Category: Instruction

Although the State Plan (TEA, 2019) requires evaluation of student growth, the process remains difficult for Texas districts. Assessment beyond on-level state testing is required to adequately assess growth in our gifted learners and in the curriculum and instruction provided to them. Implementation of growth modeling and other suggested effective tools will support assessment of academic growth in gifted learners.

Gifted students that struggle to perform to academic expectations are often misunderstood for being lazy, or not trying hard enough. A dual differentiation definition through a cognitive diversity lens will be presented. Implementation strategies will be illustrated through case study examples.

In recent years, the pressure on teachers for their students to perform on state-mandated tests has caused the focus in education to shift to those students who are achieving at or just below academic standards. At the same time, there has been a growing trend of school boards considering the elimination of programs and services for the gifted students in their districts, opting instead to spread these students across heterogeneous general education classrooms. Ability grouping strategies provide schools with opportunities to meet these demands while ensuring that the needs of gifted students are met.

Looking side-by-side at on-level and GT curriculum examples, this session presented at giftED21 discusses how pre-assessment and alignment of both curriculums allow for differentiation and acceleration for our gifted students, while allowing for collaboration with PLC teams.