Q & A 1. Does the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) require school districts to provide the Resource Program as a delivery model option for gifted instruction at the elementary school? No, the FLDOE allows school districts to decide what type of delivery model they want to implement in the gifted program as long as it meets State requirements of all students being gifted, gifted teacher endorsement or approved waiver, and approval of the Special Programs and Procedure (SP&P) document. Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) began offering the Resource Program over 30 year ago as an option to schools when there were not sufficient number of students at a specific school site to generate a teacher. Students were transported by bus from the different elementary schools to gifted centers throughout the District for two days a week to receive gifted services. It is important to note that when students are receiving gifted services through the Resource model two days a week they are missing content area and special area instruction. 2. What delivery model options has M-DCPS provided for gifted instruction at the elementary schools? Currently, there have been three delivery options available at the elementary level: Full-time Program, Content Program; and Resource Program Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the Resource Program will no longer be available as a delivery model option for M-DCPS. 3. What is the distribution of elementary schools offering the various gifted delivery models over the past three years. Content School Full-time Language Arts/Social Studies or Resource Year Math/Science 2005-2006 24 63 51 2006-2007 27 98 52 2007-2008 39 127 25 4. What has caused the Resource Program option to diminish dramatically during the 2007-2008 school year? Administrators, teachers, and parents, have seen the benefits of implementing Full-time or Content models and have transitioned their school site gifted programs. 5. What are some of those benefits? 1. Additional teacher allocations are generated for full time programs. Page 1 of 7
2. The impact on the general education program is lessened. Currently, the general education teacher cannot introduce new material or conduct assessments during the two days that gifted students are out of the classroom. 3. Full-Time and Content Programs provide greater academic achievement. 4. Full-time and Content Programs provide for greater accountability for content instruction and academic standards. 5. Students do not have to make-up missed classroom assignments and/or homework. 6. How many M-DCPS schools currently deliver gifted instruction through the Resource model? Twenty-five (25) schools. Every Regional Center has some schools implementing this delivery model as an in-house model. Regional Center V is the only Region that currently has students transported from three (3) elementary schools (Coral Reef, Palmetto, and Pinecrest) to a center (Howard Drive); however, each of these schools have sufficient number of students, that do not travel to Howard Drive, to generate their own units and provide services at their individual home schools. In fact, currently, Coral Reef has three (3) teachers and offers an in-house Resource program; Palmetto has four (4) teachers and offers an in-house Resource program; and Pinecrest has six (6) teachers and offers an in-house math/science Content Program. Howard Drive Elementary has seven (7) in-house teachers. 7. What does the performance of students in standardized tests in the Resource Program look like as compared to students in Full-time and Content models? DELIVERY MODEL 2005 READING 2006 READING 2007 READING FCAT NRT FCAT NRT FCAT NRT Full time 86.1 90.3 88.8 Content - Language Arts/ 82.8 87.7 87.4 Social Studies Content - Math/Science 86.2 89.4 87.7 Resource 81.2 86.8 82.7 DELIVERY MODEL 2005 MATH 2006 MATH 2007 MATH FCAT NRT FCAT NRT FCAT NRT Full time 89.6 91.9 92.0 Content - Language Arts/ 87.1 90.5 91.1 Social Studies Content - Math/Science 89.3 93.1 90.6 Resource 86.9 87.5 85.0 8. Would the Resource model impact Class Size Amendment? Yes, the Resource teacher does not count towards the class average algorithm used to calculate the teacher student ratio since teachers of the gifted teaching in a two-day Resource Model do not teach a core course and would not be helping reduce the teacher/student ratio necessary to meet Class Size Amendment. Page 2 of 7
Financially, the elimination of the Elementary Resource (K-5/6) program will lead to a District-wide saving of $3,588,657; this saving includes 48 Resource program teachers at a cost of $3,261,984 (including fringes) and $326,673 for transportation costs. Current teachers of the Resource Program will become teachers of Full-time or Content Programs. 9. Would the Resource model impact minutes per week of instruction as mandated by the State for the 2008-2009 school year? Yes, beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the FLDOE will require Districts to report individual courses and time of instruction represented in minutes per week. Elementary schedules will reflect reading requirement of 90 minutes per day, physical education requirement of 150 minutes per week, and verification of academic requirements and documented instruction in science, mathematics, social studies, and the arts (Course Reporting Florida Department of Education, 2007). Currently, gifted students in Resource programs are pulled out of core instruction two days per week and therefore do not receive content area instruction on those two days. Under new Course Reporting requirements, all students must have daily instruction in the core content areas and it must be reported to the State as scheduled minutes per week of instruction. This would render the two day resource program obsolete as students would be unable to receive the required time of instruction on a daily basis. 