McCrory Gifted and Talented Program Overview
McCrory School District in Arkansas offers a comprehensive Gifted and Talented Program for high-potential students. The program, established in 1983, caters to K-12 students with above-average intellectual ability, task commitment, and creative talent. It provides qualitatively differentiated educational experiences to meet the unique needs of gifted learners. The program is governed by state regulations and involves community partnerships, annual evaluations, and ongoing staff development initiatives. Decision-making and program oversight involve the local Board of Education and a dedicated Advisory Committee.
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McCrory Gifted and Talented Program - PD By: Teah Robertson K-12 Coordinator/Teacher AP Coordinator
Act 445 of 1983 Quality Education Act Act 445 of 1983 states that all public school districts in Arkansas must provide a program for gifted and talented students. History of the McCrory GT Program 1983- McCrory started with only a high school program 1985- McCrory served 2nd 12thgraders 1987- McCrory began serving enrichment to K-3 and pull-out has been offered to students in 4th 12th
Arkansas State Definition of Gifted and Talented Gifted and talented children and youth are those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services. Possession of these talents and gifts, or the potential for their development, will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability, task commitment and /or motivation, and creative ability. (Arkansas Reg., Gifted and Talented: Rules and Regulations: Program Approval Standards.)
10.00 GT End-of-Year Evaluation Report : The End-of-Year Program Evaluation made a reasonable effort to assess strengths and weaknesses of the McCrory GT Program. According to the end-of-year evaluation, as well as the state approved program application we continue to have a model Gifted and Talented Program at the McCrory School District.
Who makes the decisions for the program? Written policies required by the rules as stated in the GT Program Approval Standards shall be approved by the local Board of Education, made available to all stakeholders and reviewed annually for updates and revisions. 4.00 Community Involvement: a working partnership between school personnel and other members of the community will benefit a gifted and talented program. Advisory Committees are formed for GT Education and must include parents, as well as professional educators to make decisions that best meet the program s needs. The McCrory GT Program Advisory Committee meets annually, if not bi- annually, to best meet the needs of not only the program, but its students, too.
5.00 Staff Development page 13 GT PAS Professional development about gifted and talented education is required for all staff in AR schools. 5.02 Opportunities to increase knowledge of the education of gifted and talented students are provided for continuing and new school board members, school and district administrators, teachers and support staff on a continuing and regular basis. GT Coordinator attends bi-monthly meetings and PD at the Coop level, as well as state/national conferences such as AGATE and AAGEA- yearly, and NAGC- every 4 years for training.
6.00 Personnel (page 14 GT PAS) Persons associated with the gifted and talented program need special qualifications in the areas of training, experience, and personal qualities. (See previous slide for GT Coordinator/Teacher training) At least one person serves as district administrator or coordinator of the gifted program In small districts it is likely that the same person will be the teacher of gifted students and the administrator or coordinator of the program
Arkansas TESS GT Coordinator Framework Professional responsibilities in a nut shell, the GT coordinator: AR TESS GT Framework For this year, my PGP is/will continue to be geared more towards the Professional Responsibilities, as well as GT Curriculum and activites.
7.00 Identifications- How do we know who is gifted and talented? The McCrory GT Program Coordinator collects data each year for identification purposes. Placement decisions consist of: 1. Based on multiple criterion: 2 objective measures, 2 subjective measures, and 1 creativity measure 2. No single criterion cut-off score is used to include or exclude a student 3. Procedures are non-discriminatory and information is collected and given a number instead of a name. 4. Identification Committee (consisting of the GT Coordinator as chairman, at least one administrator, a collection of licensed teachers, and school counselors) is gathered to review all collected data to determine if the student(s) needs are best met through services of the gifted program. 5. Placement decisions are communicated to the parent(s) and instructional staff. 6. Students in the McCrory School District GT Program are re-evaluated yearly through annual reviews.
Can identification decisions be appealed, or students be exited from the program? The answer is yes. There are appeal procedures in place for teachers, parents, and/or students who wish to appeal the decision of the placement committee. There are also exit procedures for students who wish to drop from the GT Program or whose needs change.
