District Gifted and Talented Plan

GIFTED EDUCATIONAL PLAN

OOLOGAH-TALALA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OOLOGAH, OKLAHOMA

Introduction

The goal of the Oologah-Talala School is to identify and provide appropriate educational experiences for those students, who give evidence of high performance capability in the intellectual, specific academic, or visual and performing arts areas. These students require learning opportunities or experiences not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities.

Initiatives to provide those appropriate educational experiences will include:

I.     Identification of students for gifted educational programming

A.    A committee chaired by an educator with training in gifted education and including administrators, teachers, and/or counselors collects and analyzes data, maintains appropriate records, and makes professional decisions on placement of students.

1. The committee at each school site will include the site coordinator for gifted programming, and may include the site principal or designee, teachers, counselor, library/media specialist and others as appropriate.
2. The committee coordinates and uniformly implements the process for identification and communicates these procedures to the entire school staff consistent with this Gifted Educational Plan, State Board of Education regulations and state statutes.

B.    Process for identifying students

1. Procedures used in the identification process will be nondiscriminatory with respect to race, economic background, national origin or handicapping condition.
2. Nominations will be sought from a wide variety of sources.
3. Counselors (The site counselor will refer any student scoring above the 95^th percentile in reading comprehension, math concepts, or basic skills on standard achievement tests. Counselors will refer any student scoring in the advanced range on OCCT, CRT, or Oklahoma End-of-Instruction Tests (EOI).
4.  Teachers
5.  Parents
6.  Community members
7. Peers
8. Self
9. Others as appropriate
10.     Data will be collected on nominated students.

1.    Testing Methods

1.  Standardized ability tests (Otis Lennon School Ability Test-7^th and 8^th Editions and the Cognitive Abilities Test)
2.   Standardized achievement test, OCCT, Oklahoma End-of-Instruction Test (EOI)
3.  Student achievement within the curriculum
4.  Other as appropriate
5. Nontesting Methods

(1) Checklists (e.g., Renzulli-Hartman, Scales for Rating                                   

The Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students)

1.    Student work portfolios
2.    Student achievement outside the school’s curriculum
3.    Other as appropriate

1. Site committee analyzes data and makes placement decisions.
2. Intellectually Gifted Placement, Category I

(1).  A composite score of 97% or higher including the standard error of measurement on a nationally standardized test of intellectual ability according to the law of the state of Oklahoma, results in automatic placement into appropriate gifted programming options with parent approval.

(2). Students will be labeled as Category I, according to the state department of education.

1. Multi criteria Placement, Category II

1. Using a multcriteria evaluation matrix students will be evaluated by the following criteria:

• On a Nationally Standardized Test of Intellectual Ability students scoring between 87-89%ile (4 points)  90-92%ile (6 points) 91-93%ile  (8 points) 94-96%ile (10 points.
• Oklahoma CRT/EOI Tests scoring Advanced ( 4 points) or Satisfactory (2 points) in reading and/or math.
• Achievement as demonstrated on only one of the following tests: Achievement Test, Explore, Plan, ACT, PSAT  scoring 88-90%ile (2 points) 91-93%ile (3 points) 94-96 % ile (4 points) 97-99%ile (5 points)
• Recommendation by teacher with an average of 2.5 (1 Point) or 3.5 (2 Points)

1. Students will be recommended for gifted placement with an overall total score of 12 on the Multicriteria Evaluation Matrix as stated in b. (1)

1. Gifted in visual and performing arts, Category II

1.  Students will be placed in advanced art, jazz band, honor choir, advanced drama and debate after a performance based individual evaluation. The evaluation may include the following:  portfolios, prerequisites, past performance, try-outs, interviews, and teacher made tests.
2.  Two or more of the above criteria must be met for placement.
3. Student placement decisions in the capability areas will be based on multiple criteria.  No single criterion or cut-off score will be used to exclude a student from needed educational programming.
4. Uniform identification procedures will be used to identify students for specific gifted educational programming options.
5. To allow for the unbiased assessment of all cultural and economic backgrounds, a committee decision for placement may be made based on referral, student product or performance, appropriate checklists and other relevant information.  The site committee on gifted education may authorize the use of alternative assessment procedures when appropriate for a student.
6. Placement will be made in programming options appropriate to the student’s educational needs, interests and/or abilities with parental approval.
7. Instructionally useful information about individual students

obtained during the identification process will be communicated to the appropriate members of the instructional staff regardless of final placement.

1.   Identification of gifted students is an on going process extending from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.  Students who show accelerated aptitudes in pre-k, kindergarten, first and second grade will not be formally tested; instead they will be identified informally by the classroom teacher using a behavior rating scale, work samples, achievement test, etc.  The classroom teacher will provid enrichment opportunities in the regular classroom.

