highly capable education - psd 401 · 2015. 12. 14. · to your child’s school or email/fax...
TRANSCRIPT
Highly Capable Education
Peninsula School District seeks to optimize learning for each student
through rigorous, engaging, and varied opportunities
Philosophy:
PSD recognizes that the needs of students identified as Highly Capable are not met through the
general K-12 program. Highly Capable students need specific instruction and services to meet
their academic, intellectual, and social needs. They thrive in settings that offer accelerated
academic achievement, divergent and creative thinking, and varied opportunities to challenge
themselves and each other intellectually.
The Highly Capable Program in PSD provides a continuum of services for identified highly
capable students to meet their individual and collective needs.
Continuum of Services,
Referral Form, & Parent Permission
2015-2016 School Year
John Hellwich Joy Giovanini Assistant Superintendent Highly Capable Program Coordinator
Learning and Teaching 253-530-1063
253-530-1007
Rita Reandeau Jennifer Dempewolf
Director Director
Student Services Assessment & Accountability
253-530-1081 253.530.1069
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10/28/2015
Continuum of Highly Capable Services2016-2017
Kindergarten 1st Grade 2
nd Grade 3
rd Grade 4
th Grade 5
th Grade
6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade 9th
-10th
Grade 11th
-12th
Grade
Differentiated
instruction
provided at
neighborhood
school and
administration
of fall
Cognitive
Abilities
screening plus
gathering of
academic
measures.
P.A.C.E. (Full time program) Grades 2/3 and Grades 4/5 classroom:
This self-contained program is a full-day, full-week setting for highly
capable students who are identified by the Multi-disciplinary team using
multiple data points. The program is housed at Minter Creek Elementary
and Voyager Elementary and provides acceleration, enrichment and depth
of content. District transportation is provided.
Language Arts
and Social
Studies:
Advanced / accelerated
course offerings
Mathematics
and Science:
Advanced /
accelerated
course offerings
Language Arts
and Social
Studies:
AP Lang.
AP Lit.
Running Start,
College in the
High School
Mathematics and
Science:
Advanced
Courses
AP Courses
Running Start,
College in the
High School
Cluster:
Students
identified in
kindergarten as
top 10% on
CogAT
Screener will be
clustered with a
Highly Capable
trained teacher
at their
neighborhood
school with a
focus on
enrichment.
A.I.R. and A.I.M.: Highly capable students scoring high 96+PR in either
verbal (reading – AIR) or quantitative (math - AIM) are clustered with a
Highly Capable trained teacher at their neighborhood school. The teachers
utilize pre-assessment, curriculum compacting, a balance of going deeper
and faster when needed, and enrichment for their identified area while
receiving grade level instruction for other areas.
Self-Contained (Humanities
Block): Qualified students in
PACE or AIR are eligible for the
middle school self-contained
humanities block (Social Studies
and Language Arts). The self-
contained programs are housed
at Kopachuck and Key Peninsula
Middle School.
Humanities Cluster: Identified
PACE or AIR are clustered for a
humanities block at their
neighborhood school with a
Highly Capable trained teacher
at Goodman and Harbor Ridge
Middle School.
Advanced (compacted) math: Students are placed in
advanced math tracks according to their readiness for
acceleration based on district math placement test and
teacher input. This option is offered at all middle schools.
Humanities
Cluster:
Identified PACE
or AIR are
clustered for a
humanities block
at their
neighborhood
school with a
Highly Capable
trained teacher.
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Referral Process
Who may refer students for highly capable testing?
Anyone may refer a student once annually to participate in highly capable testing (Cognitive Abilities full battery
and ITBS math and reading) in grades 1-8. Referrals may come from parents, teachers, school specialists,
friends, family, community members, or even the student him/herself. These forms are attached to this
document and are available on our website and at your child’s school. Selection of students for our Highly
Capable programs occurs once annually for placement the following school year.
Referral Timeline
The referral forms (included in this packet) for the 2016-2017 school year placements are available online or in the
school office starting September 2, 2015.
