TAG Educational Advisor Handbook

TAG Educational Advisor (TEA)

Handbook

2013-2014 Edition

Table of Contents

Welcome Page 2 Major Changes for 2013-2014 Page 4 What Comes First Page 5 Priorities Page 11 Identification Process Page 13 Multiple Criteria Page 18 Identifying Traditionally Underrepresented Populations Page 24 Identification Packet and Procedure Page 36 Identification Inventories and Others Page 40 Nonverbal Tests of Abstract Reasoning Page 45 TAG Budget Page 48 Advanced Learning Plans Page 50 When Students Move Page 51 Parents and Guardians Page 53 Mentorships and Volunteers Page 56 State Designations Page 57 Differentiating for Gifted Learners Page 59 Early Access to Kindergarten and 1st Page 62 In Closing Page 63 Appendix Page 64

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Welcome

Welcome to the wonderful world of gifted education! This handbook will give a brief overview of some of the information you will need in order to be effective in your position. The TAG Parent Handbook has additional general information about the TAG program in BVSD as well as a list of acronyms and program names you will encounter, so please make sure you have a copy of that as well. Your other primary sources for information are the TAG website and the BVSD TAG and TEA e-mail lists/listservs. TAG Educational Advisor is a position created to help meet the needs of gifted students in individual buildings. TAG Educational Advisors, or TEAs, are usually in the same employment category as Literacy Tutors. Some TEA positions are filled by a licensed teacher or counselor when TAG is a part of their FTE assignment, while some schools have an administrator who is in the role of TAG contact person. There are also a few schools with a TEA or TAG teacher, who also have a paraprofessional to support that person. How the TAG position in a school is filled is a site based decision. There is a district office, Advanced Academic Services, staffed by the District Coordinator, Jennifer Barr (jennifer.barr@bvsd.org, district extension 5087), and the Gifted Education Resource Specialist, Becky Whittenburg (becky.whittenburg@bvsd.org, extension 5067). These people create and disseminate the TAG budget, provide leadership, conduct and provide professional development and communicate gifted education issues between the state, the district and schools. One of their primary obligations is to provide buildings with whatever support they need in order to create effective gifted education programming for identified TAG students. This booklet was created based on recommendations and suggestions made by new TEAs and administrators in response to the question, “What would you have liked to know when you first began this job?” No longer just for new employees, it is also meant to be a quick reference for all TEAs and administrators.

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Major Changes for 2013-2014

Parent/Guardian Identification Letters Advanced Academic Services now has uniform letters for schools to send to parents that inform them of the decision made to identify or not identify their child as Talented and Gifted. Schools should begin using these letters for parental notification immediately. The purpose of these letters is to de-emphasize the role test scores play in TAG identification and to instead emphasize that TAG identification is based on a body of evidence of which assessments are a part. We also realize that scores sent to parents without interpretive information can be confusing or even misleading. The NNAT2 and the CogAT both offer parental interpretive information online that can be used by schools, if desired. The CogAT Ability Profile Interpretation System can be found at http://www.riversidepublishing.com/products/group/cogat6/input.jsp. The NNAT2 option is provided by clicking on Reports following the testing administration. You are not required to use these report forms. Survey Questionnaires for Identification in Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Music, Creativity and Leadership In 2012-2013, Policy Regulation IGBB-R Programs for Gifted Students, was updated to better align with the state definition and categories of giftedness. The purpose of these surveys is to be more discerning of those abilities and skills that indicate a heightened sensitivity and ability in these areas in light of the possibility that these students may not demonstrate their giftedness in traditional academic assessments and performance in the gifted range. Work samples, sometimes referred to as portfolios, may

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play a more dominant role in the TAG identification of students gifted in the arts and creativity. In leadership, behaviors and characteristics may play a heightened role. TAG identification in these areas should not be used as a method for TAG identification of students who are unable to meet the criteria for identification in academic or intellectual ability. Identification in the arts, creativity and leadership should meet the same high standards and thoughtfulness as does TAG identification in any other area of advanced and precocious ability. Summary All of these new tools for TAG Identification will be found on the TAG Advisor Documents webpage. Remember you must sign in (upper right hand corner of your screen) in order to see the TAG Advisor Documents page as an option. Please direct any questions to becky.whittenburg@bvsd.org or call her at x5067. Other chapters in the handbook include additional changes for 2013-2014.

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What Comes First?

When you arrive at your new school assignment as a TEA, one of the first things you need is a list of your students who are identified as TAG. This list is generated out of Infinite Campus as an ad hoc report through use of the TAG students filter. Your school secretary or Becky Whittenburg can run this if you do not yet have personal access to the system for this purpose. An initial list is sent by Becky at the very beginning of the school year. The students on this list are the students for whom you are primarily responsible. You will also be responsible for updating this list through Becky as new students are identified. These updates are done through Becky via e-mail. Do not save them and send them a few times a year. It is important that they be continually updated. Additionally, TCAP labels require TAG designations as a disaggregated population. You will need to send Becky the school name, student’s name, student number (if more than one student at the school has the same name) and area of state designation. Send this to Becky as soon as the student is identified TAG. State designation may be different from the area the student is identified for in your school for services. See additional information in the section, State Designations. You will need to find or create your files for students identified as TAG. Every student appearing in your student list should have an individual TAG file. These are usually kept separate from the Cum files (cumulative, permanent files on each student housed in the office) with your other TAG information. This information is confidential and needs to be protected. Most TEAs keep these in a locked file cabinet along with their testing materials which also needs to be kept protected. You will need to locate the complete set of identification documents: nomination forms; parent, teacher and specialist’s surveys; product and performance review rubrics; the Student Assessment Data sheet (now online in the Infinite Campus ALP tab); student interview form (for middle and high schools); and the TAG file cover sheet. These are available on the TAG website under TAG Advisor Documents on the left-hand menu or you can request them from Becky.

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Make sure to use only the most current forms. Click sign in found in the upper right hand corner of the browser window if you can’t see the TAG Advisor Documents webpage. You will need to locate all of your testing materials. The hard copy Naglieri test booklets for levels A, B and C and the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) levels 6-7 through 9 are consumables meaning that you will need to replace them periodically as they are used up. The Naglieri level D and up, the CogAT levels 9-17/18, and the Ravens Progressive Matrix tests have separate answer sheets. The hard copy Naglieri is no longer available and the district has transitioned to the online NNAT2. Schools are urged to use up their hard copies before going to the online version. The CogAT and BVAT are from Riverside Pub. (1-800-323-9540) and any additional materials are paid for out of your building TAG funds. The district Office of Advanced Academic Services also has additional copies of the reusable assessments available for check-out. Schools with high numbers of English language learners also have the Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test (BVAT), the Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument, the Slocumb-Payne Teacher perception Inventory and the Slocumb-Payne Environmental Opportunities Profile. Schools with fewer numbers of students in poverty and English language learners but would also like to use these instruments may borrow them from the Office of Advanced Academic Services. All TAG forms that are filled out by parents or given to them are available in any language you need. Contact Becky for your special language needs. The TAG Parent Handbook, however, is only available in English and Spanish. Although titled TAG Parent Handbook, it is also a good reference for staff. Both the TEA Handbook and Parent Handbook are available online and links are on the TAG website. You should know the structure of TAG in your building. You will find the TAG flow chart (TAG Program Identification Plan and Procedure) with your identification documents (TAG Advisor Documents webpage). This is the usual flow for implementing TAG identification throughout the district.

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Establishing a building TAG committee is a site based decision. No single person should ever make TAG identification determinations. Most building level TAG committees are comprised of an administrator, TEA, primary and intermediate teacher representatives (elementary) or core subject teacher representatives (secondary), a specialist (art, music, PE, library), and a parent. Some schools include others such as school psychologist, ESL teacher, Special Ed teacher, counselor or other support staff as appropriate. When TAG identification of a specific student is being discussed, parent TAG committee members cannot be involved since this will include the discussion of confidential student information, but the particular student’s classroom teacher or subject teacher in area(s) of strength always needs to be included. Your building has received many TAG resources over the years including books and videos. A list of the resources sent to your school is available in the TAG Parent Handbook. These are often housed with the other professional materials in the school but sometimes are kept elsewhere. You will need to find them. These materials are a good place to start if you are just learning about giftedness and gifted children. Please let the teachers in your building know of these materials as well. The district office has a comprehensive library of materials available for check-out. Materials from the district office can be sent to you and returned via school mail. Call or e-mail Becky with your requests. A list of some of these materials is available in the TAG Parent Handbook. If you need something, please ask. You also want to find out if your school has a TAG parent e-mail list. If so, you maintain it and use it to communicate with your parents about school and district opportunities. If some of your TAG parents do not have e-mail, you need to communicate with them by hard copies. Please don’t leave them out. Email lists are set up as Google groups. For dissemination of additional information that is not district or school sponsored, parents and other interested individuals need to sign up for the BVSD TAG listserv by emailing becky.whittenburg@bvsd.org. TEAs may not send out community or other information but the TAG listserv can.

