TAGT: Advocacy & Enrichment for the Gifted –

What you need to know about TAGT as a parent of an academically gifted

child.

Tracy FisherTexas Association for the

Gifted and Talentedantraasa@aol.comwww.txgifted.org

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

- Abraham Maslow

Who Are the Gifted?

• When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn.

• A newspaper editor once fired Walt Disney because he had “no good ideas.”

• Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain and came out as a private.

Needs of Academically Gifted, Creative and Talented Individuals

Academically Gifted• Varied outlets for intellectual curiosity• Work with challenging situations and people• Expectations appropriate to ability• Help in dealing with frustration and inactivity

Creative Individuals• Freedom to question and examine the unusual,

unknown and puzzling• To submerge oneself completely in a task• Urge to be different, unique, individual

The Demands of Giftedness Premises

*High level intelligence makes certain demands upon the gifted child *Behavior of gifted children results from these demands. *There are curriculum implications inherent in these demands.

• To crave for knowledge – to satisfy the need to feel progress in what he is learning.

• To feel the need to focus on or devour a subject.• To place high standards on himself.• To be creative or inventive; to seek an unusual or unique approach to an

assignment.• To concentrate – to become totally absorbed in a task – to have a longer

attention span.• To resist routine, drill; to require unique ways of pursuing drill.• To be intolerant of stupidity.• To do critical, evaluative thinking. (May lead to critical attitude toward self

and others)• To have his intelligence responded to.• To pursue a learning pace of his own. (May be fast or slow)• To be outstanding in several areas but average in some.

State of Texas’ Definition of a

Gifted and Talented Student "Gifted and talented student" means a

child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who:

(1) exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area; (2) possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or (3) excels in a specific academic field.

State Goal for Services for

Gifted/Talented Students* Students who participate in services designed for

gifted/talented students will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication, as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or environment. High school graduates who have participated in services for gifted/talented students will have produced products and performances of professional quality as part of their program services.

* as adopted by the Texas State Board of Education

Parents should be recognized as special educators; the true experts on their children. Professional people—teachers, pediatricians, psychologists, and others—have to learn to be consultants to parents.

- Nicholas Hobbs*

* a pioneer in the field of child psychology; his legacy is the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, a national resource for children.

Advocating for Gifted Education

Key Points Regarding the Value of Gifted Education

• Every child should receive an education that most appropriately meets their educational needs, regardless of their gifts, disabilities, or socioeconomic standing.

• Gifted education has value to the entire school system. It has served as the cutting edge of school improvement for many years—innovations such as higher level thinking skills, differentiated curriculum and instruction, and performance standards stem directly from the field.

• Gifted students deserve an opportunity to learn what they don’t know rather than endlessly restudying and “relearning” what they have proven they already do know.

Advocating for Gifted Programs in Local Schools and Communities

Establish a rationaleEducate others about why gifted learners need a different approach to learning.

Brush up on your communication skillsMake your rationale for supporting services for the gifted clear and informative.

Build a bridge for administratorsAdministrators are concerned about ensuring educational excellence for all of their students.

Network, Network, NetworkServe on committees involved with strategic planning, accountability, or program evaluation.

Join local groups, TAGT and NAGC for a local, state, and national perspective on gifted education.

Advocating for Gifted Programs in Local Schools and

Communities

The most important piece of advice is …

Don't wait for an emergency to build support for gifted services!

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Suggestions for Good Advocacy

• ALWAYS: prepare yourself for an appointment; be clear and specific about the purpose of your meeting,

introduce yourself, and leave materials relevant to the issue.

 

• ALWAYS: be punctual, and be willing to wait for a person who runs behind schedule.

• ALWAYS: keep letters and visits short and to the point. 

• ALWAYS: be accurate and authentic with supporting facts - document resources.

• ALWAYS: be pleasant and polite.

• ALWAYS: be aware that issues have two sides. Acknowledge an opposing viewpoint.

•  

• ALWAYS: follow-up with a thank-you note, phone call, e-mail, a letter, vote, etc.

Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented

(TAGT)• TAGT is the nation’s largest state advocacy group of its kind, providing more than 2,500 engaged and diverse members a forum for exchanging ideas and information about the education of gifted learners.

• Our mission is to connect and empower educators and parents to meet the unique social, emotional, and intellectual needs of gifted and talented students, and we carry that mission out by providing relevant, innovative educational services, programs and resources.

The Importance of Joining TAGT

• IMPACT – numbers count in advocacy efforts!

• INFORMATION – stay up-to-date on what is happening, identify

opportunities for your own education

• INVOLVEMENT – find others who share your interest and

passion

The Value of a $25 Parent Membership

• State level advocacy on legislation and policy• Tempo (Quarterly Journal) • Pulse (monthly e-newsletter)• Assistance with Parent Support Groups• Timely updates and calls to action• Eligibility to sponsor students for TAGT

scholarships• Involvement with the NEW TAGT Parent

Division

TAGT Parent Conference

• Saturday, February 11• Registration: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm • Anderson High School, 8403 Mesa Dr, Austin• $45 registration• “It Isn’t Always Easy Being Gifted” by Dr.

