Optimal Grouping of All Ability Levels for
Optimum Achievement For All

ITAG Conference DeMoines,October 2013

Susan Winebrenner, presenter
MS and co-author of The Cluster Grouping
Handbook with Dina Brulles, Phd.
 www.susanwinebrenner.com
 skwine76@gmail.com
 760 510 0066 (Pacific time)

Historic Resistance to Gifted Education
 Elitism,
Elitism, Elitism!
The politics of education do not favor
gifted students because of its perceived inequity
of services for underserved groups and because of
general beliefs that gifted students:
Will “make it on their own”
Don’t need anything “extra”
Who are getting high grades, must be learning
Should not get services that are “not fair” to other students
How has gifted education been
delivered in the past?
Full time self contained classes
Pro – Full time learning experiences with other gifted
students
Con - Open to only a small percentange of gifted
students
Pull-Out
Pro- Some time with like minded peers: Extended
learning options
Cons: For short time(s) only
Content Replacement
Pros - Curriculum can be easily differentiated
Learning with like-minded peers
Cons – Is curriculum truly differentiated rather than student
getting simply ”more work”?
Organization problems for 2e students
“In the regular classroom”
Pro – Part of the regular school program- does not interfere
with continuity with other classroom experiences
Con- Only as effective as the teacher’s ability to differentiate
Weekend/After School Classes
Pro – At least it’s something!
Con Would it be enough for other kids with special needs?
What is the solution? A Paradigm Shift!!
The Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model:
(SCGM)
How to Challenge Gifted Students and
Improve Achievement for All
www.freespirit.com
The SCGM: Everyone Benefits!
Implementing and Supporting
The Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model
\
Susan Winebrenner, M.S. susanwinebrenner.com
Dina Brulles, Ph.D. dinabrulles.com
What is The SCGM
and why should we consider it?
The SCGM is a method for providing full-time gifted
services without major budget implications, and with
potential to raise achievement for all students.
With the SCGM, all students are purposely placed into
classrooms based on their abilities, potential, or
achievement.
The Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model (SCGM)
Recommended classroom composition
30 students Gifted
High
Average
in 3 classes
A
B
C
6
0
0
0
6
6
Average
Low
Average
Far
Below
Average
12
12
12
12
6
6
0
6
6
The SCGM allows schools to employ…
The critical elements of effective gifted programs:
flexible grouping
 differentiation
 continuous progress
 intellectual peer interaction
 continuity
 teachers with specialized education

Program elements identified by Barbara Clark
What does it mean to place students
into cluster groups?
A group of gifted identified students is clustered
into a mixed ability classroom with a teacher who
is trained to appropriately differentiate for the
curriculum for them .
Placing students in the classrooms:
•
Determine placement for upcoming year
following spring testing
•
Gifted students make up approximately 20%
of the gifted cluster class
•
Create the number of gifted cluster classrooms necessary
to serve all gifted students in each grade.
Special considerations
when making placements
Create procedures for determining placement
of the following groups:
•
•
•
•
Kindergarten students
New students enrolling during school year
Twice-exceptional gifted students
ELL gifted students
How does the SCGM fit with other inclusion models?
The two models are totally compatible.
For ease of scheduling and to ensure that students receive
appropriate instruction by properly trained teachers,
schools commonly cluster special education students
according to the services they require. The same
arrangement should be available for gifted students.
Isn’t cluster grouping the same as tracking?
No. In tracking, students are grouped into classrooms with others of
comparable ability and remain together throughout their school
years. Curriculum is based on the ability levels of the students in
each track.
When clustered, all classes have a range of abilities. Teachers modify
or extend grade level standards according to the students’ needs
and abilities. The classroom composition changes each year.
Gifted children typically…
•
•
•
•
•
Are intensely curious and have many interests
Process information with great speed and deep
understanding
Remember forever what they learn
Readily grasp underlying principles and make
generalizations
Are highly sensitive
Gifted students also:
•Prefer to work alone
•Relate well with older students and adults
•Demonstrate advanced sense of humor
•Require little direction
•Sustain long periods of attention and
concentration
These behaviors apply to all content areas,
all day long.
Why should gifted students be placed in a cluster
group instead of being assigned to all classes?
Gifted students…
• need to spend time learning with others of like ability to
experience challenge and make academic progress
• better understand their learning differences when they
are with peers