10. Since the Resource Program will no longer be available as a delivery model option for M-DCPS beginning in 2008-2009, what delivery models will be available at the elementary level? Full-time Gifted Delivery Model The Full-time Program provides for curriculum options that include an effective and differentiated curriculum designed for the abilities of the gifted student. The curriculum includes, but is not limited to, opportunities for problem-solving, problem-based learning, application of knowledge and skills, and other effective instructional strategies. Curriculum for each student is driven by the Educational Plan (EP) and focuses on the performance levels for the student and needs for developing further skills and abilities, recognizing opportunities to extend the present program through appropriate scaffolding. The curriculum for the Full-time Program for the gifted student reflects Florida s Sunshine State Standards through the implementation of the District s Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and the Gifted Goals and Objectives with emphasis on what the EP has determined will offer opportunities for growth for the gifted learner on the student s strengths and present level of performance. In addition, the Full-time Program emphasizes a quantitatively differentiated curriculum based on content, concepts, process, and application through products/projects in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Such a differentiated curriculum provides for in-depth Page 3 of 7
consideration of topics and concepts beyond the requirements of regular courses and, therefore, is designated as an advanced level program. In the Full-time Program students receive gifted instruction, on a daily basis, through a teacher of the gifted for a total of 25 hours per week encompassing instructional and related services that offer significant adaptations in curriculum, methodology, and materials that provide for greater depth and breath of instruction. Content Gifted Delivery Model The Content Program provides for curriculum options that include an effective and differentiated curriculum designed for the abilities of the gifted student. The curriculum includes, but is not limited to, opportunities for problem-solving, problem-based learning, application of knowledge and skills, and other effective instructional strategies. Curriculum for each student is driven by the Educational Plan (EP) and focuses on the performance levels for the student and needs for developing further skills and abilities, recognizing opportunities to extend the present program through appropriate scaffolding. The curriculum Content Program for the gifted student reflects Florida s Sunshine State Standards through the implementation of the District s Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and the Gifted Goals and Objectives with emphasis on what the EP has determined will offer opportunities for growth for the gifted learner on the student s strengths and present level of performance. In addition, the Content Program emphasizes a quantitatively differentiated curriculum based on content, concepts, process, and application through products/projects in language arts, mathematics, science, and/or social studies. Such a differentiated curriculum provides for in-depth consideration of topics and concepts beyond the requirements of regular courses and, therefore, is designated as an advanced level program. In the Content Program students receive gifted instruction, on a daily basis. The program is designed to serve students in a pull-out classroom in which gifted strategies are utilized in delivering interdisciplinary advanced instruction in specific subjects. A teacher of the gifted provides instruction that offers significant adaptations in curriculum, methodology, and materials that provide greater depth and breadth of instruction. 11. What delivery model should I choose for implementation at my school site? If your school has sufficient number of students to homogeneously group gifted students in individual homerooms for specific grade levels, the fulltime program is the best option for teacher allocation and scheduling purposes. If your school does not have sufficient number of gifted students to offer a full time program, a content program must be implemented. In order to determine the best content program for your school, it is important to review the Educational Plans of gifted students and identify the Gifted Priority Educational Needs (GPEN) of students at your school. The GPEN identifies the academic strength of students. If more than one teacher is generated, it is recommended that a variety of content area options be available to meet the GPEN of students. Page 4 of 7
