tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70682205681962512532024-03-07T22:23:43.685-08:00Tennessee Initiative for Gifted Education ReformTIGER is a nonprofit corporation organized to support or initiate efforts that protect and increase educational opportunities for gifted children in Tennessee in all educational environments including public schools, private schools, charter schools, home schools, and colleges.Tigerlilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00538065038945974117noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-6292536764409945102009-11-22T19:04:00.000-08:002009-11-22T20:01:06.453-08:00State of the States in Gifted EducationThe National Association for Gifted Children's <strong>“State of the States in Gifted Education”</strong> report for 2008-2009 is now available.<br /><br />For the full report: <a href="http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=5364">http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=5364</a> <br />(go to the set of tables to see how Tennessee ranks compared to other states)<br /><br />The following is a summary of the report from David Nagel published in <em>The Journal</em> at<br /><a href="http://thejournal.com/articles/2009/11/16/is-american-education-neglecting-gifted-children.aspx">http://thejournal.com/articles/2009/11/16/is-american-education-neglecting-gifted-children.aspx</a> <br /><br />“America's 3 million gifted and talented students are getting the shaft in the vast majority of K-12 schools, according to a new report from the National Association for Gifted Children and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted. The report found that gifted students are being neglected at all levels in the United States, from weak or non-existent policies at the state level to uneven funding at the district level to a lack of teacher preparation at the classroom level.<br /><br />The report… pointed to several failures on the part of U.S. education, from a severe lack of commitment on a national level to spotty services and little or no support to get teachers trained to deal with gifted students.<br /><br />Some of the findings included:<br /><br />• A full fourth of states provided zero funding for programs and resources for gifted students last year;<br /><br />• In states that did provide funding, there was little consistency, with per-pupil expenditures ranging from $2 to $750 last year;<br /><br />• Only five states require professional development for teachers who work in gifted programs;<br /><br />• Only five require any kind preparation for these teachers;<br /><br />• Gifted students spend most of their time in general classrooms and receive little specialized instruction;<br /><br />• Key policies are handled at the district level, when there are policies in place at all, rather than at the state level, creating "the potential for fractured approaches and limits on funding";<br /><br />• There is no coherent national strategy for dealing with gifted students.”DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-172040831613607842009-10-31T20:46:00.000-07:002009-10-31T20:54:41.229-07:00The Many Faces of Acceleration<div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">“America's school system keeps bright students in line<br />by forcing them to learn in a lock-step manner with<br />their classmates. Teachers and principals disregard<br />students’ desires to learn more—much more—<br />than they are being taught.<br /><br />Instead of praise and encouragement, these students<br />hear one word—no. When they ask for a challenge,<br />they are held back. When they want to fly, they are<br />told to stay in their seats. Stay in your grade.<br />Know your place.<br /><br />It’s a national scandal. And the price may be the slow<br />but steady erosion of American excellence.<br />—A Nation Deceived </span></div><span style="color:#3333ff;"><div align="left"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Why Acceleration?<br /></strong>Gifted students are, by definition, more advanced than their age peers in some significant ways. Their rate of development has been faster than expected. They have reached a level of maturity that puts them out of sync with their age peers and with the curriculum of the regular classroom. Not only have these students acquired more information in a shorter time, but they think with the greater depth and insight of older students. The older they are, the greater the discrepancy between their level of maturity and that of their age mates.<br /><br />The two most significant assets for gifted students are an appropriate educational fit and friends of similar maturity.”<br /></span><br />This is the start of a very well crafted article by Dr. Nancy M. Robinson, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, entitled <em><strong>The Many Faces of Acceleration: Creating an Optimal Match for the Advanced Learner</strong></em>. It is available, in full, at The Duke Gifted Letter, and is well worth reading and sharing with other parents and school officials. <a href="http://www.dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol6no2_feature.html">http://www.dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol6no2_feature.html</a> </div>DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-23562093472143818392009-10-04T10:58:00.000-07:002009-10-04T11:02:46.431-07:00Myth: "Gifted students don't need help, they're fine."<strong><strong>From: National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC):<em> <br /> Common Myths in Gifted Education<br /></em><br />Myth: Gifted students don’t need help; they’ll do fine on their own</strong></strong><br /><br />Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.<br /><br />While gifted students do have an extraordinary level of potential and ability, their high aptitude for learning can easily go to waste if it is not fostered properly. The facts clearly show that gifted students need teachers who will challenge them. According to a 1991 study, between 18 and 25% of gifted and talented students drop out of school. Gifted dropouts were generally from a lower socio-economic status family and had little or no access to extracurricular activities, hobbies, or technology. Following are some statistics, books, articles and links to webpages that will help to dispel the myth that “gifted students will be fine on their own.”