This SOUNDS as though it could help students such a Lane, giving 听them a window of opportunity to guide what it is they truly need/want. The very vagueness as well as over-burdened teachers, would allow a way for self-guided students and families to take charge (which leaves a lot of unsupported students wafting, unfortunately).听

Did I interpret this correctly?

~Jana听

On May 1, 2020, at 17:52, Margaret DeLacy <margaretdelacy@...> wrote:

锘� Friends:

The Oregon Department of Education has issued a "guidance" document for Talented and Gifted students.听 Below is the document in full, with minor edits to accommodate email format.

Margaret


Supporting Talented and Gifted through

On April 8, 2020, Governor Kate Brown announced Oregon students would not be returning to in-person learning for the remainder of the academic school year. This decision was made as a continued effort to focus on the health and safety of all Oregonians. Since the announcement, ODE has received requests from districts and parents seeking academic and social-emotional support for their TAG students.

The Distance Learning for All Guidance states that districts should serve students identified as TAG by accommodating assessed levels of learning and accelerated rates of learning. With a distance learning model, two strategies that will enhance and extend the learning experience for TAG students, include:听

1. Educational acceleration, which has long been used to match high-level students鈥� general abilities and specific talents with optimal learning opportunities; and听
2. Curriculum compacting, which condenses, modifies, or streamlines curriculum to reduce repetition of previously mastered material.

听This guidance allows for a common approach in providing equitable support for talented and gifted learners focusing on academic and social-emotional needs. An important focus in serving TAG students is continuing to provide instruction at the assessed rate and level through daily or weekly formative assessment data or evidence of learning in a distance learning model. While it may be challenging for educators to gauge the social-emotional impacts of the assigned work, it is imperative to keep social-emotional needs at the center of learning. Below are some considerations, suggestions, and resources for meeting the needs of talented and gifted learners through distance learning.

Questions to Consider for K-12 Educators Using Offline or Online Resources:

听听听听听 -- Which standards are most essential for learning during this time?
听听听听听 -- How are current assessment/evidence of learning used to drive instruction?
听听听听听 -- Are there opportunities for combining standards during distance learning lessons (e.g., project-based learning, performance assessment, portfolios)?
听听听听听 -- How might pre-assessment and formative assessment or other evidence of learning be leveraged to compact the curriculum and adjust for assessed rate and level of learning?
听听听听听听 --How was differentiation of content, process, and product approached in an in-person learning environment and how can similar planning efforts be used in distance learning?
听听听听听听 --If packets are being used as a source of offline distance learning, is there a tiered approach (i.e.鈥渟caffolds鈥�, 鈥済rade level standards-based鈥�, and 鈥渃hallenge鈥�) to provide various levels of opportunity specific to students鈥� needs?听

Formative Assessment as a process is the most commonly used high leverage instructional practice in meeting the academic needs of TAG students specific to their rate and level of learning. The Oregon Department of Education defines Formative Assessment as a Process on page 2 (under the heading 鈥淐omponents of a Balanced Assessment System鈥�) in ODE鈥檚 document.

听Family Engagement

Continue to reach out and engage families as partners in their student鈥檚 learning and social-emotional well being. Honor family culture, language, funds of knowledge, and the comprehensive perspectives of families.

听Promising Practices

It is important to continue to engage in promising practices that promote learning for TAG students.
听

1. Provide 鈥渋n lieu鈥� of activities/assignments, rather than 鈥渋n addition to.鈥�
2. Foster student agency and self-regulated learning
3. Allow flexible pacing (acceleration) and options for students to demonstrate their learning.
4. When possible, provide success criteria and/or outcome-based rubrics specifically outlining standards of proficiency and mastery.
5. Seek and respond to student and family feedback regarding assignments and activities.

听Scenario Guidance

These scenarios are common in all learning models. In recent weeks, several districts have presented ODE with dilemmas and questions that pertain to the topics below.

听If鈥�

罢丑别苍鈥�

[IF]听 Pre-assessment data or current learning evidence indicates a student has prior knowledge at a level of proficiency or mastery,

[THEN] Compact the curriculum for the student by eliminating the standards the student has already mastered and accelerate the student to a new standard of learning.

[IF] A menu of choice options for activities and assignments is presented to all students as an effort to demonstrate learning in a personalized manner,

[THEN] Include depth and complexity (DOK 3 and 4) opportunities to support 鈥渓evel鈥� (rate and level) of learning.

[IF] A student (or family) indicates the level and pacing of learning is not meeting their student鈥檚 needs,

[THEN] Discuss a plan and provide district or state vetted resources to advance their learning.

听
Resources

Please see the for a list of additional .

听Angela Allen, Talented and Gifted Education Specialist
angela.m.allen@...