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JAGC/GT Collaborative Panel 2/24/20

Slides will be available by tomorrow (Tues) evening at https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented/parent_family_resources

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JAGC is: Educate/Support/Advocate for Advanced Learners and their families
Board Elections: Nominations now -> Mar 7^th

Vote between Mar 27^th - Apr 10^th

GT Champion Award: Now -> Mar 31^st

School Administrator

Teacher/School Staff Member

Parent/Community Member

Student

Newsletter Sign Up
Monthly Board Meetings

Website: jeffcogifted.org

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JAGC Collaborative Panel 2/24/20

Thank you to all of the families who submitted the following questions from our survey.

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Panel Members

Jeffco:

Roger Dowd (GT Director)

Connie Brown (GT RT)

Casey Gardner (GT SELC)

Tracy Ferguson (GT SELC)

JAGC:

Danielle Hicks (moderator)

Lisa Girard

Amy Dougherty

Michelle Stone

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Panel Norms

Please keep in mind the following norms:

Maintain focus on district-wide GT programming -- please do not advocate for individual students or schools
Assume positive intentions through respectful interactions with each other and welcome clarifications when necessary
Be inclusive of diverse perspectives
Seek out the perspectives of all families, including those not represented in the group

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Identification Questions

How early can a child take the CogAT? Are there programs or instruction materials to help a child become familiar with the testing format if they haven’t taken it in school?

Please discuss why teachers and school officials do not seem to recommend children get assessed for GT identification. It seems to be all parent driven (and often the parents need to be "noisy" to get information on the process). It seems like teachers often are better placed to realize a child is GT and parent do not always have the information (or are not "noisy" enough) to pursue the identification.

All Jeffco 2nd grade students take the CogAT through our Universal Assessment process. Some schools may prefer to monitor students until this point before recommending GT Identification. Parents are welcome to pursue GT Identification at any point in their child’s educational career by making a referral for an identification process. Parents are also welcome to register their students for our yearly district CogAT assessment as early as Kindergarten.
Jeffco identifies students at all schools and in all grade levels -- contact your school’s GT resource teacher (GT RT) for more info
We are required to seek parent approval prior to fully pursuing the identification process
GT RTs are often looking at data over time, and we do indeed help with the recommendation process, as well as listen to teachers who bring students forward in conversations. It just might be that the parents aren’t aware that teachers are recommending students.

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ID Referral Sources

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Identification: Resources

Jeffco GT Identification & Assessments page:

www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented/g_t_identification___assessments

CO Dept of Education (CDE): GT Identification FAQs

https://www.cde.state.co.us/gt/faqforid-jan21016

CDE GT Identification

https://www.cde.state.co.us/gt/identification

Contact your child’s GT Resource Teacher (RT): lists posted on walls, and at https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented

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Parent Learning Questions

Link to JAGC Family Resources / FAQs

How do you set up a household as a successful environment for a gifted student?

How can we promote and facilitate more communication and collaboration between GT parent ambassadors?

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Advocacy Resources

10 Tips to Partner With Your School (Lisa Girard)

http://bit.ly/10TipsCAGT

Jeffco Parent/Family Resources site
JAGC Family Resources / FAQs

State/National Advocacy

At a time when GT programs around the country are being eliminated, how can parents best advocate for their children?

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Academic Programming Questions

ALP Questions...

What are the purposes of an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP)

What are the expectations of the Advanced Learning Plan... how do I best work with my child to increase effort and focus toward higher learning?

What does an ALP consist of? Is there a change in the child’s classroom work if they aren’t at a GT center or is it additional work that is done at home?

The Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) is an online document that helps communication of a student’s identified strengths and academic programming through the ALP Life Cycle goal setting process. Every Jeffco school will approach the ALP slightly differently based on the individual needs of the student and the programming offered at that specific site. At a minimum, schools are required to follow the ALP Life Cycle by setting both an academic and an affective (social-emotional) goal with the student each school year. Those goals are aligned to a student’s identified strength(s), and progress monitored at least twice, then assessed for completion at the end of the year. It is difficult to be more specific than that as these are individual plans at individual schools. Parents and students are encouraged to be collaborative partners in the process. You can always ask your teacher to see or explain the ALP to you and to offer your and/or your student’s input. If you are unable to move forward with the teacher, you may reach out to your GT Building Leader or your GT Resource Teacher for more support.

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Parent Learning Questions: ALPs

If a child is assigned an ALP, are there materials that the parents have access to as well (I.e. how to execute/apply/carry out the ALP)?

Jeffco ALPs: jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented/advanced_learning_plans

CDE ALPs: https://www.cde.state.co.us/gt/alp

Contact your child’s teacher and/or Resource Teacher

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Academic Programming Questions

Programming-based Questions...

Describe programming at neighborhood schools in general. There seems to be tremendous variability in what neighborhood schools offer or how they respond to GT kiddos. And often a lot of variability between grade levels (e.g., teacher dependent)

Why does Jeffco program for GT this way instead of having a GT interventionist at each school, what does PD for teachers look like for non-center schools?

