LEVEL IV SCREENING PROCESS
AND BUILDING A PORTFOLIO
Great Falls Elementary School
WHAT IS SCREENING?
• What – review of a students’ portfolio by six FCPS
Educators
• Who – Classroom Teachers, AART’s, Administrators,
Counselors, Speech Teachers, Specialists and Central Office
AAP staff
• How – after training on how to review a portfolio, educators
each individually review and make a their own
recommendation on eligibility
• Where – Central Office – Fairfax Ridge
• When – Late February and the 1 st week of March 2016
HOW A STUDENT GETS TO BE
SCREENED
Pool
• A second grade student who has
scored above a 132 on the
NNAT-Naglieri (first grade)
• A second grade student who has
scored above a Composite 132 –
Cognitive Abilities test
• Automatically referred, no parent,
teacher, self referral needed
Parent, Teacher, or Self
Referral
• Any student grades 2-6
• Parents, teachers, or students fill
out the referral form on the
FCPS AAP website and submit it
to Laura Hotaling by 3:00 pm,
January 15, 2016 as per FCPS
regulations
• There will be no exceptions in
regards to late referral forms
WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO
GENERAL INFORMATION
• Progress report
• Test scores (SOL/Ability)
• ESOL level
• Special programs (immersion)
• Teacher Commentary
• Gifted Behaviors Rating Scale
6 WORK SAMPLES
• 2 submitted by school
• 4 submitted by parents/guardians (more information later in presentation)
TEACHERS’ ROLE :
GATHERER OF DATA
• Taking notes on academic behaviors such as creativity, application
of knowledge, motivation, pace of learning, extension of
curriculum, leadership, critical thinking throughout the school year
• Completing a Gifted Behaviors Rating Scale (GBRS) with
Commentary
• Gathering work samples for student portfolios
• Creative and Critical Thinking lessons
• Writing Sample
• Math Sample demonstrating critical/creative thinking (M2, M3,
Performance Tasks, Math Exemplars)
GIFTED RATINGS BEHAVIOR SCALE
(GBRS)
Filled out by the GFES committee (Mrs. Harper, Mrs. DeHart, Mrs. Schilling, Ms.
Duvall, Classroom Teacher(s), Specialists, and AART)
• Exceptional Ability to Learn
• Exceptional Ability to Apply Knowledge
• Exceptional Creativity/Productive Thinking
• Exceptional Motivation
Ratings Scale
• 1 – rarely
• 2 – occasionally
• 3 – frequently
• 4 - consistently
EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY TO
LEARN
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•
•
•
•
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•
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Exhibits exceptional memory
Demonstrates in-depth knowledge
Displays persistent, intense focus on one or more topics
Is highly reflective and/or sensitive to his/her environment
Learns and adapts readily to new cultures
Learns quickly and easily
Acquires language at a rapid pace
Learns skills independently and makes connections without formal
instruction
EXCEPTIONAL APPLICATION OF
KNOWLEDGE
• Demonstrates highly developed reasoning
• Employs complex problem-solving strategies
• Uses and interprets advanced symbol systems in academics, visual arts,
and/or performing arts
• Understands, applies, transfers abstract concepts
• Uses technology in advanced applications
• Acts as an interpreter, translator, and/or facilitator to help others
• Makes advanced connections and transfers learning to other subjects,
situations, cultures
• Communicates learned concepts through role playing and/or detailed
artwork
EXCEPTIONAL
CREATIVITY/PRODUCTIVE THINKING
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sees the familiar in unusual ways
Does not conform to typical ways of thinking or perceiving
Is highly creative and/or inventive
Demonstrates unusual fluency and flexibility in thinking and problemsolving
Expresses ideas, feelings, experiences, and/or beliefs in original ways
Displays keen sense of humor
Is highly curious
Generates new ideas, new uses, new solutions easily
Perceives and manipulates patterns, colors, and/or symbols
EXCEPTIONAL MOTIVATION
•
•
•
•
•
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Demonstrates ability to lead large and/or small groups
Meets exceptional personal and/or academic challenges
Explores, researches, questions topics, ideas, issues independently
Is poised with adults and engages them in adult conversations
Exhibits a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility
Demonstrates exceptional ability to adapt to new experiences
Strives to achieve high standards especially in areas of strength and/or
interest
• Shows initiative, self-direction, and/or high level of confidence
PARENT’S ROLE #1
REFERRAL FORM
• If your child is not in the second grade pool or in grades 3-6 you must
turn in a referral form to have your child screened!
