Junior High Gifted Academy Proposal February 9, 2016

Proposal To expand the current gifted service options for secondary students by implementing gifted academies at both the junior high and high school levels by the 2017­2018 school year. Introduction A committee was formed during the Fall 2014 to research, develop, and plan for the opening of a Junior High Gifted Academy to provide an additional service model for identified gifted students. The initial plan is to begin with a junior high academy as GPS provides limited service models for this age student. As part of this proposal, the academy model will extend into the high school level providing services to students in grades 7­12. Committee Members: Beth Nickel, Executive Director of Curriculum Dr. Brian Jaeger, Executive Director of Secondary Education Amber MacRobbie, ALP Coach & District Department Chair Chip Pettit, Principal Towne Meadows Elementary Michelle Mowery, Principal Highland Park Elementary Stephanie Newitt, Parent, Gifted Education Parent Council Member, President of Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted Kirsten Standen, Secondary ELA Coordinator Angela Dyer, Teacher, HJHS Stephen Salamon, Teacher, Towne Meadows Elementary Rebecca Nieboer, Teacher Towne Meadows Elementary Cole Cairl, Teacher MJHS Linda Trickett, Teacher SVJH Shelley Plumb, Teacher Neely Traditional Academy Emily England, Teacher Ashland & Sonoma Kay Warfield, Teacher Settlers & Finley Farms Meredith Stillman, Teacher Harris & Highland Park Kim Cobb, Teacher Towne Meadows & Highland High

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GPS Gifted Vision and Mission In 2012 a committee of teachers, administrators, and community members was formed to develop a vision and mission for gifted education in Gilbert Public Schools. Out of the work of this committee came the following vision and mission, as well as the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade self­contained gifted program currently housed at Towne Meadows Elementary. Vision Statement Gilbert Public Schools is a premier provider of services to Pre­K through Grade 12 students identified as gifted or twice­exceptional, using research­based instruction to address the needs of the whole child. Mission To achieve this vision, GPS seeks to: • Address the social, emotional, cognitive, academic, physical, and kinesthetic needs of

each gifted or twice­exceptional student. • Use state­of­the­art diagnosis and pre­assessment tools that enable teachers to provide a

rigorous curriculum at an appropriate instructional level for each student, with options that allow differentiation, individualization and flexibility.

• Address the specific needs of gifted, highly gifted, profoundly gifted and twice­exceptional students using hands­on and project­based learning and innovative use of technology.

• Ensure appropriate training and professional development for teachers of gifted education students.

• Provide mechanisms for effective communication between families and school professionals.

What is “Gifted”? According to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the definition of gifted is:

Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities

Individual states have the authority to determine their own definition of gifted, and the state of Arizona defines a gifted pupil as

a child who is of lawful school age, who due to superior intellect or advanced learning ability, or both, is not afforded an opportunity for otherwise attainable progress and

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development in regular classroom instruction and who needs appropriate gifted education services, to achieve at levels commensurate with the child's intellect and ability.

Arizona considers a student as being academically gifted if they obtain a score of 97 or above on either the verbal, quantitative, or non­verbal sections of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), or if they have an IQ of 130 or above. District’s are provided with the flexibility to provide services to students who obtain a CogAT score of 95 or higher, but are required to provide services to students who obtain the 97 or higher. Percent of students identified as gifted

6% United States 8% Arizona 8.3% Gilbert

3,022 of 36,345 GPS K­12 students are formally identified

1,111 elementary students (K­6) 562 junior high students (7­8) 1,349 high school students (9­12)

Current Gifted Services Gilbert Public Schools provides a spectrum of services at the elementary level, with limited options at the secondary level.

Elementary Service Models include: Gifted Cluster model: Several students with similar exceptional learning needs

are placed in the same mixed­ability classrooms where the regular classroom teacher is responsible for providing appropriate differentiation opportunities for their gifted students. This model is offered at all 27 elementary schools in grades K­3 and 4th ­ 5th grade English Language Arts. This model is also found in 4th ­ 6th grades math and English Language Arts at the 12 non­regional schools across the district.

ALP Pullout model: The intermediate ALP program offers students identified as verbally or quantitatively gifted an accelerated curriculum in either English Language Arts or math. This model is offered for 4­6 math and 6th grade English Language Arts at 15 regional locations across the district.