1. Opportunities will be provided for students to be considered for placement in gifted programs throughout their school experience.
2. Identification of students based on a nationally standardized test of intellectual ability will be valid for the student’s educational experience.
3. Students who were identified as gifted and talented in another school district will be considered for identification and placement by the site committee in a timely manner.
4. Evaluation of the appropriateness of a student’s placement in gifted educational programming will be ongoing.
5. Students may be removed from a programming option, which is not meeting their educational needs following a conference with parents.
6. Students whose needs are not met by current placement will be considered for other programming options, which may be more appropriate to their needs.
7. Strict confidentiality procedures, as elsewhere defined in local board policy, will be followed in regard to records of placement decisions and data on all nominated students.
8. Records of placement decisions and data on all nominated students will be kept on file for a minimum of five years or for as long as needed for educational decisions.

1. The identification and placement process includes parental involvement.

1. Parents will be asked to grant written permission for individual testing.
2. Students may be retested the following school year upon parent request.
3. Parents will be given written notice that their child has been identified for placement in gifted educational programming.
4. Parents will be provided with a summary of the gifted educational programming to be offered their child.
5. Parents may appeal a placement decision with which they disagree. Appeal will be made to the site committee.  Further appeals may be made to the district program coordinator.
6. I.    Differentiated Education

1. Differentiated education includes multiple programming options and curriculum which is modified in pace, breadth and depth.

1.    Programming Options

1. Programming options will be coordinated by the site gifted education coordinator and committee to guide the development of gifted students from the time they are identified through graduation from high school.
2. Students will be placed in programming options based on their abilities, needs, and interests.
3. Gifted educational programming is ongoing and a part of the school schedule.  Students will be provided an appropriate differentiated education within three weeks of the beginning of the school term.

1. Curriculum

1. Curriculum for the gifted extends or replaces the regular curriculum.
2. Curriculum is differentiated in content, process and/or product.

1. Content is differentiated in breadth, depth and/or pace.
2. i.    Processes for gifted students stress creativity and higher level thinking skills.
3. ii.  Curriculum is planned to assure continuity.

1. Appropriate learning opportunities will be provided for identified gifted students at each school site through a site-developed program, which is an integral part of the total school program.

1. Every school site will complete a site gifted plan for the following year by April 15 each year.
2. Each site will plan curriculum opportunities to allow students to move through the curriculum at the appropriate flexible pace, provide differentiated curriculum to meet unique needs, and facilitate academic/social support.
3. When appropriate, differentiation will occur in content, process, product and learning environment.
4. Staff development opportunities will be an integral component of the program.

1. The district plan will include selections from appropriate flexible pacing, enrichment, academic/social support and staff development.  These services may be offered based on availability and on the needs of our students.  The following is a list of some of the components that might be incorporated into the district plan.

1. Elementary Gifted Plan
2. Appropriate Flexible Pacing

• Individualization of Instruction - Instruction of an individual student focused on the specific educational needs of that student.
• Proficiency Based Promotion- Elementary or secondary students advancing one or more levels in a curriculum area by demonstrating proficiency at the 90% level on designated assessments.
• Early Admission (Kindergarten)- Underage children admitted to a kindergarten program in the school district in which he or she resides based on certain criteria (70 O.S. 1-114)
• Continuous Progress - The content and pacing of curriculum and instruction are matched to student’s abilities and needs.  Students move ahead on the basis of mastery.
• Cross Grade Groups - Opportunity for a student to work in an advanced grade-level setting with one or more students sharing a similar readiness for the learning task and performance expectations.
• Curriculum Compacting - A system designed to adapt the regular curriculum to meet the needs of above average students by either eliminating previously mastered work or streamlining work that may be mastered at a faster pace.  The time gained may be used to provide students with appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration experiences.
• Other

1. Enrichment

• Enrichment of content in the regular classrooms that is supplemental to the established curriculum and which are purposefully planned with the needs, interests and capabilities of particular students in mind.  Appropriate enrichment experiences are not a repetition of material.
• Learning centers
• Guest speakers
• Independent study
• Resource Room - A class for students released from their regular classroom on a scheduled basis to work with a teacher trained in the education of the gifted.
• Creative and Academic Competitions - Organized opportunities for students to enter local, regional, state or national contests in a variety of areas.  Examples include:
• Geography Bee
• Academic Competitions
• Ugly Bug Contest
• Poster Competition
• Science Fair
• Other

1. Academic/Social Support

• Guidance and Counseling -Planned activities, sessions and policies that assist gifted and talented students in planning their academic career in-school and after high school, and that also address the specific social-emotional needs of the gifted including underachievement.
• Other

