What do I do now?
Answers to questions
teachers with gifted
students ask most often.
1
Essential Questions
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What is a gifted student?
How are gifted children different from high
achievers?
How do I make a good referral?
What is the purpose of gifted education?
What does the EASD K-8 program look like?
How can I be more supportive of the gifted
students in my class?
What resources are out there to help me?
2
What is a Gifted
Student?
3
Myths about gifted children
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Gifted kids rise to the top of a
classroom:
Not necessarily. Gifted children can
have hidden learning disabilities that go
undiscovered because they can easily
compensate for them in the early years.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)
4
Myths about gifted children
cont…
Gifted children are so smart they do fine with or
without special programs:
They may appear to do fine on their own,
but without proper challenge, they can
become bored and unruly. As the years go by
they may find it harder and harder as work
does become more challenging, since they
never faced a challenge before.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)
5
Myths about gifted children
cont…
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If Children are off task, inattentive or
hyperactive they can only be ADHD.
There is no rule that states that if a child is exhibiting
behaviors consistent with hyperactivity and/or
inattentiveness they have to be ADHD. A gifted child
may simply be bored and amusing themselves.
Further, they may appear ADHD because their minds
are fast moving.
(Josie Moore-EASD)
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Myths about gifted children
cont…
Gifted and bright mean the same thing:
There is no rule that states that a child
who is capable of scoring in the high ninety
percentiles on group achievement testing and
getting all “A”s must be considered gifted.
Remember, group achievement testing is
grade level testing. Such high scores are
certainly high achievers but not necessarily
gifted. Further, there is no rule that states a
child identified as gifted should be achieving
to high standards in the classroom.
(www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html)
7
What is a Gifted Student?
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A child with outstanding intellectual and creative ability that
requires specially designed programs and/or support services
not ordinarily provided in the regular education program (22 Pa.
Code16.1)
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Mentally and physically involved instead of just attentive
Constructs abstractions instead of just understanding ideas
Answers in detail instead of just answering question
Plays around yet tests well instead of working hard.
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What is a Gifted Student?
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A child with outstanding intellectual and
creative ability that requires specially
designed programs and/or support services
not ordinarily provided in the regular
education program
(22 Pa. Code16.1)
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A child with an IQ of 130 or higher when
multiple criteria as set forth in department
guidelines indicates gifted ability
.
(22 Pa. Code16.21d)
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Multiple Criteria?
Criteria, other than IQ score, must be used to indicate
gifted ability…Such As….
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Academic performance significantly
above grade level or the normal age
group in one or more subjects as
measured by nationally normed and
validated achievement tests.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)
10
Multiple Criteria?
Criteria, other than IQ score, must be used to indicate
gifted ability…Such As….
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Rate of Acquisition/Retention
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Demonstrated Achievement, performance or
expertise in one or more academic areas.
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Early and measured use of high level thinking
skills, academic creativity, leadership skills,
intense academic interest areas,
communication skills, foreign language
aptitude or technology expertise.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)
11
Multiple Criteria continued…..
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Intervening factors masking giftedness
such as ESL, SLD, physical impairment,
emotional disability, gender, race bias,
or socio/cultural deprivation.
(22 Pa. Code16.1)
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EASD Matrix
(Criteria Used to determine need)
Standardized Achievement in Math,
Reading, Language 90% or better.
 A score of 80 or higher on the Teacher
and Parent Questionnaire forms
 A score of 1-3 repetitions on the
Teacher/Parent Questionnaire forms.
 GPA
 Special factors (e.g. ESL, SLD etc)
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Gifted stats
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A gifted student falls within
the end of a standard bell
curve.
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The gifted population across
the nation constitutes the
top 2%.
Image from www..librarythinkquest.org
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How are Gifted
Children different
From High Achievers
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High Achiever or Gifted?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Knows the answers
Interested
Attentive
Has good ideas
Works hard
Answers the questions
Top Group
Listens with interest
Learns with ease
Understands ideas
(Szabos, J, 1989)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Asks the questions
Highly curious
Mentally & Physically
involved
Has wild silly ideas
Plays around yet tests well
Discusses in Detail
Beyond top group
Strong feelings and
opinions
Already knows
Constructs abstractions
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(Szabos, J, 1989)
How do I make a
good referral?
