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LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES

LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES. GIFTED PRESENTATION October 28, 2008 and October 30, 2008 Revision: 10/10/2008 7:55 AM. LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES. Introduction of OCDSB staff and Facilitator: Superintendent – Cathy Nevins and Neil Yorke-Slader Facilitator – Jim Kennelly

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LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES

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  1. LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES GIFTED PRESENTATION October 28, 2008 and October 30, 2008 Revision: 10/10/2008 7:55 AM

  2. LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES Introduction of OCDSB staff and Facilitator: Superintendent – Cathy Nevins and Neil Yorke-Slader Facilitator – Jim Kennelly Staff – Learning Support Services - Nancy Reid, Gifted Learning Support Consultant - Rachelle Sintic, Gifted Learning Support Consultant - Dylan Smith, Gifted Itinerant Teacher - Elementary 4. Principals are here to listen, learn and perhaps add to the conversation but not to advocate for their school or gifted programs 1

  3. INTRODUCTION WHY ARE WE HERE? • As a result of declining enrolment and the need to ensure the OCDSB is meeting the needs of students by offering programs that are both viable and sustainable, Board approved a consultation plan on 24 June 2008 to aid in decision-making regarding the number and location of secondary Gifted Centres. Currently, specialized gifted programs are available in five secondary schools. It is the intent of staff that the secondary gifted program will continue to be offered where viable. • As part of the approved consultation plan, parents of all OCDSB students who have been identified through the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) process as being gifted are being surveyed to help us identify the factors that are most important to parents when making the decision whether or not enroll their child in a specialized gifted program in secondary school. 2 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  4. PURPOSE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? • The purpose of this evening is to listen to parents regarding our gifted programming. • First, we will share some information with you. Then our facilitator, Jim Kennelly will lead us through the questions that we have developed. Then we will wrap up this evenings session. • Information gathered on October 28th and 30th, through consultation will be part of a report that is scheduled to go to the Board of Trustees in December 2008. • What staff want, and we believe parents want is sustainable gifted programming in our secondary schools. To have sustainable programming, we need a sustainable mass of students from grade 9 to grade 12 to ensure that there are classes available in many subjects and grades for our gifted students. 3 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  5. PURPOSE • Over the past number of years, a number of initiatives have been undertaken regarding secondary gifted programming. First, we have the Bendel Services report of 2006 and we will share the highlights. • Then we have the questions that staff asked the secondary schools with gifted students in the fall of 2007. • Now we have the survey letters that have been sent home with our identified gifted learners and this evenings consultation. • In addition, we have gathered samples of data from schools offering gifted programs to share the trends. • The information gathered from schools, surveys, and consultation will be the bases of a report to the Board of Trustees with recommendations for gifted centers in the future. 4 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  6. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND? • In the fall of 2005 staff from Learning Support Services was directed to examine the number and location of the Secondary Gifted Centres with a view to implementing proposed changes for the 2007-2008 academic year. The examination was to take the form of four phases including an initial review by staff, a consultative stage with various groups inside and outside the system, a decision-making stage and finally an implementation stage. This 2006 report represents the first stage. In specific terms this review was designed to do the following: • i. To review the historical patterns and projected enrolment patterns of the Secondary Gifted Centres. • ii. To review best practices and challenges. • iii. To review the impact of changes (actual and proposed). 5 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  7. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Methodology – Data Sources • The data base for the review came from several sources and is both quantitative and qualitative in nature. In terms of the former, information on enrolment was gathered from individual schools, from the Planning Department and from Curriculum Services. In terms of the latter, interviews were held with the school staff (generally principals from Gifted Centres and four principals from schools not designated as Gifted Centres) as well as with central staff associated with the Secondary Gifted Program. Documents collected included artifacts from the Ministry of Education, the central offices of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and from individual schools. Finally, materials from research on gifted education were also used to support observations, findings and recommendations. 6 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  8. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Methodology – Data Sources • This report includes references to specific schools in the presentation of quantitative data, specifically enrolment figures and patterns from the Secondary Gifted Centres and lists of course offerings from both the Centres and from other schools in the system. Whenever possible, however, to avoid comparisons between and among schools, and to protect the individuals who offered opinions or suggestions or provided school-based materials, the names of schools have been removed. This report is intended as an examination of program issues, not as a comment on the successes or challenges facing one school in comparison to another. 7 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  9. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS The recommendations of the review were implemented as follows: • The OCDSB confirm its decision to maintain the secondary gifted centre as a program delivery option by establishing its status as a system program and by addressing it in the context of a system-wide program rationalization model. • Policy P.105.CUR and Procedure PR.629.CUR be reviewed to determine whether or not the addition of Enriched and Advanced Placement courses should be subject to more central direction • Policy P.077.PLG and Procedure PR.569.PLG be reviewed in the context of the OCDSB’s attempts to support program viability at the Secondary Gifted Centres. 