Findings and Recommendations from an evaluation of the Gifted Education Services Program Presented by Kristina Ayers Paul, Ph.D. Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Program Evaluation January 8, 2018 1
Please see the written summary for more details. Table of Contents: • About the Study • About the Program • Commendations • Findings & Recommendations for 6 Key Program Features: Programming Philosophy • Service Delivery Model • Screening, ID, and Assessment • Professional Development • Family & Community Collaboration • Operations • Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 2 January 8, 2018
Please see the written summary for more details. Table of Contents: • About the Study • About the Program • Commendations • Findings & Recommendations for 6 Key Program Features: Programming Philosophy • Service Delivery Model • Screening, ID, and Assessment • Professional Development • Family & Community Collaboration • Operations • Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 3 January 8, 2018
Commendations Teachers – dedicated, skilled, valued by students and families • Introduction of Universal Screening (although not perfected yet) • Support and interest in evaluation for program improvement • Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 4 January 8, 2018
Please see the written summary for more details. Table of Contents: • About the Study • About the Program • Commendations • Findings & Recommendations for 6 Key Program Features: Programming Philosophy • Service Delivery Model • Screening, ID, and Assessment • Professional Development • Family & Community Collaboration • Operations • Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 5 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 1. Programming Philosophy, Goals, and Objectives in LMSD Findings The mission statement is hidden. • The mission statement is not actualized. • Program goals and objectives are not articulated. • Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 6 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 1. Programming Philosophy, Goals, and Objectives in LMSD Recommendations 1. Develop an actionable mission statement with clearly-aligned program goals and objectives to define the purpose and structure of gifted education services in Lower Merion. 2. Include affective learning needs in the vision. 3. Develop a communications plan to facilitate shared understanding. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 7 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 2. Service Delivery Model Findings Primarily focused on an enrichment curriculum delivered during • in grade-level classes of students identified as gifted. Differentiation is the responsibility of regular education • teachers. Enrichment curriculum is loosely similar across buildings, but • variable according to teachers’ discretion. Staffing model limits gifted education teachers’ availability to • support students and their teachers outside of the Challenge/Seminar class. 8 Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors January 8, 2018
Key Feature 2. Service Delivery Model Recommendations 1. Redesign or adopt a new service delivery model that includes, but is not limited to, a pull-out enrichment time. 2. Provide professional development to all regular education teachers to support differentiation for high-ability students. 3. Establish a framework, guidelines, or curriculum for the types of enrichment experiences that gifted students receive during pull- out enrichment. 4. Reconsider the staffing model to create new possibilities for case management and the delivery of support for gifted students outside of the Challenge/Seminar classroom. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 9 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 3. Screening, ID, and Assessment in LMSD Findings Disproportionate representation of racial/ethnic student groups, • gender, and students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. The current universal screening process has led to unintended • consequences that restrict fair access to services. The current student evaluation process (identification), while • compliant, is lengthy and relies too heavily on school psychologists to determine whether or not a student is in need of gifted services. There is no system or expectation for assessing students’ growth • 10 as a result of participation in gifted services.
Key Feature 3. Screening, ID, and Assessment in LMSD Recommendations 1. Consider hiring a consultant with expertise in screening and identification for gifted services to: a) Reduce bias in the process, b) Introduce more holistic methods of screening, and c) Help Gifted Multidisciplinary Teams (GMDTs) make more explicit connections among academic strengths, cognitive talents, personalized GIEP goals, and the types of educational interventions and experiences that would serve individual students well. 2. Establish expectations and procedures for measuring and monitoring student progress toward their individualized GIEP (or IEP) goals. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 11 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 4: Professional Development in LMSD Findings Gifted education teachers have not been offered specialized • professional development to advance their professional knowledge and skills in gifted education. Professional collaboration time for gifted education teachers has • compromised the District’s efforts for providing more consistent gifted service offerings across the District. Gifted education teachers have a wide variety of advanced • training in gifted education. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 12 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 4: Professional Development in LMSD Recommendations 1. Provide time, space, and resources for gifted education teachers to focus on professional and programmatic development. 2. Ensure that all gifted education teachers have, or are working toward, a minimum level of advanced training in gifted education. 3. Reminder of previous recommendation… Provide ALL staff with training in differentiation strategies for advanced learners. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 13 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 5: Parent & Community Collaboration Findings There is a lack of publically-available information about the • program. Most parents would like to have increased information about • what their children are doing in Challenge/Seminar and how they are progressing. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 14 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 5: Parent & Community Collaboration Recommendations 1. Increase the amount of information about the program through: a. Website b. Brochure/Program Literature c. Public information sessions 2. Develop expectations and suggested methods for teachers to provide more consistent information about what is happening in the Challenge/Seminar classes. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 15 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 6: Program Operations in LMSD Findings Frequent turnover in program leadership has been detrimental • for the organization of the program. The student data systems used within the District do not have • consistent information about students’ gifted status or their history of screening and identification. The completion of administrative tasks associated with annual • GIEP meetings constitutes a substantial amount of teachers’ time. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 16 January 8, 2018
Key Feature 6: Program Operations Recommendations 1. Ensure strong procedural supervision AND leadership for supporting advanced learners through appropriate curriculum and instruction. 2. Establish stronger connections with the Curriculum and Instruction department to leverage their expertise and resources and to work collaboratively on systematic, Districtwide initiatives to support the needs of advanced learners. 3. Streamline the procedures and tasks associated with annual GIEP meetings. 4. Identify ways to streamline the syncing of and access to student data related to gifted education services. CCOB Meeting – 12/4/17 17
Next Steps Dr. Adil Nure, Lead Supervisor of Clinical Services & Gifted Education and Ms. Kimberly Fraser, Director of Special Education and Student Services, will lead the Evaluation Use Committee through an action planning process to develop a 5-year plan for responding to the findings and recommendations from this evaluation. Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors 18 January 8, 2018
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