongst
our high ability learners. Thus, we must
differentiate instruction in our classrooms
providing ascending levels of intellectual
demand These students have social/emotional
needs that must be met A school community that
recognizes, accepts, and embraces diversity must
be nurtured The educational modifications that
it takes to truly meet the needs of these
exceptional learners must be provided There is
a research-based body of knowledge in the field
of gifted education to provide a foundation for
our work Ongoing professional
development/growth and parent education are
imperative.
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Criteria

• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Appropriateness to situation
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Practicality
• Validity

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Curriculum

• How will the scope and sequence align to the core
  curriculum (SPPS frameworks and MN content
  standards)?
• Is this focused around universal themes,
  concepts, understandings, issues and problems?
• How does the model support making
  interdisciplinary connections?
• Is the model focused on developing critical
  thinking skills, creative thinking skills and
  problem solving skills?
• How does the model facilitate depth, complexity,
  novelty and acceleration of the core content?
• Does the model support the development of
  research skills and habits of mind?
• Is the model focused on student products that are
  authentic, transformational, address real
  audiences, and an appropriate match to learning?

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Instruction

• To what extent does the model allow for classroom
  differentiation in order to meet the varying
  levels of readiness, interest and learning
  profiles?
• Does the model allow for the use of a variety of
  instructional strategies (ie. guided reading,
  literature circles, writers workshop, learning
  centers, compacting, tiering, SCAMPER)?

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Appropriateness to the situation

• To what extent do the models purposes match
  needs of students, school philosophy, parental
  values and teacher characteristics?
• To what extent does the model allow teachers to
  design their own instructional units?
• To what extent does the model fit grades 1-8?
  1-6? 7/8?

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Flexibility/adaptability

• How easily can the model be adapted to all
  content areas covered in this school?
• How easily can the model be adapted to the
  present administrative structure of the school
  and program?
• How easily can the model be combined with others
  to provide a comprehensive program?
• How easily can the model be used with the age
  levels of students served by the program?
• How easily can the model be adapted to individual
  differences among gifted students?

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Practicality

• What materials and services are available to
  implement the model?
• What is the new and ongoing cost of these
  materials or services?
• How much staff development is needed to implement
  the model effectively? For veteran teachers? New
  teachers? All staff?
• How easily could the approach be implemented in
  the present situation?

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Validity

• Was the model developed based on appropriate
  methods?
• What research is available to show its
  effectiveness as an educational approach? As an
  approach for gifted students?
• How defensible is the approach as a qualitatively
  different program for gifted students?

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Goals for Task Force

• Develop rationale for a school wide G/T
  curriculum and instruction model(s)
• Develop a communication plan
• Develop criteria for selection of model(s)
• Research and evaluate several models

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Research Phase

• 1-2 weeks for individual reading and researching
  each model.
• Use of an organizer to look for key elements of
  the models, for example
• Goals/purpose
• Key components/structure
• Provisions for depth and complexity of content
• Theoretical underpinnings and research support
• Whole group debrief, collection of findings and
  unanswered questions.

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Models Being Researched

• The Multiple Menu Model
• Joseph Renzulli, Jann Leppien, Thomas Hayes
• The Layered Curriculum Model
• Sandra Kaplan
• The Integrated Curriculum Model
• Joyce Van Tassel-Baska
• The Parallel Curriculum Model
• Carol Ann Tomlinson, Sandra Kaplan, Joseph
  Renzulli, Jeanne Purcell, Jann Leppien and
  Deborah Burns

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Models Being Researched cont

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary and
  Middle Years Programs
• Integrated Thematic Instruction Model
• Susan Kovalik

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Analysis Phase

• Individual reflection of findings for each model
  through the filter of the criteria.
• Whole group analysis and discussion

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Goals for Task Force

• Develop rationale for a school wide G/T
  curriculum and instruction model(s)
• Develop a communication plan
• Develop criteria for selection of model(s)
• Research and evaluate several models

Next Steps

• Recommend a model(s) for implementation
• Develop an implementation framework and staff
  development plan
• Monitor, evaluate and make recommendations during
  implementation of initiative