Action Plan Template: Clustering or Mainstreaming Gifted Students
Is cluster grouping where gifted students are placed with similar students in their areas of strength, necessary to effectively address their challenging, enlightening, and intriguing learning needs or should these students be mainstreamed where teachers can maintain a sense of community within the classrooms on campus amongst all students?
Goal:
Sustain keeping gifted students clustered throughout the Truitt Middle School campus with teachers who have been trained in how to teach exceptionally capable and gifted students.
Action Steps:
To effectively identify gifted and talented learners in all year groups and monitor their progress over a period of time
To make all staff aware of the meaning of gifted and talented and develop a shared understanding and agreed definition
Provide whole school professional development on meeting the needs of gifted and talented learners
Continue to develop appropriate curriculum and non-traditional options for these children
Continue to document and collect data on performance and outcomes
Persons Responsible:
Gifted and Talented District Curriculum Coordinator to provide guidance and training to certify staff members in the area of exceptionally able learners
Gifted and Talented Leading Teacher to provide guidance to staff on strategies to meet the needs of exceptionally able learners
Enrichment specialist to ensure gifted teachers are being taught and supported with the latest research
Campus administration to support initiative
School psychologists
This system allows the students to learn with and from each other and reduces the need for multiple teachers to develop appropriate instructional modifications.
Timeline: July 2010- July 2012
July: Placement of clustered classes on Master Schedule
August: Placement of gifted students in clustered classes
September: Staff development for nurturing needs of gifted students
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEPs) developed for clustered classes
October: Administration to ensure conditions for enhanced learning are in place
November: Staff development on enrichment strategies
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEPs) shared with parents
December: Mid-term assessments and projects on semester culminating activities
January: Begin working on Horizon’s showcase for CFISD gifted students
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEPs) shared with parents
February: Staff development on differentiation strategies
March: Identification testing
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEPs) shared with parents
April: Horizon’s Showcase
May: Final assessments and projects on semester culminating activities
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEPs) shared with parents
Start/End Dates:
July 2010- July 2012
Needed Resources:
Ensure gifted and talented provision is supported by appropriate budgets and resources and their use is monitored for impact and best value
Ensured consistent opportunity to learn new material and to develop the behaviors that allow them to cope with the challenge of new learning
Training and enrichment for staff members in differentiation classes
Certification of Gifted and Talented Teachers
Coach/mentor to assist teachers with differentiation
Access to technology
Assistance with data organization and analysis
Evaluation Process:
1. Research counseling and scheduling data to ensure gifted students are “clustered” allowing them to learn together, while avoiding permanent grouping arrangements such as “tracking” for students of other ability levels
2. Plan elements of gifted and talented provisions for clear objectives and to regularly evaluate performance
3. Work closely with feeder and receiving schools to ensure that transfer data is disseminated and is used to inform planning of teaching and learning and proper placement.
4. Administration’s expectation of integrity of Gifted program be upheld
Your plan seems to be focused on the "clustering" and "tracking" concepts of GT students. One element to consider when providing PD for teachers is to insure that they understand these terms.
ReplyDeleteI am curious in that GT students are identified due to various reasons. Some GT students may also be SPED students as well, so by clustering GT students, is this nto assuming that all GT students learn the same?
Also, I think that PD about GT students will also help with all students and this is something that could be pointed out to staff. Our GT teacher last year worked with some Tier III students. She was really concerned about being able to do this but it ended up that they learned greatly due to the "holistic" approach that she uses with GT students. These students could relate. (instead of starting with a small concept and building to a large overarching concept she began with the large concept and worked down to each subject and each detail).
Also, what if you not only looked at clustering vs mainstreaming but also at the combination. Inclusion is prevelant with SPED for a reason. Could a combination of inclusion and "clustering" be utilized to ensure that the students are exposed to "the real world."
Also, I was a little confused about your timeline, might just be a typo or me, is the initial plan rollout until July 2012 or July 2011? Your plan lays out a one year timeline but states a two year timeline.
What is your baseline performance? In other words how will you evaluate whether your action research plan has made a change in GT student achievement. I see you mentioned ongoing evaluative performance but, I don't quite understand how you will determine best practices from how the system is now (what data shows is happening currently) to increased student performance.
Finally, your goal makes sense but I am wondering is it measurable? I realize you can measure the % that remain in clusters but by having them remain in these clusters have you already determined that this is the solution to maintaining high performance standards for GT students? What data do you have to support this or are you going to compare those GT students that are in clusters to those who are not provided this opportunity to determine best practices?
Please don't feel the need to answer me, I am just posing wonderings- maybe it will help with week 4 assignment.
-Anika :)