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Please respect the confidentiality of parental information. Do not include student names in e-mail communication with your lists unless it is something like “Congratulations to 4th grader Pat for winning our School Spelling Bee.” Most TEAs find e-mail a great way to communicate quickly and efficiently with their parents. Communication is one of the focus areas of Advanced Academic Services. There is a district TAG e-mail discussion list (Talented and Gifted) to which parents and others are encouraged to subscribe. Those who wish to be on this list need to contact Becky or call her at 720-561-5067. Talented and Gifted is a low-to-medium volume list that sends out enrichment information, articles, websites of interest to students and families, programs and presentations for parents, and information about general student opportunities. This is one of the most popular lists in BVSD with approximately 1,000 subscribers. Subscription is available to anyone based solely on interest. Parents of students not identified for TAG services, teachers and community members may also be interested and are encouraged to subscribe. The Office of Advanced Academic Services sends out information vital for TEAs to the TAG-TEA e-mail list. Only TEAs are included in this list. TEAs are required to have e-mail access and use it regularly. You will receive an account from the district which is necessary for some electronic access. To set up a district e-mail account, contact Kelly.valdez@bvsd.org or call her at x5092. You do not need to have e-mail access from home since all schools in the district have e-mail and computer access. You need to make sure Becky has your e-mail address so that the district office can communicate with you as well. The district TAG website is http://bvsd.org/TAG. This is regularly updated and you are urged to familiarize yourself with the website and inform parents and teachers of it. The BVSD sponsors four enrichment activities/competitions: Science Fair and History Day for middle and high school students, and Destination Imagination and the Literary Magazine for all grades. Which competitions a school participates in is a site based decision. Other

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enrichment activities and competitions that are not district sponsored are also available. A list of many of these can be found on the TAG website. The BVSD’s Corden Pharma Science Fair is a regional grade 6-12 competition that begins at the district level and has state and national competitions where students vie for scholarships and other prestigious awards. Students may work individually or in teams on a scientific project. Elementary schools may have a school science fair however there is no district competition or demonstration for K-5 schools and they must adhere to the BVSD Elementary Science Fair Guidelines if they wish to hold a fair. At the high school level, the Science Scholars Program supports and helps prepare students for this competition. History Day is a regional grade 6-12 competition that begins at the district level and has state and national levels of competition. Students work individually or in teams in a choice of mediums. Destination Imagination is a regional grade K-12 competition that begins at the district level and has state and world levels of competition. Students work in teams to creatively solve one of a choice of problems in a presentation format. There is an improvisational component to the competition. The BVSD Literary Magazine is a district grade K-12 opportunity for high level student writing and art to be showcased in a BVSD publication. The deadline for submissions is February 22. Links and information about these and many other enrichment activities and competitions can be found on the TAG website. Some of the other most popular enrichment activities in the district are the Spelling Bee (sponsored by the Barnes and Noble), Geography Bee (sponsored by National Geographic), Lego Robotics, Chess, Academic Decathlon, Brain Bowl, Math League and Knowledge Masters. Schools may also support other activities and competitions. The district does not support these additional competitions.

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The BVSD offers some financial support to help with costs of individuals or teams going to the national or world level of competition for one of the three BVSD district sponsored enrichment activities, science fair, History Day or Destination Imagination. Details are at the TAG Contests webpage.

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Priorities

One of the first things a new TAG Ed Advisor needs to do is prioritize job responsibilities. TEAs can be responsible for a plethora of tasks in their buildings including identification of students as TAG, working in classrooms to support teachers in providing differentiated lessons to gifted students, coordinating enrichment activities, conducting school level academic competitions (such as spelling or geography bees), organizing and training students for academic competitions that are conducted at higher levels beyond the school level (such as Destination Imagination or Colorado Math League), initiating and insuring completion of the ALP process, communicating with staff and parents, passing along appropriate information to staff and parents, working with the district office to update TAG student lists and state designations, attending monthly TEA meetings, attending conferences and professional development in the field of gifted education, completing required paperwork and year-end reports . . . the list goes on. Most TEAs, however, are part time employees and must prioritize which of the many tasks can be reasonably expected of them. Prioritizing the job of the TEA at the building level is done by the principal. Often, the building TAG committee will have input in that decision. TEAs should meet with their principal early in the school year so that they and their principal have a clear understanding of what the job requires and on which tasks they may be evaluated. The district also has priorities that place certain expectations on TAG Advisors. Among these are: attendance at the monthly TEA meetings, submitting the Year-end Report and disseminating or gathering of information from the school as requested. Years of evidence show that those TEAs who do not regularly attend TEA meetings make more errors and show the least understanding of district procedures, priorities, and gifted education. When the district office requires information about TAG students or services at individual schools, every effort is made to gather needed information through other available channels whenever possible so as not to present an additional and undue burden on TEAs.

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Many of our increasing number of electronic data sources help with this. The district office also requires that TEAs use e-mail for communication. With more than fifty schools, and school mail delivery only 1-3 times per week, most communication must be conducted through e-mail. TEAs will find responses to their needs happen much more quickly through e-mail. TEAs have some required end-of-year responsibilities such as completing the end-of-year report, making sure ALPs are completed, and preparing transitions for students who are moving to a different school. TEAs need to make sure that they have set aside time in May to complete these tasks.

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Identification Process

Programs for Gifted Students Boulder Valley School District File: IGBB-R Adopted: September 27, 2006 Revised: June 9, 2008; May 2, 2012 In BVSD, talented and gifted (TAG) students are defined as those from kindergarten through twelfth grade whose demonstrated or potential abilities are so outstanding that it becomes essential to provide them with qualitatively different educational programming. Students are identified using multiple criteria. Programming is designed to meet cognitive and affective needs through opportunities for acceleration, complexity of thinking and in-depth learning. Individualized programming and goals are documented in an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) or Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). TAG students include gifted students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic, ethnic and cultural populations. TAG students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas of giftedness:

• General or specific intellectual ability. • Specific academic aptitude. • Creative or productive thinking. • Leadership abilities. • Visual arts, performing arts, musical or psychomotor

abilities.

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Identification Procedures I. Multiple Criteria A student may be nominated to go through the TAG identification process by a teacher, parent, peer, self, or other adult with knowledge of the student’s abilities. A student may also be nominated through grade level screening. Following nomination, multiple criteria will be gathered and considered to determine if TAG identification is appropriate for the student. Every effort will be made to select and use for determination those criteria that have the highest likelihood to show the student’s greatest strengths and abilities.

A B C Aptitude/Ability Data Achievement Data Other Data

* Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

* Psychologist Administered individual IQ test (WISC, S-B)

* NNAT2( Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test)

* Raven’s Progressive Matrices (Coloured, Standard, Advanced)

* Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test (BVAT)

* Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities

* Other

* TCAP/CSAP State Assessment

* CELA * PLUS * PLAN * PSAT * SAT * ACT * DRA2 * Add+ Vantage Math

Galileo (Math, Literacy)

* QRI * Woodcock-

Muñoz Language Survey

* Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Test

* Other

* Teacher Inventory * Parent Inventory * Specialist Inventory * Product/Performance

Review * Kingore Observation

Inventory * Slocumb-Payne Teacher

Observation Inventory * Other

Note: These are not comprehensive lists of data sources, but rather reflect those aptitude, ability and assessment sources most often encountered. Other information may be added. Contact the BVSD Office of Advanced Academic Services with questions about data, the body of evidence, or the TAG identification process.

At least six pieces of evidence will be gathered and considered. Included in these six must be one from column A or B (see above), the Parent Inventory and input from a teacher who is knowledgeable in the student’s area(s) of strength. TAG identified students will have scores in the 95th percentile or the gifted range in at least three of the criteria above. One of these criteria must come from column A or B. Students who are culturally or linguistically diverse may also be identified for TAG based on three criteria in the 95th percentile or the gifted range even if one piece of evidence is not from column A or B as long as the other criteria indicate high ability. Students identified in the arts, creativity and leadership but show exceptionally high standards in these areas, especially if they do not include one from column A or B. No single piece of evidence will either identify or eliminate a student for consideration as gifted and talented. II. TAG Identification Timeline TAG identification may be initiated at any time in the school year. Parents/guardians will receive written notification of the status of their child’s TAG identification within 10 weeks of the initial nomination. III. Grade Level Screening The purpose of grade level screening is to find students from populations that are most often underrepresented in gifted education. These populations are defined by gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, and ELL status. Students in grades 3-8 from underrepresented populations who score in the upper range of the advanced performance level on a state assessment test (TCAP) shall be nominated to go through the TAG identification process.

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To ensure that all students have equitable access to appropriate programming, schools whose TAG demographics do not at least match the general school demographics will conduct grade level screening in kindergarten, first, or second grade. Schools whose TAG student population mirrors the school’s general population by percentage are exempt from grade level screening although they may elect to conduct screening. The demographic match will include students by gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, and ELL status. Schools are considered to have a match in a special population when the percent of that population in TAG matches that population in the school at large. Advanced Academic Services will work with schools and Planning and Assessment to determine whether grade level screening should be conducted. Grade level screening will be conducted using assessments that do not have bias based on language, culture, socio-economic status or gender. These appropriate instruments include characteristics inventories that are designed to help find underrepresented populations and non-verbal assessments of reasoning ability and assessments that are designed to find gifted students in underrepresented populations. Previously identified and nominated TAG students, students for whom IQ assessment testing data are available from Special Education or a psychologist, and students who have already taken a nonverbal assessments may be exempt from grade level screening. * If a school believes it has a student who is gifted but does not meet the criteria of one piece of evidence above the 95%ile or in the gifted range from column A or B described above, contact the Office of

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Advanced Academic Services for guidance. We realize that sometimes standardized test scores are not good indicators of a child’s abilities. Some kindergarten and first grade students will enter already identified for TAG services via the Early Access process. The district will conduct assessments and identify them for TAG services rather than the school. This process allows a very few “highly advanced gifted” students to enter school before meeting the normal criteria of being 5 years old by September 30 for kindergarten or 6 years old by September 30 for first grade. If you have an Early Access student, the district office will work closely with you and the student’s teacher on creating their ALP. The district office will inform you at the start of the school year if you have an Early Access student, but you will also know if you have a kindergarten EA student because they will appear as TAG identified at the very beginning of the school year.

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Identification Multiple Criteria

There is no single instrument that is best for assessing giftedness in children. All assessments have strengths as well as weaknesses. When assessing for giftedness, the goal is to find the very best of which the student is capable. Objective Academic Aptitude Tests CogAT– verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal battery WISC IV Stanford-Binet 5

Other Objective Aptitude on an individual basis as determined by quality and applicability to TAG identification

For consideration: Different tests have different standard deviations. In BVSD, children scoring above the 95%ile by age or grade fall in what is considered the gifted range. Children whose scores fall below the 95%ile are not to be categorically dismissed from consideration without first considering the other body of evidence criteria. These aptitude/ability tests are generally thought to be at least somewhat cultural and language biased, although 1:1 administration can mitigate that effect. Students may be gifted in a particular area as seen in a high verbal or quantitative battery score, or “across-the-board” as seen in a high full scale or composite score. It is highly unlikely that a child would get an artificially high score. Language differences, cultural differences, learning disabilities, emotional wellness, physical wellness, and environmental factors can all depress a test score.

