Reader’s Digest Version:
PLEP 101
2015 PAGE Conference
Katherine Guyer
Dover Area School District
kguyer@doversd.org
Anyone ever feel like this?
www.bigdatadecoded.com
Agenda for today
• Purpose of the PLEP
• Data sources
• Structure of the PLEP
• Decision-making
Purpose of the PLEP
Provides all the necessary information to determine
the individual’s PRESENT needs as a gifted learner
• Acceleration
• Enrichment
• A combination of both
The goals and outcomes should reflect the student’s
present levels of educational performance…
PA Dept of Education
Gifted Education Guidelines August 2014
Purpose of the PLEP
Should be able to answer the following
• What level is the student on now?
• What kind of learner is he/she?
• What type of specially designed instruction does
THIS student need NOW?
Then lead to
• What opportunities/options are available in the
regular education classroom(s)?
• What more does the student need in order to be
successful?
Data Sources
• Should be within the last year
• Should include out of level assessments (OoLA)
• Should be a mix of quantitative and qualitative
• Should include information from student,
parents, teachers, and anyone else who has
knowledge of the student’s abilities, interests,
and needs
Data Sources
• Benchmark assessments
• Diagnostic assessments
• PSSA, Keystone, PSAT, SAT
• PVAAS projections
• Surveys/questionnaires from student, teachers,
parents
• Critical thinking or creative thinking assessments
• Grades as related to standards or course content
• Products/other sources of evidence
• Progress on GIEP goals
www.beyondrigor.org
Structure of the PLEP
A. Academic/Cognitive Strengths
B. Achievement Results (aligned to grade/course
level standards to indicate instructional level)
C. Progress on Goals (for annual review only)
D. Aptitudes, interests, specialized skills, products,
and evidence of effectiveness in other
academic areas
E. Grades/Classroom Performance as Indicated
by Subject Area Teachers
A. Academic/Cognitive Strengths
How would you characterize this student as a
learner and a thinker?
What are the student’s learning preferences?
What type of specially designed instruction and
supports have led to growth and achievement?
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Precocious
Learn new information
and skills at faster
rates than their peers
Retain new information
and skills after few
repetitions
Become bored easily
May make negative
growth if having to sit
through lessons of the
same material more
than three times
May perform with
mediocrity on
assessments which are
beneath their
instructional levels
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Intense
Are extremely
interested in select
topics or content areas
Tend to “hyperfocus”
when reading or
researching a topic of
interest
NEED to know how and
why of a select topic
Enjoy minute details of
a topic and will
construct meaning from
those details
Will want to share their
interests to anyone who
will listen
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Complex
See relationships
between and among
topics, content areas,
and disciplines
“Mountains out of mole
hill” makers
See the BIG PICTURE
over the details
Continue to learn more
on their own at the
completion of
instruction
Will often take the
class off on tangents
during discussions
Have a difficult time
with multiple choice
assessments
B. Achievement Results
Need to know ALL of the types of assessments
being administered
Need to have access to ALL the data (better to
have own account than rely on a third party)
Important to know how great the discrepancy
between the student’s scores and age mates’
Decision-making
Use all of the available data to determine how to
best meet the academic needs of the student
**Remember that needs may change during the
year and adjustments to the GIEP may need to
be made
Morret, 2012
Morret, 2012
Enrichment defined
According to the Gifted Education Guidelines –
in-depth learning experiences that provide
interaction with new ideas, skills, and topics that
enhance the curriculum. These experiences are
based upon individual student strengths,
interests, and needs.
PDE, August 2014
Morret, 2012
Acceleration defined
According to the Gifted Education Guidelines –
Access to higher level learning activities and skill
development than typically provided in regular
education to students of the same age. The
pacing, complexity and depth of planned
coursework are modified as indicated by
individual needs.
PDE, August 2014
Morret, 2012
Consider this data
Lauren is a sixth grade identified gifted student.
She is currently in a gifted cluster classroom with three other identified gifted students who have
similar learning profiles. Lauren does well in reading but does not enjoy reading for pleasure
unless it is a topic of choice. She prefers informational texts over literature if given a choice. Her
responses to reading (both written and verbal) are spot-on, but she does not elaborate or explain
how her evidence supports her reasoning. Lauren receives guided reading instruction with her
gifted peers focusing mainly on seventh grade level skills and using texts on the sixth, seventh,
and eighth grade reading levels. Her scores on summative assessments are generally in the
proficient range. She readily participates in group discussions and is usually the organizer of any
group projects.
