Parent PresentationOctober 30, 2019 (updated March 2020)

Fair Lawn REACH Program

DEFINITION OF GIFTEDNESS

2010 NAGC:  Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 1-% or rarer) in one or more domains.  Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).

ENRICHMENT IN PRACTICE

Type 1 Services (ALL Students)

High Quality curriculum with differentiation focusing on expanding and enhancing learning opportunities in the regular classroom for all students.

Whole class enrichment opportunities (talent development) provided by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 2 Services (MANY Students)

Enrichment Specialist provides support and guidance for classroom teachers in order to enhance differentiation opportunities for students.

Self-select programs allow opportunities for any student to be involved, but not all choose to do so.

Type 3 Services (SOME Students)

Pull-out programs for identified students whose needs are not being met by Type 1 and Type 2 programs. These programs are facilitated by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 4 Services (FEW Students)

This level of service is provided to students whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and their needs are not met by Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 services.

TYPE 1 SERVICES FOR ALL STUDENTS (PUSH-IN)

Kindergarten-Grade 2Enrichment Specialists will provide lessons for one trimester in all classes using PETS (Primary Education Thinking Skills) which is a systematized enrichment and diagnostic thinking skills program that serves the dual purpose of helping in the identification of academically talented learners and teaching students higher level thinking skills.

TYPE 1 SERVICES FOR ALL STUDENTS (PUSH-IN)

Grade 3 STEMEnrichment Specialists will provide STEM lessons and challenges focusing on the Engineering Design Process for one trimester in all classes. STEM education creates critical thinkers and enables the next generation of innovators. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and stresses the value of failure as a learning exercise, which will enable students to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process.

TYPE 1 SERVICES FOR ALL STUDENTS (PUSH-IN)

Grade 4-5 STEM Enrichment Specialists will provide STEM lessons and challenges for one trimester in all classes that deepen our students experience and understanding of the Engineering Design Process as a strategy to attack real life problems. These STEM challenges encourage risk-taking, and experimentation, two necessary components to innovative thinking. STEM activities provide hands-on and minds-on lessons for the student.

ENRICHMENT IN PRACTICE

Type 1 Services (ALL Students)

High Quality curriculum with differentiation focusing on expanding and enhancing learning opportunities in the regular classroom for all students.

Whole class enrichment opportunities (talent development) provided by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 2 Services (MANY Students)

Enrichment Specialist provides support and guidance for classroom teachers in order to enhance differentiation opportunities for students.

Self-select programs allow opportunities for any student to be involved, but not all choose to do so.

Type 3 Services (SOME Students)

Pull-out programs for identified students whose needs are not being met by Type 1 and Type 2 programs. These programs are facilitated by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 4 Services (FEW Students)

This level of service is provided to students whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and their needs are not met by Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 services.

TYPE 2 SERVICES FOR MANY STUDENTS (IN-CLASS AND PULL-OUT)

Differentiation/Personalized Enrichment Plan (K-5)

As a matter of daily practice, classroom teachers provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of individual students. This Type 2 service is offered to many students.

● When the classroom teacher determines that typical levels of differentiation are not meeting the individual needs of a student, the teacher will submit a referral for a Personalized Enrichment Plan (PEP). The PEP Team, comprised of at least the classroom teacher, principal, Enrichment Specialist, and parent, will determine the need for such a plan. If a plan is deemed necessary, it will include the student’s area(s) of strength as well as the enrichment activities that will be used in the classroom to provide an advanced level of learning for the student. Enrichment Specialists and other members of the PEP Team will provide suggestions and consultation services to assist classroom teachers with differentiation techniques, strategies, and activities.

● While this service is listed as a Type 2 service, far fewer students will require the intended level of differentiation detailed in a PEP.

TYPE 2 SERVICES FOR MANY STUDENTS (IN-CLASS AND PULL-OUT)

TYPE 2 SERVICES FOR MANY STUDENTS (IN-CLASS AND PULL-OUT)

Grades 3 - 5Students can nominate themselves to participate in an Independent Study opportunity. The Enrichment Specialist will act as a facilitator for these interested, task committed and highly motivated students to develop, implement and present an independent study topic of their interest.

Grade 5 WordMasters is a national language arts/critical thinking competition that involves learning new vocabulary and analyzing analogies. Enrichment Specialists spend two class periods introducing all 5th grade students to the structure of analogies and strategies used to solve them. Then, students who choose to participate learn advanced vocabulary and take three WordMasters Challenge Tests using those high-level words in analogies.

ENRICHMENT IN PRACTICE

Type 1 Services (ALL Students)

High Quality curriculum with differentiation focusing on expanding and enhancing learning opportunities in the regular classroom for all students.