Teachers are more likely to differentiate curriculum
when there is a group of gifted students
What are the learning needs of gifted
students?
All students deserve consistent opportunities
to learn new material.
With gifted students, this means having
opportunities to engage in intellectually
stimulating endeavors that go beyond
grade level curriculum.
Can I create clusters of gifted students
in all classes?
The desired outcomes of the SCGM become diminished
when doing so because:
• there is less accountability for teachers to facilitate
progress of their gifted learners
• teachers feel a decreased need to identify gifted students
• providing appropriate teacher training becomes difficult
• Teachers have the full range of abilities!
Won’t the creation of a cluster group
rob the other classes of academic leadership?
•
With either gifted or high achieving students in every class,
all classes have academic leaders
•
Gifted students do not make the best academic leaders
because they make intuitive leaps, and therefore
do not always appear to have to work as hard as others
•
High average students have new opportunities
to become academic leaders
Aren’t gifted students needed in all classes
so they can help others learn?
This consideration should not impact programming…
helping other students learn is not the responsibility
of gifted students, and they are usually not very
good at it!
Will the presence of gifted students in the
classroom inhibit learning for others?
•
Not when the gifted cluster is kept to a manageable size.
Recommended gifted cluster is 4-9 students.
•
By offering learning extension opportunities to all
students in the class, expectations rise for all.
Including CLD gifted students
Begins with identification…
• Use “non-verbal” tests of general ability
that do not rely on language which measure general
intelligence – not just intelligence in non-verbal area
• Use multiple measures that examine cognitive abilities,
•
achievement, classroom performance, and
•
teacher observations
• Evaluate learning behaviors, motivation, social
•
abilities, leadership, creativity, and problemsolving abilities
Including twice-exceptional gifted students
Twice-exceptional gifted students:
have a learning disability or attention deficit disorder
and are gifted!
deserve similar gifted services as other gifted
identified students
Gifted Cluster Teachers should:
• teach to the areas of strength
• teach appropriate compensation strategies when
needed
• embed standards through student interest
Including non-productive gifted students
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Non-productive students may:
not see the need to complete assignments
feel unmotivated by required work
that does not hold their interest or challenge them
be afraid to fail, so they never begin
Gifted Cluster Teachers can:
give credit for previously mastered content
allow students to do more challenging work
teach students to set their own goals
acknowledge and show appreciation for effort
allow student-directed learning based on interests and strengths
Gifted Cluster Teachers…
•
•
•
•
•
Understand, respect, and enjoy teaching
gifted students
Strongly support in-class provisions for gifted kids
Decrease use of whole group instruction
Encourage student-centered approach to learning
Participate in ongoing professional development
Effective cluster teachers know how to:
•
Understand and implement the SCGM
•
Recognize gifted potential in all populations
•
Pay attention to students’ social/emotional needs
•
Identify students who needs learning accommodations
•
Compact and differentiate
•Form flexible learning groups
•Integrate basic skills with higher order thinking skills
•Create and use learning extensions
•Use appropriate assessments and grading practices
•Develop student’s abilities to self-direct
•Build effective parent/teacher partnerships
Benefits of The SCGM include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Challenging gifted students on a full-time basis
Creating learning and leadership opportunity for all students
Increasing the abilities of all teachers by expanding
awareness and providing preparation
Improving student achievement and raising expectations for
for all students
Providing full time gifted services
On-going assessment of students’ strengths and needs
The SCGM: Achievement Implications
•
•
•
•
Narrowed range of abilities allows for
more focused instruction
On-going assessment of students’ strengths
and needs ensures continual progress
Teachers learn strategies for advanced ability learners
they can use for all students, not just the gifted students
Gifted ELL students are more likely to receive advanced
instruction and extended learning opportunities
Higher expectations for all students!
What are possible challenges with the SCGM?
Parental pressure to place children who have not been
identified as gifted into the gifted cluster classroom
Placing students who enroll during the school year
Making sure that compacting and differentiation are
consistently occurring in the gifted cluster classes.
Suggestions for handling these situations are included in