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The CogAT validity is determined in regard to how well it approximates the WISC score. You will not test a student with the CogAT if you have a valid psychologist administered IQ test since IQ tests are superior aptitude tests. If the TAG committee determines that a student does not meet the criteria for TAG identification and parents or SPED testing later provide a WISC score or other evidence of giftedness, the TAG committee will need to reconsider the student in light of newly provided evidence. You will still look at the entire body of evidence. Some of these assessments may be affected by ceiling effect, especially in the case of highly gifted individuals. The ceiling effect is when a student scores at or near the maximum score possible. If the ceiling is too low, one is unable to determine from the score how much higher the student’s ability or achievement really is. Objective Reasoning Aptitude Tests Raven’s Progressive Matrices Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test For consideration: Nonverbal reasoning tests assess the more abstract ways a child reasons outside of language and number domains. These assessments are less culturally or language biased than many other tests and assessments. There may be some conversation about possible gender bias in these tests however that has not been verified in research. Some of these assessments may be affected by ceiling effect. These assessments require visual acuity and discrimination. One cannot assume that a student with learning disabilities will not be able to do well on these tests.

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Objective Academic Achievement Tests

TCAP/CSAP, PSAT, PLAN, PLUS,, SAT, ACT, QRI, DRA2, Advantage+ Math, Galileo, and others

For consideration: These are nationally or locally normed tests which align at least somewhat with curriculum and learned information. Some of these assessments may be affected by ceiling effect. Usually a lot of normative data is available with these results both nationally and locally. They can be administered off level (i.e., Talent Searches), but some school district assessments almost never are. Test taking abilities, especially with the use of a separate answer sheet, or if timed can negatively influence results. Subjective Academic Aptitude Indicators

Kingore Observation Inventory Slocumb-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory for Children in Poverty Slocumb-Payne Opportunities Profile for Children in Poverty Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument Observation in peer groups Self report of student strengths such as Multiple Intelligences scales and learning style inventories

For consideration: Relatively high verbal abilities may make a student appear more gifted than others who are less verbal. Teacher bias, knowledge and competencies can impact assessment results. Quality training in using the observation inventories greatly enhances their validity.

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These may be better measures of ability for traditionally underrepresented populations than standardized assessments. Subjective Academic Achievement Indicators

Report cards Unit tests Teacher designed assessments Product and performance review Portfolios Teacher designed assessments

For consideration: The ceiling effect may be less of a limitation with some of these assessments. Design limitations may influence effectiveness of assessment. These assessments are influenced by interpretation. These assessments may be able to minimize impact of learning disabilities. Effectiveness of assessments, especially in cases of language or culturally different students, may be influenced by teacher competencies in these areas either positively or negatively. A wide spectrum of abilities can be addressed. Subjective Data Indicators

Teacher inventory Parent inventory Specialists’ inventories

Student interview/survey Test taking report of influencing factors (i.e., attitude, motivation)

For consideration: Inventories give opportunity for reporting factors that are not necessarily measurable.

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Longitudinal view of the student is possible. Multiple points of view are brought into consideration. Affective concerns may be addressed. (Note: There are objective measures of social and emotional factors available.) Creativity, leadership and abstract reasoning abilities can be noted. Different learning styles can be taken into consideration. Extracurricular and talents developed outside of school can be considered. The Multiple Criteria Perspective: BVSD’s definition of gifted states that demonstrated and potential abilities are considered in the identification of gifted and talented children. Children may be identified as gifted in BVSD grades K-12. No single factor gives a comprehensive picture of a student’s abilities or potential. No single factor can eliminate a student from consideration as a gifted child. The more complete the picture of the child and the more perspectives included, the more likely a child will be correctly identified as a gifted and talented student. Gifted and talented student populations should reflect the school and district’s demographic population in terms of diversity. Individual schools and the school district should self-monitor the identification procedure and identified student population to ascertain

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if any groups of children are systematically being under represented. This needs to be done over several years if any pattern is to be discerned. In any given year or grade, bubbles of gifted students by any subcategory (i.e., quantity, gender, cultural, SES, area of giftedness) may occur. Assumptions must be based on several years of evidence in order to find trends or patterns when dealing with small numbers. Of all special populations, low SES (socio-economic status) children are the least likely to be identified as talented and gifted. Culturally and language different students are less likely to be identified as gifted than middle class or affluent Caucasian and Asian students. Each of the pieces in the multiple criteria is important and plays a role in accurate identification of gifted and talented students. Additional information may also be provided and may help develop a more comprehensive picture of the student’s strengths. No evidence is to be rejected. Nominations by parents are on equal footing as nominations by teachers. See the Student Assessment Data Form (in Infinite Campus) and the flow chart in the packet of identification forms (TAG Advisor Documents webpage) for more information on the TAG identification procedure. Call the office of Advanced Academic Services if you have any questions.

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Identifying Traditionally Underrepresented Populations

of Gifted Students Assessments of a student’s ability and achievement, along with parent and teacher input, are the most common pieces of evidence gathered in determining if a student shall be identified to receive TAG services. Schools routinely conduct both formal and informal assessment of achievement. Assessing aptitude or ability is less often done through the schools unless a student is being considered as being gifted or as having a disability. Characteristics profiles are seldom done unless a student is exhibiting behaviors significantly outside of the norm. Most often the use of these characteristics profiles are about concerns that may lead to services for a disability. Gifted education also uses characteristics profiles to help in identifying gifted students. Gifted students who are different from the majority of students and educators in some way e.g. ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, may exhibit gifted characteristics in ways with which educators are unfamiliar. The Office of Advanced Academic Services, which is responsible for talented and gifted (TAG) programming, believes that almost all assessments have value, but also have some bias and limitations. They are good at determining some things, and do poorly at determining others. There is no perfect test. Problems can arise when a particular assessment’s results are being used in ways that go beyond its capabilities/intentions, is given too much weight in decision making, or is poorly matched to a student’s characteristics or abilities. The previous section, Identification Multiple Criteria, looks at different types of assessments and their relative strengths and weaknesses. In determining giftedness, the TEA’s challenge is to use those assessments best able to demonstrate a student’s highest abilities and personal strengths. Gifted students who live in poverty, are English language learners, have disabilities, are from minority cultures, are highly mobile, or are homeless are routinely under-identified for gifted programming. Several factors impact under-identification. One factor that can

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contribute to under-identification of certain student populations is assessments used for identification that are culturally or linguistically biased or depend on learning styles in which the student has a disability. When the decision regarding identification as gifted and talented is based primarily on a standardized assessment and not on a gathered body of evidence, the likelihood of finding gifted students from traditionally underrepresented groups decreases significantly. IGBB-R states: “In the BVSD, these (gifted) students are identified using multiple criteria.” Using multiple pieces of evidence greatly increases the likelihood of accurately identifying students from all populations including those traditionally under-represented in gifted programs. The more complete the profile of the student, the more likely a correct and valid determination of giftedness (or not) will be made. To this end, BVSD requires that at least six pieces of evidence be gathered. At least one will be aptitude or achievement data, one will be input from a parent or guardian and one will be input from a teacher who works with the student in her/his area(s) of strength. BVSD offers a menu of options that can fulfill the TAG identification requirements. Some of those pieces specifically help in identifying students from traditionally underrepresented populations. This document will look at those instruments available in BVSD that increase the ability of a student to demonstrate her/his giftedness when they come from one of the traditionally underrepresented populations. This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all materials, but does cover those available in BVSD schools. Additional pieces of evidence can always be added which is the beauty of a Body of Evidence. I. Finding Diverse Populations of Students Who Are Gifted Rationale: According to author Elbert Hubbard, "There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability." Schools face a litany of challenges when it comes to identifying minority, low-income and non-English-speaking students as gifted and

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talented. There are stereotypes to battle, a lack of appropriate testing and identification materials and cultural barriers to overcome. Educators agree that identifying gifted minority children as young as possible is crucial. By the time they get to fourth grade, they start to be influenced by peer pressure and fears of being called "a nerd." Joyce Miller, an education professor at Texas A&M, says it's time to trade standardized tests for the power of human observation when it comes to determining who is gifted and talented (Adler, K. 2006). Assessments Kingore Observation Inventory The Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI) can be used by classroom teachers with students K-8. It is known for its ability to identify gifted potentials in minority students, students from poverty, and young gifted children who are frequently difficult to identify through standardized tests. The KOI is used for clarifying students' response patterns over time, providing an ongoing series of enriched learning opportunities to all students that elicit demonstrations of advanced potential, and implementing standards for observations and student products that document teachers' insights about their students to other educators. This profile is dependent upon the learning environment in which the observed children operate allowing the gifted children in that group to “bubble up” with responses and products that are at a higher level than others in the same environment. It provides a framework and documentation of the teacher’s observation of those higher level behaviors. Nonverbal Assessments Nonverbal assessments can be used to minimize the impact of language and culture in assessing abstract reasoning ability and spatial aptitude. The non-verbal assessments provided to schools include the Naglieri, NNAT2, the Raven’s Progressive Matrices and the Cognitive Abilities Test Nonverbal Battery. They are for students K-12. For a further discussion of these instruments, their strengths and limitations, see the chapter, Nonverbal Assessments.

