The Morris School District’s mission is to serve the needs of all students, to accommodate equity, to provide a challenging education and innovative academic.

WELCOME TO THE MORRIS SCHOOL

DISTRICT

The Morris School District’s mission is to serve the needs of all students, to accommodate equity, to provide a challenging education and innovative academic programs.

All schools in the Morris School District have a population of gifted students who demonstrate high levels of intellectual capacity in general knowledge and skills, or in content-specific areas as compared to their peers. The district believes that gifted students should be presented with opportunities and experiences that enable them to expand their talents.

ABOUT THE QUEST PROGRAM

THREE RING MODEL of GIFTED BEHAVIOR

(Joseph Renzulli)

Above Average Ability

General ability consists of the capacity to process information, to integrate experiences that result in appropriate and adaptive responses in new situations, and the capacity to engage in abstract thinking. Specific abilities consist of the capacity to acquire knowledge, skill, or the ability to perform in one or more activities of a specialized kind and within a restricted range.

ABOVE AVERAGE ABILITY

General Ability

Specific Ability

Task Commitment can be consistently found in creative-productive persons; a refined or focused form of motivation. Common Terms include:

TASK COMMITMENT

Comm

itment

PASSIONATE

Hard Working

Dedicated

Self Confidence

Endurance

Gritty

Originality of thinking and fresh approaches to architectural problems

Constructive ingenuity Ability to set aside established conventions and

procedures when appropriate A flair for devising effective and original

fulfillments of the major demands of architecture, technology, visual form, planning, and human awareness and social purpose

CREATIVITY“Creative thinking involves imagining familiar things in a new light, digging below the surface to find previously undetected patterns, and finding connections among unrelated phenomena.                      Roger von Oech, Expect the Unexpected

NaglieriWriting SampleReading ResponseNJASK4 ScienceBehavioral ChecklistsPerformance Task

Duckworth’s Grit Scale (self assessment)Behavioral checklistsPerformance Task

SAGE Test for CreativityBehavioral checklistsPerformance Task

WELL ABOVE AVERAGE ABILITY

TASK COMMITMENT

CREATIVITY

IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

100 %of fourth and fifth grade students will be evaluated using Multiple Measures

The top 25 % of the students will qualify to take the SAGES 2

30 %The top

of the students tested qualify for a performance taskto be conducted by the district Quest Teachers

Finally acceptance letters will be issued to the qualifying students

1. 400 students are screened in the initial phase 2. The top 25 % (100 students) are invited to

take the SAGES 2 Test3. The top 30 % (30 students) are invited to

participate in the performance task.4. Qualifying students are offered admission

into the Quest Program.5. GOAL: Reach the top 5-7 % of the total

student population.

EXAMPLE

GRADE 2-5

SCHOOL WIDE ENRICHMENT

Morris School District Quest program includes School Wide Enrichment for grades 2-5.

Enrichment course offerings are designed to enable the development of all our students based upon their varied interests. The process is aimed towards increasing student awareness of personal strengths and recognition of varied pathways to success. The courses are based upon Renzulli’s Triad Enrichment Model.

Students self select a course of interest from those offered. Enrichment courses add to the core curriculum and are designed to target multiple intelligences and provide new opportunities to enhance the creative problem solving and critical thinking skills of our students.

All students complete a Multiple Intelligence Questionnaire (Self-assessment)

Quest teachers meet students in small groups and use guided activities designed to capitalize on students’ Multiple Intelligences.

1ST AND 3RD GRADE QUEST EXPERIENCES

EXAMPLE of one to use with 3rd graders.Students identified as Visual/Spatial learners could

meet with Quest teacher to create original straight line designs using a process-based exploration.

ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCES

Once identified, 4th grade Quest students will engage in learning the Design Process with a dual approach.

Students will first be LED through discussion and spontaneous problem solving activities in order to understand the framework for the Design Process.

4th GRADE QUEST

Using the Loop

Students transition from being led to a GUIDED INSTRUCTION to prepare them for independent work in Grade 5.

Identified students will be divided into groups based on an online M.I. Inventory.

Groups choose among the different MI challenges. These interest aligned groups follow the design loop process to create an authentic product.

4th GRADE QUEST

September and October: Students engage in guided problem solving. Returning students mentor newly identified students identified for Quest.

November through May: Students merge their interests and passions to independently, create an authentic product using the steps of the design process. Quest teacher facilitates, confers, and reinforces the process.

June: Students present projects.

5TH GRADE QUEST

Additionally, Quest teachers provide professional resources, guidance and support to enable teachers to facilitate differentiated Type I and Type II activities in their general classrooms for all students.

Teachers consult directly with Quest teachers throughout the school year, as needed, to plan additional enrichment activities in their classrooms or to consult regarding individual students.

K-5 QUEST

The Morris School District Quest program is committed to:•ENABLING ALL CHILDREN TO RECOGNIZE THEIR STRENGTHS AND STYLES AS LEARNERS

•RECOGNIZING TALENT COMES IN A VARIETY OF FORMS

•TEACHING STUDENTS TO IDENTIFY HOW THEY LEARN BEST

•SUPPORTING TEACHERS TO FACILITATE EACH STUDENT'S SUCCESS

•COACHING CHILDREN TO PERSEVERE THROUGH ACTIVITIES

•DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

TEACHING CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Caine’s Arcade

Caine's Arcade