in Santa Rosa County
How are Gifted Students
Identified?
 1. Teacher or parent requests
screening.
 2. School Counselor
administers screening
instrument – KBIT-2
 3. School Psychologist
administers the Reynolds
Intellectual Assessment Scales
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(RIAS)
4. Student must earn a130
or above on the RIAS
100 = average, or the mean
115 = one standard deviation
above the mean
130 = two standard
deviations above the mean
A “snapshot” on a given day.
127 - 133
 5. Students must exhibit a
majority of characteristics on
the SRC Gifted Characteristics
Checklist completed by their
classroom teacher, and must
score at least 81 out of 160
possible points.
 6. The Educational Plan (EP)
Committee must agree that
the student needs a higher
level differentiation of
curriculum.
 7. EP is written, parents give
consent for services, student
begins gifted services.
Gifted Education
 What it is:
 What it is not:
 *Expresses creativity
 Working through
 *Teacher as coach
 *Project-based learning
 *Research to determine
both questions and
answers surrounding an
issue
 *Enrichment in core
subjects – math,
reading, science, social
studies
 Repetition
curriculum faster with
no differentiation
 Using the gifted learner
as a tutor for the other
students
3 Types of Gifted People
• Strivers= High testers and teacher pleasers.
Like structure (I.Q. 115-130) These are our
“talented” children who do not qualify for
gifted services at the “snapshot” level of 130.
• Superstars= Great at everything. Stereotypical Gifted (I.Q. 130+)
• Independent= Creative, “Intellectual”, only
interested in their own pursuits. Can become
inventors, “serial employees” or dropouts.
These children can be shining stars or become
our “underachieving” gifted learners if they
are bored or frustrated.
Common Myths about Gifted Education
Myth:
Gifted students don’t need help; they’ll do fine on their own
Truth:
Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a
coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers
who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their
abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their sameage peers that they know more than half of the grade-level
curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting
boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement,
despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is
crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.
Common Myths about Gifted Education
Myth:
Truth:
Teachers challenge all the students, so gifted kids will
be fine in the regular classroom
Although teachers try to challenge all students they are
frequently unfamiliar with the needs of gifted children
and do not know how to best serve them in the
classroom. The National Research Center on Gifted
and Talented (NRC/GT) found that 61% of classroom
teachers had no training in teaching highly able
students, limiting the challenging educational
opportunities offered to advanced learners. A more
recent national study conducted by the Fordham
Institute found that 58% of teachers have received no
professional development focused on teaching
academically advanced students in the past few years
Common Myths about Gifted Education
Myth:
That student can’t be gifted; he’s receiving poor grades
Truth:
Underachievement describes a discrepancy between a
student’s performance and his actual ability. The roots of this
problem differ, based on each child’s experiences. Gifted
students may become bored or frustrated in an
unchallenging classroom situation causing them to lose
interest, learn bad study habits, or distrust the school
environment. Other students may mask their abilities to try
to fit in socially with their same-age peers. No matter the
cause, it is imperative that a caring and perceptive adult help
gifted learners break the cycle of underachievement in order
to achieve their full potential. See ERIC digests on
underachievement in gifted boys; underachievement of
minority students.
Exceptional Student Education
District-Wide
 Total number of students in a gifted program as of 2/10/2013
is 766.
 Total ESE students as of 11/15/2013 – is 3057 (tally does not
include gifted).
 District tally Pivot table located on webpage states 667 gifted but
766 is correct number as district tally reports only ‘PRIMARY’
Gifted only students while 766 tally reports all students w/ ‘ANY’
gifted programs and may have another primary exceptionality.
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Statewide Gifted = 5.27% of the total student population
Escambia County Gifted = 2,253 or 5.45%*
Okaloosa County Gifted = 1,158 or 3.84%*
*DOE numbers 10/2013
Instructional Models
for Gifted Education
 The Content Model – emphasizes the important of
learning skills and concepts within a predetermined
domain of inquiry. Content acceleration.
 The Process-Product Model – places emphasis on
investigatory skills, both scientific and social, in order to
develop high-quality products. Collaborative. Teacherstudent as team. Consultation and independent work.
 The Epistemological Model – focuses on exposing
students to key ideas, themes and principles within and
across domains of knowledge. Teacher as questioner.
Discussion. Debate. Reading-reflection-writing. The
nature of knowledge, its extent and validity. (Brown-Barge
Model)
Types of Accommodations for
Gifted Education
 Curriulum Compacting
– 1) defines goals and
outcomes of a unit of
instruction, 2)
determines and
documents which
students have
mastered most or all
of a set of outcomes,
3) provides
replacement strategies
for material already
mastered.
 Class Acceleration –
Accelerated
placement options
such as early
entrance to
Kindergarten, grade
skipping or early exit
should be considered
for gifted students.
(NAGC website)
Types of Accommodations
for Gifted Education (cont.)
