U-STARS~PLUS RTI and Students Who are Gifted Mary Ruth B. Coleman, Ph.D. Senior Scientist FPG Child Development Institute University of North Carolina.

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI and Students Who are Gifted

Mary Ruth B. Coleman, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

FPG Child Development Institute

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Special Thanks to Heidi Erstad,

Wisconsin RtI Center

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI PhilosophyEarly Intervention to Support Strengths

The child/student firstServices must match the child/studentAllocation of resourcesWisconsin’s leadership includes Culturally Responsive Practices!!

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

CEC Position Paper

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC, 2008) stated that RtI:

“shall consider the educational needs of children with gifts and talents and their families, particularly related to the identification of children considered to be twice exceptional because they have gifts and talents as well as a disability. These advanced learners shall be provided access to a challenging and accelerated curriculum, while also addressing the unique needs of their disability.”

Systemic Needs(TAG/NAGC Position Paper)

All students means allFluidity and flexibility to address strengths and needsIncreased need for collaborationProfessional development, Resources

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI Model/ApproachKey Features

Tiered approach to supports and servicesUse of Evidence-Based Practices and Standard Protocols to respond to child/student strengths & needsUniversal screening, progress monitoring, assessmentData Driven Decision Making processCollaborative problem–solving approaches to child/student needs (Parental involvement)Culturally Responsive Practices

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Wisconsin’s definition of Response to Intervention

Is what?

An organizational frameworkthat

guides implementation of a culturally responsive

multi-level system of support Does what?

toachieve academic and

behavioral successfor all

For what?

Multi-Level System of Support

Intensity of Need

Amou

nt o

f Res

ourc

es N

eede

d to

Sup

port

Stud

ents

From Fragmented Services…

General Education

Title I

Special Education

Gifted/Talented?Ineligible

U-STARS~PLUS

Universal + Intensive

Universal

Universal + Selected

…to a System of Support

Intensity of Need

Amou

nt o

f Res

ourc

es N

eede

d to

Sup

port

Stud

ents

What will be needed to support every student in

our school?

In addition to Instead of

*Graphic adapted from Phil Daro, Tools for Principals & Administrators: Intervention Worksheet, Inside Mathematics

More than a year behind,

gaps and misconceptions

from many years

Gaps and misconceptions

disrupt participation

Struggles with some

assignmentsKeeps up Thrives Excels Years

ahead

Think a continuum of supports

Balanced Assessment

Formative, interim, & summative

assessments

Collaboration

Regular ongoing collaboration

Instruction

High quality instruction

Wellbelow or above

Moderately below or above

UN

IVER

SAL

SELE

CTED

INTE

NSI

VE

On track

Multi-Level System of Support Roadmap

Culturally Responsive Practices • Family Engagement • Leadership and Organizational Structures

PLUSProgress

monitoring

PLUSCollaboration

PLUSintervention or

additional challenge

PLUSProgress

monitoring

PLUSProblem-solving

team

PLUSintervention

(well-below)

or challenge

IN LIEU OF (well-above)

Start with IDENTIFIED IMPORTANT OUTCOME for all students

Sources:Liang, X., & Zhang, G. (2009)..Muhammad, A., & Hollie, S. (2012). State of Washington Professional Educators Standard Board. (2009).

Cultural Competence

Model

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI Model/ApproachTiered Approach to Services

Intensity of support increases as intensity of child/student’s needs increasesFlexibility in services and supports to meet student needsMatched with Data Driven Decision MakingNurturing potential & Early Intervention

◦ Culturally/Linguistically Diverse◦ Economically Disadvantaged◦ 2e Students

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Universal: Tier lGeneral Classroom that offers a quality strengths-based learning environmentFocus on nurturing potential in all childrenUse of dynamic assessmentsDifferentiation of instruction with high-end learning opportunities (enriched and challenging)Universal Screening for potential in all studentsCulturally Responsive Practices

U-STARS~PLUS

Selected: Tier llCollaboration with gifted education to provide more intense supports when neededAdditional supports provided to students based on strengths (e.g. abilities, skills, interests)Differentiate instruction based on student’s dataParental involvement Progress Monitoring (Curriculum Compacting)

U-STARS~PLUS

Intensive: Tier lllMore intensive support gifted education may take the leadAssessments include a body-of-evidence approach (e.g. full portrait of strengths and needs)Nomination for formal identificationParents involvement in decision makingSustained differentiation needed in areas of strength and/or areas of needMay replace Universal Tier

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI StrategiesEvidence-Based Standard

Protocols

Evidence–based responses that provide additional support (e.g. William and Mary Curriculum, U-STARS~PLUS, Triad Enrichment Model, Autonomous Learner Model, Renzulli Learning)Strategies that promote high-end learning (e.g. questioning techniques, acceleration, enrichment, problem-based learning)Differentiated instruction/Universal Design for LearningReadily implemented with fidelity

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Great Resources!! Chrys Mursky’s page has a great interactive page on evidence-based strategies athttp://cal.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/cal/pdf/continuum-of-services.pdf

The RtI Center has developed an “Additional Challenges Selection Tool” that helps schools look at the research/evidence that exists for different strategies/programs at http://www.wirticenter.com/additionalchallenges

U-STARS~PLUS

Implementing RtI with Gifted Students: Service

Models, Trends, and Issues

Prufrock Press 2013

EDITED BY:

MARY RUTH COLEMAN & SUSAN K. JOHNSEN

U-STARS~PLUS

http://www.prufrock.com/Implementing-RtI-With-Gifted-Students-P1663.aspx

U-STARS~PLUS

Purpose of the Publication

To explain the components of RtI for gifted learners.To describe gifted education models that fit within the RtI framework.To identify special issues and concerns (i.e., culturally different, twice exceptional)To identify future directions and opportunities.