Teacher and Parent referral forms are due to the student’s school’s main office or to the district’s Assessment
office by January 8, 2016.
Parent Referral Forms and Permissions
All parents/guardians (whether or not the originator of the referral form) must give permission for the student to be
tested for highly capable services. The form is attached to this handout and available online.
Highly Capable Identification Timeline 2015-16
September-January
High Capable Testing Referral Window, grades 1-8: September 2, 2015- January 8, 2016
Parent Referral & Permission Form is found on the last two pages of this packet.
Second week of December: District-wide screener of kindergarteners for potential enrichment and
differentiation in kindergarten and clustering in 1st grade classes. Note- Kindergarten screener serves as an
initial source of data but does not provide highly capable identification beyond the 1st grade Cluster.
January/February
Highly Capable Testing for referred students in grades 1-8:
Saturday January 30th, 2016
OR
Saturday February 6th, 2016.
Please note: kindergarteners do not participate in the January/February highly capable testing
March
Highly Capable Multi-disciplinary Team meets to review test results and identify qualified students
April
Parents notified of test results and qualification
Open House to visit PACE programs and learn more about AIR/AIM for parents
Acceptance of program options due back to school district
August
Testing for students new to the area and/or new to public school after January:
Wednesday August 3, 2016
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Selection Process
Highly Capable students are those who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced
academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments – typically 2-3% of the
population. A multi-disciplinary team comprised of teachers, principals, school psychologist, and district
administrators meet to make placement decisions in the spring for the following school year.
Assessments used for identification for the Highly Capable Program include the Cognitive Abilities Test full
battery and Iowa Test of Basic Skills in reading and math. Additional measures may be administered and/or
reviewed at the recommendation of the district’s multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
WAC 392-170-075
Each school district’s board of directors shall adopt policies and procedures for the selection of the most highly
capable students by the multidisciplinary selection committee.
Notification
Test results from the Cognitive Abilities test (CogAT) will be sent home after the MDT meets in March.
Appeals
Students who do not qualify for the Highly Capable program may have their results appealed. An appeal may be
initiated by the parent/guardian, staff member, or by the student. An appeals form (available on our website)
should be filed within two weeks of receipt of your child’s results. Appeals are reviewed by the district’s multi-
disciplinary team and parents notified once a decision has been reached.
WAC 392-170-076
Each district shall adopt a procedure for appealing the multidisciplinary selection committee’s decision and
disseminate this procedure to the public.
Retesting
Re-testing: Students may re-test annually through the referral process given the following conditions:
1. It has been over 9 months since the student last tested and
2. The student is enrolled in at least one grade level higher than when they last tested.
Transfer Students
Students who transfer to PSD from out-of-district schools and have qualified in a previous highly capable program
are not automatically enrolled in our program. Test scores and placement letters from the other district may be
used but students must meet our placement criteria.
A summer (August) testing opportunity will be available for students who are new to the area and/or new to public
school and do not have qualified test scores from previous schools.
To send test scores and placement letters: email/fax directly to [email protected] /fax: 253-530-1010
Attn: Hoa Weale
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Exiting the Program
The Peninsula School District, in compliance with the Washington State rules for Highly Capable Programs (WAC
392-170-047), has a procedure to allow students to exit the Highly Capable Program.
The Highly Capable Program consists of a variety of services and therefore is dynamic and fluid. Students may be
exited from the program for one of the following reasons:
1. Parents/ guardians request that the student no longer take part in the services. Whether the student has
previously participated in the program or is a newly qualified student, parents receive annual program
choice in which they indicate preference of participation.
2. On a case by case basis with input from the teacher, student’s parents, principal, and student services
staff, it may be determined that the highly capable services are not the best fit for the individual
student’s needs.
3. Students who are identified for acceleration services through a screening process in kindergarten are not
guaranteed continuation of services past first grade. The continuation of services in second grade and
beyond is contingent upon qualifying for services based on the full highly capable testing process
beginning in first grade.
