Middle School Gifted & Talented Program Parent Orientation September 2009 Challenging ALL Children to Achieve at Higher Levels.

Middle School Gifted & TalentedProgram

Parent Orientation

September 2009

Challenging ALL Children to Achieve

at Higher Levels

Gifted Students

Profile of High Achieving Students Bright Student

Knows the answersIs interestedHas good ideasWorks hardTop groupLearns with easeEnjoys peersGrasps meaningGood at memorizationIs pleased with own learning

Gifted LearnerAsks questionsIs highly curiousHas unique ideasPlays aroundBeyond the groupAlready knowsPrefers adultsDraws inferencesGood guesserIs highly self-critical

Identification of GT Students(To qualify, students must have

taken an aptitude test)96th percentile on a nationally-normed Aptitude Assessment on the Total Composite Score

Or two of the three criteria below:

88th percentile on a nationally-normed aptitude test

89th percentile on MAP or PASS tests

STAR test (elementary) or final GPA of 3.75 or higher (middle)

Middle School Gifted ProgramTwo Tiers

Bright & Gifted StudentsAdvanced courses in English, math, science, social studies 6-8

Possibility of high school credit in 2 or 3 courses

Gifted Enrichment40 minute block for GT students only

Verbal Course – integrates critical reading, writing, and the humanities

Quantitative Course – integrates reasoning, problem-solving, and the sciences

Mission of GT Program

To provide identified students with educational opportunities designed to address their academic talents and abilities including the need to learn faster, explore topics in greater depth of content, engage in critical questioning and discussion about content, and explore complexities around topics.

Standards & Concepts

Critical Thinking & Inquiry

Communication &

Argumentation

Real World Applications

Gifted & Talented Curriculum Framework

Curriculum MapQuantitative Integrated Studies

6th Grade

Animal Populations

Local Issues Analysis

Trip of a Lifetime

White Rain

Mathematics Problem Solving Units

“Leaf it to Me”

Math Around the World

Strategy Games

Animal Adventure Wildlife Web-quest

7th Grade

Quadrants

Math Curse Project

Vacation Project

Fever 1793

Logic units (bouncing ball, odds, spreading out, hand area v. height)

Tower Power

Career Projects

Mall Project

Aerodynamics

Ecology

8th Grade

Fibonacci Sequence

The Sky is the Limit

Force and Motion

Logic

Mixtures

Spatial Visualization

Transformations

Fun with Food

Pythagorean Theorem

Linear Programming

Earth

Financial Literacy

The Curriculum MapVerbal Integrated Studies

6th Grade

Cultural Universals

World History Simulations (Dig, Empires, Egypt, Greece, Maya)

Jr. Great Books

Document-based Questions (China, Greece, Aztecs, Black Death, Mongols)

Writing

7th Grade

“Utopian Society”

Defining Nations

Industrial Revolution

World War I

1940’s A Decade of Change

The Holocaust

The Cold War

Speech Analysis and Writing

8th Grade

Getting to Know Hysteria (Salem witch trials)

Jr. Great Books

Revolutions

Civil War

Threads of Change

The Jungle

The Depression

The Water is Wide

Screening for Newly Qualified GT Students in MS

Middle School Identification Timeline

June – July Review GT list from elementary grades and schedule forMS GT program

August 12 – 19 Notify parents of students who transfer into middle level GT Program

August 17 Notify all parents of GT program requirements

September 3 GT Parent Information Night at home middle schools

September 8-30 Fall MAP test (DIMENSION B screening)

October 12 – 23 CogAT testing for middle school students who have never taken a nationally-normed academic aptitude test (DIMENSION A screening)

January 22 GPA reviewed for 6th grade (DIMENSION C screening)

January 26 Admittance of newly screened GT students