From Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us Fri May 1 08:50:17 2009 From: Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us (FIGGINS Stacey) Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 08:50:17 -0700 Subject: [Tag-Info] TAG Parent Webinar Message-ID: SENG is hosting another webinar for parents and educators of TAG students. The topic for this one is "Asynchronous Development: A Paradigm for Parents and Professionals." More information is available at: http://www.sengifted.org/webinar_05_07_09_goerss/webinar_goerss_asychronous.shtml Stacey Figgins Education Specialist, Talented and Gifted Oregon Department of Education Public Services Building 255 Capitol Street NE Salem, Oregon 97310 stacey.figgins at state.or.us 503) 947-5701 ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. ********************************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us Tue May 5 14:47:20 2009 From: Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us (FIGGINS Stacey) Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 14:47:20 -0700 Subject: [Tag-Info] May TAG Teacher Update Message-ID: A PDF version with added graphics is attached and may be more reader-friendly, depending on your computer. You can also access the updates online at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843. Please forward this issue of the update to interested professionals! Teachers may sign up for this or other newsletters at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843 Past issues are also available at this website. 1. Welcome to the TAG Teacher Update 2. Legal Reminder of the Month 3. Potential to Perform and Identifying Underrepresented Groups 4. UC Irvine Free Webinars on TAG Topics 5. University of North Carolina U-STARS-PLUS 6. Do Students Have to Play Dumb to Be Cool? 7. Identifying ELL Gifted Students 8. Funding Gifted Education in Washington 9. Save the Date! Superintendent's Summer Institute 10. Advanced Rigor in Math 11. Creative Language Arts Resource-Storyline Online 12. Another Creative Language Arts Resource-Primary Summer Reading 13. University of Oregon Summer Enrichment Program for TAG Students 14. Javits-Frasier Scholarship Applications to Attend NAGC Convention 15. Portland State University Professional Development Opportunities 16. Interesting Article about the Nature of Intelligence 17. Training Materials on Differentiation 18. Gifted Education in Connecticut 19. Check Out Teacher Updates in Other Content Areas 20. How to Submit Articles 21. In Every Issue-Internet Resources Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! The Oregon Department of Education appreciates all you do for our students every day! 1. Welcome to the TAG Teacher Update This newsletter is designed to provide current information concerning teachers of TAG students, guidance counselors, administrators, and coordinators of TAG programs. Please let your colleagues know they can subscribe to this and other ODE content area newsletters by visiting: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843 2. Legal Reminder of the Month OAR 581-022-1130 states: (7) School districts shall develop a process that provides each student the opportunity to develop an education plan and build an education profile in grades 7 through 12 with adult guidance. The plan and profile shall be reviewed and updated periodically (at least annually) and be supported by a Comprehensive Guidance Program as defined in OAR 581-022-1510. ODE suggests that school districts use this individual plan and profile as a place for school staff, students, and parents to discuss overarching issues related to that particular TAG student's educational needs. This would also allow for the parent input required by both the plan and profile and TAG statutes and rules. 3. Potential to Perform and Identifying Underrepresented Groups Many Oregon districts are trying to increase accurate identification of TAG students from underrepresented groups. Most people in gifted education are familiar with the research that shows that students who are economically disadvantaged or part of a cultural minority group are less likely to be identified for TAG. Many experts in this area of study have advocated for lowering cut scores or eliminating cut scores entirely. Other experts advocate for comparing students to others from a similar background-this is often referred to as the "comparing apples to apples" option. So, for example, a district might pull out subgroup assessment scores for all students on free and reduced lunch and then look to see which students' scores are in the top 3%-5%. Because policies for identification as Potential to Perform at the 97% are decided at the district level, it is possible that a district could make this approach work and meet compliance with OAR. If you are interested in learning more about your district's policies in this area and would like some technical assistance, please feel free to contact stacey.figgins at state.or.us. 4. UC Irvine Free Webinars on TAG Topics The University of California at Irvine is offering four free online webinars related to gifted education. Topics include relating to gifted youngsters, differentiation, parent/teacher connections, IQ testing, and programming for gifted learners. They are offered every Wednesday evening beginning May 6, 2009. To learn more or register, click here. Please be aware that they have had an overwhelming response with many registrants. They are anticipating the system might get overloaded, and that may cause difficulty for some people to have access. However, all of the webinars will be recorded and you can view the session for seven calendar days after the session has ended if you register. 