Self­Contained Gifted model: Towne Meadows Elementary currently houses the Self­contained Gifted Program, which provides students in 4th ­ 6th grades an all­day differentiated learning experience addressing the individual needs of the highly gifted students. Students are with other highly gifted peers for all core content areas (math, reading, writing, social studies and science).

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Junior High & High School Service Models include: Self­Contained Gifted Model: Highland Junior High currently houses a semi­ self

contained gifted program for a group of highly gifted 7th grade students, some of whom previously attended the self­contained program at Towne Meadows. This model provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to learning and includes social­emotional lessons to provide specific instruction on identified needs of highly gifted students.

Honors Courses: Honors courses are offered at both the Junior High and High School level. These courses typically require a CogAT score at the Junior High level, but the minimal score to be enrolled varies by campus. Several Junior High Schools group students with CogAT scores of 95 or higher in order to provide identified gifted students the ability to work with other gifted students. Honors courses provide students with an accelerated curriculum in math, and a pre­AP curriculum in English Language Arts.

Early College Options: Early College offerings include Advanced Placement and Dual Credit Courses. These are available to any high school student who wishes to enroll, but the course offerings may not be identical on all campuses. All GPS high schools offer Advanced Placement level courses, and all but GCA offer Dual Credit.

Honors & Early College Course Enrollment Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and Dual Enrollment (DE) courses at the high school level are open for all students to enroll regardless of CogAT, IQ, or other testing requirements. Students and families are encouraged to work with their counselor to determine if course prerequisites have been met, and discuss the level of rigor and expectations of the course. Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment course options provide high school students the ability to earn college credit by demonstrating their ability to complete advanced level work. The table below illustrates the number of students who are currently enrolled in advanced courses and the number of students who have been identified as gifted in at least one area.

# Gifted Students

Honors ELA

Honors Math

Honors Science

Honors Social Studies

AP/DE ELA

AP/DE Math

AP/DE Science

AP/DE Social Studies

AP/DE Elective Courses

CVHS 424 243 258 275 193 138 118 558 39

DRHS 417 395 453 162 257 102 125 321 25

GHS 399 268 438 328 105 115 88 275 12

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HHS 683 500 509 577 294 181 333 268 58

MHS 257 170 252 199 171 53 124 368 5

GCA ­ HS

116 180 238 180 51 113 54 113 182 162

*Canyon Valley­ 6 students identified as gifted Honors Course Enrollment The vast majority of junior high students receive their gifted services through taking honors courses. Even though Gilbert Public Schools identifies students who receive a CogAT score of a 95 or higher in at least one area as eligible to receive gifted services, all junior high campuses enroll students into honors courses who do not meet this criteria. Students who apply and are accepted into the AVID program at the junior high level are required to enroll into at least one honors course matched to their strongest academic area. A majority of these students do not have qualifying CogAT score to be formally identified as gifted based on GPS or Arizona criteria. The table below illustrates the number of students currently enrolled in honors courses as well as the number of formally identified gifted students.

Honors 7

ELA

Honors 7

Math

Honors 7 Science

# of Identified Gifted students

Honors 8

ELA

Honors 8 Math

Honors 8 Science

Honors 8

Social Studies

# of Identified Gifted Students

DRJHS 94 115 119 93 150 110 154 101 107

GJHS 32 42 53 26 38 37 47 21 29

GRJHS 71 94 107 94 79 120 127 67 100

HJHS 113 135 174 136 125 148 187 105 140

MJHS 55 58 57 43 60 60 75 63 61

SVJHS 90 108 119 126 122 143 159 119 150

GCA­JH 108 101 108 35 104 107 104 104 54

Gifted Service Models In Surrounding Districts Surrounding districts offer a range of gifted programs for students who are identified. Each program differs in its criteria for enrollment, but all are geared toward differentiating to meet specific gifts and talents. Secondary programs are in bold.

