|
Featured Topic – Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) |
|
 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Overview
The U.S. Department of Education Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by President Obama last December, is a
revision and reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965.
The ESSA law now specifies that districts may use
Title I funds to identify and serve gifted and talented students. The ESSA also allows states to use computer adaptive assessments as a format for
state assessments, used for accountability purposes, and authorizes grant funding to states to develop such assessments.
School districts can also use Title II professional development funds to provide teacher training on gifted education instructional practices.
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has
compiled several documents to assist educators with
reviewing ESSA changes:
ESSA -
State Requirements Impacting Gifted Students
- States must include student achievement data at each achievement level that is disaggregated by student subgroup (e.g., low-income, race, English learners, gender, and students with disabilities).
In the past, states provided detailed information for students performing at the proficient level and below.
With ESSA implementation, states will have to include information on students achieving at the advanced level.
- When applying for Title II professional development funds, states must include information about how they plan to improve the skills of teachers and other school leaders enabling them to identify gifted and talented students, and provide instruction based on the students’ needs.
ESSA - District Requirements Impacting Gifted Students- Districts,
called "local education agencies" in ESSA, must collect and report student achievement data at each achievement level.
- Districts that receive Title II professional development funds must use the money to address the learning needs of all students. ESSA specifically
states that “all students” includes gifted and talented students.
ESSA - Professional Development Focused on Gifted Students
In the ESSA, professional development opportunities refer to: providing training to support the identification of students who are gifted and talented, including high-ability students who have not been formally identified for gifted education services, and implementing instructional practices that support the education of such students, such as:
- early entrance to kindergarten
- enrichment, acceleration and
curriculum compacting activities
- dual or concurrent enrollment programs in secondary school and postsecondary education
ESSA -
Implementation Timeline
Transitioning to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is planned for
the 2016-2017 school year. Applications for Title I and other grants begin July 1, 2016; other federal grant programs will go into effect in October 2016. State accountability plans go into effect in the 2017-2018 school year.
|
|
|
Professional Development Courses, Conferences and Careers |
|
Courses
 Center for Excellence in Education’s Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP)
The Center for Excellence in Education’s Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP) helps to assure a future talented and diverse U.S. workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
All TEP resources and professional development events are
free. TEP provides opportunities for rural and urban middle and high school teachers to connect with leading experts from industry and academia to explore cutting-edge research and make meaningful professional links with direct benefits for them and their students.
TEP is currently available in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
GERRIC's Professional Development Modules are back online!
These free Professional Development Modules from the University of New South Wales-Australia (UNSW)
were developed by the UNSW GERRIC School of Education for
teachers who want to make their classrooms exciting and
stimulating places for students with gifts and talents.
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) is offering an endorsement in gifted education during summer session. The College of Education at UNR offers a certificate program in Gifted and Talented Education that meets licensure requirements for Nevada teachers.
Davidson Academy instructor Jessica Rafferty will teach two of this summer’s four online courses: EDSP 681: Characteristics and Needs of Gifted and Talented Students (3 credits); EDSP 683: Methodology and Strategies for Teaching Gifted and Talented Students (3 credits); EDSP 682: Assessment of Gifted and Talented Students (3 credits); and EDSP 684: Elementary and Secondary Curriculum in Gifted Education (3 credits).
Contact Dr. Bob Ives at
rives@unr.edu for more
information.
Western Kentucky University - Gifted and Talented Endorsement
This gifted and talented endorsement requires four classes, three of which are offered online. The classes are GTE 536, GTE 537, PSY 432G and GTE 538 (Practicum). GTE 538 is a two-week practicum and is not offered online. Contact gifted@wku.edu for more information.
 Conferences
Confratute 2016 - July 10-15, 2016
A one-week summer conference located at the University of Connecticut,
Confratute is a combined
CONFerence, and an instiTUTE with a lot of
FRATernity in between. Confratute is
geared toward providing educators with research-based
practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning
for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and
talented students.
SENG Annual Conference - July 22-24, 2016
The 2016 SENG Annual Conference
in Colonial Williamsburg provides an opportunity to empower, support, and connect gifted individuals as well as teachers, parents, and counselors. The 2016 theme is
GIFTED: Our Past and Our Future.
Conference on Academic Acceleration - July 24-26, 2016
The Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa is offering a conference
focused on academic acceleration for gifted education
teachers, administrators, and school counselors. Parents are
also welcome to attend. The goal is to present attendees
with practical information about acceleration, using
existing research and tools to help make data-driven
decisions.
NAGC 63rd Annual Convention - November 3-6, 2016
NAGC's annual convention
will be held in Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida this
November. More than 2,500 dedicated educators, parents,
researchers, administrators, policymakers, and advocates
from around the world are planning to attend to support the
needs of high-potential and high-ability children.
Careers
NAGC Career Center
The NAGC Career Center is free to all job seekers and provides
educators with access to the best employers and jobs in gifted education.
Employers can post jobs for a small fee, compared to other
hiring websites.
|
|
|
Resources |
|
Grants
Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
The Youth Literacy Grants
are offered to schools, libraries and non-profits to help
struggling readers improve and attain proficiency. These
grants support a range of programs, including new literacy
projects, as well as funding for new technology and literacy
materials. The maximum grant amount is $4,000. Check their
website for deadline information.
Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Grant
Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000 to schools
and youth organizations for environmental service-learning
projects that connect classroom learning to the real world.
Students implement an action project they help design to
green their school or to improve an aspect of their
neighborhood's environment. The deadline to apply is Sept.
30, 2016.
Toshiba America Foundation
Kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers apply online for a $1,000
Toshiba America Foundation grant
to help bring an innovative hands-on project into classroom.
Grant applications are due each year on October 1st. Toshiba
America foundation also provides grants to six to 12
teachers who are looking to make math and science engaging
for their students. Grant requests for $5,000 or less are
accepted on a rolling basis, throughout the calendar year.
Grant requests for $5,000 or more are accepted and reviewed
twice a year: August 1 and February 1.
Travel Grants for Educators
Curriculum
Resources
|
|
|
In the News |
|
|
|
|
Davidson
Programs |
|
Educators Guild
All educators, and people interested in gifted education, are invited to join the
Educators Guild Discussion Group on Facebook and contribute to the ongoing conversation about how to best serve the academic needs of our nation’s brightest students.
Davidson Young Scholars
The Davidson Young Scholars program provides FREE services designed to nurture and support profoundly gifted young people and their families, including talent development and educational advocacy, an online community
and annual get-togethers. Applications are due the first of each month. For more information, see the
How to Apply and
Qualification Criteria pages.
|
|
|
Closing Quote |
|
“The ‘excellence gap,’ then, is really two gaps.
First, it means not enough high-achievers to assure the nation’s
long-term economic competitiveness, security, and cultural vitality.
Second, it means not nearly enough disadvantaged kids reaching that level,
suggesting not even a modicum of equal opportunity.”
-- Chester E. Finn, Jr., Distinguished Senior Fellow and
President Emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
|
|
|
