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| Winter 2001 | Page 2 | Volume VI, Number1 |
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
| SDE Update by Linda Grill For the 2000 - 2001 school year, gifted activity at the State level centers around monitoring. Gifted programs have not been formally monitored since 1993 but we were required to reinstate this practice as part of the Title VI Resolution Agreement. The State Consolidated monitoring Program selects approximately 25 school systems to be monitored each year. All State Department programs are monitored at the same time - instruction, transportation, food services, safety, federal programs, special education, finance certification, etc. - and now gifted is included. The Gifted Monitoring Procedures can be downloaded from our website: Programs are monitored through several components. We compare the school system's LEA Plan for Gifted to actual practices to see if the Plan accurately describes the program. We review the Gifted Referral Tracking Log to see if appropriate assessments are being used and if there are any timeline violations. We look at teacher caseloads, schedules, and certification. We review GEPs and students files. We check on the progress of the new second grade procedures and make sure that the new eligibility procedures are being implemented. Our findings are reported to the school superintendent at the end of the monitoring visit. If any violations are found, school systems are required to write a Corrective Action Plan and take steps to correct those areas. We will continue implementing these monitoring procedures until all school systems have been visited at least once. Additionally, we are required by Title VI Resolution Agreement to identify school systems which "evidence continued barriers to participation by minority students," and provide assistance to these school systems annually. We are still available for regular technical assistance through phone calls (334-242-8114), be email (lgrill@sdenet.alsde.edu or npearson@sdenet.alsde.edu), or on-site visits. Please get in touch with either Nina Pearson or me if we can be of any assistance to you. | January - May 2001
HIGHLIGHTS OF 47th ANNUAL NAGC CONVENTION The National Association for Gifted Children's 47th Annual Convention took place in Atlanta, Georgia at the beautiful Weston Peachtree Hotel and Conference Center. The theme this year was Crossroads to the Future. Consistent with previous years, there were over 500 sessions to choose from and over 100 exhibitors to visit. The options were organized under the following headings to facilitate the mad search and decision-making involved in choosing sessions: Arts, Computers & Technology, Conceptual Foundations, Counseling & Guidance, Creativity, Curriculum Studies, Early Childhood, Global Awareness, Middle Grades, Parent & Community, Professional Development, Research & Evaluation, Special Populations, and Special Schools and Programs. As you can see there was a wide variety of categories to choose from. The Keynote sessions were handled a little differently this year and the change was met with mixed reviews. Usually the Keynote sessions are stand-alone. This year there were a host of other sessions offered at the same time as the Keynotes. Some teachers liked this change stating that Keynotes are usually more general in nature, and at this point in their career they are ready for more "meat." Others did not like this change stating that they always enjoy the Keynotes because the presenters are usually the "movers and shakers" in the field. With this year's set-up they had to make difficult decisions between hearing the wisdom of the pioneers in the field, versus getting some meat and potatoes at one of the regular sessions. Decision-making is always the hardest part of attending NAGC! | The four speakers for the 'All Parent Day' sessions were Bonnie Cramond, James Delisle, Barbara Clark, and Carolyn Coil. Bonnie Cramond's session was entitled, The Ups and Downs (and Inside Outs) of Parenting a Creative Child. Dr. Crammond is a professor at the University of Georgia (E.P. Torrance country!). James Delisle's session was entitled, The Missing Link in Gifted Education: Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Children no surprise there given Delisles' admitted passion in this area. Barbara Clark's session was entitled, The Gifted Brain: A Parent's Guide to Learning. Most of Dr. Clark's current work has been in the area of brain-based learning. Carolyn Coil's session was entitled, Parenting to Support and Encourage Achievement. She gave practical suggestions concerning developing good study, organizational and social skills. I heard (from Delisle) that Dr. Delisle received a standing ovation for his presentation. Considering the cast of characters (presenters) and the presentation topics, it sounds like it was a very inspiring and productive day. There was also exciting news from the NAGC Board. First, they have developed a Parallel Curriculum Model that provides a contemporary framework for developing curriculum for high-end learners. They are currently looking for teachers who would like to develop curriculum using the framework that NAGC could eventually disseminate. Secondly, they reported initial findings of the Social-Emotional Task Force. A copy of this research as well as the new curriculum model can be purchased online from NAGC.Third, they announced that NAGC's 48th Annual Convention will be in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information check the NAGC web site at www.nagc.org. |
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