<br /><br />• Visit <a title="Why We Should Advocate for Gifted and Talented Students" href="http://www.nagc.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=538">"Why We Should Advocate For G/T Students"</a> to learn more about how classroom experiences and teacher qualifications and abilities relate to gifted students and their success.<br /><br />• Visit <a title="Gifted Education Works" href="http://www.nagc.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=566">"Gifted Education Works"</a> for information about a range of gifted education strategies and their success.<br /><br />• The <a title="Equity in Excellence" href="http://www.nagc.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=4658">"Equity In Excellence"</a> webpage contains information about the achievement gap that has developed between subgroups of high-ability students due in part to lack of quality instruction.<br /><br />• Studies have shown that as they progress through school, American children are falling further behind their foreign counterparts. At the 4th grade level only seven countries have higher average Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) scores in mathematics than the United States, but by 8th grade that number is nearly tripled with 20 countries having higher average scores than the U.S. In the 12th grade advanced math level, not one country has lower average scores than the United States. The science achievement scores are equally unnerving. These numbers indicate that all of our students need help in school; if they are left to learn on their own, they will continue to fall behind. For more details visit the <a title="Pipeline of STEM Talent" href="http://www.nagc.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=1001">"Pipeline of STEM Talent"</a> webpage.<br /><br />• When young high-ability children are placed in classrooms that are designed for low or average-ability students, they typically experience boredom, frustration, and decreased motivation.<br /><br />For more information read:<br /><br />Neihart, M., Reis, S. M., Robinson, N. M., & Moon, S. M., (Eds.). (2002). The social and emotional development of gifted children: What do we know? Waco, TX<br /><br />Gallagher, J. J. (1991). Programs for gifted students: Enlightened self-interest. <a title="Gifted Child Quarterly" href="http://www.nagc.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=979">Gifted Child Quarterly</a>, 35(4), 177-178.DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-61805780549172252262009-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:002009-09-27T12:05:50.482-07:00High School OnlineThe Wall Street Journal recently ran a story about online high schools. The focus was on those students who enroll full-time in online courses and whether they confront unique social problems. The comments from students in online courses are at least as informative as the article itself. See: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125374569191035579.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125374569191035579.html</a>.<br /><br />Online coursework, of course, does not need to be all or nothing. For many gifted students, completing some coursework at their local school and some online provides a real opportunity to pursue their areas of passion more deeply and fully than is possible in most Tennessee schools.<br /><br />Most public universities in Tennessee now offer a range of courses online (check individual university web sites), and there is also the Tennessee Board of Regent’s RODP program (<a href="http://www.rodp.org/home.htm">http://www.rodp.org/home.htm</a>) as well. Nationally, there is the EPGY program (<a href="http://epgy.stanford.edu/">http://epgy.stanford.edu/</a>) discussed in the WSJ article, as well as a number of other college run and virtual high school programs.<br /><br />When thinking about enrolling your student in online coursework:<br /><br />- seriously evaluate the course syllabus, as not all online courses are created equal<br /><br />- check with your local school before enrolling to make sure they will accept the credit and clarify whether it will be listed on the transcript with a letter grade or as pass-fail<br /><br />- if you want dual credit for the coursework, confirm with both your local school and the college before enrollingDCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-50757731435593917882009-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:002009-09-27T12:02:01.918-07:00Not AloneIt is important to remember that we are not alone when facing challenges trying to ensure children receive the education they need. The issues commonly faced in Tennessee are common in many or most other states too.<br /><br />For instance, in Kentucky: “Finding Gifted Kids Not Always Simple”<br /><a href="http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/26/news/news5.txt">http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/09/26/news/news5.txt</a> <br /><br />and North Carolina: “Gifted Kids Often Ignored, Group Says”<br /><a href="http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/09/24/article/gifted_kids_often_ignored_group_says">http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/09/24/article/gifted_kids_often_ignored_group_says</a><br /><br />and Massachusetts: “Room to Grow: As Education Budgets Shrink, Many Say State Could do Better for Gifted Children”<br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/09/20/parents_say_mass_puts_low_priority_on_education_for_gifted_children">http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/09/20/parents_say_mass_puts_low<br />_priority_on_education_for_gifted_children</a> <br /><br />Meeting the needs of intellectually gifted students is both a Tennessee challenge and a national challenge.DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-52242094647219205682007-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:002007-03-05T07:15:15.997-08:00Support for Proposed LegislationTIGER is supporting two bills that have been introduced to the Tennessee Legislature:<br /><br /><strong>SB 0620 / HB 0099</strong><br />(introduced by Senator Woodson and Representatives Winningham and Brooks)<br /><br />This bill would allow Tennessee high schools to enter into cooperative arrangements with colleges to develop programs targeted at two groups of students: 1) at-risk students who may drop out of school, and 2) students who would benefit from accelerated academic instruction.