Screening and Identification
Who are the Gifted in Your Neighborhood? (cont.)
How many of these ten students would you refer to the gifted program? How many do you think would actually be identified as gifted? Eight of these profiles were based on actual gifted students and their behaviors in the classroom. They are all gifted – they are not all successful with their academics, but they certainly have the potential. Two of the profiles were borrowed from Growing Up Gifted – both Eleanor Roosevelt (Margaret) and Albert Einstein (Herman) did not have qualifying IQ’s and, most likely, would not have been referred for any gifted programs – but . . . nobody can ever deny that they were gifted in their own ways and the value of their contributions to society and the world can never be measured!
Take a look at your own classroom. Hopefully, armed with the information you’ve learned in these last four weeks, you will begin to look at your students through new eyes! The reality is that the gifted guidelines are very specific and limited and we must focus on helping as many children who qualify through the identification process. Step out of the box, put on the binoculars, and search!
When You're Ready to Write the EP
The Florida Department of Education gives us a very clear picture of the process and what information is to be included on an EP. The Gifted Student Education website is one you should bookmark and use as a reference resource. When it opens up, look for the section – State Laws and Regulations. Click on the link Development of Educational Plans for Exceptional Students who are Gifted. Take some time to read it thoroughly and compare it to the form your school district has developed.
When you prepare to write EPs for your students, you may want to focus on the portion below as a reminder of what the “meat” of the plan must contain:
"(4) Contents of Educational Plans (EPs). EPs for students who are gifted must include:
(a) A statement of the student’s present levels of performance which may include, but is not limited to, the student’s strengths and interests, the student’s needs beyond the general curriculum, results of the student’s performance on state and district assessments, and evaluation results;
(b) A statement of goals, including benchmarks or short term objectives;
(c) A statement of the specially designed instruction to be provided to the student;
(d) A statement of how the student’s progress toward the goals will be measured and reported to parents; and
(e) The projected date for the beginning of services, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services"
Let’s be S.M.A.R.T. about the process
As you begin to gather the information necessary to write the EP, think of the acronym; SMART (Specific, Measurable, Use Action Words, Realistic and relevant, Time-limited) to help you develop a clear, precise, customized document. As Robert Mager wrote, “If you’re not sure where you’re going, you’re liable to end up someplace else. If you don’t know where you’re going, the best made maps won’t help you get there.”
specific, measurable,
action,
realistic & relevant,
time-limited
The EP should have very specific goals. These target the area of desired academic achievement and/or functional performance. The skills that will be taught and the progress the student needs to accomplish these to demonstrate mastery are also specified. For example: Brittany will determine appropriate materials to develop and complete social projects.
In a quality EP the goals you write for the student must be measurable. There has to be a valid way to measure the student’s progress toward mastery of the goal. An example of an observable, measurable goal would be: When solving complex mathematical word problems Sharon will correctly answer 8 out of 10.
It is of the utmost importance to use action words when writing your goals. The three areas, direction of behavior, area of need, and level of attainment can be prefaced with words such as: will be able to, decrease, increase, incorporate, develop, etc.