TAGT: Advocacy & Enrichment
for the Gifted –
What you need to know about TAGT as a
parent of an academically gifted child.
Tracy Fisher
Texas Association for the
Gifted and Talented
antraasa@aol.com
www.txgifted.org
If the only tool you have is a
hammer, you tend to see every
problem as a nail.
- Abraham Maslow
Who Are the Gifted?
• When Thomas Edison was a boy, his
teachers told him he was too stupid to
learn.
• A newspaper editor once fired Walt Disney
because he had “no good ideas.”
• Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk
War as a captain and came out as a
private.
Needs of Academically Gifted,
Creative and Talented
Individuals
Academically Gifted
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Varied outlets for intellectual curiosity
Work with challenging situations and people
Expectations appropriate to ability
Help in dealing with frustration and inactivity
Creative Individuals
• Freedom to question and examine the unusual, unknown
and puzzling
• To submerge oneself completely in a task
• Urge to be different, unique, individual
The Demands of Giftedness
Premises
 *High level intelligence makes certain demands upon the gifted child
 *Behavior of gifted children results from these demands.
 *There are curriculum implications inherent in these demands.
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To crave for knowledge – to satisfy the need to feel progress in what he is learning.
To feel the need to focus on or devour a subject.
To place high standards on himself.
To be creative or inventive; to seek an unusual or unique approach to an assignment.
To concentrate – to become totally absorbed in a task – to have a longer attention
span.
To resist routine, drill; to require unique ways of pursuing drill.
To be intolerant of stupidity.
To do critical, evaluative thinking. (May lead to critical attitude toward self and others)
To have his intelligence responded to.
To pursue a learning pace of his own. (May be fast or slow)
To be outstanding in several areas but average in some.
State of Texas’ Definition of a
Gifted and Talented Student
"Gifted and talented student" means a child or
youth who performs at or shows the potential
for performing at a remarkably high level of
accomplishment when compared to others of
the same age, experience, or environment and
who:
(1) exhibits high performance capability in an
intellectual, creative, or artistic area;
(2) possesses an unusual capacity for leadership;
or
(3) excels in a specific academic field.
State Goal for Services for
Gifted/Talented Students*
Students who participate in services designed for
gifted/talented students will demonstrate skills in selfdirected learning, thinking, research, and communication,
as evidenced by the development of innovative products
and performances that reflect individuality and creativity
and are advanced in relation to students of similar age,
experience, or environment. High school graduates who
have participated in services for gifted/talented students
will have produced products and performances of
professional quality as part of their program services.
* as adopted by the Texas State Board of Education
Parents should be recognized as
special educators; the true
experts on their children.
Professional people—teachers,
pediatricians, psychologists, and
others—have to learn to be
consultants to parents.
- Nicholas
Hobbs*
* a pioneer in the field of child psychology; his legacy is the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, a national
resource for children.
Advocating for Gifted
Education
Key Points Regarding the Value of Gifted Education
• Every child should receive an education that most appropriately
meets their educational needs, regardless of their gifts, disabilities, or
socioeconomic standing.
• Gifted education has value to the entire school system. It has served
as the cutting edge of school improvement for many years—
innovations such as higher level thinking skills, differentiated
curriculum and instruction, and performance standards stem directly
from the field.
• Gifted students deserve an opportunity to learn what they don’t know
rather than endlessly restudying and “relearning” what they have
proven they already do know.
Advocating for Gifted Programs in Local
Schools and Communities
 Establish a rationale
Educate others about why gifted learners need a different approach to learning.
 Brush up on your communication skills
Make your rationale for supporting services for the gifted clear and informative.
 Build a bridge for administrators
Administrators are concerned about ensuring educational excellence for all of their students.
 Network, Network, Network
Serve on committees involved with strategic planning, accountability, or program evaluation.
Join local groups, TAGT and NAGC for a local, state, and national perspective on gifted
education.
Advocating for Gifted Programs in
Local Schools and Communities
The most important piece of advice is …
Don't wait for an emergency to
build support for gifted services!
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Suggestions for Good
Advocacy
• ALWAYS:
prepare yourself for an appointment; be clear and
specific about the purpose of your meeting, introduce
yourself, and leave materials relevant to the issue.
• ALWAYS:
be punctual, and be willing to wait for a person who runs
behind schedule.
• ALWAYS:
keep letters and visits short and to the point.
• ALWAYS:
be accurate and authentic with supporting facts document resources.
• ALWAYS:
• ALWAYS:
be pleasant and polite.
be aware that issues have two sides. Acknowledge an
opposing viewpoint.
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• ALWAYS:
follow-up with a thank-you note, phone call, e-mail, a
letter, vote, etc.
Texas Association for the
Gifted and Talented (TAGT)
• TAGT is the nation’s largest state advocacy group of its
kind, providing more than 2,500 engaged and diverse
members a forum for exchanging ideas and information
about the education of gifted learners.
• Our mission is to connect and empower educators and
parents to meet the unique social, emotional, and
intellectual needs of gifted and talented students, and we
carry that mission out by providing relevant, innovative
educational services, programs and resources.
The Importance of Joining
TAGT
• IMPACT – numbers count in advocacy
efforts!