<br /><br />Specifically, the bill states that “Cooperative innovative high school programs that offer accelerated learning programs shall:<br /><br />(1) Provide a flexible, customized program of instruction for students who would benefit from accelerated, higher level coursework or early graduation from high school;<br /><br />(2) Enable students to obtain a high school diploma in less than four years, to begin or complete an associate degree program, to master a certificate or vocational program, or to earn up to two years of college credit; and<br /><br />(3) Offer a college preparatory academic core and in-depth studies in a career or technical field that will lead to advanced programs or employment opportunities in engineering, health sciences, or teaching.”<br /><br /><br /><strong>SB 2008 / HB 1872</strong><br />(introduced by Senator Southerland and Representative Hawk)<br /><br />This bill authorizes the creation of a "cyber schools," where most/all instruction would be completed online. This type of virtual school can be particularly useful for high achieving and gifted students in small school districts. Small districts frequently lack both the number of students and resources to offer a wide range of honors, AP, and other challenging courses. A well developed cyber or virtual school would allow these students to tap into challenging courses their districts are unable to offer.DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-63899995063007620792007-03-01T19:35:00.000-08:002007-03-01T19:37:15.879-08:00New State Gifted RulesFor the last two years or so, the Tennessee Department of Education has had a Task Force working on new eligibility and evaluation rules for gifted education. A draft set of rules was submitted to the State Board of Education for approval last August, but passage has been delayed by concerns raised by the Tennessee Association of Administrators of Special Education (TAASE).<br /><br />On March 1, the Department of Education hosted a meeting attended by members of TAASE, the Tennessee Association for the Gifted (TAG), and TIGER, as well as a State Board member, State Board staff, and Department staff to try and resolve outstanding issues. Considerable progress was made, with TAASE, TAG, and TIGER coming to a shared agreement on language in two key areas:<br /><br />-1- Modifying/amending the definition of “Adverse Affects” so that it makes sense for gifted students. For all areas of Special Education, services are only provided when there is evidence of an adverse affect, and the current rule has been used by some districts to deny services to gifted students who are making no progress in school so long as they are getting “A’s” and “B’s.” The proposed language would read: “For intellectually gifted students, “Adverse Affect” means the general curriculum alone is inadequate to appropriately meet the student’s educational needs.”<br /><br />-2- Adding language to require that at least one school staff member attending an evaluation meeting (whether the regular classroom teacher, school psychologist, or special education teacher) have training in the characteristics of gifted children.<br /><br />It is anticipated that these and the rest of the rules revisions will be back before the Tennessee State Board of Education at its next meeting, scheduled for April 20.DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-47977155644947885732006-11-21T20:24:00.000-08:002006-11-21T20:27:56.469-08:00Is Gifted Education Endangered Again?Many people across the state have heard rumors that opponents of gifted education are once again mounting an effort to eliminate its legal status. At the moment, this appears to be talk rather than action. Thus, supporters of gifted education do not need to mobilize right now. TIGER and other advocates of gifted education, however, will be monitoring the situation very closely. If gifted education opponents move from talk to action, TIGER will respond aggressively to mobilize parents, teachers, and other supporters to defend the educational programs that gifted students depend on.<br /><br />The reason for the rumors: In 2004, the federal government adopted new special education legislation, and the Tennessee Department of Education has put together a Task Force to revise state special education rules to conform to the new federal law. This Task Force has a number of members who supported the effort to eliminate gifted education several years ago. The Task Force recently held its first meeting, at which several members apparently raised the issue of eliminating current gifted education law. Hence, the discussion and rumors about what is going on.<br /><br />We have had discussions with staff at the State Board of Education and private education attorneys, and have been told the same thing by all. The status of gifted education is currently in Tennessee law, and this cannot be amended or eliminated by Department of Education rules. The only way opponents of gifted education can change the status of gifted education is to go back to the General Assembly and seek a change in law (what they tried several years ago). The Task Force on special education rules does not have the authority to change the legal status of gifted education, and, moreover, we have been assured it would be unprecedented for such a group to even recommend changes in law.