What about previously identified students that move into our district? Students that come from another AR school district- Each school determines whether it will continue to provide services to students who have been receiving services in other districts in the state with the exception of military dependents. Students that come from another state- Each state has its own policies about servicing gifted students. GT Coordinators will check state policies and then the school will determine whether it will continue to provide services to students who have been receiving services in other districts in the state with the exception of military dependents. Policy change- Each identified student that transfers into the McCrory School District will undergo identification testing.
What are common characteristics of gifted students? Unusual alertness, even in infancy Rapid learner; puts thoughts together quickly Excellent memory Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for age Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and abstract ideas Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful Idealism and sense of justice at early age Concern with social and political issues and injustices Longer attention span and intense concentration Preoccupied with own thoughts daydreamer Learn basic skills quickly and with little practice Asks probing questions Wide range of interests (or extreme focus in one area) Highly developed curiosity Interest in experimenting and doing things differently Puts idea or things together that are not typical Keen and/or unusual sense of humor Desire to organize people/things through games or complex schemas Vivid imaginations (and imaginary playmates when in preschool) Inventor or idea generator Webb, J., Gore, J., Amend, E., DeVries, A. (2007). A parent's guide to gifted children. Tuscon, AZ: Great Potential Press
8.00 Program Options - What does the McCrory GT Program offer as options? Elementary School K-3rd Grade Whole Group Enrichment: 40 minutes per week with the GT teacher. Identified 4th 6th Grade students Pull-Out Program: 150 minutes per week with GT teacher. Identified 7th 12th Grade students Differentiation in content core subjects of Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. Students have the option to select Pre-AP and AP classes in some of the core subjects. Identified students meet with the GT teacher one class period per week on a rotating schedule. If a student at the high school level is not registered and attending a PreAP/AP course, then they must meet with the GT teacher monthly. This is mandatory. I have a weekly rotation schedule to fit the needs of students.
9.00- Curriculum: What does the gifted curriculum consist of or not consist of? Curriculum of the gifted must differ not only in degree, but in kind. It is important to avoid simply more of the same. The gifted and talented curriculum should be in place of rather than in addition to required classroom work. If a child misses their regular classroom work, they do not have to make up the missed assignment. That can be considered as additional work as punishment . However, I do ask the student(s) to be responsible in completing it anyways to not get behind or bring on possible struggles. Be aware that gifted students are not gifted in all areas. They can struggle in particular courses. Struggling and playing around, or simply not doing, is not the same. Teachers can not give a different, more challenging test to GT students UNLESS they have taught the material in a different, more challenging way.
McCrory GT Program Scope and Sequence 5 Strands are T, E, A, and M Strand 1: Critical thinking Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Problem Solving Strand 2: Creative Thinking Cognitive, Creativity, Fluency Flexibility Originality Elaboration Strand 3: Research Skills Selection Data Collection Methods of Reporting Information Strand 4: Self-Awareness Self-Image and Concept Interpersonal Growth and Development Decision Making Strand 5: Technology Digital Citizenship Operations and Concepts Research and Information Inquiry Communication and Collaboration Creativity and Innovation Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision-Making *Taught, Emphasized, Applied, and Mastered
GT Program Opportunities Chess Club 4th -12th Grades Fall and Spring Competitions Quiz Bowl 6th Grade Spring competition The Stock Market Game 4th 12th Grades In the Fall, teams invest an imaginary $100,00 to see if they can make their money grow. Technology Fair WDMESC collaborates with partnered EAST programs to learn different technological programs along with experiencing a virtual discovery tour for GT pull-out 5th 6th grades. Field Trip Experiences The GT Program is able to experience ever-changing wonders through small and large scale field trip opportunities throughout the school year. AR Innovation Hub College Fair/Visits Robotics Competition Melt Art Studio 4th 12th Grades: October 11-15, 2019 Discovering the American Spirit at Disney World- Orlando, FL 4th 12th Grades: May 2021- West Coast Explorations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and possibly The Grand Canyons.
