Lower Moreland Township School District

Lower Moreland Township School District

K-12 Gifted Program UpdateMay 2013

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

1Tesselations 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



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


----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.


----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


• 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


• 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


• 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

1st Place Brain Bee

TSA-TEAMS Big G

Biophysics Event

Chat& Chew

Art Museum

Toga Party

1st Place Brain Bee

Documents

Lower Moreland Township School District