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CogAT Form 7 Assessment The CogAT Form 7 is designed to be much less language dependent than previous forms. It uses graphics and has an optional scoring for ELL students that removes the language based verbal subtest. II. Finding Students Who Are Gifted and Have Disabilities Rationale: Children who are both gifted and have disabilities are less likely to have either condition addressed in school than students who manifest just one of these conditions. The disability may mask the student’s giftedness and the giftedness may mask her/his disability. These students are often viewed as underachievers who could do well if they were just more highly motivated or organized. Their struggles in school are often viewed as matters of choice rather than disability – especially if their intelligence gives them the skills to compensate and perform at a near average level and if they have strong verbal skills. Even those identified as twice exceptional may find gifted services that support and address their strengths are withheld while the emphasis remains focused on what they don’t do well. It is imperative that gifted educators and special educators work together to identify, evaluate and serve these students (Colorado Symposium on Gifted Students with Disabilities 2003). Assessments IQ Assessments The department of Special Education provides psychologists to schools for the purpose of assessing students who may need intervention in order to experience success in school due to disabilities. The WISC IV is the most common IQ test used in BVSD. Students may be referred to TAG as a result of outcomes from Special Education or Response to Intervention (RtI) assessment. The Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities is also used with some BVSD students. The Stanford-Binet 5 (S-B) is not used by BVSD but students assessed at the Gifted Development Center or other private psychologists may have S-B results in addition to results from other assessments. When used to find highly gifted children the S-B is should be considered a supplemental assessment for highly gifted students and is used primarily because other IQ tests have

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a ceiling of around IQ150. Only the latest form of any IQ test, based on its date of administration, is acceptable. IQ test results will most often be found with students who are being considered as potentially twice exceptional i.e. gifted students with disabilities, who have testing outside of the school setting, or come from a school or district that uses IQ tests as a part of their identification criteria. At this time, the Office of Advanced Academic Services does not provide psychologist administered individual IQ tests. The S-B LM is not an acceptable test. III. Finding Students Who Are Gifted English Language Learners Rationale: When a student shows remarkably rapid English language acquisition, this may be viewed as an indicator of potentially high aptitude in the verbal domain. The National Research Center on Gifted and Talented (NRCG/T) states, “Bilingual children have special abilities and talents. One of those talents is the ability to interpret and translate.” They have created a list of the many sophisticated skills children develop while interpreting and translating (NRCG/T). It is imperative that ESL and language support personnel who work with these students watch for indicators of possible giftedness and have input in assessing these students for possible identification as TAG. Identification of giftedness should never wait for English language proficiency but rather programming that addresses advanced cognition should be in place concurrent with English language and literacy support. Assessments CELA (Colorado English Language Assessment) The CELA must be administered by trained personnel and is not designed specifically to find giftedness. The Proficiency Assessment is given annually and measures progress in English language acquisition. It is administered to all NEP (not English proficient) and LEP (limited English proficient) students K-12. The Placement Assessment is given to students new to the district, is a “broad” indicator of appropriate programs, and is administered to all

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English language learners as determined by the Home Language Survey. Students who are highly mobile in Colorado will likely have scores from other districts they have attended that are completely transferable and compatible with scores of other BVSD students. This saves precious time when dealing with children who may not settle for an extended period of time in their current school. CELA includes assessment of students’ abilities in reading, writing, listening and speaking – the subcategories of the verbal domain. Students receive an overall score, comprehension (from listening and reading subtests), and oral language (from listening and speaking subtests). Of special interest when trying to determine giftedness in a student who may be multi-exceptional, the CELA includes accommodations for students with disabilities. The CELA is already routinely administered to appropriate students and so does not require additional testing in order to include its results in the gathered body of evidence. Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey The Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey (English and Spanish) has been used in the past in BVSD for students Pre-K through grade 12. The WMLS must be administered by a trained examiner (or team). It is considered relatively easy to administer and is not time intensive although it does need to be administered one on one. The Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey (English), WMLS-E, is a set of tests that measure proficiency in oral language, reading, and writing in speakers of English as a second language. It provides scores for individual skills as well as an overall language competence (called Broad English Ability). The Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey (Spanish), WMLS-S, is a set of individually-administered tests that sample oral proficiency, reading, and writing in Spanish for native speakers. The purposes of the survey are to classify an examinee's Spanish language proficiency, to determine eligibility for bilingual services, to help teachers understand an examinee's language abilities and to provide program effectiveness information. The survey yields three overall measures: Broad Spanish Ability, Oral Language, and Reading-Writing.

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Bilingual Verbal Ability Test (BVAT) Like the previously mentioned assessments, the BVAT can be used with students K-12. The BVAT must be administered by a trained examiner (or team) and a training video is available. The BVAT is available from the Office of Advanced Academic Services. It is considered relatively easy to administer and is not time intensive although it does need to be administered one on one. Unlike many other language assessments, The BVAT Comprehensive Manual (1998) specifically mentions entry into GT programs as one of the uses of the BVAT. The BVAT is unique in that it looks at the verbal abilities of the student regardless of language rather than proficiency in one language or the other like the previously profiled tests. The BVAT provides a “holistic” overall estimate of a bilingual or multilingual child’s cognitive language mastery which other assessments do not. Bilingualism can indicate advanced abilities in the verbal domain and social navigation skills, according to the NRCG/T. The BVAT assesses proficiency in any of 16 languages in addition to English, so it is not limited to only Spanish as the student’s second language. It can also be used for children who are tri-lingual. The four subtests include Picture Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms and Verbal Analogies. The BVAT does not assess reading and writing abilities. As with the CELA, modifications are made for students with disabilities. The BVAT has a scoring and reporting program for understanding and interpreting results. It provides age and grade equivalent scores, again, important when being used with gifted students. According to various reviews, Picture Vocabulary is the section of the BVAT that is weakest and has the most cultural bias. Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument The Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument (HbGSI) is for students pre-K through 4th grade. The HbGSI is a teacher administered screening inventory of characteristics that are centered within the Hispanic culture, and it is based on research that has been centered solely within this cultural group. It is designed for use with Hispanic bilingual students for the specific purpose of screening them to enter into the pool of potentially gifted who will be referred for further testing.

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The 90 items were derived from over 400 characteristics found in the literature that related to one or more of the following classifications: gifted Hispanics (also in bilingual education), Hispanic familial/sociological/linguistic/academic characteristics, Hispanic elementary students, and diverse gifted populations, including minority, rural, and urban. The Hispanic literature surveyed included the following categories of Hispanics: Latino, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Mexican-American, Central American, and South American. Further testing reduced the 90 items to 78 items and eleven clusters. Those clusters follow: Social and Academic Language, Cultural Sensitivity, Familial, Motivation for Learning, Collaboration, Imagery, Achievement, Support, Creative Performance, Problem-Solving, and Locus of Control. When a classroom, school or district makes wide use of the HbGSI, local norms should be calculated based on mean scores for the group being tested. Those students scoring above the mean should be referred for further screening. In this sense, the HbGSI is perhaps most useful in schools that have a high number of Hispanic bilingual students rather than a school that has few. The HbGSI is seldom used in BVSD. Aprenda The Aprenda may have been used in some BVSD schools and is an achievement test normed for native Spanish speakers. It can also be used to assess students who are native English speakers and participate in a bilingual program. Just as a native Spanish speaker who scores above average on an English test may be demonstrating high ability in language, so too may a native English speaker who scores above average on the Aprenda may be demonstrating high ability in language. The SABE and Prueba are other Spanish achievement assessments that a student may have from a previous school, but these are not currently used in BVSD. IV. Finding Students Who Are Gifted and Living in Poverty Rationale: Students of poverty are the most underrepresented population in gifted education (NAGC, 2000). In results obtained by the National Educational Longitudinal Study, students from the bottom

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quartile (25%) in family income make up only ten percent of identified gifted students, while students from the top quartile make up fifty percent. Poverty is a culture poorly understood by middle class educators and is subject to judgments that devalue those characteristics demonstrated by children from poverty. Deficits that are a consequence of the lack of resources and opportunities resulting from the impact of poverty may be misinterpreted as issues of intelligence (Slocumb, P. 2000). By using instruments sensitive to demonstrations of giftedness in children who live in poverty, the likelihood of identifying students with high potential is enhanced. Input from support personnel who work with children in poverty, migrant and homeless children is essential in order to ensure their identification as gifted. Assessments Slocumb-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory The Slocumb-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory can be used K-12. It is an instrument designed to help teachers look at both the positive and negative manifestations of attributes of giftedness. The instrument asks teachers to read two descriptors related to the same attribute of giftedness. One of the descriptors is of a gifted attribute as it might be manifested in a middle class context. The corresponding descriptor depicts the gifted attribute as it might be manifested in a lower socio-economic environment or how it might be manifested in a less positive context. The teacher selects the descriptor that most closely aligns with her/his perception of the student. S/he then rates the student on a scale of one to four. Presented in this manner, a teacher’s rating of students from educated and uneducated or middle class and poverty households could be numerically equal. Factoring both the negative and positive manifestations of giftedness increases the probability that the student from poverty will be treated equitably in the identification process. Scores are totaled and those falling in the top range (scores of 57-76) indicate that the student demonstrates characteristics of giftedness and additional data to form a body of evidence should be gathered.