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Chandler Elementary Full Traditional Academies ­ 5 total Elementary Hybrid (Classical and Traditional) ­ 4 total Spanish Dual Language Program at Elementary Mandarin Immersion Program at Elementary Self­Contained Gifted Elementary School K­6 Self­contained gifted classes at Junior High ­ Bogle Chandler Early College ­ High School housed on college campus to foster the

partnership 6­8 grade college prep school 7­12 grade college prep school 7­12 comprehensive high school with emphasis in: engineering, computer

information systems technology, entrepreneurship, product design Kyrene

Elementary Full Traditional Academy ­ 1 total Gifted services provided at all elementary schools Leadership academy ­ 2 elementary schools Dual Language Program ­ spanish ­ Pre ­K Dual Language program ­ spanish ­ elementary Dual language program ­ spanish ­ junior high 6­8 grade college prep school

Mesa

Elementary­ differentiated classroom curriculum with Educational Service Plans (ESP) Elementary­resource pull­out services weekly with Gifted Endorsed teacher Junior High ­ concurrent enrollment in the core subject areas that focus on higher

level thinking skills while integrating interdisciplinary curriculum; Gifted Endorsed teachers

High School ­ Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Dual Enrollment programs, STEM program

Tempe

PACE program at all elementary campuses Aspire Academy at Connolly Middle School

Committee Work Before beginning the research on programming for a gifted academy, the committee felt the need to answer the question, “Is there an need to open a Gifted Academy at the junior high level?” After reviewing the current service models available for GPS gifted students, reviewing Arizona Revised Statute (ARS 15­779.02), reviewing the National Association for Gifted Children Programming Standards, and conducting research on the needs of gifted preteens and teens, we

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determined there is a need in Gilbert for not only expanding the service options for junior high aged students, but also for high school students. As the committee researched Junior High gifted models, members visited several schools across the Valley to gather information. In order to gain insight as to the scope of decisions to be considered, the committee visited a range of programs from schools within schools and stand alone Academies. Each visit included time to visit classrooms and talk with administration. Schools visited include:

Aspire at Connolly Middle School (Tempe) ASU Herberger Young Scholars Academy (Phoenix) Renaissance Academy at Highland Lakes (Deer Valley) Mesa Preparatory Academy (Mesa) Ingleside Middle School (Scottsdale)

More information relating to each site visited can be found at the end of this report. Out of the visits, the committee brainstormed a list of decisions to be made in order to provide a service model that would not only meet the needs of current gifted junior high students, but also draw gifted students back to Gilbert Public Schools from local charter schools and/or other districts. Considerations the Committee Researched

Philosophy Curriculum Grade Levels Size Location & Transportation Student Eligibility Criteria Teacher Selection Criteria Parent Input Timeline Marketing of Program

Specific Decision Point Information Research topics were distributed among four subcommittees to cull the findings.

Philosophy, Curriculum, & Instruction Location & Transportation Student Eligibility & Teacher Selection Criteria Parent Engagement & Marketing

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Each subcommittee presented their work and recommendations to the committee as a whole, who asked questions, provided suggestions, and solidified the recommendations presented. The information and recommendations ahead are the end product of this work. Philosophy The Gilbert Gifted Academy recognizes a gifted student’s unique individuality and empowers these students with a mentally rigorous, differentiated, substantive curriculum, that is accelerated and enriched, authentic and relevant, and that stimulates an academic progression beyond the standard foundations of the regular classroom. The academy provides advanced resources and collaboration with peers, experts, and community members as it refines and solidifies this academic advancement. Social and emotional awareness helps our students to develop a growth mindset, manage perfectionism, and acquire interpersonal skills crucial for productivity. Provided with these tools, our students develop a strong work ethic and realize their full potential.

Curriculum & Instruction A small subcommittee was formed to research best practices in gifted education, programming models, and identify potential curriculum resources and materials. Their recommendations include: Adopting a research­based curriculum with materials and resources that

Allow for the inclusion of AZCCRS grade level standards, with enrichment and acceleration based on the individual student.

Promote the systematic, intentional teaching of a social­emotional curriculum Incorporate leadership understanding and training

The Instructional Approaches to be fostered include:

Interdisciplinary approach Socratic seminar Project­based and problem­based learning Incorporation of community mentors Curriculum compacting Genius creative hour and/or makerspace Leadership understanding and training Components from the NAGC K­12 Gifted Programming Standards for Learning

and Development

Individual Learning Plans will be developed for each student

More information relating to specific curriculum and instructional approaches can be found at the end of this report.