 Subject Area Enrichment
The broadening of the
scope of the curriculum
beyond what is typically
covered and/or
increasing the depth of
study. Enrichment does
result in greater gains in
learning for gifted
students compared to
gifted students who do
not receive enrichment.
(HNMS, WBMS)
 Gifted Clustering – A
group of 3 to 6 gifted
students are clustered in
a mixed-ability
classroom. The teacher
has had training in how
to teach gifted students.
Gifted clustering allows
for a successful
implementation of the
PUSH-IN model for
gifted education.
Types of Accommodations
for Gifted Education (cont.)
 Push-In – An inclusive
model where gifted
teachers support
classroom teachers to
differentiate classroom
curriculum, increasing
the rigor of learning
for gifted students on
a daily basis while
providing
opportunities for all
students.
 Push-In (cont.)
Collaborative work,
support for
differentiation,
development of
curriculum,
professional
development and
problem solving
opportunities are key
elements of successful
implementation of the
“Push-In” model.
Types of Accommodations
for Gifted Education (cont.)
 Pull-Out – a program where gifted
children are taken out of their regular
classroom once per week and provided
with enrichment activities and
instruction. This is the model we are using
in SRC elementary/primary/intermediate
schools.
What does a day
in a gifted class look like?
Math Superstars
Research
Project-Based Learning
Socratic Seminar – questioning, critical thinking
Teacher as academic coach in exploration
Creativity
DEAR
Learning Leadership where everyone is capable of
leading
• Group research and products
• Thematic unit studies exploring depth of
knowledge in all core areas
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Instructional Models Used
in Santa Rosa County
Elementary Services–
PROCESS-PRODUCT
MODEL
*Pull-Out
*Push-In
*Gifted Clustering
Virtual School is available at all levels
Middle School Services
Subject area - CONTENT
MODEL at WBMS and
HNMS
Elective - PROCESSPRODUCT MODEL at
GBMS
No Gifted services/
Adv. Courses only at other
SRC middle schools
High School Services
No gifted services
AP/Honors Courses
Delivery models being used in SRC
 ELEMENTARY
 Pull out model: DPS,
DIS, GBE, HNP, HNI,
OBE, PRE, Rhodes, WNI,
WNP
 Push in model: DIS
 Satellite model: Rhodes
(serves students from
BREm Bagdad, EME,
BHE, Chumuckla, and
Rhodes)
 MIDDLE
 Subject area pull out:
 HNMS – Gifted Science
6-8
 WBMS – Gifted Social
Studies 6-8
 GBMS – Gifted Elective
6-8 (numbers go down
each year as other
electives become
available for the students
to take)
Gifted Endorsed Teachers
 ALREADY teach Core Curriculum
Methodology
 Courses for endorsement include:
 *Nature and Needs of Gifted Children
 *Curriculum Development for Gifted
Children
 *Guidance and Counseling of Gifted Children
 *Education of Special Populations
 *Theory and Development of Creativity
SRC Gifted Endorsed Teachers
 SRC currently has 33 Gifted Endorsed Teachers
 Thirteen schools currently offer gifted services. All
services are delivered by Gifted Endorsed Teachers.
Gifted Delivery Models in
Escambia County
 Inclusion – General education classrooms where every
student is identified as gifted.
 Pull-out – Gifted students travel to the PATS Center
(Program for Academically Talented Students) one full
day per week for their gifted services.
 Magnet School – Brown Barge Middle School for
Gifted and Talented Learners. School Choice. Students
who qualify and are selected in the lottery, travel from
all over the county to BBMS.
 IB Program – Open to Escambia County high school
students, as well as students from Santa Rosa County.
Gifted Delivery Models in
Okaloosa County
 Each elementary school designs its own Gifted Education
Program to meet the needs of the students. Each middle and
high school offers a variety of Gifted Education courses
including Gifted Studies.
 In high school, Gifted Externships are another possibility for
those in the program. Gifted Externships provide opportunities
for field experience and research with a community professional
which enhances personal growth and provides awareness of
career options.
 In addition, an IB Program is located at Choctawhatchee HS
 Each school’s Gifted Education Program has been designed
around the standards set forth by the National Association for
Gifted Children (NAGC).
Recommendations
Short Term
Long Term
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Trained Gifted Teachers
General Ed Teachers trained to
identify and differentiate for gifted
learners (push-in?)
Continue to offer stipend
Plan B Exploration
Increase funding for teachers to use
for gifted differentiation and
instruction
Subject Area Gifted Studies in ALL
Middle Schools
Revisit Standard Error of
Measurement (Sem) which is used in
both Escambia and Okaloosa
Counties
Group screen all second graders for
giftedness as a pilot in 2014-15
In conjunction with DOE, look at
VAM scores so gifted teachers do not
feel penalized.
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Gifted Certified Teachers for AP and
Honors classes in our high schools
Train general education teachers in
gifted/core curriculum methodology
and pedagogy
Implement a Plan B in SRC
Expand second grade screening tests
for giftedness to all schools
Dedication to expanding and
aligning services for gifted and
talented students in SRC