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How do I make a good
referral?
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Review grades and standardized achievement testing
throughout his/her school year. Are they in the 98th percentile or
higher? Are they at a 3.5 or higher?
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Review characteristic of gifted students. Does the student fit
those traits?
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Talk to other teachers or the counselor who have gifted
students to learn about what makes them gifted instead of high
achievers.
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Review the Teacher form. Does the student score a 5 or 4 on
most of the questions asked?
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How do I make a good referral
cont….
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Use the resources you have available to gain more
specific information (internet, guidance counselor,
gifted teacher, school psychologists, literature etc).
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Try accommodations/modifications in the classroom
using the resources in your district to help you teach
at their instructional level. Are the classroom
modifications unsuccessful in challenging the
student?
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Remember
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Remember you must look at student
performance across the years not just this
year.
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Remember advanced on the PSSA has no
correlation with gifted.
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Remember when looking at Terra Nova
scores, you want the top 2% (98th percentile
or better) in math, reading, writing.
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Remember cont….
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Remember for gifted children, you are replacing their
curriculum with material they have not mastered not
just adding more work because they have finished
their assignments early.
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Remember we need to add breadth and depth to a
gifted child’s curriculum.
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Remember we need to match the material to the
child and not the child the material.
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What is the
Purpose of
Gifted
Education?
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Role of Gifted Education in
Schools
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To identify the specific talents and abilities of
gifted students and nourish those abilities
through placing students in appropriate
curricula.
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To provide an appropriate education based
upon the specific abilities of each student.
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To challenge gifted students by providing
educational programming that meets their
academic and intellectual needs.
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(Thomas, A & Grimes, T, 1995).
“Levels of Service” in
Programming
Services offered to all Students
 Services offered to many students
 Services offered to individuals or small
groups by specialists in school.
 Outside services or unusual in-school
options offered to individual students

Ron Schmiedel
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Gifted Education
components
Acceleration
Affective Needs
Enrichment
Career Investigation
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Through a variety of service delivery options!
Ron Schmiedel
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Independent Study
Tiered
Assignments
Counseling services
Student Government
Mentorship
Pull-out
Enrichment
Clubs
Acceleration
Grouping
School in a School
Gifted Program
College classes
Testing out
Resource room
Differentiation
Specialized
Gifted Center
Curriculum
Learning
Grade skipping
contracts
Distance Learning
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GIEP?
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Based on unique needs to the gifted student,
not just on the student’s classification.
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Enables the student to participate in
acceleration or enrichment or both as
appropriate.
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Enables the student to receive services
according to their intellectual and academic
abilities and needs within the scope of the K27
12 district curriculum.
(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)
GIEP cont….
Statement of the student’s present
educational performance.
 Annual goals will describe what the student
can be expected to learn during the year.
 Short-term outcomes are the sequential steps
the student must take in order to reach these
Annual goals.
 Dates for the beginning and end of the GIEP.
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(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)
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GIEP cont….
Ways for determining whether the goals
and learning outcomes are being met.
 Names and positions of the GIEP
participants.
 Date of meeting.
 List any support services that are
needed.
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(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)
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So What does the
EASD K-8 Program
look like?
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EASD K-8 Program….
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Working collaboratively with the teacher the
gifted program will be a combination of a
push-in and pull out program.
 students will be able to connect what they are
studying in the classroom with the activities
they will be doing in the gifted program.
 Some of the activities they will be doing in the
gifted program will be computer research,
reading genre study, science investigations,
reasoning papers and many open
discussions.
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EASD K-8 Program cont….
More individualized GIEPs will be
written
1. Area of giftedness more specific
2. Personal Goals more specific
3. SDI (Specifically Designed
Instruction) will be more specific
4. SDI will be provided to the teacher
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How this affects you
Modifications may consist of
compacting, acceleration and/or
enrichment all within the scope of the
K-12 district curriculum.
 General educational curriculum will be
adapted/modified as needed.
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(PDE-Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted)
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So How can I be
more Supportive?
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What changes can I make?
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Differentiated instruction
Depth
Compacting
Acceleration
Contracts
Ask questions that are open ended
Ask questions that require higher level of
response.
(http://www.kidsource.com)
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What changes can I make….