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Grade Levels Through the committees research, the inclusion of various grade levels and grouping options were reviewed. All options discussed were based on the school within a school framework. These include:

Grades 6­8 located on a junior high campus, followed by 9­12 high school campus Grades 7 & 8 located on a junior high campus, followed by 9­12 high school campus Grades 7­12 located on a high school campus Grades 3­8 located on an elementary campus, followed by 9­12 high school campus Grades 3­6 located on an elementary campus, followed by 7­8 junior high, and 9­12 high

school campus Location & Transportation According to parent survey results, having their children attend an elementary, junior high, and high school within the same vertical path is a high priority among Gilbert parents. If families are to choose GPS Academies over their neighborhood school, campus articulations must be determined prior to opening. With this being said, the committee intentionally included this as a consideration for recommending a location for the Junior High Academy. After reviewing space availability at junior high locations, space availability at the feeder high school and elementary schools were also reviewed. Information gained from parent survey results were also incorporated into the consideration criteria. The following chart illustrates the findings.

Gilbert Jr

Mesquite Jr

Greenfield Jr

South Valley Jr

Highland Jr

Desert Ridge Jr

Space for growth Yes Yes Limited No Limited No

Central location No No Yes No Yes No

Performing Arts facilities

No Yes No No No No

Feeder HS has space for growth

Yes (MHS & GHS)

Yes (MHS & GHS)

Yes (GHS only)

No (CVHS)

No (HHS)

No (DRHS)

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Feeder Elem. has space for growth

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Feeder HS has central location

Yes (GHS)

No (MHS)

Yes (GHS)

No (CVHS)

Yes (HHS)

No (DRHS)

2e Services No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Transportation will be provided to students who need it via regional stops. This model is currently used for GCA, Neely, and the self­contained gifted elementary and junior high programs. Student Eligibility Criteria After a tremendous amount of time researching eligibility criteria, the committee determined the following criteria will provide the opportunity for gifted, highly gifted, and profoundly gifted students to apply for the program. Students must meet one of the following eligibility criteria: 95 + in 2 areas of eligibility on the CogAT or other state approved assessment IQ of 130+ 97+ in 1 area of eligibility on the CogAT or other state approved assessment

Student Numbers who meet qualifying criteria (potential enrollees)

Current Numbers

95+ in 2 areas*

97 + in 1 area*

IQ of 130+

5th grade 203 338 2

6th grade 247 380 4

7th grade 279 415 4

*some overlap in students

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Teacher Selection Criteria According to research teachers who have received training in gifted education are more likely to foster higher­level thinking, allow for greater student expression, consider individual student strengths and weaknesses, and provide a variety of learning experiences to challenge students. In order to develop a strong program that will enable students to excel the committee determined that to be hired for a teaching position in the Gifted Academy program, applicants must possess AZ Teaching Certificate HQT in Content Area Gifted Endorsement preferred Gifted Provisional Certificate accepted Highly Effective Teacher willing to obtain Gifted Endorsement accepted

Parent Input A survey was sent to the parents of current 4th ­ 7th grade students who are currently identified as gifted in at least one area. The survey asked parents to identify their top 5 priorities (out of a list of 11 options) in determining if they would send their son/daughter to a future Junior High Gifted Academy. Results are below.

RANKED CRITERIA TOTAL #

Gifted endorsed teacher 237

Distance from home 212

STEM, PA, FA electives 193

Extra curricular 185

JH to HS academy (consistency with friends) 151

Start time 84

Principal with gifted experience 78

Time on bus 65

Gifted endorsed counselor 51

Summer program for new students 23

2 exceptional services 15

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Financial Implications ­ Opening JH Gifted Academy The committee was advised by all sites visited to begin the program small and grow accordingly. With this being said, it was decided to recommend the Academy begin with 2 groups of 7th grade and 2 groups of 8th grade students. Since the vast majority of gifted students develop asynchronously with their social and emotional abilities often developing at a significantly slower pace than their academic abilities, the committee recommends having a gifted endorsed counselor on site to work with the students. Curriculum Resources includes one time purchases such as textbooks/ebooks, novels, manipulatives for STEM, etc. and supplementary resources includes online subscriptions to programs to enhance the curriculum such as Epiphany Learning, Go Quest, Defined Stem, etc.

