Supporting Gifted Learners in Oklahoma Academic Standards Environment

1. Supporting Gifted and High-Potential Learners In an Oklahoma Academic Standards Environment Donna Walker Director of GT, AP, and AVID Programs Norman Public Schools

2. You know you’re an Oklahoma Educational Leader IF…

3. Welcome Oklahoma Educational Leaders!

4. Takeaways • Identify how Oklahoma Academic Standards will impact students and teachers. • Dispel myths about Academic Standards and gifted/talented students. • Provide resources and examples for professional development.

5. Why Oklahoma C3 Standards? • Global status • Mobility and alignment • College and work expectations • Thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication

6. Myths About New Standardsand GT Students • Standards replace the need for GT services. • All standards are all at high levels. • Assessments are differentiated for GT students.

7. Oklahoma’s C3 StandardsCollege, Career, and Citizenship http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-c3-standards • Use of citations and examples from text • Compare, contrast, generate patterns • Describe relationships between patterns

8. C3 is the New Ground Level • Impacts teacher preparation programs • Professional development for current teachers • C3 is HERE!

9. Professional Development Plans • Identify needs and goals of staff • Focus on school and individual data • Focus on student growth/gaps • Plan presentations/collaboration

10. Gifted/Talented Students • Tend to be very curious • Tend to learn quickly • Tend to know obscure facts or trivia • May be underachieving or underperforming • May or may not be “teacher-pleasers”

11. Rationale for Differentiation • Students learn in different ways. • Students learn at different rates. • Students have different interests and strengths.

13. Differentiated Instruction • Content • Process • Products • Learning Environment

14. Pre-Assessment • Determine what students need to know • Determine how students will be assessed • Assess to determine what students already know • Plan for student’s learning needs

15. Differentiated Content • Materials at a variety of reading levels • Vocabulary lists at different levels of student readiness • Presenting information through a variety of means (auditory, visual, etc.)

16. Differentiated Process • Different levels of support, challenge, or complexity • Varied lengths of time that students work within a unit • Agendas or contracts for students to follow

17. Differentiated Products • Options for expression of learning • Rubrics match with and extend readiness • Set expectations and encourage students to create their own assignments for demonstrating mastery of content.

18. Research-Based Instructional Models • Inquiry (shared, project-based) • Critical thinking • Creative thinking (CPS) • Problem-solving (scientific method, PBL) • Research

19. GT Student Learning Plans • Teacher, parent, or student completes a form • School staff gathers student ‘s data • Parent and staff meet to discuss needs • Follow-up meeting to discuss program options or to develop a learning plan • Meeting(s) to evaluate learning plan

20. What Can Principals Do? • Support teachers by providing planning time. • Organize vertical teams for resources and scope and sequence. • Commit to flexible options for teaching gifted learners.

21. Making a Difference • Plans for changes • Oklahoma C3 Standards and GT students • Myths • Differentiation or Learning Plans for GT students

22. Plan for Changes • Resources and support for change • Research and information to share • Identification of barriers • Plan for overcoming or removal of barriers

23. Resources • http://www.corestandards.org/ • http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-c3-standards • http://www.nagc.org/ • http://www.oagct.org/

24. Contact Information: Donna Walker Director of GT, AP, and AVID Programs Norman Public Schools (405)366-5837 donnaw@norman.k12.ok.us