February 14, 2012
Presented by Members of
the GOAL Review Team
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Consisted of Cross Representation of the District
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Elementary Teachers (K – 5)
Secondary Teachers (6 – 12)
Gifted Teachers (K- 12)
Speech & Language Pathologists (Elementary & Secondary)
School Counselors (Elementary, Middle & High School)
Principals (Elementary, Middle & High School)
School Psychologist
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Assistant Superintendents
Supervisor of Special Education
Building Principals/ Representatives (3)
Master Teacher of the Gifted Program
School Psychologist
Grade Level Facilitator
Coordinator of Academic Technology
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Adapted the North Allegheny School Curriculum Review
Manual to structure the program evaluation process
Began November 2009 and concluded May 2011
Examined the existing program
Studied empirical research
Attended presentations and lectures by experts in the
field
Conducted surveys
Reviewed other high performing school districts across
the Commonwealth and the United States
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Assigned members of the GOAL Program Review Team
to Subcommittees
◦ Each Subcommittee consisted of representatives of the general
and gifted education teachers by level (elementary, middle and
high school), a school counselor and a speech pathologist
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Assigned Subcommittee Leaders from the GOAL
Management Team to facilitate the work of the
Subcommittee and to organize the reporting of the
Subcommittee's findings to the whole GOAL Review
Team
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Strengths of the Current Program
Aligned to Chapter 16 and Gifted Guidelines
Number of students participate in GOAL and/or GOAL
activities
Number of Independent Options
IOWA Acceleration Scale (K-8)
Collaboration with their intellectual peers
Teachers representing the GOAL Department
Questions Needing Answers of the Current Program
 Additional information related to the strategic plan
 Clearly articulated philosophy: creativity, critical thinking,
problem-solving, communication skills; New regulations
require technology, foreign language, music/arts and
leadership
 Screening/Identification
 Time to collaborate with general and gifted teachers
 Differentiated Instruction
 Referral rate and the number of students who qualify
Opening Activity with the GOAL
Review Team
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Topics
Professional Development
Program Delivery by Levels
Differentiation/Regular
Education
Program
Implementation/Delivery
Screening Process/
Identification
Use of Matrices
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Topics
Collaboration with Regular
and Gifted Education
Teachers
Process to Differentiate
(Connect) Curriculum
Philosophy
Review Research and Best
Practice
Program Delivery
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Best Practices/Empirical Research
Data Analysis
Site Visitation/Exemplary Programs
Philosophy
File Review
Each child should come to school to stretch and
grow daily.
Schooling should be as an escalator on which
students continually progress, rather than a series of
stairs, with landings on which advanced learners
consistently wait.
(Van Tassel Baska)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Methodology
Program Delivery
Social/Emotional
Underachieving
 Grouping
 Differentiation
 Acceleration
 Cluster
 Pull
out
 Full time
 Cross grade
 Self grouping
 Product
 Process
 Content
 Environment
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Content that is relevant to their lives.
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Activities that cause them to produce important ideas at a
high level.
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Products that cause them to grapple with meaningful
problems and pose defensible solutions.
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Pacing in response to the student’s individual needs –
acceleration or depth of topic.
An understanding of ‘supported risk.’ Teacher invites,
cajoles and insists on risk-but in a way that supports success.
(Tomlinson )
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Resource room
Integrated Curriculum
Pull-out
Self Contained
Cluster group
Cross grade placement
Full-time
Compacting
Differentiated classroom
Academic Competitions/Individualized Options
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Working with like peers.
Create safe environment to work at pace.
commensurate with ability.
Teachers who work with gifted students have an
understanding of their psychological needs.
 Occurs
when a student performs more
poorly than would be expected, given
his/her abilities or potential for
academic achievement.
 Early
identification is a necessity.