What does programming look like at a non center school, my son attends (XYZ) Elementary and was identified this November

How does/should GT programming advance through school (i.e. from elementary to middle and middle to high school)?

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Academic Programming Resources

Jeffco GT Acceleration Website

Jeffco GT Student Opportunities Website

Jeffco GT Center Schools

National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education (NAGC)

Jeffco GT Online Student Academy (online classes for GT middle school students)

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Social-Emotional Programming Questions

Twice exceptional needs and advocating for twice exceptional kids

Who sees and helps my child with social emotional issues?

Discussion on the roles of the new half-time SELs for GT programming would be helpful.

Is it possible to put communication channels in place so that parents have a better idea of the SE programming done with GT kids? My daughter has tried to tell me what they've worked on, but I could better reinforce those ideas at home if I had more explanation on what was being taught.

Social-emotional programming depends on where the child attends school. If they go to a neighborhood school, services would be based on level (elementary, middle or high) and providers. It looks different from school to school as schools typically conduct needs assessments and strive to use their staff to best meet the needs of their school. Each elementary school now has a half time Social Emotional Learning Specialist or SELS. Their job is to provide supports for their school, typically tier 1 (universal, in regular classrooms) but can be tier 2 (usually small group settings). This can look like class lessons, class circles, supporting at recess, etc. Some schools also have groups for kids who need extra support.

Students on IEPs may or may not have services from the mental health provider written into their IEP. Every school has at least a half time psychologist or social worker and they are responsible for meeting minutes for kids on IEP with mental health services delineated on the IEP. Students on 504 plans may see the mental health provider if a group exists and they fit. Services cannot be added into 504, however. For example, 504 may read: “Student can access any mental health provider in the building when they are unable to self calm.” It legally cannot say, “student will be in a group or get individual services from mental health provider.” The 504 is for accommodations not services though often services can be provided separate from 504 document.

In GT Center Schools, there is a two day a week Social Emotional Learning Counselor for GT (GT SELC). Three schools opted to combine their SELS and SELC positions. Again services likely look a little different from school to school based on the needs of the students in that building. In elementary Center Programs, students typically have class lessons weekly or every other week. Small groups are often available for kids who need extra support. Some students in Center Schools see the GT SELC, and in some schools they see both the SELC and the SELS. At the middle/high school level the GT Center schools also have the GTSELC position that provides individual, small group and whole classroom lessons for the GT students. This position also collaborates with the mental health team at the secondary level (school psych, grade level counselors, SEL, and JCMH therapist - if school provides one) This position also communicates with teachers, parents and administrators. At non-center schools, the GT student is supported by the school based mental health team.

With all the providers who support kids' social and emotional needs, the goal is to help students do their best and get their needs met. A team would communicate with parents about what support options are available within the school parameters. Parents may explore what they are able to do for their son or daughter to support them outside the school

The GT SELCS also provide professional learning available to all mental health staff throughout the district, once per year. This is an effort to educate these providers about the best practices of supporting GT students on the social emotional level and to provide resources.

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Social Emotional Programming Resources

SENG

Jeffco Twice Exceptional Website

NAGC Resources

Bright & Quirky

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What books have been used for the GT book club, and/or what books are good resources for understanding and helping an elementary level GT student?

“A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children” (Dr. James Webb, lead author) is the primary resource used in the GT SENG Discussion groups for parents. For more info on SENG, visit https://www.sengifted.org/ . Jeffco’s SENG Discussion Groups/Book Study are already underway for this year (2 sessions remaining), but GT families will have the opportunity to sign up for the full slate of sessions next fall -- see https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented/s_e_n_g for more info.

There are a variety of books that might be helpful for understanding gifted children. Some great resources are “Living with Intensity” by Susan Daniels and Michael Piechowski; “Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students” by Christine Fonseca; “Letting Go of Perfect” by Jill Adelson and Hope Wilson; “Smart Parenting for Smart Kids” by Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Mark Lowenthal; “What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew” by Sharon Saline; “Smart but Scattered” by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare; “Parenting Gifted Kids” by James Delisle; “When Gifted Kids Don’t Have all the Answers” by Jim Delisle and Judy Galbraith

There are also some great GT online resources that have a variety of articles and information on giftedness: www.sengifted.org; www.nagc.org; www.davidsongifted.org; www.jagc.org; www.coloradogifted.org; https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented; www.understood.org; www.hoagiesgifted.org;

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Additional Questions? (time-permitting)

Please keep in mind the following norms:

Maintain focus on district-wide GT programming -- please do not advocate for individual students or schools
Assume positive intentions through respectful interactions with each other and welcome clarifications when necessary
Be inclusive of diverse perspectives
Seek out the perspectives of all families, including those not represented in the group

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

Slides will be available by tomorrow (Tues) evening at https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/gifted_talented/parent_family_resources