Meeting the Needs of Gifted and Motivated Students

Deborah JohnstonCurriculum Process

ELS 703March, 2010

Gifted and advanced students needed to be challenged – “Bored and tried of busy work”

Students didn’t want to be singled out

Desired to be with others of the same academic level

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs are both rigorous programs to fulfill these needs -- and provide an opportunity to earn college credit

Question? Is one better than the other?

History

AP – initially developed to provide students with an opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school

IB – Started in Geneva, Switzerland, 1968, for children of diplomats and military that moved frequently – goal was to standardize a curriculum for international students NOW – It is a college prep program for students to earn college credit while sill in high school like that of AP but with a world perspective.

IB

AP – Rigorous academic coursework in major subject fields with course content at college level

IB – Three programs – The Primary Years The Middle Years The Diploma Programme

IB - Challenging comprehensive two-year curriculum, rather than a one year course of study, of international education. It offers both

depth and breadth of advanced content.

IB

AP and IB– BenefitsImprove college admissionsSave tuition costsMore time to pursue other opportunitiesGraduate college in a shorter time periodBetter Prepared for the rigors of college

AP – Can take one year course or several coursesCan take exams w/o taking courses

IB Diploma – select courses from 6 disciplines revolving around a core course “Theory of Knowledge”

IB

Students must choose one subject from each of the groups – ensuring the breadth of experience.

IB – Successful completion of the program earns students a diploma that is recognized for university admission throughout the world and for course credit and placement in many leading colleges and universities. If not, a certificate is awarded.

AP and IB – Exams are the ultimate goal –teach to the exam

AP – Content – Driven guided by “covering” a large amount of material The core is not the curriculum but the exams

AP – Instruction – mostly lecture – due to time AP – Teachers feel leaning equates with

exposure to content, not with making meaning out of in-depth consideration of ideas

AP- Courses – lack depth of learning, they are a mile wide and an inch deep

IB- More flexible, more time. Less fact based and more thinking skills-focused.

IB – includes a variety of instruction

AP – Instruction – mostly lecture due to time constraints

IB – Focus on meaning making not memorization of facts

Preferred instructional techniques that involved hands-on, discussions, debate and more varied methods.

Pleased with the quality of the challenge, unhappy with the amount of work too heavy

Felt rushed and overwhelmed-due to the hurry to cover the content before exams

Even though they have to make sacrifices to participate, still believe it was worth it

Some students dropped out…said the curriculum and instruction was

rigid and did not allow for multiple pathways to learning.

Program is inflexible and limiting

Advanced Placement – meets the needs of students that want a rigorous course of study but only want to take one or two courses of special interest or for college credit.

International Baccalaureate – meets the needs of students that want a comprehensive program that encourages critical thinking through the study of a wide range of subject in the traditional academic disciplines while encouraging an international perspective.

The inclusion of both these programs in a school would offer students more choice and provide the opportunity to meet the needs of more students and their learning styles.

Both the College Board and The International Baccalaureate Organization provide training, curriculum guidelines, materials and support services so schools can be successful.

Thank You!