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Slocumb-Payne Opportunities Profile The Slocumb-Payne Opportunities Profile can be used K-12 and is based on the idea that, for this underrepresented population, an identification process for the gifted/talented must take poverty into account. To do this, examination of the home environment can be an integral part of the identification process. Tests and other gifted identification measures that don’t consider the home environment do little more than rearrange an existing ineffective and inequitable identification process (Slocum, P. & Payne, R., 2000). Each socio-economic class has its own hidden rules. The rules employed in the culture of poverty are seldom known and understood by those in the middle class e.g. educators. The rules of the school environment are almost exclusively those of the middle class. For example, Payne and Montano-Harmon found that there are five registers of language. Children from poverty only have access to the casual register whereas school is conducted in the formal register and in a linear pattern (Slocumb, P. & Payne, R. 2000). Patterns of discourse from one geographic area to another (to some degree, even within the same city) also impact language patterns placing a double impact on children of poverty who are also highly mobile such as homeless, migrant, and new immigrant families. This, along with a lack of enriching experiences, puts children from poverty at a disadvantage in being identified as gifted and talented. The Opportunities Profile is an attempt to discover the impact of poverty on the home environment. Some of the questions may appear intrusive. For that reason it is not extensively used. If used, the higher the degree of trust between examiner and respondent, the more likely the profile will be accurate and fairly complete. Removing the Mask: Giftedness in Poverty has information about dealing with this aspect of the profile and additional information on using any of the Slocumb-Payne instruments. This book is available in schools or may be checked out from the Office of Advanced Academic Services. Kingore Observation Inventory Students who live in poverty and who have not had many opportunities

for enriching experiences outside of school may benefit from 33

observation using the KOI to see how they respond to an enriching environment or opportunity. For more detail on the KOI, see above. All elementary schools received the materials, Recognizing Gifted Potential: Planned Experiences with the KOI to give students living in poverty and those from less enriched backgrounds, experiences using the kinds of thinking usually employed in assessments for gifted and talented identification, in effect, “leveling the playing field.” Under identified populations are generally easier to identify when younger before the impact of extraneous factors confound the potential in these students. Summary It is unrealistic to continue doing things as they have always been done and expect to see change. In order to bring to an end the continued under representation of students from diverse populations as gifted and talented, identification practices must include instruments and observations designed to help find those students. As educators, we must look beyond a few characterizations and standard assessments that are designed for middle class students from the dominant culture. Educators must learn to recognize characteristics of giftedness as they appear in diverse populations, even when that means these characteristics may manifest themselves in negative ways. Educators must commit to providing intellectually stimulating learning experiences to gifted children even if they have disabilities, or are not yet English proficient. Educators must identify students in a timely fashion before they sense a conflict between affiliation and achievement, must provide enriching experiences to potentially gifted children who do not have much access to such opportunities outside of school, and need to identify students of poverty and those who are highly mobile while in their classrooms and schools. The BVSD identification procedure gathers a body of evidence to give a comprehensive and multi-dimensional view of the student’s abilities and potential. By gathering such a body of evidence, becoming culturally competent, and using instruments and observations that distinguish abilities through a lens sensitive to various diverse populations, the prospect of finding gifted students from traditionally underrepresented populations greatly increases. The school’s TAG Committee works together to determine identification of its TAG students.

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Resources

Adler, K. 2006. Minority Gifted Kids Left Behind. San Antonia Express News. Advanced Academic Services, 2006. TAG Educational Advisor Handbook. Boulder: Boulder Valley School District. Brookes, H. & Angelleli, C., Guía B9911, Lo Que Deben Saber los Padres y la Comunidad Acerca de los Niños y Jovenes Bilingües que Interpretan y Traducen. University of Connecticut: National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented. Brookes, H. & Angelleli, C., National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented, Guide A1897, What Parents and Communities Need to Know about Bilingual Children Interpreting and Translating. University of Connecticut: National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented. Castellano, J. 2003. Special Populations in Gifted Education: Working with Diverse Gifted Learners. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Castellano, J. & Díaz, E. 2002. Reaching New Horzons: Gifted and talented education for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Colorado Symposium on Gifted Students with Disabilities (2003). Cherry Creek School District. Neihart, M. & Robinson, N., 2000. Task Force on Social-Emotional Issues for Gifted Students: Draft executive summary. Washington, D.C.: National Association for Gifted Children. Payne, R., 2005 revision. A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Highlands, Tx: Aha! Process, Inc. Slocumb, P., 2000. Removing the Mask: Giftedness in Poverty. Highlands, Tx: Aha! Process, Inc. www.riverpub.com/products/bvatNU/details.html Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/index_cela.html Colorado English Language Assessment www.teachbilingual.com. Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument http://www.ahaprocess.com/ Slocumb-Payne assessments www.riverpub.com/products/wjIIICognitive/pdf/asb-1.pdf Woodcock-Johnson www.woodcock-munoz-foundation.org/index.html Woodcock-Muñoz www.riverpub.com/products/wmls/details.html Woodcock-Muñoz

TAG Identification Packet

Procedures and Guidelines Except in those rare cases of children identified gifted through Early Access, the identification process begins with the nomination of a student and happens at the school level. This nomination can come from a parent, teacher, coach, mentor, any adult affiliated with that child or through grade level screening. When a student is nominated, a copy of the TAG Identification flow chart and Parent Inventory will be sent home in the appropriate language. The forms, assessments and components of the body of evidence that BVSD compiles are detailed below. All of the evidence is collected, organized and maintained by the TAG Educational Advisor who brings it to the TAG committee. If you have any questions regarding the forms or procedures, please contact the district Office of Advanced Academic Services at ext. 5067 (Becky Whittenburg) or ext. 5087 (Jennifer Barr). Below is some more information regarding the gathered body of evidence and TAG identification forms. All identification forms are housed on the TAG Advisor Documents section of the BVSD TAG website. Nomination forms and Parent Inventory forms are also housed on the TAG website where parents can access them. Student Nomination Form Any adult who is affiliated with the student being nominated can complete this form. In some cases, students will self-nominate or nominate a peer. However, a copy of the form must be signed by a parent/guardian of the child so that the district has permission to assess the student. It is a possibility that at the secondary level a student may nominate him/herself or another student. All nominations carry equal weight. Parent nominations are on equal footing with teacher nominations. The nomination should be viewed as opening the door. Grade level screening can also be used to find students who should be nominated and looked at more closely for possible TAG identification. The purpose of grade level screening is to find students who are from traditionally underrepresented populations.

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Parent Inventory The parent inventory must be sent home to be completed by a parent/guardian along with the TAG Identification flow chart. These are available in all languages. Rarely will a student be high in all areas of the Parent Inventory responses; however, the general appearance should be one of 4’s & 5’s for nearly all of the responses. If desired, parents may fill out separate inventories (as in the case of parental separation). Questions regarding bilingual abilities are included. See the next section for further discussion of scoring the inventories. Specialist Inventory (Inventories) These forms are used to gather input from teachers of music, art, PE, or other special classes at the elementary or secondary level. See the next section for further discussion of scoring the inventories. The Science Inventory may be included as a specialist as appropriate. Performing arts, visual arts, music, creativity and leadership inventories are available for students nominated as gifted in any of these areas. Identification in the Arts, Creativity and Leadership A portfolio as well as specialized rubrics and inventories are used for identification in these areas. These areas are not meant to be a way to identify students who fail to meet the criteria for identification in general intellectual ability or specific academics. The same level of exceptional ability and rigor od process must be met in identification in the areas of arts, creativity and leadership as are required in academic and intellectual areas. Teacher Inventory The teacher inventory needs to be completed by the classroom teacher at the elementary level or the teacher in the student’s area(s) of strength that currently has that student enrolled in his/her class at the secondary level. Sometimes a previous year’s teacher, ESL or SPED teacher will also be asked to fill out a teacher inventory. Rarely will a student be high in all areas of the Teacher Inventory responses; however, the general appearance should be one of 4’s & 5’s for nearly all of the responses. Questions regarding bilingual abilities are included. See the next section for further discussion of scoring the inventories.

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Testing Data There are basically two kinds of standardized tests of ability and achievement that you will deal with. First are norm referenced tests. In these tests the results are normed against the same population either by grade or by age. These have a distribution curve that is familiarly known as a bell curve with the highest possible score being the 99th percentile (%ile). Second are criterion referenced tests. These are normed against mastery of information being assessed. Theoretically, all populations tested with criterion referenced tests could score perfectly (100%) or all fail (0%). The TAG Educational Advisor, after receiving training to do so, administers ability/aptitude tests that are appropriate for each student as needed. These tests are included in the larger body of evidence that is collected when a student is being considered for TAG identification. The district provided each school with CogAT, Naglieri (NNAT2) and Ravens tests for assessing aptitude and reasoning abilities, administration instructions and scoring guides. The DRA2, Add+ Vantage Math and Galileo are also at schools to assess literacy and math knowledge/understanding/skills. Some schools also have the CELA, the BVAT, Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument (HbGSI) , and perhaps Woodcock-Muñoz for students who are native Spanish speakers and the Slocum-Payne Teacher Perception Inventory and Opportunities Profiles for students in poverty. There are several assessments available for check-out from the district office such as the BVAT, HbGSI, and Key Math. Some students may have already been assessed using the Woodcock-Johnson, WISC IV, Stanford-Binet 5, DAS or others. If so, this will likely eliminate the need for ability/aptitude testing by the TEA. Contact Becky for specific guidance with any questions. Generally speaking, the gifted range on norm referenced tests is at or above the 95th %ile although there is always a range or margin of error that falls around a precise score. Percentile norms for TCAP based on the score distributions of students are available. These norms are generated by CDE and Becky sends them to TEAs when available. You

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may also need these scores for GT summer programs or other student applications requiring evidence of advanced achievement. Product and Performance Review and Rubrics The teacher to whom the evaluated work was submitted will complete the appropriate rubric. This evidence is collected for the Body of Evidence by the teacher and submitted to the TAG Educational Advisor for inclusion in the student’s TAG file. If size permits, copies of the product will be included in the file. If not, pictures and notes or detailed descriptions can be used. The product or performance selected for review should be considered representative of the student’s best work and can be something assigned or something done outside of class work. Sometimes parents have work samples or items from outside of school activities they would like included in the Body of Evidence and that is also appropriate. Rubrics for the inventories in the arts, creativity and leadership are also available. Observation Inventories The various Observation Inventories are usually completed by the student’s teacher(s) and necessitate that the observer know the child fairly well. Many of these inventories are specifically designed to find gifted behaviors in students who are from culturally, ethnically or linguistically diverse populations. When used appropriately, the observation inventories used in BVSD are reliable and valid for use in screening for giftedness in specific populations. The Kingore Observation Inventory is used primarily with young children, the Payne-Slocumb Teacher and Opportunities Profiles are used to help find gifted children from poverty and the Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument is used to help find Hispanic bilingual children. Other Data See Column C in the chart of the identification process for some of the additional data that may be gathered. Not all TAG nominated students will have the same pieces gathered in their body of evidence although they will all have at least six pieces of evidence. When determining what pieces to gather in the body of evidence, remember the goal is to find the very best of which the student is capable, to include teachers and parents in the process, and to be sensitive to cultural and language differences. 39

TAG Identification Inventories and Other Information You must go through training by Becky Whittenburg in the Office of Advanced Academic Services before assessing any students for TAG identification or considering identifying a student to receive TAG services. This will also include training in management of the identification process and documentation. All assessment data is confidential and must be treated as such. If you are missing any of these forms, please request them from Becky at x5067 or by e-mail to becky.whittenburg@bvsd.org or get them at the TAG Advisor Documents webpage. Make sure you are using the most current forms. The Parent Inventory, Teacher Inventory and Specialist Inventories are divided into sections that correlate to the Parent Observed Strengths (characteristics from referral form) and the Teacher Observed Strengths (characteristics from referral form) on the form, Student Assessment Data. Under Teacher Observed Strengths you see Academic Ability Task Commitment

(additional categories follow) Under Parent Observed Strengths you see Overall Ability Creativity

(additional categories follow) You average the eight scores under Academic Ability from the Teacher Survey and put that number in the blank. The highest possible average is 5.0. You do this for each strength category for both the Teacher and Parent Inventories.

