Welcome!GT Services Parent Night

McAuliffe Elementary

September 4, 2014GT Facilitator: Holly Plunkett

plunketth@lisd.net

•Please be sure you have signed in, outside the room

Gifted and Talented Services in LISD is not an accelerated program. It is an enrichment/ thinking skills program. Students participate in lessons and activities that are designed to nurture and build the potential they have demonstrated.

Services are an individualized program based on pull-out, push-in and enrichment services.

Does it look the same from campus to campus?

…………What does that mean, you may be asking?

LEAPGT

Services

Testing Identificatio

n

ClusterClassroom

s

TeacherTraining

& Support

Program for

Identified GT

Services toDevelop GTPotential

NNAT2 Screeni

ngK, 3rd

Watch Lists

Potential GT

Full &Provisio

nalPlaceme

nt

Planned Experience

sK, 1st, 2nd

Pull OutDistrict

Curriculum

Push Inand

EnrichmentServices

What Enrichment Is and Is Not

Is applying and associating learning to other areas

Is learning concepts and generalizations

Is complex thinking

Is student-determined readiness

Is problem seeking

Is learning things as they should or they could be

Is not accumulating and regurgitating info about one area

Is not learning facts or my child can read really well

Is not harder, busy work

Is not grade or age-level expectations

Is not question answering

Is not learning things only as they are

GT Mission Statement

Through the establishment of a secure and free learning environment, GT students

continuously seek out challenges to discover, develop and leverage capacity through

making deep connections, developing social consciousness, and effectively collaborating

and communicating with others.

Grade Level GT Services

Kinder 1st 2nd 3rd 5th

• Second semester: NNAT2 screening

•4 Planned Experiences

•Enrichment services

•Push in forall students

•3 Planned Experiences

•Enrichment services

•Push in forall students

•2 Planned Experiences

•Testreferrals; testing begins 2nd semester

• Enrichment services for Full, Provisional, Watch as needed

•Test referrals

•Fall NNAT2 screening for all students

•Pull out district curriculum for Full and Provisional as needed per student

• Enrichment services for Full, Push-in, Provisional, Watch as needed

•Test referrals

•Pull out district curriculum for Full and Provisional as needed per student

• Enrichment services for Full, Push-in Provisional, Watch as needed

•Test referrals

•Pull out district curriculum for Full and Provisional as needed per student

• Enrichment services for Full, Push-in, Provisional, Watch as needed

4th 5th

 Dear Parents / Guardians, I’m so excited about our upcoming year!  I am looking forward to another great year of supporting the GT students in and out of the classrooms in so many ways. I have made some improvements to our program curriculum that will, hopefully, meet your student’s unique educational, social and emotional needs. This comes from a combination of research on the needs of GT students and our most recent GT PLC meeting. Basically it is developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Service Model to meet each student’s needs. Instead of looking at the students in mass, I am looking at each child individually, and I believe this is the best scenario for each of them. Placement is data driven so it really caters to each student.When looking at the score portion of the data, Aptitude and Achievement were from tests given to your child for qualification for the GT program. STAAR scores were from this past spring’s administration.  I’ve attached a copy of your student’s 2014-2015 GT Services and Curriculum Plan, along with their most recent test scores, for your review and signature.  Curriculum placement is based primarily on most recent test scores. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me through email to set up an appointment. My schedule is different everyday, so feel free to send me an email and I will be glad to set up a conference if you would like to discuss anything. In order to begin GT classroom participation, your student must bring their signed GT Services and Curriculum Plan and a binder to their first class.   This year, as in years past, the binders will be used to store ongoing work. As always, GT report cards will be sent home with classroom report cards.   Again, I am so happy to be working with your precious student this year!  I know how special each and every one of them is and sincerely hope to provide the best enrichment opportunities for their unique educational, social, and emotional needs in the most nurturing and supportive environment possible.  Sincerely,Holly PlunkettMcAuliffe Elementary GT Facilitatorplunketth@lisd.net 

McAuliffe Elementary School2014-2015 Gifted and Talented Services and Curriculum PlanAugust 2014

Student:                    Grade:   This student qualifies for the following checked campus GT services: ____   LISD GT Cluster ClassroomsGT Cluster Classrooms are grade level classrooms lead by a GT trained teacher with a minimum of three GT students in the class.  Advanced level curriculum differentiation is provided as needed.  Placement Criteria: Identified GT ____   LISD Planned Experiences: Grades K-2Planned Experiences are lessons designed to develop and reveal advanced creative and critical thinking skills. They are presented and assessed by the campus GT facilitator in grade level classrooms. Placement Criteria:  K-2 students, including identified GT ____   McAuliffe Curriculum Enrichment: Grades 3-5Curriculum Enrichment provided through the regular classroom teacher. Additional supplements given through the GT Facilitator as needed.Placement Criteria: Identified with one recent Superior (96%+) aptitude score, Level II and III STAAR scores.  ____   McAuliffe Curriculum Enrichment: Grades 3-5Curriculum Enrichment provided through the regular classroom teacher. Additional supplements given through the GT Facilitator as needed. Curriculum Enrichment projects are nine week, individual and small group Project Based Learning (PBL) units designed to explore areas of interest within the grade level core curriculum. Projects are initiated and developed in the GT classroom, presented in the regular classroom, and assessed by the regular classroom teacher.  Placement Criteria: Identified GT with one recent Superior (96%+) aptitude score, High (87%+) achievement scores, Level II and III STAAR scores, Level II and III STAAR scores, and interest in core curriculum enrichment PBL projects. ____   LISD GT Performance Standards Projects: Grades 3-5LISD GT Performance Standards Projects (PSP) are nine week, rigorous, advanced level research units, designed to develop sophisticated products and/or performances in areas of interest beyond the core curriculum.  Projects are initiated, developed, and assessed in the GT classroom.  Topics include the following:Grade 3    Expressions, Media Analysis, Unsolved Mysteries, Surviving DisastersGrade 4    Overcoming Adversity, Signs & Symbols, Design, More Bang for My BuckGrade 5    Perceptions of Self, Leaders & Communication, Innovations, Make a DifferencePlacement Criteria: Identified GT with recent Superior (96%+) aptitude scores, Superior achievement scores, Advanced Level III STAAR scores, and demonstrated self-motivation needed for completion of independent, advanced level projects. 

