Highly Capable Middle School Task Force

EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HIGHLY CAPABLE MIDDLE SCHOOL TASK FORCE

February 15, 2011 Minutes

Present: Tony Byrd, Kevin Allen, Kim Hunter, Elizabeth Donnelly, Elizabeth Williamson, Pidgie Hopper, Sue Wilson-Schmitz, Nancy Gilbertson

Absent: Kevin Judd, Michelle Toshima, Jon Howeiler, Mary Phan, Mary Freitas, Kristin Merrill

• To provide support for our elementary, middle and high school gifted students.
• To support a seamless program for gifted students with better understanding among teachers of different levels.
• To ensure effective communication about our gifted programs.
• To advocate for gifted education at the local and state level.

Welcome – Elizabeth Williamson who has a daughter in IB at Inglemoor and a 7th grader in the gifted middle program at BTM. She is also the PTSA President at BTM.

January 18 Minutes – Approved.

February 11 – Gifted Education Day – Great Day and very eye opening. Challenge fourth grade classes went to Olympia as a field trip. Representatives of Coalition for Gifted Education, WAETAG, and parents of gifted students were present. It was well organized and students had tours. Paul Shin was awesome. Meetings with legislators and assistants went off without a hitch. Parents groups are continuing to send messages to legislators. CPA is focusing on lobbyist ideas. A few of our legislators and senators especially the new ones still need to be educated about what “gifted education” is. They compare it to other programs and don’t understand why gifted needs additional $$ to help students.

Keep sending short messages with bulleted items as to why gifted students are different and need $$. Next year encourage the middle school gifted students to go. The tours are very beneficial when students get to go into the actual rooms where discussions and decisions are made.

Possibility of Integrating CPA/PTSA at BTM – This could be a huge benefit to gifted 7/8 grade in terms of parents supporting classrooms, fund raising, and $$ for teacher’ training, etc. Mary, Kevin, and Tony have met regarding the possible integration. Talk with teachers about having gifted parents volunteer in classrooms. Kevin is meeting with Elizabeth Williamson to discuss options. Mary Freitas indicated that PTA is the umbrella over CPA. CPA is also a legal entity and asks Challenge parents for monetary donations each year. CPA and PTSA meeting is rescheduled to May 18 with Mary and Kevin.

BTM Volunteer Coordinator – Kristin Merrill. Find out what teachers would like help with either in the classroom or out. Parents generally will do whatever teacher wants. Dads usually prefer to do core jobs.

Seventh/Eighth Grade Gifted – Tony had a phone conference with gifted teachers about questions they had regarding the gifted students and how the process works. Tony and Nancy will meet with these teachers on March 2, 9:00-10:00am at BTM to answer their questions, show them what the tests are like, how the decision-making and appeal processworks, and what the state WACS are, etc.

• Teachers need to learn more about Autistic/Twice Exceptional students. Some are very rigid thinkers. More profoundly gifted are further from norms.
• Teachers need to learn how to work with students who are ADHD, have Aspergers, etc.

Kim Hunter – While there is frustration from the teachers, it mostly revolves around feeling that we could do better for these students. Most of the frustration is to be expected when starting a new program and then changing the format one year in and also having large class sizes. We have all had a steep learning curve in the last year and a half. We have learned so much about the highly capable students and how to work with them. As a group we strive to continue our learning so that we can serve this special group of students to the best of our ability. As we communicate more with Kevin and Tony and gain more experience I think that many of the problems will iron themselves out and we will be better capable to deal with the day to day issues. It seems that communication with Terrace Park will also help the process since they have been through many of the issues that we are currently facing.

Hopefully having more information and meeting with the Terrace Park 5/6th grade Challenge teachers will also help in determining placement for incoming 7th graders in 2011-2012. Meeting is being arranged by Mary Freitas and Kevin Allen on March 17th in the morning. Middle school teachers are excited to use the expertise of the Challenge teachers to help determine best placement of the gifted incoming students.

School Board Meeting – March 8 – Students to share what gifted programs are like at each level to keep the School Board recognizing the importance of gifted education in Edmonds. Have a couple of Challenge students, Gifted Middle students, and IB students tell what their experience in the gifted program has been like. Need to have a couple students from each level who are articulate and can talk in front of a group of people. Students will have up to two minutes max.

• What has gifted education meant to their school career and what skills have they gained?
• What challenges have they had in our gifted program?
• How can we continue to improve the gifted programs?

• IB Students – Nicholas Nguyen and Sara Koopai. Both are very rounded students with a variety of interests who also happen to be full diploma students. Sara was also once the student rep. to the Board.
• Gifted Middle Students – Maddy Judd and Panos Kumasaka
• Challenge Students – Ethan Paisley, Themba Kimani - tentative

NEW “GIFTED” STUDENTS FOR 2011-2012 – We tested about 60 more K-5 students, 36 more 6-7 students, and less 8th grade students. Eighth grade students are less because we are catching students earlier in their school career. We continue to bring in private school students at Challenge and IB level.

Tested K-5 – 364 studentsOffered Placement – 84 Challenge

Tested 6-7 – 74 studentsOffered placement – 17 BTM + 54 Challenge 6th graders

Tested 8th – 69 studentsOffered Placement – 18 IB + 41 already gifted 8th graders

Hi-Cap Office - Lots of parent phone calls and email discussions about choices and processes for gifted. Often it comes down to counseling parents on options available for gifted students at all levels during the testing and placement process. Sometimes it is hard to get other work done between calls during November through February.

Survey – Should we send out a survey toallgifted 11/12th grade students in IB, AP, Running Start or perhaps do a random sample group in each program? Have we met their needs? How well are we serving kids at this point in their educational career? Do they feel Challenge helped prepare them to succeed in the advanced programs in high school? Do they feel that they are ready and have the skill sets to handle the rigors of college? What else could we have done to support them in the gifted programs? Do they feel what we taught them in the advanced programs will help them in college and their adult careers?

• March 8 – Nancy Katims – Assessment Director will help with a survey.
• Main questions Nancy K. has – What is the purpose of the survey?
• We need to decide our purpose, what are we really trying to find out, what types of general questions, and she can then guide us.
• Once we make a decision, we can start the process.

Middle School Gifted is also starting the process of creating a survey with Nancy Katims.

State Budget – Tony – Governor’s budget eliminates $$ for Hi-Cap. So far there are no cuts to Hi-Cap for 2010-2011 school year. 2011-2012 gifted $$still up in the air. The process is involved and decisions will not be quick. Good reason to continue to show support for gifted with legislators and senators.

Communication – Key for task force to concentrate on communication avenues of the parents, students, network, CPA, PTSA. Work on this in upcoming meeting.

• Need to put emphasis and plans into place to help with the transition of the 6th graders to middle and the 8th graders to high school.
• These are important times for parents and students.
• Need to make sure our task force and other resources communicate this information to parents, students.
• We have been getting calls in the Hi-Cap office regarding these next steps and what parents/students need to do.

Next Steps – Communication and 6th/8th grade transitions.

Upcoming Meetings:Tuesday, March 8, 4:30-6:00pm, room 201

Monday, April 11, 4:30-6:00pm, room 201

Tuesday, May 10, 4:30-6:00pm, room201