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Rarely will a student be high in all areas of the Parent or Teacher Inventory, however the general appearance should be one of 4’s and 5’s for nearly all responses. N/A responses should not be averaged in as 0’s but should be taken into consideration as a part of the total picture of the student during the discussion of all data gathered through the identification process. For example, if a student gets an N/A on “Compares, contrasts and evaluates with ease” under Academic Ability on the Teacher Inventory, you will divide by seven instead of all eight responses. Different tests have different standard deviations, therefore look for scores at the 95th percentile on test data (factoring in margin of error and student observed test-taking behaviors, LEP and other mitigating factors as appropriate). New TEAs need to schedule a meeting with Becky in order to understand how to deal with these factors. All TEAs are encouraged to call at any time with questions or for clarification. Lower scores in one area (such as verbal or language arts) may not be used to adversely affect identification in a different area of strength (such as quantitative or math). This is especially important for English language learners, gifted students with disabilities, and other traditionally underrepresented populations. The more information gathered about a student’s characteristics, ability and achievement, the more likely the TAG committee will make a correct determination regarding giftedness. You may also bring additional information not specifically mentioned in the Student Assessment Data to the discussion during the identification process. It is not enough to simply report scores. The TEA should make note of the student’s attitude during testing, including any indication of undue stress, whether they appeared to be focused on the task, if you had any indication that the student’s results are not a true indication of their best ability, etc. A student can always perform below her/his ability but is unlikely to be able to perform higher than her/his ability. This is why you should not test for long periods of time at one stretch, on Friday afternoons, if the child is or

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has been ill recently, if s/he is missing a favorite activity, if there are distractions, etc. It is your responsibility to set the student up to maximize the demonstration of her/his ability. The test designers state that a student should not be retested with the same test within 18 months. All of the CogAT Form 7, Naglieri or NNAT2 levels are considered to be one test. The Ravens Colored and Standard are considered to be the same however you can follow the Colored Progressive matrices with sections C, D, and E of the Standard Progressive Matrices to get a total Standard score. The Advanced Progressive Matrices is considered to be a different test. If you look at the tests or levels considered to be the same test you will see that most of the items are the same. You can see this when comparing adjacent levels of the CogAT, Naglieri, NNAT2, or Ravens. Students can “learn” a test which is why the test designers want a significant amount of time to pass between retesting. If a student is tested under good conditions as outlined above, there will be very little difference between retesting scores on the same test, therefore retesting a student on the same test is not routinely recommended even after 18 months. Please call Becky for guidance on this. It is important to match the test with the student. Remember that you are trying to find the very best of which the student is capable. Motivation is a necessary part of getting an accurate profile of the student’s ability. When scoring a product or performance, for example, it is important to select the student’s best work, something s/he was engaged and interested in, something that allows her/him to demonstrate her/his abilities and learning in an optimal domain. There are many factors that can depress a student’s score and you want to eliminate the influence of these factors as much as possible. As much it can, the aptitude or ability test should look not so much at what the student knows, but at how s/he thinks in a given domain. (The academic domains we normally look at are verbal, quantitative and nonverbal.) That is why you see similarities in various tests even though they are in different domains. All of the batteries of the CogAT, for example, include analogies. Thus, students need to complete analogies

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using words in the verbal battery but numbers in the quantitative and shapes in nonverbal. They look for attribute similarities and patterns by classifying words, finding number patterns, or predicting spatial patterns. They are asked to select the best answer from various possible correct responses. Some people easily see patterns in shapes, but not in numbers. Some easily complete analogies with words, but not shapes. This is how we determine the area(s) of the student’s greatest strengths. When a student scores better than 95% of those of similar age or grade, we call that an indicator of extremely high ability or within the gifted range. A student may be gifted in a single domain or in several. Note: Nonverbal refers to a type of assessment, not a type of giftedness. It is relatively simple to see how giftedness in the verbal domain translates into high ability in language arts or how giftedness in the quantitative domain translates into high ability in mathematics. There are usually more questions about what educational programming is suggested by a high nonverbal score. The next section will look at this in more depth. If you have any questions regarding identification procedure or a specific student, you are encouraged to contact the office of Advanced Academic Services at any time.

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Nonverbal Tests of Abstract Reasoning Ability

These tests assess the more abstract ways a student reasons outside of language and number domains. As a result, these tests are also less culturally or language biased. Nonverbal refers to a type of assessment, not a type of giftedness. Some people are concerned about gender bias in these types of tests based on visual/spatial experiences if boys have more experience with puzzles, building, and other visual/spatial activities. Additionally, there may be some cultural bias based on experience with visual/spatial problems and exposure. It is important to note, however, that none of these concerns have been substantiated through research. Some of these assessments can be subject to the ceiling effect. It is important to select the correct testing level. The Naglieri and CogAT tests are normed for children K-12 by age and/or by grade. The Ravens and NNAT2 are normed only by age. If unsure of the correct test level consult the TAG Advisor Documents webpage or ask Becky for guidance. Some kinds of learning disabilities can adversely affect the results for some children. These tests require visual acuity and discrimination. The Raven’s, which is seldom used beyond grade level screening due to its old norms, and CogAT 5/6-9 are untimed; the Naglieri, NNAT2 and other CogAT 9-17/18 are timed. A student who is a slow processor may do better with the untimed assessment where time is not a factor. The Naglieri, NNAT2 and Raven’s nonverbal tests assess four distinct abilities: Pattern Completion: Requires the student to extend the pattern by determining general orientation and spatial orientation within the missing portion. Reasoning by Analogy: Requires the student to recognize a logical relationship between several geometric shapes, see how the relationship changes across and up-down, and to work simultaneously in dimensions e.g., shape, shading).

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Serial Reasoning: Requires the student to recognize the sequence of shapes and how the sequence changes. More than one series may be included in the matrix (e.g., circle, square, triangle and white, blue, yellow). Spatial Visualization: Requires the student to recognize how two or more designs would look if combined. Although the Raven’s, CogAT Nonverbal Battery and NNAT2 do not break down individual responses when scoring the test to the type of ability as does the Naglieri, they also cover these same abilities. The Raven’s Supplement, however, covers this information by item. The NNAT2 does not provide the information about item type that the hard copy Naglieri does. The CogAT Nonverbal Battery 9-17/18 differs from the others. It includes an element of three dimensional reasoning that the other tests do not but as a whole, is more culturally biased (left to right, top to bottom) in its orientation. It is a high level of assessment for those not affected by this orientation. The ability to discern patterns and to apply knowledge from one experience to other seemingly unrelated areas is a measure of intelligence. These tests successfully measure such abilities. These tests can predict success in academic areas because these abilities are needed to excel in other areas and to learn with ease and facility. The following examples show how nonverbal abilities assessed in the Naglieri,NNAT2, CogAT nonverbal battery and Ravens relate to intelligence and how they also relate to academic abilities that are elements of academic success: Many students get lost in the math order of operations necessary to complete long division. If the student learns these as a repeating pattern, ÷ x - +, culminating in r (remainder), they will be less likely to get lost in the process.

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Multiplication tables are difficult for many children when they cannot discern the pattern. 0, 1, 2, 5, and 9 times tables are easiest because the patterns are easily recognized. 4 becomes a doubling of 2, 3 is fairly easy because even at 9x3 the numbers don’t become too large to count. 6, 7, and 8 are most difficult because the patterns are hardest to discern and apply and because the resultant numbers are fairly large. Children often like 9’s because these have so many different patterns that use different learning styles. Memorizing (a factor in intelligence) is easiest for children who discern patterns. Memorizing the U.S. Great Lakes is difficult for some children unless they learn the mnemonic device of HOMES. The same can be said for memorizing the continents until they realize that the 6 A continents can be grouped in to pairs such as North and South America. Of the remaining 4 A continents, the acronym FUNS gives the second letter completing the pattern to assist in memorization. Finally, Europe stands alone as the only non-A continent. We use language patterns to remind children of the Spanish verbs ar, er, ir. We usually say them in alphabetical order (a,e,i) because it is another pattern that helps memory. When we ask children to write using parallel construction, we are asking them to establish and use a pattern. Many metaphors use patterns that are analogies: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” If:then and cause:effect are also patterns. These are often found in social studies and science as well as math and language.

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TAG Budget

Schools do not receive funding from the district specifically for TAG services. Each school is allocated FTE (employee hours) specifically for TAG services based on total school enrollment. Elementary schools receive slightly more FTE per student than middle or high schools because most identification, which is time intensive, takes place at the elementary level and because elementary schools are smaller than secondary schools. The FTE allocations for each school are posted on the TAG website for that school year.

Schools may augment their FTE by allocating funds to support TAG programming if they wish from their general fund, PTO/PTA, grants or destratification funds, if available.

