Ann Matschiner OATAG October 11, 2013 Pacific University [email protected] Early and Equitable Identification of Talented and Gifted First Grade Students.

Ann MatschinerOATAG October 11, 2013

Pacific [email protected]

Early and Equitable Identification of Talented and Gifted First Grade Students

Why Early Identification?

Widely agreed early identification and intervention of gifted is crucial (Pfeiffer & Petscher, 2008; Robinson 1997; Sankar-DeLeeuw, 2004)

Prevent boredom and negative attitudes toward school when children lack quality school experiences in their early years in school (Puckett & Black, 2008)

Why Early Identification?

Children from low-income and minority families, who are often unidentified at an early age, are less likely to be recognized later (Moon & Brighton, 2008)

Overview

Teacher Training- gifted character-istics, needs and instructional strategies

Planned Experiences-administration and analysis

Student support and services

Equitable Identification

7% of the elementary students TAG

35% of the student population is Hispanic only 15% of the talented and gifted population is Hispanic

Equitable Identification

Fifty percent of student population is from poverty

20% of talented and gifted population is from poverty

ResearchWhen culturally and linguistically

gifted children are not aware of their giftedness, the pressure to assimilate to mainstream American culture at younger ages in our schools often causes them to mask or hide their gifted characteristics before we engage students in formal identification processes.

ResearchMany formal cognitive

assessments are not consistent in their ability to identify gifted students.

Gifted students are underachieving. They may meet and exceed on assessments, but their year-to-year growth is often the lowest of any subgroup.

Research

Gifted students are at-risk. They have a higher percentage of depression, suicide, and federal imprisonment than other subgroups.

Teachers report feeling unprepared to meet the needs of gifted students.

Question Are talented and gifted first grade

students identifiable using the Recognizing Gifted Potential: Planned Experiences with the Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI) administered and evaluated by the classroom teacher?

The Value of Assessment and Identification Through Analytical

Observation How does this match your

current thinking/understanding?

How does this challenge your current thinking/understanding?

Characteristics and Perceptions

Use of Kingore Observation Inventory and Kingore Planned Experiences with 1st grade students as a means to identify the potential for gifted performance

Build awareness of gifted students and gifted education best practices with primary teachers.

Implementation

Year # School/s Number Students

2010-11 1 571

2011-12 9 1517

2012-13 25 1587*

Implementation

Planned Experiences used with first grade students

Kingore Observation Inventory used by teachers

Potential for gifted performance

Implementation

Gifted education best practices with primary teachers

Build awareness of gifted students and their needs

Implementation

Deliver professional development in-service sessions-KOI Behaviors and instructional strategies

Planned Experiences in first grade

Implementation

Teachers administer three or four Planned Experiences in classrooms

Teachers meet and analyze student work

Planned Experiences

Drawing Starts

Patterning

Rebus Stories

Exhibited gifted behaviors on morethan one experience to qualify

Kingore’s Characteristics of

Giftedness

Advanced Language Analytical

Thinking

Meaning Motivation Perspective

Sense of Humor Sensitivity

Accelerated Learning

Analyzing Drawing Starts

Implementation

Teachers meet to analyze products  Develop database  Identify potential to perform in first

grade students

Teacher interviews 

Instructional Decisions

Higher level activities for Potential to Perform students

Specific activities for Potential to Perform students

Instruction with TAG students

Instructional Decisions

Subject Acceleration

Grade Acceleration

ResultsYear School/s # Students #/% Identified

2010-11 1 76 3 3.9%

2011-12 9 1517 14 2.5%

2012-13 25 1587* 49*

What Did You Learn?

“The finer points of giftedness and how to see potential in young children.”

“I learned a lot! I really enjoyed understanding the characteristics of TAG and how to identify students.”

What Did You Learn?

“That there are different ways to identify kids as TAG.”

“I learned more about the characteristics of gifted students and also the behaviors they may exhibit, especially through these activities.”

What Did You Learn?

“I learned how to score math problems the students created using content, organization, divergence, elaboration, and significantly beyond age expectations.”

Impact on Teaching

More focused and intentional instructional challenges presented to the students

More enrichment activities for these kids

Impact on Teaching

Employ various learning styles/projects in hopes of reaching and enriching lessons for students

BenefitsIncreased identification of first

grade students Potential for Gifted Performance

Increased teacher understanding of TAG students

Increased teacher confidence in teaching TAG students

Benefits

Increased interest in learning more about how to support and serve gifted students

Teachers more confident utilizing higher-level learning strategies

Future Plans

Continue to train teachers

Continue to identify Potential for gifted performance

Continue to serve first and second grade students

Ann MatschinerPacific University

[email protected]

Scamper

Instructional Strategies

Six Thinking HatsHabits of Mind Inquiry-Based LearningCreative Problem-Solving Icons of Depth and ComplexityTiered InstructionThink Tac ToeWilliams Model