GTCAC Listening Post Meeting, Hillcrest Elementary, 4/6/2016
Purpose:
- To share recent experiences with BCPS Advanced Academics/GT programs
- To gather input to focus priorities for advocacy for 2016/17 school year
In attendance:
- GTCAC board members, Parents (mostly of Elementary-aged children – including Arbutus Elementary PTA president), Ann Miller (BOE), Wade Kerns (Coordinator of BCPS Office of Advanced Academics)
General comments/concerns/questions raised:
- How will BCPS’s proposed new grading policy affect admittance into GT and/or Honors classes?
- Especially in Elementary settings, is it reasonable (or fair) for teachers to have 3 “tiers” of students in their classrooms (performing below, at, and above grade level)? Will all teachers have the ability (or time) to differentiate between tiers of students, and fluidly shift students in and out of small groups (for both Math and ELA)?
- Is there a trend of GT students working as “teacher support” for other students in these blended-tier classrooms? Are GT students given supplemental advanced material, or are they completing their assignments quickly, and then helping other students (taking more of a teacher role) with any remaining time?
- Lack of communication from BCPS about Advanced Academics/GT policy changes: Many parents were deeply concerned that they were not informed of policy changes this year for Elementary, and only learned of these changes from a Baltimore Sun article published this past winter.
- Are GT students in BCPS generally overlooked? Is the prevailing sentiment that these children do not need additional support in the classroom to achieve at their optimal level?
- Lack of consideration/designation or teacher training in BCPS for Twice Exceptional (2E) students. Lack of special education resources or consideration of 504’s within GT classes.
- STAT concerns: Are GT programs over-reliant on Dreambox and other programs for advanced lessons/material?
- Questions about overall BCPS philosophy for identifying GT students: What are the standards? Who is qualified to determine who is/is not a GT student?
- Issues with transition to Middle School from Elementary: Problems with timing of GT designation for students, and scheduling of classes (unknown if this is a school-specific or system-wide issue).
- “Fluid” system of students moving in and out of GT programs within a school year: Seems to work OK with ELA classes, but not with Math since the material builds up sequentially over time.
- Recent changes in Advanced Academics policy largely due to management turnover in Office of Advanced Academics: Previous Coordinator was only in office for 2 years (when the policy changes were developed), then the Coordinator position was unfilled for 1 year. Current Coordinator is new this school year: Wade Kerns
Citizens Advisory Committee for Gifted and Talented Education (GT CAC)
Email:
Website:
BCPS GTCAC Website:
Facebook:
Wade Kerns, Coordinator at BCPS Office of Advanced Academics:
Upcoming GTCAC Meetings (Open to public):
May 4, 7:00 pm, Greenwood Campus, Building E, Room 114
June 1, 7:00 pm, Greenwood Campus, Building E, Room 114