Student Self-Assessment
 Parent Interviews
 Team Evaluation and recommendations
 Action Planning which includes:
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Identifying Appropriate Learning
Developing Study Habits
Setting Goals and Managing School Work
Dealing with Personal Issues
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Elementary GOAL students in Grades 2-5 participate in a
weekly pull-out session for a unit time (ranges from 80 to
90 minutes per week depending on scheduling). They also
participate in a 45 minute per week Individualized Option
session.
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Elementary GOAL students in Grade 1 participate in two
45 minute sessions a week or a total of 90 minutes a week.
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Every Building, Each Grade Level- "Assured Experiences"
in class.
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Additional "Optional Units"- As time permits.
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Individualized Options (IO's)- 95% of IO's are attended by
all 3 schools, most often together.
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Select IO's are available only to one school.
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Sometimes other school based activities prevent
participation.
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Some shared experiences- Chain Reaction, JETS, KMO, etc.
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More experiences that are unique to the buildings- Open
Heart Surgery, Physics Team, etc.
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NAI- Focus is more on career exploration.
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NASH- Continues career exploration but also does college
preparation\visits.
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GOAL teachers are responsible for teaching the
Communication Arts Plus (CAP) and First Grade Early
Readers enrichment program for grades 1-5. Time per
grade level per week varies between buildings and between
grade levels based on scheduling availability--time ranges
from 35 minutes per week to 60 minutes per week.
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CAP Numbers:
In 2010-11, approximately 385 students qualified
for CAP across the District. About 56% of these
students are GOAL students as well.
Medical History/Health Records
Readiness/Developmental Tests
*Achievement Tests
Ability Tests
*Group IQ Tests
Anecdotal Information
Portfolio/Subject Assessments
Syllabus-based Examination
CBA’s
College Aptitude Test
PSAT/SAT
Extra-Curricular Academic Performance
*Rating Scales
Interest Inventories
Cumulative Records
Enrollment Records
Parent Inventories
*Report Cards
*current NA screening areas
District Analysis:
 267 students were evaluated during the 2009-10 school year. Ten
fewer students were tested than in the 2008-09 school year.
 The overall qualifying rate of 50% is 10 percentage points lower
than the 2008-09 rate. Historically, the range of qualification
rates has been 55-63%.
Qualified
DNQ
TOTAL
% Qualified
2007-2008
122
101
223
55%
2008-2009
166
111
277
60%
2009-2010
134
133
267
50%
Conclusions:
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The qualification rate of all referred students was 50%, which is a
decrease from 2008 – 2009. The previous five year range was 55 –
63%. There was a 300% increase in the number of parent
referrals. Parent referrals had an overall qualification rate of 50%.
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Among the elementary buildings, there are no specific patterns in
qualification rates from building to building or from year to year.
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Students tested multiple times had a significantly lower qualification
rate than in previous years. The overall qualification rate for students
tested 2, 3, or 4 times is 10% compared to a 50% qualification rate for
all referrals. The more frequently a student is tested, the less likely
they are to qualify.
In 2010-11, 84 students in Grades 2-5 participate in the
Advanced Academic Math Program. 81% of these students
are GOAL students.
95% of Elementary GOAL Students participate in
Band, Chorus, or Orchestra at school.
• 94.5 % of Middle School GOAL students participate in
Band, Chorus, or Orchestra.
• 5.5% Take General Music.
• All Middle School students take Unified Arts classes as
part of the standard curriculum.
• 79.56% of gifted students in 9th grade are taking courses
in the Arts.
• 68.33% of gifted students in 10th grade are taking courses
in the Arts.
• When the current 10th graders were in 9th grade, 70.83%
of gifted students took courses in the Arts.
• 61.16% of gifted students in 11th grade are taking courses in
the Arts.
• When the current 11th graders were in 10th grade, 71.07% of
gifted students took courses in the Arts.
• When the current 11th graders were in 9th grade, 69.42% of
gifted students took courses in the Arts.
• 61.07% of gifted students in 12th grade are taking courses in
the Arts.
• When the current 12th graders were in 11th grade, 70.23% of
gifted students took courses in the Arts.
• When the current 12th graders were in 10th grade, 79.39% of
gifted students took courses in the Arts.