Patricia Gatto-Walden

TAGT Scholarships• TAGT Summer Scholarships are designed for G/T students, grades K-12, who

wish to attend academic or artistic summer programs/camps. TAGT will award up to $400 to those students who qualify - 2012 Deadline is March 1.

• TAGT also awards two $2500 scholarships to graduating G/T seniors.

• In 2011, TAGT awarded 57 scholarships totaling over $29,552. Since 1983, TAGT has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to more than 3100 individuals.

• The scholarship application is available on the TAGT website. Insights is a directory that contains many worthy academic and artistic programs available during the summer.

• The application requires someone who is a TAGT member to “sign on” as a sponsor.

• The Scholarship Program is funded by generous donations.

TAGT SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED

268

APPLICATIONS AWARDED

57

21.2% of all Summer Scholarship applicants received scholarships

35 Elementary Scholarships awarded from 192 applicants (18.2%)

22 Secondary Scholarships awarded from 76 applicants (28.9%)

ADELLE MCCLENDON YOUNG LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP

• University scholarship of $2500

• Awarded to a graduating gifted and talented high school senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership

LAURA ALLARD FUTURE VISION SCHOLARSHIP

• University scholarship of $2500 • Awarded to a graduating gifted

and talented high school senior who:

• -demonstrates outstanding academic achievement

• -possesses a strong sense of purpose and clearly defined goals

• -has a long-term plan for achieving these goals

EVALUATING APPLICATIONS

• Three different people independently read and evaluate all scholarship applications.

• Written responses on the applications are evaluated holistically on the following 8-point scale:

• 8—Superior• 7—Between Superior and

Commendable• 6—Commendable• 5—Between Commendable and

Acceptable• 4—Acceptable• 3—Between Acceptable and Limited• 2—Limited• 1—Inadequate

EVALUATING APPLICATIONS

• Superior: This response answers the questions very thoroughly and completely. Wording is clear and precise, leaving no doubts about the intended meaning. There are detailed and elaborated responses, providing specific and appropriate examples about the applicant.

TIPS FOR BETTER APPLICATIONS

Applicants: Carefully choose who you want to write your adult recommendation.

*Select someone who will do a thorough job. It can be any adult—teacher, scout, leader, church leader, family friend, etc.

*Be sure to point out to them that what is wanted are specific examples of your strengths.

*Don’t hand the form to them the day before it is due—people need to time to think.

TIPS FOR BETTER APPLICATIONS

• It is best to write about the applicant’s interests and/or personality than listing a series of awards. Evaluators want to know more about the individual person.

• Remember that all the scholarship applicants are gifted, and most are also excellent students. Be sure to include specific information and avoid the kind of general comments that are too “generic.”

• Information about hobbies and interests outside of school are helpful and provide the evaluator with a fuller picture of your child. This can help distinguish your child from other applicants.

COMMENTS THAT ARE “GENERIC”

• “She is great in everything.”• “He would benefit from this program.”• “Excellent student!”• “Highly motivated student.”• “She has many talents.”• “He’s a kind young man who gets along

well with others.”

• These comments are not specific and could apply to almost any applicant!

EFFECTIVE PARENT COMMENTS

• “He has an intense love for nature and loves learning. Last week he and his brothers dissected owl pellets, and now he is making a book about it.”

• “She has been an assistant to preschool classes at the dance studio for a year, gaining reward as the little ones accomplish steps one by one.”

• “His greatest passion is his computer work. He has set up websites for businesses for profit, and he has done it free for friends, families, and charitable organizations.”

• These give details and specific examples!

OTHER SCHOLARSHIP REMINDERS

Be sure to include the TAGT Summer Scholarship Application Information (page 7)

Stay within space limitationsMay be handwritten or typed (size 12 font or

larger)Do not include any products or work samples Do not include extra recommendationsCheck to make sure the application is completeA current TAGT member must sign on as a

sponsorApply to summer programs separately from this

scholarship application

Texas Legislative Update• Texas schools were hit hard in the 2011 Legislative

session, with funding to schools being cut by $4 billion.

• Notwithstanding the deep cuts to education and with G/T education in jeopardy, many of the programs and funding mechanisms survived largely due to the advocacy of TAGT members, including: – G/T weight/allotment protected

(approx. $200-300 per student up to 5%)

– Texas Virtual School Network funded– Advanced Placement funded– Indirect cost percentage for G/T preserved

We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of

discovery, guided each by a private chart,

of which there is no duplicate.

The world is all gates, all opportunities.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of

the fire.” - WB Yeats