These students are often invisible as we pore over the scores of students "at the bubble" and reams of data that are supposed to guide our decision making and close various gaps. But rarely do we turn our attention to the students who pass all the tests and score in the 90th percentile or even higher, scores that indicate the test was probably inadequate for measuring what these students know and are able to do. Even though they may consistently score at the 99th percentile, many students don't make sufficient yearly progress.
A Matter of Will
Few teacher preparation programs require coursework in differentiation for gifted and advanced learners or strategies for teaching advanced classes and content. Thus, even when teachers want to help—and many do—they lack the knowledge and skills to do so. Moreover, recent budget cuts have left teachers with few resources, little expert assistance from gifted specialists, and no additional time to plan and create.
Yet some schools and districts have chosen to include gifted and advanced learners in their professional development discussions, school scheduling, and instructional planning. Some reasons are pragmatic: If students are to enroll and succeed in advanced placement (AP) high school classes, teachers need to nurture their talent and adequately prepare them in grades K–8. Some reasons are more principled: School mission statements, which typically include statements like "all students should receive an education that optimizes their potential," should also apply to gifted learners. And some reasons are political: Parents with means insist on such programs, or they leave the public schools for homeschooling, online schools, or private schools.
What follows are some best practices in gifted education that schools all around the United States have implemented to ensure that every student grows and learns each year.
First Step: Pre-assessment
If a gifted or advanced learner demonstrates mastery of adding fractions on a short-cycle assessment, we can't stop there, even if adding fractions is the outcome or standard for that grade level. What else about fractions does he or she know?
The pre-assessment should start with outcomes for a unit or topic—or even for the whole school year—including both state and national standards. Using objectives that are at grade level as well as those that are a grade or two above will indicate how far ahead students might be.
Pre-assessments should be administered at least one to two weeks before instruction is to begin. They should be individual; the student should complete them in writing (if he or she is old enough); and they should be administered in school. The teacher can give the pre-assessment to some or all of the students in a class, depending on who the teacher feels is ready. Such unit-based pre-assessment avoids the issue of requiring a gifted label. Instead, any student who demonstrates mastery on the pre-assessment becomes eligible for advanced work.
Pre-assessments don't have to be tests, although obviously post-tests, often provided by textbook publishers, are suitable, especially if questions are based on state standards. Pre-assessments can also be graphic organizers, journaling, charts, or concept maps. Whatever their form, they should be directed at multiple levels of Bloom's taxonomy to explore students' depth of understanding.
For example, a pre-assessment on a 6th grade social studies chapter on China might include some questions at the "remember" level of the taxonomy (What is a dynasty? What religions developed in China? Who was Confucius?) and some at a more advanced level (China has a different kind of government than we have in the United States. Describe what you know about China's government and explain how it's similar to or different from ours.). Math concepts should be paired with computations, word problems, and written responses explaining students' rationales for their answers.
Consider one 2nd grade teacher I worked with, who developed a differentiated spelling program. All students took the spelling pre-assessment on Monday. Those who scored above 85 percent moved on to the next unit of more difficult words and more challenging activities to apply them—and they didn't have to do the spelling workbook pages. For the first few weeks, a small number of students passed and moved on. But when the rest of the class realized that they, too, could skip the workbook pages if they studied the words for the next unit over the weekend, their achievement rose dramatically. End result? The majority of students completed two years of spelling in one.
A word for principals here: When administrators are observing in classrooms for appropriately differentiated instruction for gifted and advanced learners, the first thing to ask for is the pre-assessment. If there's no pre-assessment, there's no significant differentiation.
So what might Shawna's teacher do? She could give Shawna a pre-assessment to see whether she really knows the material. (There may be other reasons Shawna says she's bored.) The teacher could check her standardized test scores and previous report cards (especially teacher comments) to get additional information. She could administer additional types of pre-assessments—such as an interest or learning-style inventory—to explore having Shawna work on extended learning projects in her areas of interest.
She could consult with the principal or with the gifted intervention specialist or district gifted coordinator, if one is available. She could suggest that Shawna's mother connect with the state gifted organization or the National Association for Gifted Children, which has an active parent network. If Shawna consistently tests out of material in all content areas, the teacher could use the Iowa Acceleration Scale to gather information before meeting with significant stakeholders. The teacher could even consider whether grade-level or subject acceleration is appropriate. Teachers make the soundest decisions only after thorough pre-assessment has taken place and in collaboration with others.
Next Step: Differentiation
It's Not Just Different
Too often, educators substitute faddish quick-fixes for significant change. When Virgil Ward (1980) described the need for a "differential education" for gifted learners, he was certainly not envisioning a tic-tac-toe board or a song about prepositions. Carol Ann Tomlinson (2001) reminds us that differentiation is a philosophy, not merely a strategy. It's based on the belief that we need to identify each student's starting place for learning. That's why pre-assessment is the essential first step—and differentiation is the next.
Most teachers will say they already differentiate. But what they often mean is that they make accommodations for students with special needs in accordance with individualized education programs (IEPs) and 504 plans for students with disabilities. For teachers, accommodations are much easier than differentiation for advanced learners because the content is ...
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References
Cassady, J. C., Neumeister, K. L. Speirs, Adams, C. M., Cross, T. L., Dixon, F. A., & Pierce, R. L. (2004). The differentiated classroom observation scale. Roeper Review, 26(3).
Loveless, T., Farkas, S., Duffett, A. (2008). High-achieving students in the era of NCLB. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms(2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Ward, V. (1980). Differential education for the gifted. Ventura, CA: Ventura County Schools.
Xiang, Y., Dahlin, M., Cronin, J., Theaker, R., & Durant, S. (2011). Do high flyers maintain their altitude? Performance trends of top students. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from www.edexcellence.net/publications-issues/publications/high-flyers.html
