Re-invent?

Someone asked me how in the world he could possibly start from scratch and create an entire self-advocacy program when his district has nothing like it in place. 

We don't have to re-invent the wheel.  A good self-advocacy program simply pulls together the best of the many diverse resources we have on hand and always wanted to use with our students.

Test Fear

My very first day as a GT coordinator I was approached by an elementary teacher.  "I've known Josh for 4 years now," she said. "He's the brightest student I know, but every year I nominate him for the gifted program and every year he gets rejected.  Will it be any different now that you're in charge?" 

I assured her I'd look into it, but jumped to the (false) conclusion that Josh was a nice kid, a teacher pleaser, but probably not gifted.  When I met him my misconception was immediately apparent.  Beyond a doubt he was creatively brilliant.  The problem was that he froze when presented with a high stakes test like the one that determined if he was "in" or "out" of the gifted program.  

It was a no-brainer for me.  I trusted his teacher who knew that he needed challenges beyond the regular classroom. He was "in" without taking The Test.

I took some heat from people who had created the "sift down" method of identification matrix our district used at that time.   Students needed to perform at or above the 95 percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  Those that didn't were never considered.  The winnowed group of  kids were given the Otis-Lennon group IQ test on which they also needed to score at a certain level.  Those that didn't were rejected.   And then the remaining few students had to rate a specific score (or better) on the Renzulli Scales completed by a teacher.  In essence, we were looking for the fewest possible students and only those who were good at taking tests and pleasing teachers. 

I'm happy to say we quickly changed the old ID process to a talent pool model where even one indicator was enough to start an assessment of what a student needed to be academically challenged.

Funny thing.  Six months after he was identified, Josh agreed to try The Tests . . . "just for fun."  The pressure was off.  IQ?  152.  ITBS reading and math?  99th percentiles. 

How many kids slog on through the tedium of a school day simply because they don't fit the numerical profile.  We've got to know the kid in order to match the program to the child.

A Reminder

I just wrote this as part of a grant to support self-advocacy.  Some is gleaned from my past writings, but it's a good summary of why we need direct instruction in self-advocacy for gifted kids:

Many creative/talented/gifted (c/t/g) middle school students are generally unaware that their route to graduation can and should be significantly different from that of their less able peers.  Many slog on through grades 6 to 12, sometimes challenged and interested, frequently not.

Even if a wide array of high quality differentiated educational options is available, many c/t/g adolescents choose not to take advantage of those opportunities.  Advice of parents and teachers is often shunned as teens transition into the greater independence of middle or high school.  Parents and educators can encourage students’ appropriate choices and foster self-advocacy by helping them to understand their rights and responsibilities as gifted individuals, to assess their personal learner profiles, to investigate alternative experiences, and to connect with the people who can bring about change.

If c/t/g students are uniquely capable of self-advocacy, why don’t they do it?  Do they need permission to ask for what they need? Are they afraid of being ridiculed? Do they not know how? Are they uncomfortable with the etiquette of speaking with powerful adults? Even if they are inclined to advocate for themselves, they may think they lack the skills required to advocate effectively for themselves.

Kit Finn theorized that although c/t/g children may be forthright about stating their needs, their egotism keeps them from being either subtle or tactful.  “Turning this into effective self-advocacy is a complex effort,” she writes.  Without training, a “child’s naive efforts tend to antagonize others.  The child may become inappropriately manipulative, or may learn to stop attempting to self-advocate at all.

         

For, c/t/g students who are underachievers, self-advocacy may be the key to becoming an achiever but they may be reluctant to take the risk of asking for something different when they have not performed. Susan Winebrenner wrote, “The most common complaint about underachievers is, ‘They won’t do their work.’  In my experience, the reality is that they won’t do the teacher’s work, but would be very happy to work on what is meaningful for them.”

There are myriad means to an appropriately challenging educational experience but these opportunities are ineffective if students do not willingly engage in them. In order for their education to be personally meaningful, c/t/g students must be allowed to make choices. Providing them with choices has been identified as a primary motivational tool that encourages learning.  Educational researchers have found that self-regulated learning that included choice led to higher self-efficacy and improved academic performance for middle school students.  It was also revealed that the issue of choice was crucial for addressing motivation and student achievement.  However, providing choices in the classroom requires that teachers share power with students, thus encouraging decision making and ownership of learning.

While it is important for teachers to believe in student choice and to create varied learning opportunities, it is just as important for students to understand their specific personal educational needs and to develop the skill to advocate for themselves. Frances Karnes contends that children with high intellectual, academic, and creative ability are especially ready to take charge of their own education, citing several studies that found a more internal locus of control (the feeling that control of one's life rests in one's own hands) is associated with giftedness.

