Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Update: NJAGC working for gifted students with the New Jersey Department of Education
Roberta Braverman, NAJCG Advocacy Vice President
During the course of this year, NJAGC has represented the needs of gifted students in the “big picture” of education more than a dozen times at meetings, both in person and on the phone.
The biggest and best development was getting the attention of and meeting with the New Jersey Department of Education’sDeputy Commissioner of Education, Peter Shulman. I approached him during a stakeholders group meeting about ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) and asked if we could meet to discuss the needs of gifted students in New Jersey.
Not only did he follow up by phone and email, but we have had multiple meetings and there are some improvements for gifted students and their teachers on the way. The NJAGC team includes President Carol Rogaski, Trustee MaryEllen Moffitt, and Secretary Lynne Henwood. During subsequent meetings, the Assistant Commissioner for Teaching and Learning, Laura Morana, joined our group with David Greer. Matt Angelo, who worked closely as federal liaison with Mr. Shulman, and who has since left the DOE to attend law school, was most helpful setting goals and summarizing our meetings. We wish Matt the best in his new venture. Having the time and interest of these high ranking staff members at the DOE is key to our progress.
The wheels of change occur slowly, but we can look forward to updates to the Department of Education web pages about gifted students and existing requirements of school law, known as NJ Administrative Code. Communications, via email blasts to local superintendents, will first point administrators to the new pages about gifted. Later communications will include some guidance to help districts identify and serve gifted students. Soon, as part of the Frequently Asked Questions section, there will be more service options listed for gifted students. Examples of documentation or evidence of compliance with code will be specified. Clarification that “multiple measures” does not mean each candidate must achieve highest scores on all indicators, but that they are portals or methods of finding students who may otherwise go unserved. Consideration for twice exceptional children, English Language Learners, and economically disadvantaged students must be made.
Items still under discussion include data gathering, teacher training, and providing support from the DOE to local districts. NJAGC has requested annual data collection of the number of students identified at each district, by grade, as well as the number of teacher specialists assigned to gifted education. There is a state definition of a gifted student, but local districts may choose identification methods and ways of modifying instruction, curriculum, settings and products for gifted children. Since identification decisions happen at the local level, using a matrix of both objective and subjective inventories, including but not limited to locally normed tests, nomination forms, interviews, work products, and observations, should help districts find the top five percent or more of students who need service, compared to their local peers.
Unfortunately, the new Quality Single Accountability Continuum has changed. From the DOE’s website: “The Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) is the Department of Education’s monitoring and evaluation system for public school districts. The system shifts the monitoring and evaluation focus from compliance to assistance, capacity-building and improvement. It is a single comprehensive accountability system that consolidates and incorporates the monitoring requirements of applicable state laws and programs and complements federally required improvements. The system focuses on monitoring and evaluating school districts in five key components that, based on research, have been identified to be key factors in effective school districts.” The previous inventory had two points specific to gifted education. Now gifted education modifications have been blended into Learning Standards by subject, grouped with other special needs for students. NJAGC is concerned that without specifics for gifted education, including annual data collection, districts may overlook their responsibility to “Those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modificationof their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.”
Discussions will continue at the state level, with the above mentioned issues being championed by NJAGC. We will continue to address professional development needs, such as undergraduate courses in gifted education for general education classroom teachers in training, graduate endorsements or certificates in gifted education, out of level testing for high performing students, and acceleration. We are researching requirements to apply for a federal Javits grant. The DOE / NJAGC team is committed to continuing to meet and to work together to promote equitable and exemplary education for gifted students in New Jersey.