Line Item Estimated Cost Details

Staffing $50,000 ­ $60,000 counselor to provide support to students, teachers, and families

Curriculum Resources $15,000­$20,000 one­time purchases ­ novels, robotics resources, etc.

Supplemental Resources $5,000­$8,000 year subscriptions for online resources

Consumable Resources $3,000 ­ $5,000 supplies for Makerspace projects, etc.

Technology hardware minimal district provided Chromebooks

Evaluation of Program Committee members have researched how best to design an evaluation of not only the Gifted Academy, but the GPS Gifted Program overall. Resources currently in review include:

Designing Services and Programs for High Ability Learners: A Guidebook for Gifted Education edited by Jeanne Purcell and Rebecca Eckert

Gifted Programming Standards from the National Association for Gifted Children

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Marketing of Program In order to market the program to families of eligible GPS students, as well as families of eligible students from surrounding districts and charter schools, the committee recommends the following marketing plan.

Specific link on GPS homepage and all school homepages that links to information about the program.

Social Media: facebook, twitter Create a comparison chart illustrating the difference between a gifted academy and

classical academy. This is a result of feedback from parent survey that GPS already has schools for gifted students ­ GCA and Neely.

Create a comparision chart illustrating the difference between the gifted academy service model and the honors course service model that is currently provided across the district.

Descriptive and marketable name GPS IC blasts to parents with information Gilbert Education Parent Council Reps submit information to be included in individual

school newsletters Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted (GSG) blog and facebook page Fliers and announcements at GSG January 21st guest lecture Community Forums

Committee Recommendations Based on research, parent feedback, and best practices in gifted education, the committee recommends the following: 1. Expand the current self­contained 7th grade program into the 8th grade at Highland

Junior High for the 2016­2017 school year.

2. Determine the location of these academies once the permanent location for GCA has been decided.

3. Plan the implementation of a High School Gifted Academy during the 2016­2017 school year, with the goal to open in 2017­2018.

4. In 2017­2018, open a Gifted Academy at the junior high level using the “School within a School” model.

5. Establish a consistent path for students from elementary to high school.

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References Arizona Association of Gifted and Talented, Giftedness. http://www.arizonagifted.org/identification­testing/ Arizona Department of Education, Gifted Education http://www.azed.gov/gifted­education/ Arizona Revised Statute (ARS 15­779, 15­779.01, 15­779.02) http://www.azed.gov/gifted­education/files/2012/10/arizonagiftededucationstatutesadministrativecode.pdf Chandler Unified School District website; Gifted overview. http://www.cusd80.com/page/739 Eckert, R.D. & Purcell, J.H. (2005). Designing services and programs for high­ability learners: A guidebook for gifted education. Thousand Oaks CA: Corwin. Mesa Public Schools website; Gifted & talented. http://www.mpsaz.org/gtp National Association of Gifted Children website; www.nagc.org/resources­publications/resources­educators Pre­K to Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards; www.nagc.org/resources­publications/resources/national­standards­gifted­and­talented­education/pre­k­grade­12 Renzulli, J.S. & Reis, S.M.(1994). Research related to the schoolwide enrichment triad model. Gifted Child Quarterly. 38.v.1, 7­20. Tempe Elementary School District website; Gifted education. http://www.tempeschools.org/our­district/curriculum­arizona­s­college­and­career­ready­standards­azccrs/gifted­education­pace

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION Information Gained from Site Visits:

Academy Philosophical Approach

Qualifying Criteria

Take­Aways

Aspire (Tempe) Project based Interdisciplinary Social emotional needs

Application based with teacher recommendation 94% + in one area and 85%+ in second area High performance on achievement test

School within a school; small class sizes; gifted certified teachers, project­based; knowledgeable principle; supportive district and parents; associated with ASU for some of the after­school programs that are for gifted students though students can also be in clubs with the junior high community. The students are leveled for math. The teachers teach different elective classes (forensics, robotics for examples). The students also take some of their classes in the traditional junior high setting. They have a parent outreach program that supports some of the electives that are offered. Students ELA class was one year above so the 8th graders were getting high school credit.

ASU Herberger Provide profoundly gifted young people advanced educational opportunities commensurate with their abilities, strengths and interests.