For c/t/g students to receive an appropriate education, educators must not only provide challenging opportunities, they must also help those students become partners in their own education by understanding their needs, discovering available options, and becoming proficient at advocating for themselves. A workshop on self-advocacy for creative/gifted/talented teens can provide them with engaging, interactive, direct instruction in these skills.

Let's do it! 

Twice Exceptional

When Allan was in 3rd grade his favorite book was Jeanne Cavelos' The Science of Star Wars: An Astrophysicist's Independent Examination of Space Travel, Aliens, Planets, and Robots as Portrayed in the Star Wars Films and Books. He was fascinated by the content but struggled to read it himself because in addition to being intellectually gifted, he had dyslexia.

Traditional identification methods often fail to reveal the talents of twice-exceptional or 2E students. Occasionally their extraordinary abilities mask their academic struggles and their disabilities go undiagnosed. One of the best sources of info on this issue is The 2E Newsletter and Blog.

The self-advocacy movement began in the world of developmental disabilities but gifted kids also need to find their voices. 2E people have twice the need to speak up for themselves.  And we, their advocates, can help.

As Linda Silverman wrote, "Gifted children with learning disabilities who are seen as defective, in constant need of remediation, come to view themselves with shame and doubt….But when those closest to them honor their strengths and believe in their ability to fulfill their dreams, they are able to mobilize their will to succeed against all odds."

 

Should I tell my child she's gifted?

At the recent SENG conference in Milwaukee a father asked a heartfelt question, “Should I tell my child she's gifted?”

It’s something a lot of parents and teachers struggle with, but my answer is a resounding, “Yes!”  And when we talk to our kids about their exceptional abilities we must make it a long, complete, on-going conversation about what that means.   Remember the number one gripe of the gifted kids surveyed by Galbraith and Delisle?  "No one explains what being gifted is all about - it's kept a big secret."

So, yes, we must talk to our children about their giftedness. To paraphrase Carol Anne Tomlinson, if we pretend that all children are gifted, that all have the same abilities, then our children will think we're stupid.  They are well aware that they are different, but they often lack the self-reflection or even the vocabulary to describe the ways they feel different.

Here, in no particular order, are things we should include in that conversation:

• You are better at some things than others your age, but of course that doesn’t mean you’re better than they are.

• Being gifted is not what you do, but who you are. 

• Being gifted is not how well you do in school or what you become some day or what you can contribute to society, but a unique set of characteristics you will have for all your life.

•  There are many ways to be gifted and gifted people are not all alike.

• You have a combination of exceptional abilities; some are intellectual, academic, creative, artistic, or leadership gifts - a mixture that is different for every gifted person.

• You have definite strengths but you also have underdeveloped areas that need some work.

• Being gifted means you may often have different educational needs than some of your classmates.  Every brain needs to be challenged in order to grow and you can help your teachers and parents know when the challenge feels right, when it’s too tough and when it’s too easy.

• Because you’re gifted you may experience life very Intensely. You may have overexcitabilities (more here.) 

• Being gifted is a good thing. It doesn’t mean your life will always be easy, but it is part of what makes you uniquely wonderful.  

 
 

The Right Triangle

Welcome to Day 6 of the NPGC Blog Tour.

Today's topic: 

Advocacy for gifted children –

teaming with educators and legislators

If you're new to my blog, you might want to start with an overview of my vision - teaching gifted children to self-advocate.  You can also find more details in an article for parents and my 2004 action research summary from the Roeper Review.


By definition, self- advocacy is the process of recognizing and meeting the needs specific to your learning ability without compromising the dignity of yourself or others.

Yes, I believe wholeheartedly that students (and especially those who are outliers) must play a major role in making sure they have appropriately challenging and satisfying educational experiences.  No one knows better than they what is going on in their heads and hearts as they sit in class, walk the halls, complete assignments, interact with their peers and teachers.

Most gifted kids are not naturally adept at self-advocacy, however.  In fact, their naive attempts often can get them into trouble and it's best if we teach them specifically why and how they should speak up.  When students, parents and teachers work as advocacy partners they form a wonderfully right triangle.  The children are the foundation, leading the way, while the adults support them from all directions.  

I hope you'll browse through past entries, all geared toward self-advocacy in one way or another, and let me know if you find something that strikes a cord with you and your family.  And check out all the other NPGC Blog Tour sites.  

As I wrote when I started this adventure.  Too often, one voice sounds like whining; many voices sound like a cause.  There is great power in collaborative advocacy.  Together we do make a difference for the gifted people we know and love.