• When the current 12th graders were in 9th grade, 74.81% of
gifted students took courses in the Arts.
NASH- 238 of 262 students are taking at least
one Honors class (91%)
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15% are taking 1 Honors course
18% are taking 2 Honors courses
23% are taking 3 Honors courses
15% are taking 4 Honors courses
10% are taking 5 Honors courses
10% are taking 6 Honors courses
NAI- 273 of 275 students are taking at least one
Honors class (99%)
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3% are taking 1 Honors course
6% are taking 2 Honors courses
15% are taking 3 Honors courses
17% are taking 4 Honors courses
21% are taking 5 Honors courses
36% are taking 6 Honors courses
NASH- 221 of 262 students at NASH are taking at
least one AP Course (84%)
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16% are taking 1 AP course
13% are taking 2 AP courses
20% are taking 3 AP courses
18% are taking 4 AP courses
10% are taking 5 AP courses
7% are taking 6 AP courses
Reading/Math:
9 Proficient
290 were advanced
Writing:
14 Advanced
91 Proficient
4 Basic
 Fairfax
County Public Schools
 Fox Chapel School District
 Garnet Valley School District
 Naperville Community Unit District 203
 Cumberland Valley School District
 Upper Dublin School District
 Central Bucks School District
 Lewisburg Area School District
Gifted Student Population/District Population
Statistical Analysis
School District
Identified Gifted Students
Total Gifted
Population
Elem.
Mid.
H.S.
Fairfax County Public
Schools
11,390
78,721
5,610
20,194
N/A
Fox Chapel
170
83
204
1,932
160
Naperville
Community Unit
District 203
Top 2%
Top 2%
N/A
Cumberland Valley
School District
84
108
182
Upper Dublin
121
98
700
13,000
Lewisburg Area
School District
87
1,006
1,467
5,110
1,232 Grs.7-12
598 Participates
4,913
44
890
56
444
11.4%
457
4,388
10.4%
408
4,407
9.3%
18,072
≈ 2%
374
7,200
5.2%
327
6,951
4.7%
1,932
23,023
8.4%
5.6%
187
1,909
9.8%
2,600
8
N/A
149,429
1,400
1,800
4,478
Central Bucks
121
1,140
2,800
17,000
1,425
Garnet Valley School
District
1,867
Gifted % of
District
50,514
1,031
127
Total District
Population
575
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Students exhibit exceptional ability in:
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Intellect/Academics
Creativity
Art
Leadership
 Programs
for highly able learners should include:
Differentiated Curriculum.
Acceleration, enrichment, and individualization at all
educational levels.
Higher level thinking skills emphasis.
Creativity.
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Video Presentation (Gwynn)
What do we want our philosophy to look like?
 Considerations:
 Elements of video presentation
 Audience
 Length
 Legality of what is in print
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Review gathered philosophies
 Considerations:
 What do we like?
 Which ideas match our data and research?
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Write rough draft of philosophy
Finish rough draft
Complete final copy
Submit work plan
Submit final copy of philosophy
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Naperville Community Unit
Unionville - Chadds Ford
New Hope - Solebury
Central Bucks
Cumberland Valley
North Penn
Clarke County
Mt. Lebanon
Pine-Richland
Parkway
Shaler
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North Allegheny's Gifted Education Program reflects
and extends our Mission Statement to appropriately
challenge and prepare our advanced learners to live
productively in our changing society. While providing
enrichment and a broad spectrum of educational
opportunities, the gifted education program encourages
the individual learner to develop personal responsibility,
task commitment, self-discipline, independent learning
skills, respectful conduct, and social/emotional
balance. The development of critical thinking, problem
solving, communication skills and creativity is shared
collaboratively among the gifted learner, the parents, and
the North Allegheny educational community.
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Shared report with Assistant Superintendents and
Superintendent of Schools.
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Reconvene GOAL Management Review Team to begin
the process of prioritizing recommendations and
developing a plan.