lower moreland township school district k-12 gifted program update may 2013
TRANSCRIPT
Overall Recommendations• Provide increased and comprehensive leadership…• Provide additional supports for math enrichment and acceleration…• Create a program design that incorporates best practices and varied
offerings…• Provide extended and increased offerings at the HS…• Design and implement a professional development plan…• Develop policies and practices regarding missed classwork and
homework…• Provide support, time and resources to regular education teachers so they
may increase academic challenges…• Provide teachers of the gifted with technology and adequate space to
utilize technology for in-depth investigation, challenge, and problem solving…
• Ensure that screening and identification process meets requirements…
LMTSD K-12 Focus Areas• Develop and implement District Acceleration Policy• Revise and update Gifted Matrix for screening/identification• Observe and evaluate current curriculum and instruction• Evaluate and make recommendations for GIEP writing • Establish career explorations opportunities with local industry and
procure internships for high school students• Examine building schedules and make recommendations to increase
gifted opportunities• Math acceleration possibilities • Technology opportunities for enrichment and extensions • HS gifted staff recommendations• Offer professional development for gifted and regular education teachers• Post-graduation transition
Pine Road Services Overview
• Pull-out for two 40-minute
sessions per week• Ongoing monitoring by Gifted
Teacher• Gifted Teacher collaborates with
Classroom Teacher to locate diverse resources for classroom enrichment and differentiation
Pine Road Skills Overview
Grade Critical Thinking Research Creative Thinking and/or Communication
1Sort through information, Recognize relevant facts, Identify patterns Complete a basic research project
Express, illustrate, and compose original piece of writing
2 Develop problem-solving strategies
Demonstrate ability to research and convey information in oral and written communication
Demonstrate flexibility, originality, and elaboration in creative thinking
3Analyze a problem through a variety of problem-solving strategies
Demonstrate understanding of themed-unit content in oral and written form
Demonstrate a developing ability to lead discussions, small group and/or write for an audience
4Apply logical sequencing to develop alternative solutions
Demonstrate understanding of analysis, synthesis and/or evaluation by supporting point of view through written and verbal form
Demonstrate a developing ability to lead discussions, small groups and/or write for a specific audience
5
Select an optimal solution, having examined concepts from different perspectives
Demonstrate an ability to analyze, synthesize and/or evaluate by supporting point of view through written and verbal form
Demonstrate an ability to lead discussions, small groups and write for a specific audience
Pine Road Units OverviewGrade Critical Thinking Research
Creative Thinking and/or Communication
1
Tesselations Tesselations
Jumanji by Chris Van
AllburghJumanji by Chris Van
AllburghPerplexors Basic
2
Tesselations TesselationsAngel for Solomon Singer
by Cynthia Rylant Angel for Solomon Singer
by Cynthia RylantMonarch Migration Monarch Migration Monarch Migration
Intro to Jr. Great BooksPerplexors A
3
Tesselations TesselationsWho Stole the Video
Game Mystery Class/Global
CommunitiesMystery Class/Global
CommunitiesMystery Class/Global
Communities Jr Great Books
Perplexors B
4
The Chocolate Caper The Chocolate Caper Potato clock experiment
People & Environment-Marcellus Shale
People & Environment-Marcellus Shale
People & Environment-Marcellus Shale
TouchpebblesPerplexors C
5
TouchpebblesGlobal Warming Global Warming Global Warming
Egg Drop Experiment Egg Drop Experiment Big G Mentor 5th/11th Jr. G Mentor 4th/5th
Perplexors D
2nd Grade student “award” to favorite person or character in the book An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
5th Grade students lead 2 assemblies with interactive games about the impact of global warming
5th Grade students interview a Philadelphia Zoo Expert about global warming
3rd Grade students hear about life in Singapore by a 5th grade student who just returned from living there for 2 years
4th Grade students explore using potatoes, lemons, and soda to act as batteries for a digital clock
1st Grade student tessellation using sliding and turning techniques
Murray Avenue Program Update Services
• Integrating push-in services in addition to pull-out services traditionally offered.– 2012 – 2013 - 7th Grade
English• Accelerated math
services beginning in 6th grade (Pre-Algebra)
Murray Avenue Program Update Scheduling
• Scheduling changes – No longer academic pull-out– 6th Grade pull-out during I/E (math) – 7th and 8th Grades pull-out during specials periods
(not phys. ed. / instrumental music)• Gifted support students are no-longer missing
academic instruction. – The work that they are required to complete in
their specials period is modified.
