RSU #73 Gifted & Talented Program
An Overview
Amanda Gage-Croll
Gifted & Talented Coordinator
Spruce Mountain School District
Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls
Why Do We Need a G/T Program?
Student Needs
Gifted students have unique educational and social/emotional needs that qualify them for specialized education.
It’s the Law!
At the federal level, the Javits Act passed in 1988. This compelled the creation of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted & Talented Students Education Program which focuses on identifying and servicing traditionally underrepresented groups.
Maine Chapter 104 was first introduced in 1987 and has required each district to run a gifted & talented program since the 1991-1992 school year. Chapter 104 describes the needs of gifted students, lays out requirements for identification, and describes appropriate programming options.
What Is a Gifted Student?
The Marland Report, presented to Congress in 1972 by S.P. Marland, Jr., was the first national report on gifted education. It includes a widely accepted definition of giftedness:
“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.” (p.2)
One of the most notable conclusions in the report:
“gifted & talented children are, in fact, deprived and can suffer psychological damage and permanent impairment of their abilities to function well which is equal to or greater than the similar deprivation suffered by any other population with special needs served by the Office of Education.” (p.3-4)
In other words, if gifted students are deprived of appropriate learning and social opportunities it can cause lifelong damage.
What Are Gifted Students’ Unique Needs?
Gifted & Talented services fall under the umbrella of Special Education. The following five principles are the required basis for all G/T programs in the state of Maine according to Chapter 104.
Gifted & Talented students...
Do We Only Account for Educational Needs?
Accounting for social and emotional needs of students is a major part of supporting gifted & talented students. According to the National Association for Gifted Children, “because gifted children demonstrate greater maturity in some domains over others, they may be at greater risk for specific kinds of social-emotional difficulties if their needs are not met.”
Common struggles include:
Which Grade Levels Receive Services?
All students in grades K-12 are eligible to receive Gifted & Talented Services.
This doesn’t mean that all students will receive direct services - that wouldn’t be feasible with a one-person department servicing around 1,500 students.
High School
Students at the high school level can access the G/T Coordinator for support with programming and/or social & emotional needs. Academic needs are met through honors and AP classes as well as independent study through college courses or other remote learning opportunities.
Which Grade Levels Receive Services?
Middle, Elementary, and Primary Schools
The current program allows direct services in grades 4-8 via the gifted & talented coordinator. Students in younger grades not receiving direct services are still identified and monitored. Their needs are met by the classroom teacher through differentiation, acceleration, compacting of information, and similar strategies. Classroom teachers should access the G/T Coordinator for as much support as they’d like in this process. The coordinator can help with research, strategies, and development of programming.
What Can I Do in the Classroom?
All gifted & talented work is in lieu of classwork, not in addition to classwork.
Advocate for Students - You Know Them Best
What Can I Do in the Classroom?
How Do We Identify Students?
The RSU 73 Identification process is based on requirements outlined by Maine Chapter 104.
Students can qualify as gifted in one of three ways:
Typically, this is considered the top 3-5% of the school population.
Students are initially flagged through standardized test scores or self, parent, or teacher recommendation. No one piece is more important than another. Students are tested with the CogAT, a nationally recognized cognitive abilities test to help determine need for services.
Please see this presentation for more information about the identification process.
Who Is Involved in the Process?
Teacher Recommendations are critical to the success of the program. Teachers spend the most time with students within the school setting and are a key element in the identification process.
Resources
Bailey, S., Chaffey, G., Gross, M., Macleod, B., Merrick, C., & Targett, R. (n.d.). Types of acceleration and their effectiveness. Retrieved July 28, 2020, from https://www.davidsongifted.org/search-database/entry/a10487
Guilbault, K., & Kane, M. (n.d.). Asynchronous Development. Retrieved August 1, 2020, from https://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/Publication%20PHP/NAGC%20TIP%20Sheet-Asynchronous%20Development-FINAL%20REVISED-OCTOBER%202017(1).pdf
Jacob Javits Gifted & Talented Students Education Act. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-university-professionals/jacob-javits-gifted-talented-students
Marland, S. P., Jr. (n.d.). Education of the Gifted and Talented. Retrieved August 1, 2020, from https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/education/human-services/document%20/marland-report.pdf
Pillman, H. (n.d.). Understanding the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Retrieved August 8, 2020, from https://www3.rps205.com/programs/PublishingImages/Pages/Renaissance-Testing-/CogAT%20Information.pdf
Rule Chapters for the Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2020, from https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/05/chaps05.htm
Frequently Asked Questions about Gifted Education, as answered by the National Association for Gifted Children
Email Amanda Gage-Croll at agagecroll@rsu73.com with specific questions