Accelerated Thoughts

This week during the Challenging Advanced Learners Academy held at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater (a fantastic event for gifted newbies and veterans alike), a participant questioned the value of grade acceleration, stating her school principal was totally against it since it "really messes kids up."

And yes, I know, a lot of people have horror stories of acceleration.  Someone they know had a lonely childhood with no friends . . . or never went to prom . . . or dropped out of college . . . or became a recluse . . . etc.  These personal anecdotes grow into urban legends.  But the research tells another story:  grade and subject acceleration  - done appropriately - are two of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to provide gifted children with the challenge they need.

The Iowa Acceleration Scale is the very best resource for determining if acceleration is right. Earlier acceleration experiences in our district always felt hit or miss, but our recommendations were spot on once we began using it.  We also monitored academic progress and socio-emotional concerns throughout the students' school years to assure they had the necessary support, counseling and advocacy.

The list of kids I know for whom acceleration was a life-saver goes on and on.  To name a few, literally from A to Z:  Amanda, Ben, Crystal, Drew, Evan, Faye, Gina, Henry, Ian, Jiang, Karen, Lauren, Mike, Noah, Peter, Quinn, Raza, Sarah, Tommy, Ulrike, Verne, Wynona, Xavier, Ying and Zou!

Here are just a handful of links to articles that tell the rest of the story: 

NAGC:  Myth: Acceleration Is Harmful For G/T Students  

Kulik and Kulik: Effects of Accelerated Instruction on Students

Karen Rogers: A best-evidence synthesis of research on acceleration options

Hoagies: Academic Acceleration

Acceleration?  The sky's the limit!

Using Test Scores

There are many, many factors that determine the best academic plan for a gifted child at any point in time. Out-of-level test scores can provide one piece of the puzzle.  For example, when I served as a GT coordinator, we used NUMATS results to provide some flexible guidelines for varying tiers of programming:

Recommended Options 

based on NUMATS Statistical Summary  

(adapted from CTD recommendations for use in our district, 2005)

Tier 3 Interventions

EXPLORE, ACT and SAT score ranks at or above 95 for normal grade level

1. Compression of school courses into shorter time periods via curriculum compacting
2. Access to advanced placement early
3. Long-range academic planning
4. Individualized program of study, using diagnostic-prescriptive approach in areas of strength
5. Consider grade acceleration or early admissions to college
6. Mentorship for advanced study in areas of strength
7. Early career counseling
8. Fast-paced summer classes in area of strength

Tier 2 Interventions

EXPLORE, ACT and SAT score ranks from 50 to 94 for normal grade level

1. Compression of school courses into shorter time periods via curriculum compacting
2. Access to advanced placement early
3. Long-range academic planning
4. Early career counseling
5. Fast-paced summer classes in area of strength

Tier 1 Interventions

EXPLORE, ACT and SAT score ranks up to 50 for normal grade level

1. Elimination of repetitive work through in-class differentiation and curriculum compacting  
2. In-school enrichment programs in tested areas of strength
3. Long-term academic planning
4. Early access to advanced courses
5. Supplement coursework with enrichment-oriented summer programs

The words of my former colleague, Lori, always ring in my head, "Use the data."   

Awareness of what their test scores indicate is vital for gifted students as they develop their learner profiles.  

Egalitarianism?

A response to the misconception that  

“Teaching gifted kids to self-advocate won’t work because we don’t offer that in our school."

If we don't, we must! It needs to be in the toolkit of every one who comes in contact with gifted children.

The best method is direct instruction in self-advocacy because it is the most efficient, effective, systematic, and continuous way to help students take charge of their own education.

 

And better yet . . . providing that instruction to a like-ability group of students assures a common knowledge base, peer networking, and a broader understanding of learner diversity. 

While schools are generally eager to address the needs of other outliers, all too often gifted students do not feel they have permission to ask for what they need. 

As Jim Delisle wrote in Gifted Child Today, 24 (1) 14-15, Winter 2001:

In our rush toward egalitarianism as regards the concept of giftedness, we have lost sight of what should be our primary vision – the gifted child who cries out for attention. 

With our help, the sky is their limit!

Repeat for emphasis. Repeat for emphasis.

Not only do we need to be intentional about teaching gifted kids to self-advocate we also must reinforce the skill throughout their remaining school years.    

Case in point?  Amelia.  She was one of those amazing kids who loved school, loved her friends, loved cross country, loved community service, loved creating works of art, loved Destination Imagination, and loved her teachers.  It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that her teachers loved her in return because of her energy, her positive attitude, her willingness to work hard.

And Amelia was always up for an intellectual challenge, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, one of the most academically demanding high school programs. 