Whole class enrichment opportunities (talent development) provided by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 2 Services (MANY Students)

Enrichment Specialist provides support and guidance for classroom teachers in order to enhance differentiation opportunities for students.

Self-select programs allow opportunities for any student to be involved, but not all choose to do so.

Type 3 Services (SOME Students)

Pull-out programs for identified students whose needs are not being met by Type 1 and Type 2 programs. These programs are facilitated by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 4 Services (FEW Students)

This level of service is provided to students whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and their needs are not met by Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 services.

TYPE 3 SERVICES FOR SOME STUDENTS (PULL-OUT)

Kindergarten-Grade 2The Enrichment Specialist will meet with identified students for further work focusing on the higher level thinking skills introduced during the PETS push-in program. This Brain Flex small group opportunity will allow identified students to be challenged with a variety of advanced activities that deepen the students' ability to use convergent, divergent, evaluative and visual/spatial thinking.

TYPE 3 SERVICES FOR SOME STUDENTS (PULL-OUT)

Grades 3 - 5The Enrichment Specialist will meet with identified students for seminars focused on the specific content areas of literacy and/or math. Seminar participants benefit from the opportunity to meet with peers who share strengths in these areas.

● In the Literacy Seminar, students are exposed to higher level texts containing abstract and sophisticated themes. Students are pushed to apply these themes beyond the text to real world events. For example, after an intensive exploration of dystopian vs. utopian societies, students may create an original society with founding documents, anthem, and government structure.

● In the Math Seminar, students dig deep into advanced mathematical concepts. For example, students demonstrate their understanding of the number systems by examining the ancient number systems and their historical and mathematical significance. This continues with the exploration of the binary number system and its relationship to computer language, coding and robotics.

ENRICHMENT IN PRACTICE

Type 1 Services (ALL Students)

High Quality curriculum with differentiation focusing on expanding and enhancing learning opportunities in the regular classroom for all students.

Whole class enrichment opportunities (talent development) provided by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 2 Services (MANY Students)

Enrichment Specialist provides support and guidance for classroom teachers in order to enhance differentiation opportunities for students.

Self-select programs allow opportunities for any student to be involved, but not all choose to do so.

Type 3 Services (SOME Students)

Pull-out programs for identified students whose needs are not being met by Type 1 and Type 2 programs. These programs are facilitated by the Enrichment Specialist.

Type 4 Services (FEW Students)

This level of service is provided to students whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and their needs are not met by Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 services.

TYPE 4 SERVICES FOR FEW STUDENTS (PULL-OUT)

Kindergarten-Grade 5

Type 4 opportunities are highly individualized for very few students and may include:

● Specialized Programs● Dual Enrollment

2019 - 2020 REACH Trimester Schedule

Trimester 1 (9/5-12/11)

Trimester 2 (12/12-3/20)

Trimester 3(3/21- 6/23)

GRADE 1- PUSH IN KINDERGARTEN- PUSH IN GRADE 2- PULL OUT

GRADE 3 STEM GRADE 3 SEMINAR 1: Literacy GRADE 5 STEM

GRADE 4 STEM GRADE 4 SEMINAR 1: Literacy GRADE 3 SEMINAR 2: Math

GRADE 5 SEMINAR 1: Math GRADE 5 SEMINAR 2: Literacy GRADE 4 SEMINAR 2: Math

WORD MASTERS WORD MASTERS WORD MASTERS

GRADE 5 Independent Study GRADE 2 - PUSH IN KINDERGARTEN/GRADE 1PULL OUT

GRADE 4 Independent Study GRADE 3 Independent Study

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The Fair Lawn REACH Program’s identification procedures are designed as a means to recognize and respond to the Academically Talented behaviors that students demonstrate.

Identification for Grades K-2

Information from the following sources will be gathered during the identification process and placed on a student profile/matrix. Students must meet or exceed the cutoff score to participate in the Brain Flex small group facet of the program.

● Classroom Assessments● Behavioral Scales● Enrichment Specialist Observation

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (cont’d)

Identification for Grades 3-5

Information from the following sources will be gathered during the identification process and placed on a matrix.

● CogAT Screener● CTP5● NJSLA● Classroom Assessments● Behavioral Scales

The areas of Literacy and Math are targeted and scored separately on the matrix. Students must meet or exceed the cutoff score on the matrix in order to participate in the Literacy and/or Mathematics Seminars.

SAMPLE ELIGIBILITY MATRIX

PERFORMANCE REPORT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Characteristics of accelerated learners (Spring 2019)

• Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom Book Club (2019-2020)

• Grade level meetings (2019-2020)

• Rutgers Gifted Education Conference

• National Association of Gifted Children Conference

QUESTIONS