5. University of North Carolina U-STARS-PLUS The University of North Carolina has a Javits grant to support teachers in the early recognition and nurturing of outstanding potential in children from economically disadvantaged and/or culturally/linguistically diverse families and children with disabilities in order to improve achievement and provide access to advanced educational opportunities. Much of their work focuses on training teachers to observe and recognize traits of giftedness in these diverse learners, and designing classroom activities where their gifts have a chance to shine. The project directors recently held a workshop in Seattle explaining how they have worked with districts to help them reduce and even eliminate disproportionate TAG identification. Please feel free to contact stacey.figgins at state.or.us for more details or visit the U-STARS-PLUS website. 6. Do Students Have to Play Dumb to Be Cool? This article from London addresses the issue of intelligence and popularity. Sociologists have observed the tendency for girls to act less intelligent than they actually are in order to fit in, and this article looks at how boys sometimes also face a similar peer pressure. 7. Identifying ELL Gifted Students Riverside Publishing has released a newsletter about identifying ELL gifted students. The newsletter condenses the work of Dr. David Lohman, one of the authors of the CogAT. 8. Funding Gifted Education in Washington The Washington state House and Senate have passed HB 2261, which provides more funding for gifted education. Click here if you would like to access the Seattle Times article describing this legislation. 9. Save the Date! Superintendent's Summer Institute The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), in partnership with the Confederation of School Administrators (COSA), the Oregon Education Association (OEA) and the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA), is pleased to announce the 2009 Superintendent's Summer Institute, to be held August 3-5, 2009 in Eugene. The focus of this year's Institute has been expanded to serve all Oregon teachers and administrators, K-12. Registration and grant information will be made available on the ODE web site (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2558) in the coming weeks. For further information contact C. Michelle Hooper, Director, 503-947-5694, michelle.hooper at state.or.us. 10. Advanced Rigor in Math Click here to read an article about the benefits of introducing all middle school students to advanced math. 11. Creative Language Arts Resource-Storyline Online The Screen Actors Guild Foundation sponsors Storyline Online, an online streaming video program featuring SAG members like James Earl Jones and Elijah Woods reading children's books aloud. Each book also includes accompanying activities and lesson ideas. 12. Another Creative Language Arts Resource-Primary Summer Reading Letter P.A.L.S. Summerfest 2009, a new free 6-week online summer reading event, has been created to help grade 1-3 students offset summer reading loss/setback and show up next year ready to read. Learn more at www.letterpals.org. Teachers can sign up their classrooms now. Letter P.A.L.S. Summerfest 2009 will start on June 22. Summerfest 2009 features the Pet Shop Pen Pals, a group of pets who love to write letters to students and tell them about all of their adventures. 13. University of Oregon Summer Enrichment Program for TAG Students The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is a campus-based residential program offering a wide range of exciting academic course options and social activities for gifted students currently in grades 6-10. Visit http://www.uoyouth.org/ for this year's specific schedule and application information. 14. Javits-Frasier Scholarship Applications to Attend NAGC Convention The Javits-Frasier Scholarship for Diverse Talent Development is a scholarship program that trains teachers and counselors to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged kids who have great potential. The program, which funds travel and attendance at the NAGC Annual Convention, honors the legacy of Dr. Mary Frasier. Click here to learn more about making a donation, or click here for application information. 