If your school only generates one teacher of the gifted, then the content areas in which the majority of gifted students have as their GPEN should be the focus of the content program. Common combinations are Mathematics and Science Content programs and Language Arts and Social Studies Content programs. The delivery model selected will impact the master schedule, supplemental material, and professional development needed. 12. Will any changes need to be made to the master schedule? Yes, changes will need to be made and they are dependent on the model that the school chooses to implement. Following are guidelines that will assist with the development of the master schedule: Full-time Programs Gifted students will need to be placed in a gifted homeroom in which ONLY students identified as gifted with a current EP are included. An endorsed teacher of the gifted or a teacher on an approved gifted waiver MUST be the teacher of record. Students receive a total of 25 hours of gifted services per week encompassing instructional and related services that offer significant adaptations in curriculum, methodology, and materials that provide for greater depth and breadth of instruction. Combination classes are strongly discouraged; however, if this is the only option: - no more than two consecutive grade levels are permitted, and - school site administration must be mindful that specific differentiated instruction between the two grade levels is taking place. Content Programs Gifted students will need to attend the gifted program for a minimum of two content area subjects i.e.; language arts/social studies, or Mathematics/science, or Mathematics/science/social studies. Gifted students will need to be pulled out of their general education classroom to receive gifted services during the specified instructional block. Scheduling needs to be coordinated so that gifted students do not miss special area instruction. Students receive gifted services from 2 to 2.5 hours daily for a maximum of 12 hours per week. Schools that schedule students for fewer hours will not generate the necessary FTE to maintain current gifted allocations. 13. Will the Educational Plans (EP) need to be revised? Yes, an EP meeting must be held before the beginning of 2008-2009 school year to document the change of delivery model. If applicable, contact hours will also need to be revised. The steps outlined below will need to be followed to complete an EP Modification of Placement: Page 5 of 7
1. Inform parent(s)/guardian(s) of meeting using the Notification of IEP/EP Meeting form (FM-4851). The same procedures apply if parent(s)/ guardian(s) requested the meeting. 2. Photocopy the front page of a blank EP and complete in full. This may also be done by completing and printing page one online through the WISE system. 3. Review the entire EP and include any revisions to current EP directly onto the current EP. - Refrain from deleting previous information. Instead, strike through with a line. - Changes and additions must be dated and initialed by a parent/guardian and a member of EP committee whose signature appears on the new cover page. - Signatures, dates, and initials must be made in blue ink. DO NOT use white out. 4. Changes in the location or hours, if applicable, being provided to the child must be entered in ISIS PF4. - DO NOT change the conference date in ISIS PF 17 for modification of placement status meetings unless the student is dismissed. 5. Additional notes may be made in Section IX, Conference Notes/Other Pertinent Information. This section of the current EP - must be initialed and dated by a parent/guardian, and - must be initialed and dated by a member of the EP committee whose signature appears on the new first page of the EP. 6. Attach the Notification of IEP/EP Meeting form (FM-4851) and new first page of the EP to the current EP - Place in the student's CUM. - Provide parents with a copy of the revised EP. 14. Will any changes need to be made in ISIS? Yes, at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, if there is a change to the contact hours in the gifted program, the PF4 ISIS Screen will need to be updated to reflect the change. The course code for elementary gifted students will remain the same: 7755040. 15. Are there any guidelines related to instructional materials for gifted students in Full-time and Content Programs? School Board Rule 6Gx13-6A-1.331, Policies and Procedures for the Provision of Specifically Designed Instruction and Related Services for Exceptional Students, (SP&P), (Part III, II, 2, pg 166-167) states: 1. Curriculum options [for the gifted] include an effective and differentiated curriculum designed for the abilities of the gifted student to ensure that each individual student progresses in the curriculum to the maximum extent appropriate. 2. The curriculum for the gifted student will assume access to the general curriculum (Sunshine State Standards) with emphasis on what the EP team determines will offer opportunities for growth for the gifted learner based on the student s strengths and present level of performance. Page 6 of 7
The Revamping Education for Gifted and ALL Learners (REGAL) Plan states: 1. Gifted students need a complex physical environment that includes a balance between the books and materials used in the general classroom and supplemental instructional materials to help meet their needs as gifted learners. 2. Gifted students are exposed to District-adopted core curriculum materials, as well as supplemental materials to address their abilities, learning styles, and interests. District guidelines for instructional materials for the gifted program require that students are exposed to: 1. the grade level benchmarks utilizing the District-adopted core textbook and 2. the strategy of curriculum compacting, that is, eliminating the repetition of work that has already been mastered and streamlining lessons that can be mastered at a pace commensurate with the student s ability. For acceleration and enrichment purposes, the teachers of the gifted must use supplemental material provided by the Division of Advanced Academic Programs designed to meet the students Gifted Priority Educational Need (GPEN). Additionally, principals may select and approve other supplemental materials appropriate to meet students instructional needs. Principals are asked to make certain that teachers of the gifted are using grade level core textbooks and utilizing supplemental gifted materials, strategies, and resources that provide for acceleration and enrichment to ensure greater depth and complexity of instruction. Page 7 of 7