The principal needs to inform the TEA of her/his responsibilities regarding the TAG budget. Sometimes this is done by a budget secretary, sometimes the task is divided between the TEA and secretary, and sometimes the TEA has primary responsibility. School principals receive notification of the allocated FTE their school can receive at the end of the previous year based on projected enrollment. If actual enrollment is higher than projected, principals may elect to petition for additional FTE based on those numbers. BVSD receives TAG funds from taxes, referenda, CDE (Colorado Dept. of Education), and many schools supplement their allocation with building funds, grants and PTA/PTO organizations. In Advanced Academic Services, the Science Scholars program at the high school level and the district office are funded primarily from the CDE allocation to the district, the smallest of these funding sources. The district funding of the Post-Secondary Option program for high school students, around $80,000, is the greatest TAG expense other than wages. Schools receive tutor FTE, not dollars, and must add building funds in order to maintain an effective program. A school cannot build and maintain an effective program solely on its allocation and schools are encouraged to put additional operating funds toward TAG education even though documenting matching funds is no longer required by the state. The principal takes the total amount of tutor FTE and determines how/if

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that will go to salaries. If s/he wishes to convert some of the FTE to dollar amounts for instructional materials, professional development, and activities that support gifted students, there is a conversion formula to use for that purpose. Most often schools use their full FTE for TEA salary and use school funds to cover other categories of spending or to augment TEA hours. How the funds are disbursed in these categories is a site based decision subject to approval by Advanced Academic Services. Schools may convert district allocated TAG FTE for TAG supplies or professional development, however, converting FTE for non-wage use requires special approval from the the Office of Advanced Academic Services. Requests to convert FTE will be considered for approval on an individual basis when the FTE proposal is submitted. Money is placed in each of these categories based on the school’s decision. Schools can access Account Balance Lookup on Lawson which gives them the expenditures in each account. TEAs should know their budgets for materials, professional development and activities regardless of its funding source so that they don’t overspend in any category. Even if the secretary is in charge of the TAG budget, the TEA should meet periodically with the secretary to insure that the funds are being spent but not overspent. Ideally, a school will spend its entire TAG budget, but not go over. Often the building’s PTO/PTA also provides funds to support additional TEA hours, TAG activities in the school and attendance at gifted conferences. Another funding source for TAG might be grants or gifts. Advanced Academic Services offers two in-house grants – Super Saturdays which funds school enrichment activities for students that are held outside of school hours, and TAG Study Group Grants for staff professional development. Please go to the TAG website or contact Becky for additional information about these.

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Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs)

The Advanced Learning Plan or ALP is housed on Infinite Campus. Every student identified as talented and gifted is required by the state to have an ALP. At the secondary level, the ICAP can be used to fill the need for an ALP. The heart of gifted educational programming for students in the BVSD is the ALP. The ALP is a continuous record of strategies, programming and goals for each K-8 student formally identified as TAG. CDE has prepared a document for those blending the ALP with ICAP at the secondary level. The more customized the student’s programming is, the more important the ALP is. When a student moves between schools and even grades or classes, the ALP is a readily accessible record of advanced academic programming for that student. Teachers can refer to the previous year’s ALP at the beginning of the year and it will tell where to begin with an advanced student. Students who have received specific different, advanced curricula (such as the William and Mary Curriculum for High Ability Learners or moving to a higher grade for subject instruction) will have a record through the ALP that informs the new teacher of information and experiences such as the vocabulary, knowledge and skills that student brings to the classroom. The ALP form aligns with the format and information required by the state in the BVSD Year-End Report. This means the district office will have to gather less additional information from individual TEAs in the schools’ Year-End Reports. It is also a good visual reminder to TEAs and teachers of the many different delivery models, strategies and options available for meeting the needs of gifted students. It can be modified as needed throughout the year and is can still be opened, read or copied as a starting template for a new year which greatly minimizes the work load at the beginning of the year for TEAs. Schools create ALPs in a variety of ways. Consult with your TAG committee to find out what method is used in your school. Ask Becky for additional guidance as needed.

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When a Student Moves In or Out of District or Changes

Schools When a student moves out of the district, it is important that latest ALP and the completed TAG Student Assessment Sheet be placed in the Cum file. These should be downloaded from Infinite Campus, printed and placed in the Cum file to follow the student to her/his next school. Discuss this with your head secretary how to handle any additional material. When a student changes schools within the district, there should no longer be a need for any hard copy files to change hands as long as the completed TAG Assessment Data and ALPs are electronically stored in Infinite Campus. When a student enters the school from out of district with indications that s/he was receiving gifted education programming in the previous school, look through the Cum file closely for any assessment or relevant data that may streamline the identification process. When we receive a GT student from out of district, we accept any supportive data that is forwarded, in keeping with our belief in gathering multiple criteria. The student, however, must still meet our district’s identification criteria. Student coming from Colorado public schools will most likely meet our criteria. If the information you receive is complete, it will more often than not, result in the TEA not needing to do additional assessment testing. The TEA may only need to gather parent and teacher inventories and possibly specialist inventories, product and performance reviews. Please call Becky with any questions about incoming students as the information you receive may not be familiar or you may have questions about how to use it in the body of evidence. Each case will be evaluated on an individual basis. If you receive no information from the previous out-of-district school and requests for such documentation are unanswered, it will be necessary to conduct the BVSD’s identification procedure.

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The last TAG Advisor meeting in May allows time for TAG Advisors to meet with the other TEAs to talk about any transition issues concerning students. You can see where your TAG students are enrolled for school by looking at the Enrollment tab in IC in May where the placement for the following school year appears. The student’s enrollment history can be accessed on Infinite Campus if you need to contact the previous school. Schools are required to keep files for seven years after a student has left. If you have questions, contact your registrar or head secretary for guidance. Files of students who were nominated for TAG, went through the identification process and were not identified as gifted will need to be handled differently. The completely filled out Student Assessment Data Sheet should be in IC even though the student does not have a TAG flag. The box at the end of the Student Assessment Data sheet should be clearly marked that the student was not identified (“did not qualify”) for TAG. Students “on watch” should have a decision made before moving to their next school whenever possible so that they move with a clear designation either as a student identified for TAG services or not. If you have a student who was not TAG identified at a previous school but your school wants to consider the student for TAG identification, please do so. The opportunity for TAG identification is always available K-12. There are several reasons a student might not have been TAG identified when younger but needs TAG identification at the new school. If you receive valid WISC IV or other testing data either through Special Education or from a private psychologist, you should use that in place of the CogAT and non-verbal testing usually administered in BVSD. This means you will not need to do additional testing, however you will still collect the body of evidence for identification purposes. Please contact the Office of Advanced Academic Services with any questions.

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Parents/Guardians

Communication with parents and guardians is an important part of the TEA position. Communication is also one of Advanced Academic Service’s key components. You may be called upon to communicate programming, assessment results, identification decisions, surveys, parent/student opportunities, or other items of interest. There are many ways of communicating with parents such as:

• newsletters • e-mail • in person • phone calls • informational or formal presentations

Parents and guardians are entitled to see any information in their child’s files. If they want copies of any information, the district may request time in which to collect and copy the data requested. Check with your head secretary if you are unsure of how to proceed. District Policy JO-R, Student Records, addresses issues of disclosure to non-parents or non-guardians. Do not disclose any personally identifiable information to anyone other than the child’s parent or guardian. If you receive a request from a lawyer, the courts, police or other party, even if through a parent/guardian, it is a good idea to refer it to the principal. This does not apply to providing information to appropriate school staff needed to best serve the student. If in doubt, check with your principal. Policy JO-R states, “A student 18 years of age or older, the parent of a student 18 years of age or older with the written consent of the student, or the parent of a student who has not yet attained the age of 18, are permitted to review that student's records upon timely request to the principal. The requested records shall be made available within three working days of the request.” “In the absence of a binding agreement or court order restricting such access, the School District will

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permit any natural or adoptive parent of a student, whether the parent has custody of the student or not, to inspect the student's education records, and the School District may presume that any such parent has the right to inspect such records.” This is why it is vitally important to create ALPs, goals, and collect Teacher and Specialist Inventory information in a professional manner. Some parents and guardians may request the TEA share testing results with their child. Some may not. Although not a district policy, it is recommended that this decision be left to the parents within the context of the school’s preferred procedure. You must inform parents and guardians in writing within ten weeks of the initial nomination to let them know whether or not their child was TAG identified. The parents and guardians should decide how/if to share identification information with their child. Most parents/ guardians prefer to tell the child in their own way. Beginning in the fall of 2013, the Office of Advanced Academic Services has created uniform letters to parents advising them of the school’s decision concerning TAG identification. There are found on the TAG Advisor Documents webpage and must be used for this purpose. Many parents, teachers and all TEAs are subscribed to the district’s TAG e-mail list. Anyone who wishes can subscribe by e-mailing Becky with their request. Some TEAs have also set up their own parent e-mail lists in Google Groups. This allows TEAs to correspond regularly about items of general interest to parents of students TAG identified with a minimum of time demands. Some TEAs also find personal e-mails to parents to be a good way of keeping in touch on individual student issues, as well. When using e-mail, always be very careful of the “To” line so that information goes only to the intended audience. Please review the Distribution of Materials chart found on the TAG Advisor Documents and TAG Advisor webpages. You may be approached to send out information about an enrichment opportunity or a news item from a source outside of BVSD. Always check with your principal if you have any questions at all in order to avoid problems.

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Even though some requests may sound perfectly reasonable and even support our aims, if they come from outside sources you generally cannot send them to your parents. Instead, please encourage your parents to subscribe to the district TAG listserv. Because it is a district “opt-in” list we are able to send out information that schools are prohibited from doing. The communications office created a PowerPoint to explain communications guidelines. It can be found on the TAG website at http://bvsd.org/tag/Documents/TEAs/COMMUNICATIONS%20TEA%20Mtg%202-11.pdf Finally, it is never a good idea to discuss a student in the hallway or other public area. Any discussion of a child contains confidential information which can be overheard by a third party. It also gives the impression of being unprofessional. A sample statement might be to say, “I’m sorry but I can’t give my full attention to your issue/question right now. Can we make an appointment or go to my office to discuss this where I can devote all of my attention to you?” This lets the other person know that you feel the conversation is important, but removes it from a compromised environment. You can expect to have some questions in the area of communication. Because you are the only TAG Advisor in your school and operate somewhat autonomously, you may feel isolated at times. Please don’t. Your school and Advanced Academic Services are here to support and help you navigate these waters. Other TAG Advisors are also your network. The TAG-TEAs email list that all TEAs are on is used solely by TAG Advisors so you have access to the other TEAs through it, as well. Please do not ever hesitate to call or e-mail Becky in the Office of Advanced Academic Services. She is generally available immediately to help you. You may also contact Jennifer Barr however she is out of the office more often. We are your support and want to make being a TAG Advisor the best job you’ve ever had.