But half way through her first year of IB, Amelia walked into my office in tears.  “I can’t do this,” she said.  “I have too many mid-term deadlines during the same week.  I can’t do a good job on anything when everything takes so much time, so much thought and energy.” 

“Have you talked to your teachers about the deadlines?”  I asked.

“OMG!”  Amelia said.  “You’ve been telling us about self-advocacy since 6^th grade and now, for the first time, I need to do it!”

And guess who talked to each of her teachers, proposed alternative due dates, and did an extraordinary job on all of her IB assessments.

Actual self-advocacy is an ongoing process that students consciously or subconsciously must be comfortable using if and when they need it throughout their lives.   

A Parent's Role

What can parents do to help their children self-advocate?

• Work in partnership with your child and the school
• Talk with your child about the steps to self-advocacy
• Help your child develop attributes of good character that are expected of every student  (For instance, being bored is no excuse for doing poor work!)

• Work hard
• Listen with interest
• Work well in a group 
• Be accurate
• Be neat
• Complete assignments
• Enjoy school and learning
• Be alert
• Be considerate
• Be organized

• Set up an appointment with the school counselor for you and your child to view and discuss the student’s permanent record.  What does it say about his or her learner profile?
• Check out state and district graduation requirements.  What’s optional? 
• Discover what opportunities are already available in your district.
• Focus on your child’s individual wants and needs and match them to the options.
• Ultimately, allow your children to make their own informed choices.  
• Support their decisions.

Common Misconceptions

So many times I've heard people say,

“Teaching gifted kids to self-advocate won’t work because . . . “

1. It would be elitist.
2. If we tell them they’re smart, they’ll just get big heads.
3. They’ll ask for something we can’t offer.
4. We don’t have time.
5. School counselors already do it for all kids.
6. If we do something different when one kid asks, we’ll have to do it for everybody.
7. We’ve never done it before.
8. We don’t do that in our district.

 

 

 There are no excuses.

Whether they're children with disabilities or children with exceptional abilities, all outliers have the right to an appropriately challenging education.

We must help each person find the path that is best for him or her.

Grievances

When my mom got mad she said, “If you’re so smart, why is your room so messy?”   

Nick, grade 7

I’d been trying to help gifted students for several years before I came across the 8 Great Gripes of Gifted Kids as compiled by Jim Delisle and Judy Galbraith from survey responses of thousands of teens.

What did the kids say bothered them the most?

1. No one explains what being gifted is all about - it's kept a big secret.
2. School is too easy and too boring
3. Parents, teachers, and friends expect us to be perfect all the time.
4. Friends who really understand us are few and far between.
5. Kids often tease us about being smart.
6. We feel overwhelmed by the number of things we can do in life.
7. We feel different and alienated.
8. We worry about world problems and feel helpless to do anything about them.

The 8 Gripes closely reflected my own students’ thoughts.  Their concerns were universal and timeless and I was determined to do something concrete to acknowledge and resolve their grievances.

And so was born the path to self-advocacy . . .   

• Step 1 clarifies what it means (and doesn’t mean) to be gifted. 
• Step 2 allows students to understand and celebrate their differences
• Step 3 identifies options that will be less boring and more challenging
• Step 4 helps kids find advocates (parents and teachers and friends) who will understand and support them.

After our first student self-advocacy retreat, 6^th grader Tina wrote: I learned not to listen to what people say if they are making fun of you – it’s good to be different, to be gifted.

 Hallelujah!

Educational Rights

Most school mission statements include phrases like . . .

 “providing rigorous programming for all”

 “including diverse educational opportunities”

 “each individual can achieve optimum intellectual growth”

 “encouraging everyone to see and be her personal best”

Sadly, many gifted teens don’t think this applies to them.  They haven’t claimed their right to an education that is engaging and challenging and differentiated for their needs.

Students need to believe that asking for an appropriately challenging curriculum is not asking for more than they deserve.  

According to the recent NAGC report, thirty-one states have some form of legal mandate related to gifted and talented education. Even here in Wisconsin, where virtually no state funds are devoted to gifted education, we have a statute that requires each public school board to “provide access to an appropriate program for pupils identified as gifted.”

Our children do have rights and knowing that empowers them to self-advocate.
You can download a copy of the NAGC Gifted Children's Bill of Rights.

Judy Galbraith in Gifted Kids Survival Guide puts it like this:

You have the right to a rigorous education, which stretches your skills and thinking every day.

You have a right

• to be in classes that are challenging and interesting
• to know about giftedness and why you’re in or should be in an enriched or accelerated class
• to make mistakes and “not do your best” if you feel like it
• to be with other kids who really understand you
• to be treated with respect by friends, teachers, and parents
• to be different.