Categories of services provided through the ESU #11 Gifted Education Department:
1) Gifted Ed “Consultant Time”, which is time from the ESU #11 Director of Gifted Education to be used exclusively by your school(s). There is no cost to a school which is a member of the High Ability Learner Education Consortium for this time. There is a contract fee for non Consortium schools. Your school can determine how best to use this time. The following information is for you to share with your gifted coordinator(s), principal(s), and/or teachers on how to best use this time:
A. Consultant Time Available to Each School
B. Ideas for Use of the Allocated Gifted Ed Consultant Time
C. Conditions for Use of Consultant Time
D. Levels of Program Development
The arrangement of allocating “consultant time” for use by your school(s) will again be used this year. The number of allotted days, if needed, is based on school enrollment, with the assumption that the higher enrollment districts will have more learners with high ability who will generate more funding and will need more “consultant time” than those students in the lower enrollment schools. The school enrollment classifications used for choosing the ESU #11 Advisory Committee will be used to allocate Gifted Ed Consultant time.
2) Unit Wide Activities – These are activities sponsored by the ESU #11 Gifted Education Department for the purpose of providing opportunities to students from all ESU #11 member schools. These activities are meant to bring students together for a more efficient way of providing programs which may not otherwise be possible. Many registration fees will be waived if your school belongs to the Consortium. There will be a registration fee for your school or for students from your school to participate if your school is not a member of the High Ability Learner Education Consortium.
These activities include: Academic Quiz Bowls, Future Problem Solving Seminars, Invention Conventions, Summer Programs, etc.
IDEAS FOR USE OF ALLOCATED GIFTED ED TIME
(Approximate time needed to complete tasks are designated jointly by local school personnel and ESU #11 Director of Gifted Education depending on nature and importance of tasks.)
1) Meeting with school personnel.
2) Information about the state law which provides for differentiated or accelerated curriculum programs for learners with high ability.
3) Designing a program for the education of learners with high ability which meets the guidelines of the state law, Rule 3.
A. District philosophy on educational service to learners with high ability
B. District’s operational definition of high ability learner
C. Goals and objectives of the local program
D. Procedures for identification
E. Description of the continuum of program services, options, and strategies
F. Overall program evaluation process
G. Staff development training and support
H. Program management outline
4) Inservice on various aspects of programs for learners with high ability.
5) Training local staff.
6) Identification of learners with high ability (mandatory under new state law)
A. Gathering achievement test data.
B. Screen one child for intellectual ability (45 minutes).
C. Administering the Torrance Creativity Test (45 minutes).
D. Scoring creativity tests (1/2 hour each).
E. Scoring teacher nomination rating scales.
7) Working with students or classes: Independent Study Projects, Creative Thinking Activities, Brainstorming, Quiz Bowl demonstrations, etc.
8) Locating education resources and/or mentors.
9) Parent conferences.
10) Implementing support programs for learners with high ability (such as Future Problem Solving, Destination Imagination, Math Olympiads, Omnibus, Academic Quiz Bowls, Invention Conventions, Science Fairs, etc.
11) Developing parent organization.
12) Preparing State High Ability Learner Education Reports and Applications
13) Other duties relevant to the education of learners with high ability
CONDITIONS FOR USE OF ALLOCATED GIFTED ED. TIME
1. The primary responsibilities of the Director in working with your school is to provide Stage 1, 2 and 3 services. (Refer to attached “Level of Program Development for the Education of Learners with High Ability”)
2. Each “day of service” may be taken as one full day or two half days spread over the nine-month period during which school is in session. No quarter days or one hour time slots will be scheduled. Any trip made to a school no matter how brief, will be considered a minimum of one-half day of service.
3. Travel time to and from schools is included within the Director’s employment hours.
4. All work/services performed for any ESU #11 school including designing a program, scoring creativity tests, locating information, counseling students, parents or teachers, etc. will be done as part of the school’s allocation of time. Teachers, students, guidance counselors and parents who contact ESU #11 requesting any type of assistance of the Director will be referred to the school administrator (or authorized representative) for permission to request this assistance as part of that school’s allocated time.
5. Consultant time, in addition to the original allocation, may be possible for some schools if other schools do not use their entire available days. This possibility will be determined later in the school year.
LEVEL OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE EDUCATION OF LEARNERS WITH HIGH ABILITY
STAGE #1 — SETTING UP PROGRAM
Time Used in:
- Identifying students
- Designing program
- Inservice
- Parent meetings
- On-site monitoring
- Preparing State Reports
STAGE #2 — ON-GOING PROGRAM
Time Used in:
- Identifying students
- Inservice
- Monitoring program
- Working with students and teachers
- Providing resources
- Mopping up details
- Program evaluation
- Support classes or programs — “Summer Honors”, Academic Summer Camps, Future Problem Solving, Destination Imagination, Omnibus, Academic Quiz Bowl, Invention Convention, Science Fair, etc.
- Preparing State Reports
STAGE #3 — SELF-SUFFICIENT PROGRAMS
Time Used in Enriching Options, Area-Wide or Individual School
- Setting up area-wide guidance counseling for learners with high ability
- Providing area-wide news and interaction
- On-going inservice (creativity test-scoring, new techniques, etc.) (area-wide or individual school)
- Support classes or curriculum in content areas — Summer Honors, Academic Summer Camp, Future Problem-Solving competition; critical thinking, logic, debate, journalism, Omnibus, Jr. Great Books, Destination Imagination, Academic Quiz Bowl, Invention Convention, Science Fair, etc.
- Format for parent-teacher conference learners with high ability
- Scholarship opportunities based on merit, not need
- Programs for leadership or visual & performing arts
- Model to mainstream the education of learners with high ability
- Parent groups
- Preparing State Reports