Application based Tuition­ $11,500 IQ 140+ and high achievement

Small community, highly qualified teachers, and resources available at a major research university. Upon enrolling in the academy, students first become immersed in integrated middle school level curriculum at an accelerated pace. They then complete high school credits while exploring and pursuing their intellectual interests through Cambridge coursework and connections made accessible at Arizona State University. The students have guest speakers every Friday. It is called What’s my Passion? They also had a huge social and emotional curriculum that they

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incorporated with the students.

Renaissance (Deer Valley)

The Renaissance Gifted Academies focus on gifted learners’ needs and interests. Learning opportunities focus on mastery; higher order and critical thinking skills; community engagement; personal development and responsibility. Self­Contained model

Application based and teacher recommendation 90+ in all three areas on state approved test AIMS Exceeds or AZMERIT highly proficient in reading, math, writing and/or science

This is a school within a school model. The students are in cohorts for their core classes. They also take electives with the typical junior high students. Project based learning and acceleration. Teachers are highly qualified in their subject area and gifted certified. The teachers team teach. Math/Science and Language Arts/Social Studies.

Mesa Prep (Mesa)

IB Philosophy Rigorous curriculum Relates to other cultures and the world as a whole

Application and teacher recommendation Do not have to have gifted scores to qualify

Somewhat similar to GCA IB program; well­ rounded curriculum; dual credit; students take foreign language (Chinese), music, technology classes; offers after school programs and clubs. Sports are partnered with the nearest district junior high. The school had lots of technology in the classrooms.

Knox Academy (Chandler)

Project­based Develop the whole child/reach full potential in all areas Encouraged to do after school clubs, sports….

Application based 95+ in one area

Collaboration occurred across the grade level and time provided during day for collaboration, project­based, social­emotional support and room, coordinator has an office at the school to provide a lot of support, principal was selected for the school/no pre­existing principal

Ingleside Middle School (Scottsdale)

To provide educational opportunities that reflect

Application based 97+ in two areas on state approved test

Use of depth & complexity structures Gifted endorsed staff

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interdisciplinary studies, academic rigor and critical and creative thinking. Self­contained model (comparable to current model at Highland Junior High)

or IQ of 130+

STEM program After School Clubs geared toward the gifted student

Gifted Academy Curriculum Resource Examples

Gifted students, because they learn quickly, require school experiences that are differentiated from the experiences provided for other students. They need learning experiences that provide deep and complex content, accelerated and enriched processes, and authentic and relevant products. These experiences need to be based on their readiness level, their interest, and their learning preference. Dynamic curriculum, with a main focus on project­based learning, that deals with complex issues and requires probing for depth of learning and provides the framework for gifted students to reach their academic potential.

Gifted students require unique social/emotional support, encouragement, and training. This is essential in developing an academy, dedicated to gifted students. Gifted students also require opportunities to pursue their particular interests, to share the results of these pursuits with real audiences, and to have products of their learning critiqued. For gifted students, empowerment through skills and knowledge demands curricular experiences designed to enhance the students’ thinking abilities, academic proficiencies, and special talents. The educational program for gifted students must be based upon the belief that gifted students need a dynamic learning environment.

In order to meet the needs of gifted students a four­pronged approach to curriculum and instruction is recommended. The first prong should be project­based learning. The second prong should be enrichment and acceleration. The third prong should be a leadership component. The fourth prong should be a social thinking component. I. Project Based Learning For project based learning, a potential curriculum resource could be the web­based, Intel Teach Program. The program is designed for teachers. “Program courses show teachers how to engage students with digital learning, focusing on their students’ problem­solving, critical­thinking, and collaboration skills—precisely the ones required in today’s high­tech, networked society” (taken from the Intel Web Site noted below).

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WEBSITE: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/teachers.html . There is a particular program/course called “Thinking with Technology” which is specifically project based. The basis of the program is to help develop students’ critical thinking and collaborative skills in order to understand and deal with society’s complex issues and problems. Intel provides free on­line tools that support the development and assessment of students’ higher­order thinking skills. The specific tools are a Visual Ranking tool, a Seeing Reason tool, and a Showing Evidence tool.

A. Visual Ranking Tool – enables students to identify and refine ranking criteria for a list and then debate differences, reach consensus, and organize ideas.

B. Seeing Reason Tool – is an interactive tool to create cause­and­effect maps, help students investigate relationships in complex systems.