Typical Learning Characteristics of Gifted Children
Unusually large vocabulary for their age
Ability to read earlier than most children, often before entering school
Greater comprehension of the subtleties of language
Longer attention span, persistence and intense concentration
Ability to learn basic skills more quickly and with less practice
Wide range of interests
Highly developed curiosity and a limitless supply of questions
Interest in experimenting and doing things differently
Tendency to put ideas or things together in ways that are unusual and not obvious
(divergent thinking)
Unusual sense of humor
Webb, Meckstroch, and Tolan, Guiding the Gifted Child
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High Achiever or Gifted?
High Achievers Gifted Students
Know the answers Ask the questions
Are interested Are curious
Have good ideas May have wild or unexpected ideas
Understand ideas Construct abstracts
Complete assignments Initiate projects
Enjoy School Enjoy learning
Are technicians Are inventors
Grasp meaning Draw inferences
Enjoy peers Prefer adults
Learn with ease Already know
Listen with interest Demonstrate strong feelings and opinions
Absorb information Manipulate information
Copy accurately Create new designs
Are receptive Are critical
WAC 392-170-036 – Definition- Learning characteristics
As used in this chapter, the term learning characteristics means that students who are highly capable may possess,
but are not limited to, these learning characteristics:
1) Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer
learning to new situations;
2) Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their
chronological peers;
3) Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts;
4) Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength; and
5) Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus.
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Highly Capable Program
PARENT REFERRAL & PERMISSION
DIRECTIONS: Please complete both pages of this form, detach it from the rest of the packet, and return to either
to your child’s school or email/fax directly to [email protected] / fax: 253-530-1010 Attn: Hoa Weale by
January 8, 2016.
Please print clearly or type.
Student’s First Name
Last Name
Current School
Current Grade Level
Neighborhood School (if different than current school)
Date of Birth M/D/Y
Current Teacher (English teacher if in middle school)
Student resides in district?
☐Yes ☐ No
Name of person submitting this referral
Relation to student
☐ parent ☐ Other:
I give consent for my child to be tested for the Highly Capable Program Services in order to determine
eligibility.
Parent/Guardian signature: ________________________________________________Date_______________
I give consent for my child to be served in the Highly Capable Program.
(Actual service options will be determined with parent input.)
Parent/Guardian signature: ________________________________________________Date_______________
Parents of students with health conditions that may require emergency medication will need to be immediately
available during testing sessions scheduled outside of regular school hours.
Please choose one of the two highly capable testing dates.
☐ Saturday, January 30, 2016 ☐ Saturday, February 6, 2016
Parent/Guardian Name (Please print)
Street Address
City Zip Code
Phone 1: ☐ cell ☐ home ☐ work
Phone 2: ☐ cell ☐ home ☐ work
Email Address
Mailing address (if different from above)
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Does your child need special testing accommodations as specified in a 504 or IEP? ☐ Y ☐ N
Has your child been tested for highly capable services in the past year? ☐ Y ☐ N
(other than Kindergarten Screener)
Please respond to the statements below by marking the number that best represents the student. Add any examples
or comments in the third column. Additional information regarding a student’s exceptional ability, achievement
and/or creativity may be submitted with this application.
Low High Comments
Constantly asks questions
1
2
3
4
5
Offers unusual responses
1
2
3
4
5
Likes to try new things
1
2
3
4
5
Has a keen sense of humor
1
2
3
4
5
Creates original ideas and
products
1
2
3
4
5
Has many interests, hobbies
and collections
1
2
3
4
5
Is bored with routine tasks
1
2
3
4
5
Learns quickly and easily
1
2
3
4
5
Uses advanced vocabulary
1
2
3
4
5
Enjoys complex tasks
1
2
3
4
5
Intense; gets totally into tasks
or thoughts
1
2
3
4
5
Relates easily to adults and
older peers
1
2
3
4
5
Sense of fairness
1
2
3
4
5
Explain why you are referring this student for highly capable testing. Give specific examples where possible.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Please return completed form to either to your child’s school or email/fax directly to [email protected] / fax:
253-530-1010 Attn: Hoa Weale by January 8, 2016