1. Staff Development

• Implementation of Oologah-Talala School District Gifted Program
• Learning Styles
• Higher Level Thinking Skills
• Encyclomedia
• Gifted and Talented Education Annual Data Collection: Child Count, Summary Budget, and Plan Updates
• Gifted Conferences
• Other

1. Middle Level Gifted Plan

1. Appropriate Flexible Pacing

• Proficiency Based Promotion - Elementary or secondary students advancing one or more levels in a curriculum area by demonstrating proficiency at the 90% level on designated assessments.
• Differentiated or Enriched Classes - Include differentiated curriculum and accelerated content designed for able students.  These classes need not be limited to identified gifted students.
• Other

1. Enrichment

• Enrichment classes in for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade are designed to provide learning that goes beyond what is taught in the regular curriculum. Opportunities are provided for projects in social studies, science, creative writing, and reading.  The projects may range from power point presentations to science fair experiments.  Emphasis is also placed on geography, analogies, logic, Greek and Latin root words, introductory French and academic practice.  
• Enrichment of content in the regular classroom experiences provided in regular classrooms that is supplemental to the established curriculum and which are purposefully planned with the needs, interests and capabilities of particular students in mind.  Appropriate enrichment experiences are not a repetition of material. 
• Guest speakers
• Independent study
• Creative and Academic Competitions - Organized opportunities for students to enter local, regional, state, or national contests in a variety of areas. 
• Geography Bee
• Academic Bowl
• Essay Contest
• Poster and Art Contest
• Knowledge Master Open Academic Competitions
• Spelling Bee
• TSA – Technology Student Association
• Other

c.     Academic/Social Support

• Duke Talent Search - Conducted by Duke University to identify academically talented youth and inform them about their abilities and academic options.
• Guidance and Counseling - Planned activities, sessions and policies that assist gifted and talented students in planning their academic career in-school and after high school, and that also address the specific social-emotional needs of the gifted including underachievement.
• Other

1. Staff Development

• Implementation of Oologah-Talala School District Gifted Program
• Learning Styles
• Higher Level Thinking Skills
• Encyclomedia
• Gifted and Talented Education: Annual Data Collection: Child Count, Summary Budget and Plan Update
• Other

3.    High School Gifted Plan

1. Appropriate Flexible Pacing

• Proficiency Based Promotion - Elementary or secondary students advancing one or more levels in a curriculum area by demonstrating proficiency at the 90% level on designate assessments.
• Advanced Differentiated or Enriched Classes - Include differentiated curriculum and accelerated content designed for able students.  These classes need not be limited to identified gifted students.
• Acceleration - Administrative practices designed to allow students to progress through the curriculum and/or grade levels at a rate faster than the average.
• Correspondence Courses - High school courses taken by correspondence through an approved university.
• Concurrent Enrollment - Qualified students taking college courses concurrently while in high school. 
• Advanced Placement Courses - College-level courses provided at the secondary level for which students may receive college credit by examination (administered by the Advanced Placement program of the College Board).
• Other

1. Enrichment

• Enrichment of Content in the Regular Classroom - Experiences provided in regular classrooms that are supplemental to the established curriculum and which are purposefully planned with the needs, interests and capabilities of particular students in mind. Appropriate enrichment experiences are not a repetition of material.

Examples include:

• Guest speakers
• Independent study
• College Fair
• Field Trips
• Multi Media Projects
• Other
• Creative and Academic Competitions - Organized opportunities for students to enter local, regional, state or national contests in a variety of areas. 

Examples include:

Academic Bowl

One Act Plays

Competitive Speech and Debate

Poster Contest

Essay Competitions

Mock Trial

Business and Technology Education

Tech Connect - TSA

Other

• Interest Groups - Any group organized from one or more classrooms on the basis of interest in a topic; usually short term in duration.
• Other

1. Academic/Social Support

• Guidance and Counseling - Planned activities, sessions, and policies that assist gifted and talented students in planning their academic career in-school and after high school, and that also address the specific social emotional needs of the gifted including underachievement.
• Mustang Advisory
• Student-Parent Information Seminars

1. Study Groups
2. Other

3.  

4. Staff Development

• Implementation of Oologah-Talala School District Gifted Program
• Learning Styles
• Higher Level Thinking Skills
• Advanced Placement Summer Institute
• Advanced Placement  Fall and Spring Conferences
• Encyclomedia
• Other

1. II.        Evaluation

1. A systematic plan for on-going evaluation is part of program planning and implementation.  The Local Advisory Committee on Gifted Education will establish an on-going evaluation process.  Each site plan will provide an evaluation process.  Previous evaluations will be the basis for site planning.
2. Students, teachers, parents and administrators will annually evaluate gifted educational programming at each school site.  Evaluation results will be communicated in a timely and meaningful way to program decision makers at the site level, the district level and as appropriate, to students, parents and the public.
3. The evaluation process assesses each component of gifted educational programming.  These include:

1. Identification
2. Instructional program
3. Programming options
4. Curriculum
5. Professional development
6. Teacher selection
7. Community involvement
8. Program management and
9. The evaluation process.