The Cluster Grouping Handbook.
The SCGM staffing goals
•
Gifted Cluster Teachers, at every grade
•
Gifted Specialist, at every school – can be
one of the cluster teachers
•
Gifted Coordinator, district level
Gifted Coordinator responsibilities
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hold a gifted endorsement / certification
Preside over Gifted Cluster/Gifted Specialist meetings
Organize and provide staff development
Coordinate testing schedule, administration, and reporting
of testing results
Communicate with school community
Analyze student achievement
Peer coaching in The SCGM
•
Ensures long-term implication of content learned in
staff development
•
Allows gifted cluster teachers to learn together
•
Can prepare teachers for becoming gifted cluster teachers
and Gifted Mentors
•
Supports what occurs in Professional Learning Communities
Effects
TYPE OF
PROF DVPT
ONE WEEK
LATER
ONE MONTH
LATER
3 MONTHS
LATER
t
Lecture Only
Lecture with
demonstrations
Lecture with
audience
participation
and practice
Lecture with
audience
practice and
on-site peer
coaching
Showers
30%
20%
10%
30%
20%
15%
30%
18%
35%
85%
And Joyce
81%
85%
ascd.org
Student
Achievement
Achievement Data from
Tulpehocken Schools, Bethel PA
Lisa Kiss, Director of Special Education,
strongly supports the SCGM because of the
gains experienced by SPED students at the
grade levels being clustered.
Grade Four Math –
2 classes
Red = below proficient, Yellow=basic
Green = proficient, Blue=advanced.
(9/11/2010
PL
4Sight Grade 4 - Math No.2 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
11/4/2010
12
Bel
26
Grade 4 - Math No.1
Teacher
Student First
Student Last
PL
4Sight Grade 4 - Math No.3 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
1/26/2011
PL
4Sight Grade 4 - Math No.4 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
3/30/2011
PL
Pro
29
Pro
29
Pro
26
Pro
30
Pro
23
Bas
20
Bel
28
Pro
33
Adv
34
Adv
34
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34
Adv
36
Adv
28
Pro
28
Pro
24
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30
Pro
16
Bel
21
Bas
22
Bas
18
Bel
24
Bas
32
Pro
31
Pro
28
Pro
29
Pro
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Pro
31
Pro
23
Bas
34
Adv
34
Adv
33
Adv
30
Pro
35
Adv
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34
Adv
16
Bel
16
Bel
18
Bel
26
Pro
34
Adv
31
Pro
36
Adv
34
Adv
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Pro
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Bel
23
Bas
28
Pro
31
Pro
23
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32
Pro
26
Pro
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Pro
21
Bas
26
Pro
30
Pro
34
Adv
13
Bel
14
Bel
18
Bel
21
Bas
26
Pro
30
Pro
20
Bel
25
Pro
28
Pro
28
Pro
27
Pro
28
Pro
30
Pro
31
Pro
21
Bas
17
Bel
31
Pro
28
Pro
Teacher
Student First
Student Last
4Sight Grade 6 - Math No.1 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
9/11/2010
PL
4Sight Grade 6 - Math No.2 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
11/5/2010
PL
4Sight Grade 6 - Math No.3 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
1/26/2011
PL
4Sight Grade 6 - Math No.4 (Third
Edition) v2010-11-Total Score
3/30/2011
PL
14
Bel
23
Pro
25
Pro
28
Pro
24
Pro
28
Pro
31
Adv
27
Pro
22
Bas
24
Pro
19
Bas
22
Bas
19
Bas
23
Pro
23
Pro
25
Pro
21
Bas
29
Pro
29
Pro
33
Adv
20
Bas
25
Pro
25
Pro
25
Pro
23
Pro
29
Pro
23
Pro
34
Adv
29
Pro
31
Adv
13
Bel
24
Pro
26
Pro
29
Pro
20
Bas
26
Pro
28
Pro
29
Pro
28
Pro
30
Pro
32
Adv
32
Adv
30
Pro
31
Adv
34
Adv
32
Adv
31
Adv
30
Pro
34
Adv
32
Adv
26
Pro
33
Adv
33
Adv
35
Adv
26
Pro
26
Pro
27
Pro
32
Adv
28
Pro
32
Adv
32
Adv
34
Adv
28
Pro
24
Pro
28
Pro
31
Adv
Gifted cluster teacher meetings
Each school’s Gifted Mentor leads monthly meetings.
Suggested meeting components:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discussion of specific strategies
Sharing resources: lessons, materials, etc.
Nomination and testing issues
Problem solving regarding classroom or site concerns
Participating in book study groups on challenging all students
Planning for growth- scheduling students and incoming
gifted cluster teachers
Showing growth in the SCGM
Schools can track ongoing growth by measuring:
•
•
•
•
Academic achievement
Gifted population identified and served by year
Ethnic representation of gifted students
Teachers participating in gifted education training
This requires first creating a gifted student data base at the beginning of
the school year
The SCGM in times of lean budgets
Full-time gifted services are provided with:
•
•
•
•
•
No initial outlay of funds needed
No additional staffing
No extra materials required
Desirable staff development that benefits all students
Retaining students that remains steady keeping tax dollars
in the district
In Summary…
SCGM Goals
•
•
•
•
To benefit all students in the grade level by
increasing the opportunity for planned
differentiation due to the reduction in the range of
achievement levels in the classroom.
To provide high ability students with a rigorous,
faster paced curriculum and instruction in a
group of their intellectual peers, delivered by one
teacher, to ensure continuous progress in learning.
Free Spirit Publishing