McAuliffe Schedule

KindergartenMonday: Lewis : 12:45-1:30 Stanton: 1:30-2:15Wednesday : Kids: 9:30-10:15Friday: See : 8:30-9:15 1st

Friday 9:15-10:00

2nd

Monday 9:45-10:30Friday 10:00-10:45 Monday 10:30-11:30

Genius Hour3rd Open to all GT StudentsMonday 8:00-9:30Wednesday 1:30-2:45 4th

Tuesday 8:00-10:45 1:45-2:45

5th Thursday 8:30-1:00

Capacities/Themes of the

Gifted and Talented Service Model

CreativityCommunicationCritical ThinkingSelf Awareness

Research

Guiding Concepts provide affective growth, help distinguish curriculum, and support our

curriculum beliefs.

The concepts are:

ResponsibilityJustice & Fairness

Perseverance Integrity

CompassionDiscernment

Voice

ResearchWill be naturally integrated in LISD Gifted and

Talented Curriculum throughout each grade level

Learning and applying research skills in a proper developmental sequence. A “Trophy paper” is not the goal, but there will be some type of written product/project.

3rd-5th grade will culminate at the end of each 9 week unit with a performance task for assessment and learning- for ex. go to www.texaspsp.org/about.php

First GradeFirst Grade- Introduce FEFO (Fluency, Elaboration,

Flexibility and Originality) There is an emphasis on creativity, however logical and critical thinking skills are also practiced.

We use manipulatives such as pentominoes, attribute blocks and tangrams to stimulate spatial and critical thinking.

What is FEFO??It is an acronym using Creative Thinking Activities in every grade

level. (emphasis in K-2)

Fluency- activities that produce a large quantity of ideas or responses

Elaboration- activities that expand upon a single idea by adding detail or making changes to make it more interesting and complete

Flexibility- activities that result in thinking of alternative ideas or categories of ideas and change one’s way of thinking about a given situation.

Originality- activities that produce unique and novel ideas and responses

Second GradeThinking skills utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy (knowledge,

comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation)

Logic and Critical Thinking

FEFO

Structure Analysis

Third Grade

1st 9 weeks- Expressions/Self Awareness and awareness of others

2nd 9 weeks- Media Analysis/Communication

3rd 9 weeks- Unsolved Mysteries (Enigmas)/Critical Thinking

4th 9 weeks- Surviving Disasters/Research and problem Solving

Fourth Grade

•1st 9 weeks- Adversity/Self-Awareness and awareness of others

•2nd 9 weeks- Symbols/Communication-exploring symbols in our culture and others and how they can cause conflict and force change

•3rd 9 weeks- Design/Critical Thinking-identifying main elements and principles of design; Examining design and determining its structure and function

•4th 9 weeks-”More Bang for my Buck”- students will conduct an investigation into a humanitarian effort in order to answer the question “What can I do to make a change in my world”?

Fifth Grade1st 9 weeks- Perceptions of Self/Self Awareness-explore

perceptions of a person’s image and develop a greater self awareness that enables better understanding of outside influences on perceptions of themselves

2nd 9 weeks- How Leaders use Communication- explore communication and reasons to utilize effective communication skills

3rd 9 weeks- Innovations/Critical Thinking -Creativity- innovations found in the genre of science fiction

4th 9 weeks- Make a Difference- Research on a problem in the world in which the student will create an original solution

Gifted and Talented Grades

GT grades are evaluated on Creative, Critical and Logical thinking skills as well as various types of Research skills. You may not see a grade in every category every 6 weeks depending on the focus that grading period.

E - Exceeds Expectations

M - Meets Expectations (the goal!)

S - Still Progressing

N – Needs Improvement

*report card change

Before you leave, please be sure to:

Sign in on sign in sheet and please put current email address.

Thank you- I look forward to a great year!

http://schoolweb.lisd.net/schoolweb3/course/view.php?id=2838

http://mcauliffe.lisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=223684&type=u

My Website

Parents, if you get an opportunity to view this video, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s about 11 minutes long. Sir Ken Robinson is among the world's elite thinkers when it comes to creativity and innovation. He has another video clip on creativity that has been a link on my website if you haven’t had a chance to see it also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U