“SAPLINGS” STUDENTS AND PARENTS LEARNING INTELLECTUAL

GROWTH STRATEGIES

Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Chrysler Museum of Art Partnership

Virginia School Boards Association Annual ConventionNovember 19th, 2015

Dr. Veleka Gatling, Dornswalo Wilkins-McCorey - Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Anne Corso, Christine Rowland, Charlene Carney - Chrysler Museum Staff

Emerging Scholars Initiative

Cultivating Emerging Abilities

In Primary Students

Through

Differentiated Curriculum

Instruction and Assessment

Participating Schools2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006

1. Birdneck

2. Holland

3. Lynnhaven

4. Newtown Road

5. Parkway

6. Seatack

7. Williams

Added in 2006-2007

8. College Park

9. Green Run

10. Hermitage

11. Rosemont

12. Shelton Park

13. White Oaks

Added in 2007-2008

12. Cooke

13. Diamond Springs

(replacing Newtown Road

and Bettie F. Williams)

14. Windsor Oaks

Added in 2008-2009

15. Luxford

Added in 2009-2010

16. Brookwood

Program Goals

• To identify economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse students with high academic potential at an early age

• To nurture this potential so that they will be prepared to engage in challenging subject matter and rigorous courses in upper elementary school and beyond

Summary of Recommendations• broadened definitions of giftedness measured by multiple criteria

(Borland et al., 2000; Hadaway & Marek-Schroer, 1992; Frasier, 1997),

• dynamic assessment (Passow & Frasier, 1996; VanTassel-Baska &

Feng, 2004),

• teacher education and support in identifying and developing gifted

potential (Richert, 2003; Struck, 2004; VanTassel-Baska, Johnson,

& Avery, 2002),

• high-quality gifted curriculum and instruction (Hébert, 2002;

Passow & Frasier),

• diversified support systems for students including mentoring and

transitional services (Borland & Wright, 1994; Wallace & Adams, 1993;

Tomlinson, Callahan, & Lelli, 1997; Tomlinson, Ford, Reis, Briggs, &

Strickland, 2004),

• parent outreach programs (Baldwin, 2002; Callahan et al., 1995;

Hiatt, 1994), and

• gifted advocacy (Hébert; Horn, 2002).

Program Rationale• Economically

disadvantaged and culturally diverse students are under represented in gifted programs

• VBCPS progress in this area had reached a plateau (2002-2003)

• High minority population schools in VBCPS currently have a low number of identified gifted (equity issue)

• Emerging Scholars is aligned with the resource cluster model

• Initiative aligns with recommendations of leaders in the field of gifted education

• Addresses the objectives in the five-year plan for VBCPS gifted program

Program Components

Curriculum

And

Instruction

K and First

Grade

Teachers

Collaboration

with GRT

Parent

Education

Community

Support

Professional

Development

Assessment

Tools

Grants

Exploration

Differentiated curriculum and instruction based in the 4 core content areas (math, science, social studies, and language arts)

• Conceptually-based (i.e. Explorations and Patterns)

• Hands-on

• Differentiated

• Higher-order thinking

• Student exploration

• Aligned with K-1 scope and sequence and pacing

Curriculum

& Instruction

K-1 Lessons• Scope and Sequence

• Lesson Plan Template

• Anecdotal Notes

• Multicultural Literature

• Lesson Extensions for

Home and School

Collaboration Planning sessions

with Kindergarten teachers,

Grade 1 teachers, and GRT

A Week

(GRT lesson overview)

B Week

(GRT support with DI)

Other: Staff Development

Collaboration in curriculum development,

instruction, assessment,

and recording keeping

Ongoing support from Gifted Staff

and The Office of Differentiated

Academic Programs

Staff Development

Quarterly meetings

discussing anecdotal

records, student work,

gifted program

benchmarks for K-1

January focus

June focus

Ongoing staff development

with a focus on

differentiation in the

primary classroom

Parent and

Community Support

Parent Workshops

Mentorship

opportunities

School Partnerships

volunteer

Overview of the gifted

program and the

referral process for

churches and/or

community centers

in the area

Program

Communication

• Goals

• Activities

• Newsletters

Why is ESI Successful?

• Commitment

• Traditional vs.

non-traditional

strategies

• Tenacity

• Creativity

Chrysler Museum of Art

• Free

• Fun

• 25 parents

• 25 students

• 4 teachers

• Chrysler Museum

• Light breakfast

and snack provided

• Transportation to

the museum provided

Program StructureMuseum Field Trip 101

Program Facilitators

What are students doing?

What are parents doing?

Movement Strategy

COWLICKS Strategy

“COWLICKS”: Depending on where you are

visiting, choose a different work of art or exhibit

of plants, animals, etc. for each “COWLICKS”

activity.

Counting. How many __________ do you see in this __________?

Observation. Look at this __________ until I say stop; now turn around and

tell me everything you remember about it without peeking.

Words. What is the first word you think of when you look at this __________?

Letters. Do you see something in this ______ that begins with the letter ____?

Imagination. Pretend you are this __________ (artwork, plant, animal, etc.).

What would you say to me?

Compare and Contrast. How is this ___________ and this __________ both

alike and different from each other?

Kinesthetics. If this __________ could move, show me how it would move.

Senses. What would this __________ feel (or taste, smell, sound) like?

Applying COWLICKS Strategy

• Helps foster

discussion.

• Allows your

children to look

closely at the art.

• Sparks creativity.

• Can be used at

any time!

Movement

COWLICKS

Questions?

More Information?