KEVIN TRAINOR
RESOURCE TEACHER FOR THE GIFTED
MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
NOV. 5, 2014
Before we start
On each table you will find index cards that
can be used to jot down any questions
during the presentation.
◦If I can’t address your question during the
presentation, please include your name, your
child’s name (if applicable), your contact
information, and the best time for me to reach
you.
Objectives
1. Explain the role of the Resource Teacher for the
Gifted (RTG) within a Professional Learning
Community (PLC).
2. Provide an overview of gifted services and resources
at McKinley ES.
3. Provide an overview of the identification process for
Gifted Services in Arlington Public Schools.
Part 1:
Professional Learning Communities
Professional Learning Communities
(PLC)
Four Key Questions Focus Us on Learning
#1 What is it we expect our students to learn?
#2 How will we know when they have learned it?
#3 How will we provide time and support when
they don’t learn it?
#4 How will we extend learning when they already
know it or learn it quickly?
The role of the RTG
•Increase teachers’ capacity •Inform staff about gifted
to infuse gifted pedagogy
education training
into the regular classroom
opportunities
•Promote and model
procedures, strategies, and
techniques to support gifted •Facilitate the gifted
students
identification process
•Provide curricular resources
•Serve as an advocate to
in order to differentiate
content for gifted students
identify and provide
•Work collaboratively with
services for high-ability
cluster teachers to plan and
students
deliver instruction
How can I provide support in a PLC?
•16 years of professional teaching experience; 6
teaching gifted 4th/6th grade classrooms
•B.A., M.Ed. (University of Connecticut, 1998; 1999)
•Master’s in Gifted and Talented Education
(University of Connecticut, 2005)
•National Board Certification (Middle ChildGeneralist, 2008)
•Relevant Training: Junior Great Books, Socratic Seminar, Project M2 and M3,
William & Mary LA Units, Jacob’s Ladder, SEM-R Reading Framework, Project
DBQ, Library of Congress Primary Sources, Twice-Exceptional Learners, Concept
Development Model
How can PLCs help me?
Grade 2
•A collective 21 years of experience
•Undergraduate degrees in Childhood Special Education, History,
Communications, and Pyschology
•5 Master’s degrees in Elementary Education
•Endorsements in Special Education, ESOL, and two Reading (in
progress)
How can PLCs help me?
Grade 4
•A collective 59 years, 3 months of experience
•Undergraduate degrees in Education, Elementary Education,
Dance, Advertising, and Math/Computer Science
•Master’s degrees in Elementary Education, Social Science
w/emphasis on Gifted Education; Science (in progress)
•Endorsements in Reading and Early Childhood (K-8), Language
Arts(K-8), Math (Pre-K – 8), History (Pre-K – 8), English (K-12),
Gifted (K-12); and two candidates for National Board
Certification.
How can PLCs help me?
Grade 5
•A collective 48 years of experience
•Undergraduate degrees in Education and Psychology
•Master’s degrees in Elementary Education
•Lead Instructional Teacher, Lead Science Teacher, Lead Social
Studies Teacher, three winners of the McKinley Teacher of the
Year, three acquired 40+ recertification points in gifted
education.
Part 2:
Elements of Gifted Services
RTG & Classroom Support
(K-1)
◦ Collaboratively plan Critical and Creative
Thinking (CCT) lessons
◦ Model and deliver monthly CCT lessons
◦ Modeling builds capacity for teachers to
replicate similar lessons in the future
◦ Provide resources and differentiation support
RTG & Classroom Support
(Gr. 2-5)
◦ Collaborate with grade-level teams for the
planning and implementation of lessons
◦ Utilize collaborative teaching methods in cluster
classrooms for math and language arts
◦ Incorporate CCT skills to build capacity of
teachers to replicate similar lessons in the future
◦ Provide resources as needed to support the
social studies and science curriculum.
What does co-teaching look
like?
Co-Teaching Forms:
◦ Whole group team teaching with classroom teacher
◦ Small group teaching in classroom, coordinated and coplanned with classroom teacher
◦ Co-planning with classroom teacher for differentiation
on days without gifted resource teacher
Flexible grouping is determined by:
◦ Needs of students
◦ Needs of the classroom teacher
◦ Difficulty of unit/topic
Sample Curriculum Resources
APS Gifted Literature Units
William and Mary Literature
Units
Best of the Continental Math
League
Hands-On Equations
Junior Great Books
Project Clarion Science Units
Jacob’s Ladder Reading
Comprehension Program
William and Mary ProblemBased Science Units
Schoolwide Enrichment ModelReading (SEM-R) Framework
William and Mary Social
StudiesUnits
Project M2 and Project M3
History Alive!