1. The evaluation process will focus upon the appropriateness of educational programming provided for gifted students.
2. A plan for evaluation will be developed at the time the programming option is planned, specifying data to be collected and personnel responsible for analysis of the data. 
3. Data for evaluation will be obtained from a variety of instruments, procedures, and informational sources.
4. Student progress will be assessed, with attention to mastery of content, higher level thinking skills and creativity.
5. Advanced content courses will be noted on student transcripts.

1. V. Local Advisory Committee

1. The Local Advisory Committee members will be appointed by the board of education upon the recommendation of the superintendent or designee.  The committee will consist of at least three but no more than eleven members; at least on third of who shall be selected from a list of nominations submitted by associations whose purpose is advocacy for gifted and talented children.  70 O.S. 1210.308 (A)
2. The local Advisory Committee will be demographically representative of the community.
3. The Local Advisory Committee will be appointed no later than September 15 of each school year for two-year terms and will consist of parents of children identified as gifted and talented and community members who may be but are not required to be parents of students within the district.  70 O.S.  1210.308 (A)
4. The superintendent will call the first meeting no later than October 1 of each year. 
5. The advisory committee will meet at other times during the year as necessary in meeting space furnished by the district.  All meetings of the committee will be subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.
6. The school district will furnish staff that has training in gifted education for the advisory committee.
7. The Local Advisory Committee will assist in the formulation of district goals for gifted education, assist in development of the district plan for gifted child educational programming, assist in preparation of the district report on gifted child educational programming, and perform other advisory duties as requested by the board of education.  70 O.S. 1210. 308 (C)

1. Qualifications and responsibilities of gifted child educational program staff

1. Qualifications of staff:

1. Teachers hold a valid Oklahoma teaching certificate appropriate to the grade level (s) included in the program.
2. Gifted educational program coordinators hold a valid Oklahoma teaching certificate.
3. Teachers whose duties include direct involvement with gifted and talented students shall participate in inservice training or college training designed to educate and assist them in the area of gifted education each year.
4. Gifted educational program coordinators shall participate in inservice training or college training designed to educate and assist them in the area of gifted education each year.
5. Administrators responsible for gifted educational programming will attend professional development related to the educational needs of gifted students each year.

1. Responsibilities of gifted educational program staff:

1. The superintendent or the district coordinator for gifted educational programming will be responsible for working with the local advisory committee, overseeing the site coordinators and site plans, and filing such reports and information as are required by the State Department of Education relative to gifted educational programming.
2. The principal or site coordinator for gifted educational programming will be responsible for working with the site committee, coordinating gifted educational programming related to the site gifted plan and compiling such reports and information as required by the district coordinator for gifted educational programming.
3. The site committee on gifted educational programming will work with the site coordinator to develop the site gifted plan each year.  The site gifted educational specialist or designee is responsible for coordinating the site programming options.
4. Under the direction of the district coordinator for gifted education programming, an organizational document will be developed at each site, which clearly designates roles, responsibilities and coordination procedures in regard to gifted educational programming options.
5. Delivery is addressed by both the regular classroom teachers and the gifted education specialist.  They work closely together to implement appropriate flexible pacing, plan enrichment, coordinate resources and facilitate academic/social support when needed.

1. The gifted education specialist provides professional support through modeling consultation, co-teaching, collaborative problem solving, inservice training and assists classroom teachers in finding and securing resource material and/or resource persons.
2. The gifted education specialist is responsible for coordinating gifted student identification, monitoring student progress and record maintenance.
3. Classroom teachers will have, and provide upon request, documentation demonstrating that curriculum has been and continues to be modified in pace, breadth and depth.

1. I. Budget

1. Each site coordinator for gifted educational programming, in conjunction with the site committee and administration will prepare a budget for gifted educational programming as a part of the site gifted plan.
2. The district coordinator will compile the site budgets and will prepare, in conjunction with the superintendent and local advisory committee, a district budget for gifted educational programming.
3. The district budget for gifted educational programming will be prepared on forms required by the State Department of Education and submitted as required.
4. The budget for gifted educational programming will be approved by the board of education before filing with the State Department of Education.

1. II. Expenditures Report

1. An expenditures report for the previous school year will be submitted by the superintendent to the State Department of Education by August 1 of each year as required by 70 O.S. 1210.3070 (D)
2. The report will outline the expenditures made by the district during that year for gifted child educational programming.

C.    The report will identify expenditures by major object codes and program classifications pursuant to the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System.