<br /><br />Again, given the views expressed by several members of this Task Force, TIGER will be closely monitoring and reporting on their work throughout the tenure of the group. If gifted education is attacked, we will respond and respond aggressively. At this time, however, no action is needed.DCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231119517210558304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-85396915311705869712006-11-19T18:01:00.000-08:002006-11-23T14:03:43.386-08:00Michael Swanson recipient of 2006 Senator Person Advocacy AwardMemphis, TN, September 20, 2006: At the TAG conference held in Memphis September 7 and 8, Tennessee Initiative for Gifted Education Reform (TIGER) presented its annual Senator Curtis Person Advocacy Award to Michael Swanson, founder of Swanson Consulting (http://www.swansonconsulting.net/). “Mr. Swanson has consistently demonstrated his commitment to help ensure that high-ability students in Tennessee receive an appropriate education,” said Sally Endler, current TIGER President. “Mr. Swanson, with David Carleton, began TIGER in 2001 to protect gifted education in Tennessee and works tirelessly on behalf of our children.”<br /><br />The award was created in honor of Curtis S. Person, Jr., for his child advocacy and legislative leadership supporting the vision that all Tennessee children should receive an education appropriate to their needs. Person is the Judge of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County and served in the Tennessee Senate for over 40 years. He was the Senate sponsor of the 1972 Weldon Act, which gave Tennessee gifted students their right to a free and appropriate education. The Weldon Act predated, and served as a model for, federal special education law. Senator Person is a devoted supporter of disability and gifted education, and recently sponsored legislation creating a state-level study committee on gifted education.<br /><br />TIGER and TAG work together advancing and protecting public policy at the state or local level, help create and enhance advanced academic programs, create and work to expand teacher training as well as parent information programs and work to remove barriers and increase access to appropriate learning environments.Tigerlilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00538065038945974117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-68104114517905027512006-09-19T06:29:00.000-07:002006-11-19T18:28:53.258-08:00Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education ActThe U.S. Congress will return to Washington D.C. after the 2006 elections to complete action on the fiscal year 2007 appropriations bills. In spite of advocates' best efforts, funding for the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Javits program is in jeopardy</span>. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have now approved separate versions of the fiscal year 2007 education funding bill. After the House committee allocated $0 for the Javits program back in mid June (H.Rept. 109-515), our attention turned to the Senate. Thanks to the support of several key Senators, the Javits program was not eliminated in the Senate, but the funding level was reduced. On July 20 the Senate Appropriations Committee allocated only $5.025 million for the program -- enough to continue funding all of the current grants and the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, but not enough money to make any new grant awards in 2007 (S.Rept. 109-287).<br /><br />Please write to your U.S. Congresspersons encouraging them to support the Javits Act and gifted education grants.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-45651985103878917902005-09-30T15:41:00.000-07:002006-11-25T15:44:12.920-08:00Beth O’Shea receives the 2005 Senator Person Advocacy Award<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/7797/862819893578643/1600/936382/person2005thumb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/7797/862819893578643/200/853457/person2005thumb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Beth O’Shea received the the 2005 Senator Curtis Person Advocacy Award in recognition of her dedicated service as a teacher of the gifted, a district coordinator of gifted education in Metro-Nashville Public Schools, an educational advocate to parents and children, and her community activism. She was presented the award by TIGER board member Carrie Gleaves during the annual Tennessee Association for the Gifted Conference luncheon on September 30, 2005 at the Sheraton Read House Hotel in Chattanooga.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-70398640633530727542005-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:002006-11-19T18:45:07.555-08:00TIGER distributes literature at the TAG conference<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/7797/862819893578643/1600/271125/tigerbooth300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 132px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/7797/862819893578643/200/824612/tigerbooth300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />TIGER distributed literature at the 2005 TAG conference in Chattanooga, on September 30. Pictured at the TIGER booth are Carrie Gleaves, who presented the Person Award at the luncheon, and Michael Swanson.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068220568196251253.post-90252884406631850032005-05-31T15:48:00.000-07:002006-11-19T17:33:32.191-08:00Tennessee legislature approves dual enrollment grants<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/03/06/2/TN-capitol-th.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 129px;" src="http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/03/06/2/TN-capitol-th.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />SB1315/HB1532, which creates grants for students in grades 9-12 for college coursework, passed both the Tennessee House and Senate.<br /><p></p><p class="bMore"><a id="more29" name="more29"></a></p> <p><strong>Who qualifies?</strong></p> <p>The grant would be for students attending Tennessee high schools (including home schools) who are also enrolled for credit in college courses at eligible postsecondary institutions. The ACT, SAT, and high school GPA are not used to determine eligibility. The high school student (1) must not be ineligible under the non-academic reasons provisions for HOPE scholarship eligibility, (2) must be a Tennessee resident for at least one year before applying for the grant, (3) must be admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student, (4) and must apply for the grant.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0