Writing is a struggle for Lauren, not for a lack of skill, but for a lack of interest. She has commented
that writing essays “is a waste of time.” Lauren will do the work assigned but is often one of the
first ones done and chooses not to go back and edit. Her final pieces are borderline
basic/proficient.
In math, Lauren has demonstrated skills far beyond her gifted peers. As a fifth grader, she completed
both the fifth and sixth grade curriculum. Now as a sixth grader, she is being individually instructed
by her sixth grade classroom teacher using a pre-algebra curriculum. Lauren enjoys working at
her own pace and works well independently. She is currently working through Level III of HandsOn Equations. She has commented that she prefers algebra over the other types of math as she
likes how “it’s all about figuring something out.” At home, Lauren will choose to do extra math
homework or use Khan Academy videos to learn new concepts.
Consider this data
5th grade PSSA
Reading – 98th percentile
Math – 99th percentile
Writing – 85th percentile
PVAAS projections place her
in same math and reading
percentiles for 6th grade.
6th grade CDT
Reading - #1 1207, #2 1194 (above level 11252000) with strengths noted in Identifying Key
Ideas and Details in Informational Texts on both
Math - #1 1427, #2 1457 (above level 1099-2000)
with strengths in algebraic concepts and
measurement, data, and probability
6th grade Study Island
ELA – #1 78%, #2 78%
Math - #1 97% (100% in
algebraic concepts
Analytical Reading Inventory Instructional Levels
Literature – 7th grade
Informational (science) – 8th grade +
Informational (history) – 7th grade
7th grade Study Island
ELA - #1 66%
Math - #1 80%, #2 93%
(100% in algebraic concepts)
Mid-year pre-algebra assessment – 100%
Orleans-Hanna Prognosis - 92nd percentile
What does Lauren need?
READING
enrichment? acceleration? combination of both?
MATH
enrichment? acceleration? combination of both?
What other data do we need?
Consider this data
Josh is a newly-identified gifted third grader.
Josh loves chemistry and enjoys conducting his own experiments at home. He
spends a lot of time watching science-related television shows and videos
and is eager to share his knowledge with his teacher and peers. Josh is
placed in a gifted cluster class with two other recently-identified students.
Through flexible grouping, he is able to work with a variety of students
based on pre-assessment results in both math and reading. He is also able
to compact out of lessons to focus on independent projects which he then
shares with his classmates.
His strengths in reading are often demonstrated in group discussions.
Instruction is mainly 4th and 5th grades standards-based, and assessments
typically yield proficient results with the occasional basic. Graphic
organizers and sentence starters are used to assist Josh with his writing.
Josh’s affinity for experimentation can be seen in his math work, as he
consistently performs well in measurement and data, particularly when
organizing data. He is very strong in his basic facts and concepts of
fractions.
Consider this data
3rd Grade Study Island
Math – 85% with strengths in
Numbers and Operations in
Base 10, Fractions, and
Measurement and Data
ELA – 74% with strengths in
informational texts
4th Grade Study Island
Math – 61% with strengths in
Fractions
ELA – 71% with strengths in
literary texts
STAR Reading – 98th percentile,
ZPD 4.5-7.8
STAR Math – 99th percentile
3rd Grade CDT
Math - #1 994, #2 1032 (above level 8352000) with noted strengths in fractions; all
successful questions at 3rd and 4th grade
levels
Reading - #1 1010, #2 1028 (above level
927-2000) able to answer several 5th grade
level questions correctly in Literature Key
Ideas and Details and was more
successful in informational vocabulary than
literature
Analytical Reading Inventory Instructional Levels
Literature – 5th grade (early)
Informational (science) – 5th grade
Informational (history) – 3rd grade
In relationship to others
In relationship to others
What does Josh need?
READING
enrichment? acceleration? combination of both?
MATH
enrichment? acceleration? combination of both?
What other data do we need?
Final Thoughts
• Consistent, timely
record-keeping makes
the process of writing
the PLEP much easier.
• If possible, talk with the
parents, teachers, and
student for qualitative
input.
• Focus on getting the
data on the student’s
identified strengths.
• The GIEP is a
strength-based
document. Struggles
should only be
documented if
impacting the
student’s ability to
grow and achieve.
For all things gifted in PA, join the
Gifted Education and Accelerated
Learning Community on the SAS
portal.
www.pdesas.org
Log in.
Click on Teacher Tools.
Click on My Communities.
Search for Gifted Education…
Click Join.
Feel free to contact me with any questions at
kguyer@doversd.org