The South Carolina Story Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D. The College of William and Mary South Carolina Consortium for Gi

1. The South Carolina StoryJoyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.The College of William and MarySouth Carolina Consortium for Gifted EducationNovember 28, 2006

2. Traditional Intelligence tests Achievement tests Aptitude tests (domain specific) Grades Teacher recommendations Nontraditional Non-verbal ability tests Creativity tests Student portfolios/ performance by audition Performance-based assessment Parent/peer/community recommendations Assessment Tools for the Identification of the Gifted

3. Features of Performance Based Assessment • Emphasis on thinking and problem solving, not prior learning • Off-level/advanced • Open-ended • Use of manipulatives • Emphasis on articulation of thinking processes

4. Sample Item Year Round School Name _____________ Think of all of the positive and negative effects of the following situation, and record them in the chart below: Situation: You have been told that your school will go on a year-round schedule next year. Choose one positive effect and explain your thinking about why it would be positive. ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

5. Summary of Findings From Project STAR: A State-wide Use of PBA • Project STAR protocols are consistent in identifying more low income and minority students across 6 years of state-wide implementation. • Project STAR protocols also appear to be identifying more students with uneven profiles that result in learning problems.

6. Summary (cont.) • Teachers and gifted program coordinators view Project STAR student strengths as being creative, spatial, and strong in problem-solving while they view their weaknesses as verbal skills, organization skills, and time management. • Project STAR students overall perceive their gifted program experiences positively in all areas, with special benefits in self esteem and confidence.

7. Student Quotes • “The program is a lot of fun. I enjoy the building, the researching, and the computer programs… I learned to cooperate and have trust in other people, even to understand myself. I came to my senses—all through the gifted project in 5th grade. Before that, I believed only in my parents, no one else.” • “Some teachers are boring—they just tell you everything about the subject and then give you work to do… but these gifted class teachers help you out with everything and learning is not boring but fun.” • “I learned easily by seeing and hearing it, and I remember it a lot easier than just reading it. I learned a bit faster in math than other students.”

8. Teacher Comments • “They had a real raw curiosity, they tended not be quite as refined as the regular kids, more innocent, a less jaded curiosity, kind of deep curiosity to know. These are often the kids who has some difficulty in language arts, but did extremely well in math or science or any related topic.” • “Most of the Project STAR kids are from lower SES background, have less help at home, have less advantages, have been exposed to less. However, given the opportunity, they are very interested in learning…they tended to have a deep level of thought, but in order to get to that, you have to probe deeper and they have to be comfortable with you.”

9. Pattern of Performance on the state assessment (PACT) across 4 years (2001-2004) • Project STAR students underperformed at the advanced level in both subject areas • Project STAR students were overrepresented in “basic” level PACT performance in all subject areas. • 57-90% of traditionally identified students and 41-85% of project star-identified students scored at proficient and beyond level on PACT • Despite statistically significant differences between traditionally and performance-task-identified students, there was no educationally important differences between the two groups on PACT (small effect size, .2-.26 in ELA and <=.3 in math) • Project STAR-identified students (Dimension BC) performed closely to traditionally identified students (Dimension AB)

10. PACT Proficiency Level Distribution by Year: Proficient and Beyond in English/Language Arts

11. PACT Proficiency Level Distribution by Year: Proficient and Beyond in Mathematics

12. Case Studies of Underrepresented Groups • Identified students from 2000 cohort (7th or 8th grade in 2004 when the study was started) • Interviewed students’ parents, gifted class teacher, and regular science teacher • 4 participating school districts that had more than 50 identified Project STAR students • Sampled traditionally identified and non-traditionally identified students

13. Five Research Prototypes: • Low income African American students • Low income other minority (e.g., Hispanic, Asian) students • Low income White students • Twice exceptional students • High nonverbal and low verbal students

14. Implications for the Identification of Low Income and Minority Students • Use a mix of traditional and non-traditional tests. • Use tests that assess both verbal and non-verbal abilities. • Study the impact of your identification protocol on the inclusion of underrepresented groups and their follow-up performance in the program.