The Problem Solver Units
Primary Source Documents
(Library of Congress)
Critical & Creative Thinking Skills
Big Ideas
Overarching Concepts: Change, Patterns, Systems, Perspectives,
Cause/Effect, Cycles
Taba Concept Development Model
Critical Thinking
Teaching Models
Frayer Model, Future Problem Solving, Hamburger Model of
Persuasive Writing, Jacob’s Ladder, Literature Web, Paul’s
Elements of Reasoning, Research Model, Vocabulary Web
Creative Thinking
SCAMPER, FFOE (Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, Elaboration),
Creative Problem Solving
Decisions and
Outcomes
PMI, Ethical Thinking (6-12), Habits of Mind, Problem Based
Learning, Project Based Learning
Making Connections Mind-Mapping, Visualization, Analogies, Synectics
Point of View
(Different
Perspectives)
deBono’s Hats, Debates, RAFT, Socratic Seminar, Junior Great
Books, Structured Academic Controversy
Questioning
Bloom’s Taxonomy, Levels of Questioning
Part 3:
The Gifted Identification Process
Virginia Gifted Regulations
Virginia Department of Education regulations
state that each school district must develop a
plan to identify and provide services to those
students who have learning needs beyond the
regular instructional program.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/gifted_ed/index.shtml
Arlington Public Schools
•Identify students who require gifted services
•Train teachers in ways to provide services
•Establish continuous educational services to
match the needs of gifted learners
•Support differentiated instruction to meet
the needs of gifted students
Gifted Services:
Areas of Identification
Specific Academic Aptitude (Grades K-12)
◦ English
◦ Mathematics
◦ Science
◦ Social Studies
Visual or Performing Arts (Grades 3-12)
◦ Visual Art
◦ Vocal Music
◦ Instrumental Music (instruments taught in APS)
Screening for Gifted Services
•Each year, the total population is screened by
school staff to create a pool of candidates based on
students’ need for gifted services.
•Students may be referred for services by their
classroom teacher, school personnel,
parents/guardians, community leaders, or other
students until April 1st of the current school year
•Once a student is referred for services, the RTG
works to create a portfolio with four main
components.
1. Nationally-normed assessments
◦All Grade 2 students take the Naglieri
Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT-2)
◦All Grade 4 students take the Cognitive
Abilities Test (CogAT)
◦Other tests include the Kaufman-Brief
Intelligence Test (KBIT) and the Test of
Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students
(TOMAGS).
2. School-based Achievement
◦Interactive Achievement Tests
◦SOLs
◦Honors or distinctions (ex. Geography Bee,
Reflections Contest, Continental Math
League, etc).
3. Student Behaviors/Characteristics
◦Parent Information Sheet
◦Teacher information related to behaviors
and characteristics of gifted students.
4. Demonstrated Performance
◦Distinguished levels of performances when
working with advanced content:
◦ Continental Math League
◦ Interpretive responses within the Junior Great
Books Programs
◦ Analysis of Primary Source Documents
◦ Responses to Project Clarion Science Activities
◦ Responses to Critical and Creative Thinking
lessons
Visual and Performing Arts
(VPA)
Referrals for Visual/Performing Arts (Grades 3-12)
work a little bit differently.
◦ Art and Music Teacher Referral: Observations of
Artistic Behaviors
◦ Student Products
◦ Grades
◦ Parent Information
Art and Music Differentiation
Visual Arts:
◦ Differentiation takes place in the art classroom
◦ analyzing their work with more in-depth questions
◦ working with more/different materials
◦ mentoring other students
◦ Grade 2-5: morning art club (10-week sessions
for Grades 4-5; shorter for Grades 2-3)
◦ Serves as an opportunity to be introduced to new art
ideas and to work on individual projects
Art and Music Differentiation
Vocal Music:
◦ Differentiation takes place in the music classroom
◦ Frequent formative assessments to monitor
student mastery of concepts and to adjust
instruction
◦ Open-ended projects that allow for students to
demonstrate their creativity and abilities
◦ Grades 2-5 McKinley Children’s Theater with partner
Educational Theater Company (ETC)
◦ Grades 2-3: Kaleidoscope Choir (after-school enrichment)
◦ Grades 4 & 5 (Band/Orchestra/Treble Clef Singers)
Identification Decisions
Identification decisions are sent to parents or
guardians by letter within 10 school days of
the Identification Committee meeting.
If students are found eligible •Identified gifted students in grades 2-5 are cluster
grouped* into classrooms with intellectual peers
•RTG plans with and supports the classroom
teachers using extension activities and projects for
students who have already mastered grade-level
content
•Note: Support may look different in the various
grade levels depending on teacher and student
needs
*for the upcoming school year
If students are not found eligible An appeal is available to families following
the eligibility process
◦ Appeals begin at the school level with the
principal
◦ A second level of appeal is countywide Gifted
Services Administrative Appeals Committee
(must be submitted within 30 days of the school
level committee decision)
Parent Resources
• Virginia Association for the Gifted (VAG)
http://www.vagifted.org
• National Association for the Gifted (NAGC)
http://nagc.org
– NAGC National Conference – Baltimore, MD
– NAGC Parent Day – Saturday, November 15
• Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
http://sengifted.org
Getting Connected: APS Gifted Services
Sign up for @APSGifted Twitter
APS Gifted Services Website www.apsva.us/giftedservices
Cheryl McCullough, Supervisor, Gifted Services
at 703-228-6160 or cheryl.mccullough@apsva.us
Contact Information
Kevin Trainor, Resource Teacher for the Gifted
Email: kevin.trainor@apsva.us
Phone: (703) 228-5280
Questions and/or Exit Cards
•I’m happy to address any general
questions about gifted services at
McKinley at this time.
•If you have questions specific to your
child, please contact me to set up a
follow-up meeting or phone call.