C. Showing Evidence Tool – is a scaffold tool for constructing well­reasoned arguments, requires students to support cases with quality evidence.

(Taken from Intel Education –Intel Teach Program, Teacher Edition 2.5, 2008). The program/course helps teachers understand how to integrate these aforementioned tools into their curriculum and allows students to show visually their comprehension and understanding of interconnected and complex problems. It also focuses the teacher on project structure and curriculum­framing questions (essential questions, unit questions and content questions), as well as helping students develop 21st century skills as identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.21stcenturyskills.org). II. Enrichment For the enrichment prong, the Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is a research­based nationally known program for gifted students . There are five goals presented by the SEM program. Goal 1 – To develop the talent potentials of young people by (a) systematic assessing strengths, (b) providing enrichment opportunities, resources, and services to develop the strengths of all students, and (c) using a flexible approach to curricular differentiation and the use of school time. Goal 2 – To improve the academic performance of all students in all areas of the regular curriculum and to blend into the standard curriculum those activities that will engage students in meaningful and enjoyable learning. Goal 3 – To promote continuous, reflective, growth­oriented professionalism on the part of all school personnel.

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Goal 4 – To create a learning community that honors ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity; mutual respect and caring attitudes toward one another; respect for democratic principals; and preservation of the Earth’s resources. Goal 5 – To implement a democratic school governance procedure that includes appropriate decision making opportunities for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

Renzulli, Joseph S. Enriching Curriculum for all Students. Illinois: SkyLight Professional Development, 2001. Print The SEM program is designed to “develop a collaborative culture that takes advantage of resources and appropriate decision­making opportunities to create meaningful, high­level and potentially creative opportunities for students to develop their talents.” It gives the gifted student the freedom to explore issues, ideas and concepts that flame their intellectual desires. III. Leadership For leadership, the programs from The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) are a great resource. The CCL’s main focus is business leadership. WEBSITE: http://www.ccl.org/Leadership/index.aspx The CCL has two very specific courses for youth: (1) Expanding the Leadership Equation: Developing Next­Generation Leaders, and (2) The Rotary Youth Leadership Program. In 2011, the CCL had a Youth Leadership Summit focused on community and that discussed issues surrounding the needs, gaps, and challenges facing today’s society. The key components revolving around leadership that I believe the GGA should focus on are as follows:

A. The Myers­Briggs Type Indicator (Assessment). Personality Types and how they affect group dynamics.

B. Team Building – How to communicate. C. The Decision making process. D. Behavior Modification. E. Social Thinking.

Leadership requires an understanding of today’s complex and unyielding global community. Leaders in business, medicine, politics, and research must be effective when making choices that impact all of society. A leadership program is essential in order to understand oneself better (Myers­Briggs), and how one fits into group settings (team building and social thinking), as well as how one can best influence others (the decision making process and behavior modification).

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IV. Social Thinking (Social/Emotional Curriculum)

Social thinking, or thinking about how to connect or relate to others is a key element in a gifted student’s development. As stated by Michelle Garcia Winner in her book, Social thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens, “We all want our [gifted] students to have personal problem solving, personal advocacy, and social relation skills.” It is paramount for gifted students who tend to lack these essential skills for obvious environmental and intelligence reasons. Therefore, use of the resources generated by Michelle Garcia Winner could be incorporated into the gifted academy program. Use of the following books by Ms. Winner are recommended:

1. Social Thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens.

2. Think Social: A Social Thinking Curriculum for School­Age Students.

These books take into account high functioning autism, ADHD and a slew of other social thinking deficiencies.

What is a Makerspace?

To describe them simply, makerspaces are community centers with tools. Makerspaces combine

manufacturing equipment, community, and education for the purposes of enabling community

members to design, prototype and create manufactured works that wouldn’t be possible to create

with the resources available to individuals working alone. These spaces can take the form of

loosely­organized individuals sharing space and tools, for­profit companies, nonprofit

corporations, organizations affiliated with or hosted within schools, universities or libraries, and

more. All are united in the purpose of providing access to equipment, community, and education,

and all are unique in exactly how they are arranged to fit the purposes of the community they

serve.

Makerspaces represent the democratization of design, engineering, fabrication and education.