15. Using Non-Verbal Tools for Learning

16. Is It Fair? • Is this game fair? If it is not fair, how can you change it to make it fair? • Game Rules • Take turns spinning the spinner. • One player always multiplies the number by 2 • The other player always adds 4 to the number • The player with the greater result wins the point. 7 4 1 5 --From Puddle Questions 6 3 8 2

17. Background Students use mathematical concepts and problem-solving processes in order to build a model house by acting as a general contractor. All activities are hands-on requiring students to build, design, or construct. From A Blueprint for Geometry Math Projects Series Activities Making Scale Drawings Working with A Floor Plan Working with Rulers 3-D Construction Making a Drafting Tool Median Cost Per Square Foot Isometric Drawings Building Inspecting Calculating Costs Acting as Energy Contractor Acting as Roofing Contractor Designing A House Architectural Site Plan Hands-On Projects

18. Design Science Experiments • What questions do you have? • What resources will you need to answer them? • What tests need to be done? • What do the results mean?

19. Using Multicultural Tools To Promote Relevance and Connection

20. Criteria for Multicultural Literature Selection: Attention to Cultural Considerations • General Accuracy • Avoidance of Stereotypes • Language • Attention to author’s perspective • Currency of facts and interpretation • Concept of audience -- Miller-Lachman (1992)

21. Multicultural Author Study: Verna Aardema • Read 3 books by the author: • What are similarities and differences among them? • What are ways you would describe her style? • How do the illustrations help us understand the story better than just words? • What aspects of tribal life in Africa are portrayed in the stories?

22. Multicultural Author Study • Read a short story by an African American, Hispanic American, and a Native American author on the theme of oppression. How are the stories similar yet different? • Write in your journal what you learned about each culture from your readings. • Read the biography or autobiography of one author you have read. How does the author’s life influence her writing?

23. Using Concept Maps to Enhance Higher Level Thinking in Content Areas

24. Emphasizing Multiple Perspectives: Reasoning about a Situation or Event What is the situation? Who are the stakeholders? What is the point of view for each stakeholder? What are the assumptions of each group? What are the implications of these views?

25. Developing Written Arguments:Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing Introduction (State an opinion.) Elaboration Elaboration Elaboration Reason Reason Reason Elaboration Elaboration Elaboration Conclusion

26. Developing Critical Thinking in Reading: Jacob’s Ladder • Moves students from lower level comprehension to higher level thinking and analysis of texts • Employs poetry, fables and myths, and nonfiction selections • Engages learners in a discussion of textual meaning in dyads or small groups • Employs questions and tasks as the stimulus for comprehending text • Uses an interactive assessment system

27. Jacob’s Skill Ladders A3 B3 C 3 A2 B 2 C 2 Title of Reading Selection A1 B 1 C 1

28. Delilah She has blue eyes like the ocean. Her tongue like a rose. Her nose like a heart. Her tail like a fan. Her black coat like the night sky. By Casey Carroll Grades 4-5 Honorable Mention Center for Gifted Education Talent Search

29. C 3 C 2 Delilah C 1

30. Using the Arts to Promote Learning for Underrepresented Populations …the arts are cognitive activities, guided by human intelligence, that make unique forms of meaning possible. Eisner, 1986

31. A r t A n a l y s i s • Whatis it? • What is it made of? • What ideas does it convey? • How do you respond to it? • What is its context? • How good is it?

32. Art Appreciation Projects • Analyze selected poems, art objects, and music. • Write critical reviews of plays, movies, and other performances. • Design relevant objet d’art, using key design specifications.

33. Research in Literature and the Arts • Archival and historical • Editing and annotating primary source documents • Literary or artistic criticism • Biographical inquiry • Creative production (e.g., poetry, plays, novels, short stories, sculpture, painting, musical composition)

34. Acceleration within and across relevant areas of learning, using a D > P approach Opportunities to be grouped with similar ability peers and those of similar backgrounds Enriched curricula that stress higher order skill development, bridged to current level of functioning and relevance to cultural group membership Inquiry-based techniques in the classroom and relevant direct instruction that allow for open-endedness and creative response Value-Added Emphases for Underrepresented Populations

35. Models and schemas that consistently elevate thinking Specific feedback on performance and nurturance toward goal setting and attainment Tutoring, mentoring, and counseling in critical areas of learning Parental support and community resources and revenues to support talent development

36. People have a basic human right to freedom from excessive sociocontextual obstacles to aspiration formation and self-fulfillment ….deprived gifted and talented children must embrace their considerable potentials while realistically appraising the daunting barriers that stand to suppress the development of that potential. The onus is on educators of the gifted to help both the privileged and the deprived to understand the dimensions of self-fulfillment… -- Ambrose (2003)