Addressing curriculum and instruction issues for
GATE students is an ongoing concern at Jordan and in PAUSD generally.
We are always pursuing best practices for delivering challenging
and meaningful instruction to all students, including those who
demonstrate exceptional native intelligence in one or more subjects.
In PAUSD, middle school students are placed in heterogeneous classrooms,
and are challenged at their particular level of ability through
a kind of instruction called “differentiation.” Differentiation
means that a GATE student would be discreetly offered curriculum
choices that s/he might find more challenging than the standard
material. It happens within the classroom, provided by the teachers,
usually without the student even being aware of it. It’s not
extra work, but different—- options in a unit or project that
go deeper or wider, or that allow the student to pursue a special
interest. Often the options are available to any student who is
interested, so that self-challenge is possible.
As GATE coordinator, I work closely with a committee of parents,
staff, and administration to implement professional development
that aids teachers in continuing to develop the highest quality
of instruction for all our students. We actively address differentiation
throughout the year with several staff development days devoted
to the topic, to sharing best practices, and to learning the latest
research. We also continue to gather information about what teachers
are already doing in their classrooms, which we know to be considerable
and thoughtful. That is, we know teachers are already doing a lot--
but we continue to pursue improvement and progress.
There are also myriad extra-curricular opportunities available to
provide additional educational experiences. As your student gets
to know Jordan, s/he might want to get involved in one or more of
these activities.
Identifying 6th graders who are gifted and talented provides important
information to teachers, so that they can offer them appropriate
instructional opportunities. This identification becomes a part
of the student's "Cumulative" file, the record of their
life as a student. These files are kept in the Guidance office,
and are available primarily to counselors and administrators. Teachers
can see them if they need to. There is also an indication of this
identification entered in the computer records.
In 7th and 8th grade, teachers are given a confidential list of
GATE-identified students so that they can tailor instruction as
appropriate. Since we don't have "laning" in PAUSD middle
schools, differentiated practice tends to happen as an ongoing part
of instruction. The primary exception is in Math, which does tend
to be more "laned," according to students' interest and
abilities.
When your student graduates from Jordan, the Cum file follows to
high school. And, on the high school level, teachers have access
to the computer records, which is where they can see the GATE identification.
High School also has “laned” classes in more subjects.
In other words, once the identification is made, it stays in your
child's records for the remainder of their school life. But those
records are confidential and accessible only by professionals who
work with your child. The identification is useful primarily for
teachers so that we can provide the best possible educational experience
for your child.
updated 8-16-2007 |