• Add commentary in bottom portion
• MUST BE TURNED IN BY 3:00 PM, Friday, January 15th!
LOCATED
• On GFES Specialist Blackboard Site – Advanced Academics
•
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/packet/Fillable_AAPLevelIVReferralForm.pdf
• FCPS Website - Academics & Programs, Advanced Academics, Right hand
side under Spotlights is forms, AAP level IV referral forms
PARENT ROLE #2
PARENT/GUARDIAN QUESTIONNAIRE FORM
• Type out form
• Use specific examples: “My child surprises me with their unusual knowledge”
• Start taking notes now!
• Your chance to communicate with the educator examining your child’s
portfolio
LOCATED
•
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/packet/Fillable_AAPParentGuardianQuestionnaire.pdf
• FCPS Website – under forms
PARENT ROLE #3
WORK SAMPLES
• 4 sheets of 8x11 paper – front side only
• LEGIBLE AND EASY TO SEE!
• Halfsies  shrink down image to have two full sheets on one piece of paper
• Use photos of creations
• LABEL product with an explanation
• Originals will not be returned
AWARDS/COMMENDATIONS/LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
• Submit up to 5 sheets of 8x11 paper
• Don’t go overboard with recommendations and awards
• Recommendation letters may not be from FCPS teachers
• Originals will not be returned
MATH SAMPLE FROM MENTORING YOUNG MATHEMATICIANS (M2)
• This is from a 2nd grade
student.
• It utilizes math vocabulary
related to the concept and
shows understanding of the
big idea.
• The student supports their
answer with an example.
MATH NON-SAMPLE
•
•
While the 4th-grade
student completing this
sample scored perfectly,
the work shows a rote
process. This type of
work is important, but
does not showcase the
type of problem solving
thinking that would be
good evidence for needing
full-time placement in a
level IV center.
Instead, showcasing a
single problem that
requires the student apply
mathematics concepts to
problem solve would be
preferred.
LANGUAGE ARTS:
ENCAPSULATION
•
This is an
encapsulation of
chapter 18 of the
book Bud, Not Buddy,
whereby the student
put important ideas
from the chapter on a
license plate.
•
This sample would be
stronger if there was a
short blurb pointing
out that it was using
the encapsulation
strategy and
verbalizing some of
the symbolic ideas
represented.
LANGUAGE ARTS NON-SAMPLE
• This word study
sample shows the
student does well
sorting words and
using them in
sentences. It is not
a strong language
arts sample.
• A stronger sample
might include
literary analysis,
creativity,
persuasive writing,
etc.
SCIENCE: PLANT ANALOGIES
• A 2nd grade Spanish
Immersion student created
analogies about the parts of
a flower in Spanish
SCIENCE NON-SAMPLE
• The student scored 100%
on this plants quiz.
However, the answers on it
required recall of
knowledge level
information.
• Possibilities for strong
science work samples may
include: designing an
experiment, creating big
questions for research,
solving or inventing an
engineering solution.
SOCIAL STUDIES: JOHNOGLYPHICS
• A 3rd grade student
created the following
system, modeled on
hieroglyphics, to
teach toddlers to
read.
• In addition to
connections to Social
Studies content, this
work sample shows
fluency and
elaboration in an
original solution to a
problem.
SOCIAL STUDIES NON-SAMPLE
• This sample shows the student is
able to recall information about
the 3 branches of government.
• A preferred work sample might
include: analysis of a primary
source document, relating to
different points of view in past
or current events, making intraor inter-disciplinary connections
related to Social Studies content,
etc.
OTHER WORK SAMPLES
• This student created a series of
comic strips and designed a
web site where they were
posted.
• The comics and site showed a
mature sense of humor in
creating new products about
every day topics.
OTHER WORK SAMPLES
• This student
created a poster
of 4 Ways of
Smart (Picture,
Nature, Body,
and Music).
• The poster
displays a strong
sense of design.
OTHER WORK SAMPLES
• This student
created a comic,
entitled
“Chocolate,”
with her spelling
words for the
week.
TIMELINE UPDATE FOR
NOTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY,
LEVEL IV ORIENTATIONS AND
APPEALS
Parents will be notified of student eligibility : April 11-15 2016
Level IV Orientations to be held at local level IV schools and centers:
April 18- 28, 2016
Please check with your local level IV school and your center school for
the exact date and time.
Appeals due to Advanced Academics Central Office: May 13, 2016
Notification of eligibility after appeals process: Sometime after June
10, 2016