Murray Avenue Program Update
• Room Change – 2011 – 2012 school year– Equal Technology
• Transition meetings – Case Managers and Student meetings– 5th -> 6th Case Managers (late spring)– 8th -> 9th Case Managers (late spring)– 8th -> 9th Students with HS Case Managers (spring)
Murray Avenue Program Highlights 2012-2013
----6th Grade----
• General education curriculum/ Interest area aligned units – Codes and Ciphers – Social Studies– Consumer Science – Science – 7th grade Lab Reports
• PJAS – 6th Grade – 1st place scores!
– Building a Miniature Golf Course (S.T.E.A.M.)• Quiz Bowl – 8th out of 23 in the state
Murray Avenue Program Highlights 2012-2013
----7th Grade----• Civil Trial – In house• Beginning Stock Market study/game in 7th to allow for longer
investment time.• Medical Simulation (D.O.S.E.) Diagnosis of Symptoms and
Experiences – Teacher involvement
• Quiz Bowl – 4th out of 29 in NE Region of USA.• Missed 3rd by 1 point!
• PJAS – Four 7th grade Gifted students attending states – Five 7th grade Gifted students attended regionals and placed 2nd.
Murray Avenue Program Highlights 2012-2013
----8th Grade----• Criminal Trial – Eastern Montgomery County Courthouse –
Judge Jay S. Friedenberg• Study history and architecture of Eastern State Penitentiary –
Trip• Continuation of Stock Market Game for entire school year• African Economic Summit • E-Missions – Operation Montserrat
– Wheeling-Jesuit University – Challenger Learning Center– Emergency Response Team– Directly aligned with science curriculum
6th – Consumer Science8th – E-Mission – Operation Montserrat
PJAS Participants7th Trial Sammi Murawsky – 8th Grade Submission to the
2014 PAGE Conference LOGO Contest
High School UpdateServices/Highlights
• Outside Enrichment Activities– Widener Biomedical Engineering Workshop– Penn International Relations Conference– Women in Computer Science Day– Philadelphia Art Museum– Biophysics Event– GEARS Day
High School UpdateServices/Highlights
• BIG G – Service Learning/Mentorship• Collaboration with Guidance• Job Shadowing• Internship – pilot• Guest Speakers– AP teachers (AP for a day in Humanities)– Alison Klugherz: Alumni, College Interview– Steven Fireove: Alumni, Lawyer– Chelsea Keenan: Alumni, Spark the Wave– Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week
High School UpdateServices/Highlights
• Summer Program referrals/recommendations• Outside Program Attendance– Pearl S. Buck High School Leadership Program– Satell Teen Fellowship for Leadership & Social
Action– Fox Chase Health Careers Symposium– Independent Research at Fox Chase
High School UpdateServices/Highlights
• Competitions– Google Science Fair– PJAS– Doodle for Google– The Brain Bee– TSA – TEAMS– PClassic– TED & Prezi Ideas that Matter– American Mathematics Competition– American Invitational Mathematics Competition
High School UpdateResource Room
– Career exploration– College applications– College search– Virtual High School– Academic support & counseling– Study skills– Social/emotional skill
development– iPad apps for academic
assistance/enrichment– Independent research– Summer program exploration– Scholarship applications
– CAPS assistance– Internship preparation – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Teens– The 6 Most Important Decisions
You’ll Ever Make– College social life– Leadership– Connecting students to
extracurricular activities– Self-advocacy skills– Connecting students to
opportunities for enrichment– Advocating for student needs
within the general education curriculum
High School UpdateCourses
2012-2013:– Humanities– Research and Evaluation
2013-2014:– Humanities II/Philosophy– Independent Study– Educational Field Experience
Isacc Parlow, 10th Grade