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Mentorships and Volunteers

Schools often use parent volunteers to help deliver programming and special opportunities to children. Although volunteers go through some background checks or screening, in almost all situations, there should be an employee monitoring the interaction of any parent volunteer working directly with children. If you have questions, check with your principal. Beginning in 2010, volunteers who are working with BVSD students need to fill out a Volunteer Agreement and go through a background check. Information on becoming a BVSD volunteer is available online. Parents sometimes have special skills or interests that make them a wonderful mentor for a specific child who shares that interest. Please inform your principal and ask for guidance and direction before setting up or suggesting any mentorship between an adult and child. If you think you know of a possible pairing of a child with a mentor outside of school, and if your principal allows, inform the parent of the availability of the mentor and have the parent work directly with the mentor to arrange a mentoring relationship. Let the parents determine for themselves if they are comfortable with their child working privately with that adult. Have the parent personally set up the mentorship. Do not place yourself in a position of vulnerability or responsibility by being caught in the middle.

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State TAG Designations: LA, Math, Both and Other

When TEAs get their student list from Infinite Campus, they will notice that each student has a designation of Gifted-LA (language arts), Gifted-Math, Gifted-Both (LA and Math), or Gifted-Othr (Other). When your TAG Committee identifies new TAG students, you need to send the following information to Becky in e-mail: school, student’s name, student number (if more than one student at the school has the same name) and area of state designation. Becky sends back an e-mail confirming that the student has been added to the database for your school. The student will be permanently added overnight and will appear as with her/his TAG flag on Infinite Campus and state designation in the Other Programs tab the next day. Students added to TAG by secretaries or TEAs will disappear overnight, so make sure they always go through Becky. Do not wait to inform Becky of new TAG students but rather send her the information in a timely manner. The state designation and the school’s area of identification for programming are not necessarily the same thing. The most important point to remember is that this designation is for state tracking purposes only and is NOT how a student is identified at a particular school for programming purposes. You may identify a student in your building as gifted in math and needing math programming yet that same student may not have a state designation of Gifted-Math. You may have a student you have NOT identified as needing gifted programming in language arts but who receives the state designation of Gifted-LA. The state designations are based only on specific test scores and nothing else. They are only for the purpose of TCAP tracking. When you inform Becky of newly identified TAG students, you also need to inform her of the state designation for that student. In most cases you will get the state designation information from a CogAT Verbal or Quantitative battery score at the 95%ile or above by either grade or age or CSAP/TCAP results. Any Advanced Proficient TCAP reading, writing or math will also qualify for making that determination. Nonverbal 57

assessments at the 95%ile and above do not inform state designations. That does not mean they are somehow less gifted. Remember the state designation comes only from test scores. TAG identification comes only from schools or Early Access and from a body of evidence of multiple criteria of which test scores are only a part. Only a school, never the state, determines who is a TAG student. Students who are not identified as TAG but who receive Advanced Proficient on CSAP/TCAP will not appear on your TAG student list and do not have a state TAG designation. The school TAG committee, following district policy (IGGB-R) determines who TAG students are. Rarely, kindergarten or first grade students are identified for TAG through Early Access and enter school already TAG identified. These are the only students not identified as TAG by their school. The state’s TAG-Other designation is a kind of default setting for TAG students who do not have a 95%ile or above or an advanced proficient on a standardized verbal, quantitative, reading, writing or math test. Many elementary students will be state designated TAG-Other when they are TAG identified and receiving services in language arts, mathematics or another area. If this is still confusing, or if you want confirmation that you are doing it right, please feel free to call or e-mail Becky. It is preferable to ask for confirmation that you are doing it correctly than to risk erroneously designating a student. The state designation is used for the purpose of TCAP tracking and reporting since gifted students are a disaggregated population for the state. Some students are exited from one program designation and then entered in another when they change state designation. Make sure that programming for students isn’t limited by a state designation. TAG Ed Advisors may access their student lists through Infinite Campus. Directions are on the TAG Advisor Documents webpage. Becky is also happy to send your list if requested.

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Differentiating for Gifted Learners

TAG Advisors and teachers hear a lot about differentiation of instruction in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. Often this means language support services for English language learners or accommodations and modifications for Special Education and Section 504 students (those with disabilities). Gifted learners also need differentiation when they already know, understand and are able to do the learning activities in the grade level curriculum. There are two basic strands of differentiation – enrichment and acceleration. Both have value for advanced learners and they may overlap. Enrichment allows students to explore areas that are related but new. It is especially important for elementary gifted children who are discovering interests and where their talents lie. When a student demonstrates through pre-assessment that they know what will be taught for a short period of time such as for a unit of study, enrichment of the curriculum is especially helpful because it doesn’t immerse the student in something altogether new and take them out of the curriculum, but rather allows the student to explore avenues related to or within the curriculum but in greater depth and complexity. Acceleration actually means moving through the curriculum faster. Telescoping and compacting curriculum are ways of accelerating the curriculum. Pre-testing determines what benchmarks, skills and understandings the student has already mastered and does not need to review or repeat. By eliminating review, time is made available to move through the curriculum faster. The only curriculum skipped over is that which the student already has mastered. This may allow the student to finish two years in one or three years in two, either in a specific subject or by an entire grade. Logistically, however, acceleration is often accomplished through grade skipping in a subject or across subjects. In this kind of acceleration,

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parts of the curriculum are not covered at all with the understanding that missed material has either already been mastered, will be covered in the future when the curriculum spirals around again or will quickly be filled in when the need arises. Because gifted students are capable of learning material quickly, when grade or subject acceleration is thoughtfully and appropriately used, this does not present as a problem. Many BVSD students are subject or grade level accelerated through skipping each year. Passow's Test of Appropriate Curriculum The following three criteria by Passow best describe how to evaluate the suitability of any curriculum or program for gifted learners: • Would all students want to be involved in such a learning

experience? • Could all students participate in such a learning experience? • Should all students be expected to succeed in such a learning

experience? If the answer to these questions is yes, then the curriculum is not differentiated for the gifted. It is important not to confuse what is good education for all students with that which is only appropriate for students who are gifted and advanced. How to Differentiate Gifted learners who already know, understand and are able to do what is being taught, need to have their educational experiences differentiated by one or more of the following: pace, depth, and/or complexity. These three areas of possible differentiation are the hallmarks of gifted education. Pace: One of the characteristics of students who are gifted is that they learn new material with less repetition and practice, moving at a faster pace than other children. These students master a new skill in 2 or 3 repetitions instead of the usual 6 or more that most students need.

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Depth: Students who are gifted are interested and motivated to take a subject into more depth than other children. Most students either get lost in depth of study or are not interested. Learning in depth usually requires using more abstract concepts and exploring nuances, subtleties and details that other students tend not to care about as much or are unable to follow. Complexity: Students who are gifted can think through more complex and abstract concepts than other students. They thrive on the “what if” questions and like to see how a change in one area impacts others. They can manipulate more pieces of information at the same time and find patterns and relationships that other children miss. Most students can operate with changing one or two variables and following how that changes outcomes, but gifted students can do the same with a greater number variables or more subtle factors.

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Early Access to Kindergarten or First Grade

The Colorado Education of Exceptional Children Act (C.R.S. § 22.20-104.5) as amended in 2008 provides early access to educational services for a few kindergarten and first grade students in order to meet the unique needs of the highly advanced gifted child. It does not permit early access to all gifted 4 or 5 year olds. Quality preschool programs will meet the needs of most gifted children. Early Access Information BVSD accepts very few students for Early Access. When accepted, schools receive copies the full report of assessments and observations. Teachers of Early Access students receive additional resources and support from Advanced Academic Services. Identification is based on best practices for identifying gifted learners with guidance from CDE and includes thorough assessment and a body of evidence to determine a child’s need for Early Access. Criteria identify highly advanced gifted children who are age 4 by the start of school for kindergarten or age 5 by the start of school for first grade. The child who may benefit from Early Access is academically gifted, socially and emotionally mature, in the top 2% of the gifted peer group, motivated to learn, and ready to begin school. In BVSD, the Early Access process is handled by the Office of Advanced Academic Services in collaboration with the departments of Early Childhood, Mathematics and Literacy. The process begins in the early spring and information is made available at that time. All forms, calendars and information are available on the Early Access webpage. The information about the up-coming year’s Early Access process is posted after Winter Break of the preceding school year. The deadline is usually on or before April 1. Children accepted through Early Access enter school TAG identified. If a TEA is asked for Early Access information by a parent, the parents should be referred to Advanced Academic Services and the TAG website.

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In Closing

Remember that your principal is the person ultimately responsible for the running of the school. Always keep your principal informed of important or potentially problematic issues. Regular, clear communication with your principal is essential for the smooth operation of your school’s TAG programming. You are part of your school’s team. Although you may sometimes feel isolated because you are likely the only TAG Advisor in your building, you are part of a team of professionals working together for children. You also have other experienced TEAs who are your network throughout the district. Time is given at every monthly TEA meeting for you to communicate with one another and the TEA e-mail list is also for you to use. Jenn and Becky, the district office staff, are also here to support you and help you be the most effective TAG Advisor for your building. Please let them know your needs and don’t hesitate to ask any question you might have.

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Appendix

BVSD Identification Forms The district’s approved Letters to Parents informing them of the decision regarding TAG identification or watch status are also online. Schools may use their own letterhead. These forms are available on the TAG Advisor Documents link of the TAG website. Please make sure you are using the most current forms. If you have trouble accessing them on the website, you can request that Becky send them to you as attachments. Parent forms that are needed in other languages can be sent electronically or in hard copy. Please contact Becky for copies. Most forms in Spanish are available online along with the forms in English. Accountability and documentation is through the ALP.

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