Hale Community School’s Talent Development Presentation

1. Hale Community School’s Talent Development Presentation

2. MPS Beliefs • Beliefs • All students at all ages have relative talent strengths, and schools should help them identify, develop and understand their own special abilities.  • The development of ability or talent is a lifelong process requiring effort and support. • Schools can and should be places for developing the talents of all students.  • Highly talented students demonstrate outstanding achievement or show potential for high levels of accomplishment relative to others of similar age, experience, and environment. • Highly talented students have cognitive and affective needs requiring differentiated and challenging educational programs/services beyond those provided in the general education program. • Highly talented students represent the diverse populations of our communities, and can be identified throughout their PK-12 program to provide the appropriate instruction and support for continuous growth.

3. MPS Commitments • Providing opportunities for all children to develop and demonstrate advanced learning behaviors, including children from groups underrepresented in advanced programs. • Building a profile of student strengths which can be used to document the need for differentiated curriculum and instruction. • Identifying highly talented students for the purpose of providing appropriate instruction and support which meet these students’ unique academic and social/emotional needs. • Building the capacity of MPS teachers, leaders and families to recognize, nurture and accelerate talent development. • Aligning our program with the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) PK-12 Gifted Program Standards

7. Who are ADVANCED LEARNERS? Advanced learners are students from all cultural and socioeconomic groups who perform at, or show the potential for performing at an outstanding level when compared with the age, experience or environment. They have cognitive and affective needs that require a differentiated curriculum and instruction.

10. Elementary Advanced Learners All 2nd graders are screened universally. K, 1st, 3rd, and 4th graders are nominated.

14. Timeline Identification Process • November: Informed consent letters will go home to second grade families describing the identification process and the cogAT7. • December: A district cadre will administer the cogAT7 test to all second graders. (It takes about one hour) • December: Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 4th grade teachers and or parents can nominate students with high achievement or ability to be identified as advanced learners. These students will be given the cogAT7 test, and both teacher and parent rating scale needs to be completed. • Spring: Parents will be notified of the results of the identification process with a letter delivered via US Mail.

15. Hale Community School’s Levels Of Service Plan • Level One Services (for ALL): field trips, guest speakers,, residencies, author visits, science fair, culture night, all school assemblies • Level Two Services (for MANY but not all) based on interest: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Community Ed. Offerings, choir, band, Lego League, chess club, spanish, french, Hwa Ran Do, Mad Science. • Level Three Services: (For Some- including students who have been identified as advanced learners) Continental Math League for grades 1 – 4. Differentiation by 2nd and 3rd grade teachers including an enrichment teacher for literacy and inquiry, 4th grade for math and guided reading, Regrouping for 1st grade for advanced differentiation of core content in literacy with depth, complexity, novelty and acceleration in all classrooms. • Level Four Services: (For Few) Emphasis on subject or grade acceleration or individual ILPs. Special projects for individual students.