U-STARS~PLUS

RtI Framework for Gifted Learners

Above level differentiated curriculum

Nurturing potential prior to formal identification

Curriculum aligned to gifted education program standards and professional fields

Monitoring of student’s development within a domain (acceleration, depth, complexity, breadth)

Support for students who have met benchmarks to develop student’s strengths and interests

Responsiveness used to guide intervention at higher tiers of service

U-STARS~PLUS

U-STARS~PLUSA Tiered Approach to Nurturing, Recognizing, and Responding to Potential

MARY RUTH COLEMAN, PH.D.

FPG CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

SNEHA SHAH COLTRANE, M.ED.

STATE CONSULTANT, AIG

NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

U-STARS~PLUS

U-STARS~PLUS PurposeUsing–Science, Talents, and Abilities to Recognize Students

~ Promoting Learning for Under–Represented Students

To support teachers in the early recognition and nurturing of potential in children from economically disadvantaged and/or culturally diverse families and in children with disabilities in order to provide them with access to advanced educational opportunities and to improve their academic achievement.

© 2007 by Coleman & Shah-Coltrane

U-STARS~PLUS

U-STARS~PLUS Goals

To provide environments which nurture the intellectual and emotional well-being of young children (grades K–3).To recognize children with outstanding potential who may be overlooked due to poverty, cultural/linguistic differences, and/or disabilities. To engage families in meaningful ways that support their child’s academic success. To support the use of high quality science instruction for young children (grades K–3) as a platform to recognize and respond to potential.To respond to students’ strengths by providing appropriately challenging advanced educational experiences.

© 2007 by Coleman & Shah-Coltrane

U-STARS~PLUS

INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING FOR

SYSTEMIC CHANGEFAMILY/SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

HANDS-ON/ INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE

U-STARS~PLUS “The Big Star”Using Science, Talents and Abilities to Recognize Students ~ Promoting

Learning for Under-represented Students

HIGH-END LEARNING

OPPORTUNITIES

TEACHERS’ SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATIONS

Nurture

Respond Recognize

The Heart of U-STARS~PLUSBringing Out the Best in Student Potential

U-STARS~PLUS

A Nurturing Classroom Environment supports students intellectually and

emotionally

An Intellectually Nurturing Environment provides:1. Challenge (high expectations, appropriate complexity)2. Choice (child’s interests, self–determination)3. Changes (novelty, flexibility)

An Emotionally Nurturing Environment is: 1. Safe (respectful, understanding, validating, caring)2. Supportive (helpful, “risk–taking”)3. Secure (child can be at ease)

© 2007 by Coleman & Shah-Coltrane

U-STARS~PLUS

U-STARS~PLUS and RTI:Tiered ServicesUniversal Screening/Progress MonitoringFamily Partnerships, Focused Instructional StrategiesRegular Ed and GT partnershipsNurturing Potential in All LeanersCulturally Responsive Practices

U-STARS~PLUS

U-STARS~PLUS and RTI:

Tier I: Whole-Class TOPS, regular classroom centered, high-end learning environment, nurture/response, culturally responsive practice, family partnerships

Tier II: Regular Ed and GT partnership, flexible grouping, Individual TOPS, recognition of outstanding potential, focused differentiation, family partnerships

Tier III: Intensive services, GT teacher more involved to provide appropriate service, families more involved, possible referral for formal GT identification

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI Model/Approach Universal Screening, Progress

Monitoring, Assessment

Awareness of child/students strengths

Dynamic check–points to “monitor progress”

Data driven decision making

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

AssessmentSystematic and Purposeful methods for looking at where you or your students are in order to plan for where you or they are going.

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Multiple Assessments of a Learner

Norm Referenced & Criterion Referenced TestsPaper–Pencil TestsPerformance AssessmentsSamples of Work: Portfolio (Body-of-Evidence)Informal Measures:

Observations Conferences

Self–AssessmentsPeer Feedback

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Specific Concerns for The Use of Data with Special

PopulationsStudents who are twice exceptional may not show there strengths on some measuresLanguage and cultural needs of the child must be taken in to consideration during assessmentsOff grade-level assessments may be needed to see strengthsA body-of-evidence approach is essential to appropriately identify strengths, challenges, and needs

U-STARS~PLUS

RTI Model/ApproachCollaborative Problem–Solving

Individual child/student with more complexityCulturally/Linguistically DiverseEconomically Disadvantaged2e Learners

Intensity of needs (e.g. highly gifted learners)Pooling resourcesParents as part of the team and decision making

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Family and School Partnerships

Family involvement programs

Effective parent conferences

Cultural competency (impact of poverty, diversity, and social emotional needs)

© 2007 by Coleman & Shah-Coltrane

U-STARS~PLUS

Special Issues for RTI and Gifted Students

Twice exceptional studentsNurturing potential Early Intervention

◦ Culturally/linguistically diverse◦ Economically disadvantaged

Affective needs of gifted students

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

U-STARS~PLUS

Potential of RTI for GTStrengthen Collaborations with General and Special EducationAddress issues of Disproportionate RepresentationPromote Early supports to Nurture PotentialAddress the needs of 2e LearnersEnhance General Curriculum with a focus on Strengths!