Group interactions and simulations
 Guided self-management
 Creative projects that synthesize
knowledge and ability to manipulate
ideas.
 Group gifted students together for class
work.
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Acceleration
Access to higher level learning activities than
typically provided in regular education to
students of the same age
Early Admission to Kindergarten and/or
First Grade
 Grade Skipping
 Subject-Matter Acceleration
 Curriculum Compacting
 Honors Level Courses
 College Level Options
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 Advanced Placement
 College in the High School
 Concurrent/Dual Enrollment
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Acceleration cont.
Credit by examination
 Early entrance into Middle School,
High School, or College
 Early Graduation
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Enrichment
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In-depth learning experiences
that enhance the curriculum and
are based upon individual student
strengths, interests, and needs
Seminars
 Independent projects
 Alternative assignments
 Outside of the classroom
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Curriculum Differentiation
Effective differentiation requires
consideration given to grouping
practices
Flexible grouping - Arranging students
by interest or need
Cluster grouping – Ability grouping
within a heterogeneous classroom
Cooperative learning groups –
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Differentiation
 Is twofold
 Group/class
 The curriculum, instruction and/or assessment is
modified to better suit the needs of the class or group
 An honors level class must be different from a regular
level class
 Individual
 The curriculum, instruction and/or assessment are
modified to meet the needs of the individual students in
the class
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Differentiation
Learning
Environment
Content
Process
Product
Extension of core
learning, using both
acceleration and
enrichment strategies
Promote independent,
self directed, and indepth study
Establish hi-level and
exemplary criteria to
assess student
performance and
products
Encourage a
tolerant and
supportive
environment that
fosters a positive
attitude
Provide opportunity to
create products /
solutions that focus on
real-world issues
Enable the pursuit
of higher-level
learning through
the extension of
classroom activities
into the real-world
Stress higher-level
thinking, creativity, and
problem solving skills
Encourage the
application of advanced
research and
methodological skills
Exposure to challenging
and specialized resources
Focus on open ended
tasks
Set high standards that
demand rigorous
expectations for student
work and performance
demonstration
Allow student-centered
discussions, Socratic
questioning, and seminar
type learning
Require that products
represent application,
analysis, and synthesis
of knowledge
Provide access to
resources and
materials that meet
the student’s level
of learning
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Other Programming Options
Independent Studies
 Curriculum Compacting
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Pre-assess
 Demonstrate mastery
 Alternative activity
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Enrichment Activities
 Mentorship
 Shadow Studies
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What resources
are out there to
help me?
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Resources
http://www.schoolshistory.org.
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/qcc/homepg.asp
http://www.cloudnet.com/%7Eedrbsass/edres.htm
http://www.nswagtc.org.au/info/links.html
http://www.easdpa.org/district/professional/lessonplan.
htm
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Resources, cont’d
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/investigations.htm
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?mode=browse
&intPathID=7686
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html (click “Portal,”
then select “Top” in left column
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/hottlinx/
http://www.shambles.net/pages/staff/gifted/
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Resources, cont’d
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http://www.bestwebquests.com
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http://edsitement.neh.fed.us/tab_lesson.asp?subjectArea=2
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http://www.intel.com/ca/education/unitplans/
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http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex
/GradeIndex/#4
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http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex
/SubjectIndex/SubjectIndex.
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http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6097/math.h
tml (this won't work from school computers, but it is good)
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http://www.stetson.edu/hats/teacher.php
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Resources, con’t
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed342175.html
•Article by Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson describing the
characteristics of a differentiated classroom with an
emphasis on the learning needs of academically advanced
learners.
•Article by Sandra Berger describing instructional and
management strategies for the modification of curriculum
based on the needs and characteristics of gifted students.
Explores models and strategies for modify content process,
product and learning environment.
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Resources cont…..
http://teach-nology.com/
School Psychologist
Gifted facilitators
Guidance Counselors
Principals
Websites and books
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References
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Pennsylvania Department of Education
Kidsource website
School history website
Dr. Edmund Sass’s website
Georgia Learning Connections website
Szabos, J 1989. Challenge. Good Apple 34.
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Ron Schmiedel from Pine-Richland High
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School
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Good Bye
Thanks for everyone's help
and patience
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