They are a fairly new phenomenon, but are beginning to produce projects with significant

national impacts.

What skills will the students learn?

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How to build a circuit (soldering)

How to program inputs (ardunio)

How create a program (coding)

How to make structures (woodworking/welding)

How to create Machines (robotics)

How to maintain and stay safe in a workshop

How to construct 3d models (laser scanning and 3d printing)

and many other skills.

How will the student learn these things?

Community members and educators that are qualified/skilled in specific processes/platforms will

be brought in for instructional days. Students will then be given time to work on basic projects

that highlight the skill. Students that complete the basic training for the given platform (ardunio,

coding, robotics, etc) will be given the time to work on larger scale projects of their choice. New

platforms/skills will be introduced monthly and ample time will be provided for students to grasp

the basics of the platform.

These students will be learning how to use science, technology, engineering, art and math

(STEAM) to express their creative desires. Building skills that are essential in the workforce at

an early age all while pushing them to become creatively engaged in school.

How can our students receive recognition for what they make?

There are fairs where makers across the country meet up to showcase their work you can see a

highlight reel from the most recent world fair and upcoming fairs around the country.

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http://makerfaire.com/?utm_source=makezine.com&utm_medium=nav+bar&utm_term=makerfa

ire

For more information on how to accomplish this in a school framework there is a downloadable PDF at http://spaces.makerspace.com/ where you can learn more about implimentation of building a makerspace. SAMPLE SCHEDULE FOR 7TH & 8TH GRADE

1st team 2nd team 3rd team 4th team

1st hour AP or elective or PE or Sped services

AP or elective or PE or Sped services

AP or elective or PE or Sped services

AP or elective or PE or Sped services

2nd hour Math English SS Science

3rd hour English Math Science SS

4th hour SS Science Math English

5th hour Science SS English Math

lunch

7th hour Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

8th hour Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

Makerspace or Music

Electives: Art, Chorus, Band, Drama, etc. Makerspace options:

3d modeling, Circuitry, Construction, Robotics, Coding, etc Guest speakers and demonstrations Team problem solving challenges

More information explaining Maker­Space can be found at the end of this report.

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Detailed Timeline (If full implementation begins for 2016­2017) Timeline will be revised if phased implementation proceeds

Month Tasks

January Educate administrators, cluster, and ALP teachers on Academy Jan. 13th ­ Share program information with JH counselors prior to elementary visits Jan. 19th ­ Community Forum (hopefully) Jan. 19th ­ Share community forum information with Gilbert Gifted Education Parent Council Jan. 21st ­ Share information about committee work and Board presentation at Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted meeting

February Feb. 9th ­ Present to Board (work study) Feb. 10th ­ District & school websites updated with information, links, videos, etc. marketing the Academy. Feb.10th ­ Notification of qualifying scores sent to families (Flier) Feb. 15th ­ Post positions to GPS, ADE, and AAGT websites Feb. 15th ­ Begin reviewing curriculum resources Feb. 24th ­ Family Information Meeting

March March 1st ­ Curriculum resources for public review (begin 60 days) March 9th ­ Family Information Meeting March 21 ­ Enrollment application window opens Staff in place by March 30th

April April 7th ­ Family Information Meeting April 14th ­ Update on Academy progress at GSG meeting April 15th ­ Enrollment application window closes April 18th ­Student lottery April 19 & 20 ­ Student accept or decline notification sent April 27th ­ Date to accept or decline program seat April 27th ­ Open House for registered & waitlist families

May May 9th ­ Student acceptance confirmation letters sent to families May 9th ­ Student names & addresses sent to transportation May 16th ­Ensure student enrollment information is complete

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May 20th ­Elementaries send student files to Academy May 23rd ­ End of 60 day public review of curriculum resources May 24th ­ Recommendation of curriculum resources to Board for approval

June Staff planning & training Possibly some type of meet & greet for families and students

July July 1st ­ Submit purchase orders for core & supplementary materials Staff planning & training Transportation notification letters to parents

August August 1st or 2nd ­ Gifted 101 presentation to entire staff at selected junior high August 1st or 2nd ­ Open House for Gifted Academy students and families August 3rd: Open the Academy ­ Day 1

September No later than Sept. 26th ­ Send survey to parents and students concerning transition, academy programming, needs, etc.

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