• INFORMATION – stay up-to-date on
what is happening, identify
opportunities for your own
education
• INVOLVEMENT – find others who share
your interest and passion
The Value of a $25 Parent
Membership
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State level advocacy on legislation and policy
Tempo (Quarterly Journal)
Pulse (monthly e-newsletter)
Assistance with Parent Support Groups
Timely updates and calls to action
Eligibility to sponsor students for TAGT
scholarships
• Involvement with the NEW TAGT Parent Division
TAGT Parent Conference
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Saturday, February 11
Registration: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Anderson High School, 8403 Mesa Dr, Austin
$45 registration
“It Isn’t Always Easy Being Gifted” by Dr. Patricia
Gatto-Walden
TAGT Scholarships
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TAGT Summer Scholarships are designed for G/T students, grades K-12, who wish to
attend academic or artistic summer programs/camps. TAGT will award up to $400 to
those students who qualify - 2012 Deadline is March 1.
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TAGT also awards two $2500 scholarships to graduating G/T seniors.
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In 2011, TAGT awarded 57 scholarships totaling over $29,552. Since 1983, TAGT has
awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to more than 3100 individuals.
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The scholarship application is available on the TAGT website. Insights is a directory
that contains many worthy academic and artistic programs available during the
summer.
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The application requires someone who is a TAGT member to “sign on” as a sponsor.
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The Scholarship Program is funded by generous donations.
TAGT SUMMER
SCHOLARSHIPS
APPLICATIONS
SUBMITTED
APPLICATIONS
AWARDED
268
57
21.2% of all Summer Scholarship applicants
received scholarships
35 Elementary Scholarships awarded from 192
applicants (18.2%)
22 Secondary Scholarships awarded from 76
applicants (28.9%)
ADELLE MCCLENDON YOUNG
LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP
• University scholarship of $2500
• Awarded to a graduating gifted and
talented high school senior who has
demonstrated outstanding leadership
LAURA ALLARD
FUTURE VISION SCHOLARSHIP
• University scholarship of $2500
• Awarded to a graduating gifted and
talented high school senior who:
• -demonstrates outstanding academic
achievement
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-possesses a strong sense of purpose and clearly
defined goals
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-has a long-term plan for achieving these goals
EVALUATING APPLICATIONS
• Three different people independently read and evaluate
all scholarship applications.
• Written responses on the applications are evaluated
holistically on the following 8-point scale:
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8—Superior
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7—Between Superior and Commendable
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6—Commendable
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5—Between Commendable and
Acceptable
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4—Acceptable
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3—Between Acceptable and Limited
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2—Limited
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1—Inadequate
EVALUATING APPLICATIONS
• Superior: This response answers the
questions very thoroughly and completely.
Wording is clear and precise, leaving no
doubts about the intended meaning. There
are detailed and elaborated responses,
providing specific and appropriate
examples about the applicant.
TIPS FOR BETTER
APPLICATIONS
Applicants: Carefully choose who
want to write your adult
recommendation.
you
*Select someone who will do a thorough job. It can be any
adult—teacher, scout, leader, church leader, family friend,
etc.
*Be sure to point out to them that what is wanted are specific
examples of your strengths.
*Don’t hand the form to them the day before it is due—people
need to time to think.
TIPS FOR BETTER
APPLICATIONS
• It is best to write about the applicant’s interests and/or
personality than listing a series of awards. Evaluators
want to know more about the individual person.
• Remember that all the scholarship applicants are gifted,
and most are also excellent students. Be sure to include
specific information and avoid the kind of general
comments that are too “generic.”
• Information about hobbies and interests outside of school
are helpful and provide the evaluator with a fuller picture
of your child. This can help distinguish your child from
other applicants.
COMMENTS THAT ARE
“GENERIC”
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“She is great in everything.”
“He would benefit from this program.”
“Excellent student!”
“Highly motivated student.”
“She has many talents.”
“He’s a kind young man who gets along well
with others.”
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These comments are not specific and
could apply to almost any applicant!
EFFECTIVE PARENT
COMMENTS
• “He has an intense love for nature and loves
learning. Last week he and his brothers dissected
owl pellets, and now he is making a book about it.”
• “She has been an assistant to preschool classes at
the dance studio for a year, gaining reward as the
little ones accomplish steps one by one.”
• “His greatest passion is his computer work. He has
set up websites for businesses for profit, and he has
done it free for friends, families, and charitable
organizations.”
• These give details and specific examples!
OTHER SCHOLARSHIP
REMINDERS
Be sure to include the TAGT Summer Scholarship
Application Information (page 7)
Stay within space limitations
May be handwritten or typed (size 12 font or larger)
Do not include any products or work samples
Do not include extra recommendations
Check to make sure the application is complete
A current TAGT member must sign on as a sponsor
Apply to summer programs separately from this
scholarship application
Texas Legislative Update
• Texas schools were hit hard in the 2011 Legislative
session, with funding to schools being cut by $4 billion.
• Notwithstanding the deep cuts to education and with G/T
education in jeopardy, many of the programs and funding
mechanisms survived largely due to the advocacy of TAGT
members, including:
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G/T weight/allotment protected
(approx. $200-300 per student up to 5%)
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Texas Virtual School Network funded
Advanced Placement funded
Indirect cost percentage for G/T preserved
We are all inventors, each sailing
out on a voyage of discovery,
guided each by a private chart,
of which there is no duplicate.
The world is all gates, all
opportunities.
- Ralph
Emerson
Waldo
“Education is not the filling of the
pail, but the lighting of the fire.”
- WB Yeats