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| Winter 2005 | Page 1 | Volume 9, Number 1 |
Page 1 | Page 2
| Inspiring Vistas; Inspiring Minds Indeed! Awesome! The spectacular view greeting visitors to Salt Lake City didn't stagger the imagination to comprehend how the NAGC convention theme came to be. The welcoming sight of a beautiful valley nestled between two majestic mountain ranges was truly an awe-inspiring vista! There never could have been a more perfect setting for envisioning and inspiring bright minds than this. Some twenty or so 'Bama Gals (no gender discrimination intended‹just no knowledge of 'Bama Guys in attendance) gathered in Salt Lake for this annual conclave of parents, teachers, and leaders in the field of gifted education. Whether present for the entire five-day convention or just a day or two, inspiring moments definitely occurred for each convention attendee. From Leadership Institute to closing session, every seminar or event was divine! Join me for a report on Leadership Institute that served as my personal inspiration throughout this 51st convention. Drs. Janna Smith and Wendy Minor led the annual Leadership Institute by guiding participants through strategies to keep gifted personnel focused on "Šknowing students well, valuing every child, and placing students at the center of every decision." The second tenet of such a Kid Check focus insisted that "Every child should learn something new and challenging every day." Such a clear focus kept participants mindful that curricular expectations, assessment of student learning, identification decisions, instructional planning, and differentiation decisions are all about keeping excellence in gifted education centered around the kiddos involved in services. While the rest of institute dealt with strategies for Instructional Coaching and Slicing and Dicing of Data, the introductory Kid Check presentation was one highlight of this convention for me. The following 2002 quote from the Center for Research on Education closed out Dr. Smith's introduction and served to under gird my entire convention experience: There is clear consensus among education researchers that students at risk of educational failure require instruction that is cognitively challenging; that is, instruction that requires thinking and analysis,...going into the deepest possible reaches of interesting and meaningful materials. This statement impacted and inspired me to post it near my computer to ensure a daily focus on my #1 goal of teaching-inspiring the minds of gifted students! Be sure to check the SDE update for other Convention Highlights! | Update From the SDE Montgomery, ALNina Pearson, ALSDE To begin let's take a look at what is happening on the national scene. During the NAGC Conference in Salt Lake City we attended a meeting for state directors. At that meeting we learned that the 108th Congress passed two pieces of legislation pertaining specifically to gifted and talented education. First, $11.11 million was approved to fund the Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act. Secondly, gifted and talented students who are disabled were added to the groups of students whose needs have priority in the U.S. Department of Education grants to guide research, personnel preparation, and technical assistance under IDEA. This will provide an opportunity to gain access to IDEA funds to research the needs of dually exceptional students (LD/Gifted, EC/Gifted etc.). In addition, NAGC will work with CEC on ways in which we might utilize this new language to influence the Department of Education. The Congress adjourned before taking action on two bills that gifted education advocates have been supporting; legislation to create formula grants to states to support gifted education services, and legislation to provide incentives to universities to increase awareness of the needs of gifted students among undergraduate teacher candidates. NAGC will work with Congressional supporters in the 109th Congress on these two important issues. Also during the conference, we were introduced to an exciting new publication entitled, "A Nation Deceived," funded by the Templeton Foundation of Radnor, Pennsylvania which debunks the myth that the needs of all high-end learners can be met in a system that places students in grade levels based on chronological age instead of readiness. Fifty years of longitudinal data was analyzed by the Berlin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. This data suggests that acceleration (grade skipping, early entrance to kindergarten, subject acceleration, compacting, dual enrollment, etc.) is an important strategy for meeting the needs of high-end learners. It also clearly shows that acceleration impacts students positively in both the social and academic arenas. This is an important publication for school systems to consider when developing policies concerning acceleration. It can be obtained at http://NationDeceived.org . On the state level, the most pressing issue concerns new gifted forms and the STIWeb program. We conducted numerous training sessions across the state on the new forms and produced a Help Document that was sent to everyone on our Friends of Gifted list and to all special education coordinators. It is imperative to study the new forms and the Help Document before attending the STIWeb training. The STI trainers will not be able to answer any of your questions concerning the new gifted forms. Participation in the STIWeb program is optional for gifted, but using the new Referral and Eligibility forms are not optional. We are asking that everyone switch to the new forms by March or whenever you begin your second grade screening process. We have received very positive feedback so far on the new forms. If you have any questions concerning the forms or if you have not received a copy of the forms and the Help Document please e-mail us at npearson@alsde.edu or lgrill@alsde.edu. If you have any suggestions for improvements to the forms they must be sent to us via e-mail before February 1, 2005. These improvements will be incorporated during the summer updates. | Announcing A single slate of officers was submitted by the December deadline for the next tenure of AAGC leadership. Allow us to introduce the following highly capable team from Shelby County who has presented themselves along with both Mission Statement and Goals for their tenure as state leaders of AAGC. Officers: Mission Statement: Goals: This team of state leaders is scheduled for induction at the 2005 annual AAGC summer conference. Please commit to do your part and strengthen the status of gifted education in Alabama by pledging your support in one of these ways: |