8 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  10. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS The recommendations of the review were implemented as follows: • The OCDSB examine the inclusion of Enriched and Advanced Placement courses in Policy P/.105.CUR and Procedure PR.629.CUR and that part of the examination of the issue include clear definitions of Enriched and Advanced Placement courses and course packages. • The OCDSB reduce the number of Secondary Gifted Centres from six to four. 9 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  11. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS The recommendations of the review were implemented as follows: • a) The impact on the school’s capacity to deliver programs to non-gifted students, b) The location of the school and the availability of transportation of one site relative to another gifted site, c) The possibility that other program changes not related to gifted education would have a positive/negative impact on overall school enrolment of the schools where the Centres would be moved. The above three criteria be considered in the removal of the Secondary Gifted Program from two of the current five sites. 10 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  12. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS The recommendations of the review were implemented as follows: • The OCDSB through Curriculum Services and Learning Support Services undertake a project to assist schools in differentiation programs to address individual needs in a systematic fashion. • The OCDSB examine the nature of evaluation practices in the Gifted Centres to ensure there are consistent with the written and taught curriculum but, at the same time, that they address the legitimate concerns about lower marks and implications for post-secondary placements. 11 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  13. BENDEL SERVICES REPORT HIGHLIGHTS The recommendations of the review were implemented as follows: • The District and the Gifted Centres work together on a staff development plan that assists teachers in meeting the individualized needs of gifted students. That plan should focus on differentiation in all three aspects of teaching/learning i.e., curriculum, instruction and evaluation. • The OCDSB establish, in consultation with Gifted Centre principals, a minimum standard for gifted course load at the Centres. 12 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  14. QUESTIONS WE ARE FACING QUESTIONS ASKED OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STAFF IN 2007-2008 At each site, we asked the following questions: • How many gifted students do you have in each grade level; • Do you have congregated classes? If yes, how many at each grade level are fully in the congregated program; • Based on your statistics, are students opting out of partial integration (50% or more of their course selection in gifted) in grade 11. And if the answer to this question is yes, what is their reason for this switch to the academic program. (If you have Advanced Placement or other enriched courses please identify if they are choosing these courses over gifted) 13 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  15. QUESTIONS WE ARE FACING At each site, we asked the following questions: • Are students opting out of certain subjects only in congregated gifted classes? • Do you offer other programs such Advanced Placement or other? 14 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  16. GIFTED NUMBERS SECONDARY Gifted Students As of 2007–2008Overall • Bell 254 grade 9 40 • Glebe 72 grade 9 16 • Gloucester 62 grade 9 5 • Lisgar 337 grade 9 92 • Merivale 103 grade 9 21 • Ridgemont 11 grade 9 1 • By grade 11, the students are taking whatever courses they want and not necessarily gifted. Many are taking advanced placement. • 6 As of 2008–2009Overall • Bell 211 grade 9 55 • Glebe 76 grade 9 11 • Gloucester 47 grade 9 7 • Lisgar 340 grade 9 86 • Merivale 93 grade 9 17 • Ridgemont 0 grade 9 0 15 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  17. SECONDARY GIFTED INFORMATION 2008-2009 16 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  18. SECONDARY GIFTED INFORMATION 17 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  19. SECONDARY GIFTED INFORMATION The following sites do not offer a specialized gifted program yet have the following number of gifted students: 2007-082008-09 • Nepean 48 59 • Colonel By 82 103 (538 students in IB program) • Canterbury 78 27 18 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  20. SECONDARY GIFTED INFORMATION Gifted Numbers Over Time 2005 2007 2008/09 Bell 262 254 211 Glebe 125 72 76 Gloucester 104 62 47 Lisgar 314 337 340 Merivale 148 103 93 Ridgemont 23 11 0 19 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  21. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SPECIAL EDUCATION PROVINCIAL OVERVIEW • The Special Education agenda is the same as the overall student achievement agenda – Improved student achievement • Demographics (2005-2006) • 13.72% of the total student population, or 290,725 students were reported to be receiving special education programs and services • 43% of identified students are in the learning disabilities category of exceptionality • Approximately 82% of all students (86% secondary) receiving special education are placed in regular classrooms for more than half of the instructional day • Gifted represents 13.4% of the students identified 20 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

  22. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONQUESTIONS FOR PARENTS TO ADDRESS • What if the Board was to demand that as part of access to the gifted program, parents and students committed to four years of gifted courses? • Why? Then principals would have the critical mass necessary to plan their staffing and timetables. • What if programs without critical mass were not offered but students could take an advanced placement for the same course? • Why? Principal can not afford to staff gifted programs without a critical mass of students (critical mass – 18 students) • What if students who transferred to access the gifted program then opted out of gifted programming were transferred back to their home school? • Why? Many students transfer then take one semester of gifted programs and then opt out of gifted programs and take academic stream classes. • What if schools with gifted programming offered only Language Arts or Math gifted programs and the rest were academic? • Why? The data gathered indicates that students in gifted programs take gifted English and Math but will take academic programs in other subjects. • To offer gifted programs, secondary schools need 85-90 students for 3 classes. What if a school could drop their gifted programming if they only had 40 students? • Why? Without a critical mass, staffing and timetabling is very difficult if not impossible. 21 Our Focus: Learning, Leadership, Community

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