15. Portland State University Professional Development Opportunities http://www.ceed.pdx.edu/differentiate One Size Doesn't Fit All: Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners (3 credits) DATES Jun 22-Aug 15 Curriculum and Content Differentiation (3 credits) - capstone (Prerequisites) DATES Jun 22-Jul 18 Registration District-wide Professional Development www.ceed.pdx.edu/differentiate/services.php Partner with PSU to provide relevant training toward essential student learning. We will tailor our online professional development to support your district's priorities and existing improvement plans. Highlights include: > online modules > trainer of trainers / staff mentors / DI coaches > Professional Learning Teams Meeting the Needs of All Students is an online series of modules that equips all K - 12 educators with the essential knowledge and skills to learn the widely respected, research-based instructional approach: differentiated instruction (DI). DI provides teachers with effective, manageable strategies for meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population within the context of today's standards-based curriculum. Add value to what you are already doing; develop a highly interactive learning community using Oregon's leading experts to model the DI principles and processes. Educators will experience and understand how to implementing a range of strategies associated with DI. For more information, contact Cail?n O'Connor, 503-725-8234, or 800-547-8877 ext 8324, or caoconno at pdx.edu 16. Interesting Article about the Nature of Intelligence This article in the Financial Times explores the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing by first examining the life of Marilyn Savant, author of the Parade column "Ask Marilyn." Savant once held the Guinness World Record for the highest recorded IQ score of 228. 17. Training Materials on Differentiation Do you work in a district where you are trying to increase your teachers' knowledge of differentiation? The TAG Services Center at SOESD will likely have some excellent training materials available free of charge to districts. If you are interested in receiving these materials, send an email to stacey.figgins at ode.state.or.us with a brief statement about why you need these materials and how your district would use them. If the interested number of districts exceeds the number of available materials, a drawing will be held. 18. Gifted Education in Connecticut Click here to read an article about funding problems for gifted education in Connecticut. 19. Check Out Teacher Updates in Other Content Areas There are fabulous Teacher Updates being published monthly in other content areas like foreign language, social studies, and mathematics. You can subscribe to them by visiting: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843 20. How to Submit Articles If you would like to submit information for this newsletter, please email publication-ready short articles by the end of the month to stacey.figgins at state.or.us. Please include links and contact information but no attachments. 21. In Every Issue-Internet Resources Oregon Department of Education TAG http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=76 ERIC - Educational Resources Information Center http://www.eric.ed.gov/ Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG) http://www.sengifted.org/ Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home National Association for Gifted Children www.nagc.org Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted www.oatag.org REAL - Resources for Educational Achievement and Leadership http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/ Get Ready Oregon web page: New Oregon Diploma information for the general public http://www.getreadyoregon.org Oregon Diploma web page: Resources and tools for educators http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=368 Contact the Education Specialist in TAG Stacey Figgins, stacey.figgins at state.or.us (503) 947-5701 ****Disclaimer--The materials contained in the Oregon Talented and Gifted Teacher Update produced by Oregon Department of Education are drawn from both internal and external sources and inclusion of external materials does not necessarily indicate Oregon Department of Education endorsement.**** ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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Name: Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 10012 bytes Desc: Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg URL: From Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us Fri May 8 07:36:42 2009 From: Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us (FIGGINS Stacey) Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 07:36:42 -0700 Subject: [Tag-Info] FW: Federal Legislative Update (FYI) Message-ID: om: NAGC Advocacy [mailto:giftedsupporter at nagc.org] Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 6:38 AM To: FIGGINS Stacey Subject: Legislative Update [http://templates.commpartners.com/NAGC/MM/leg_update/images/header.jpg] What You Should Do Before May 12 Contact your Senators ** and ask them to co-sign the Dodd-Grassley appropriations letter requesting funds for the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. * Access your Senators' email address or online form at www.senate.org * Use education appropriations as the subject line, where possible * Include a message such as, "The Javits program is the only federal initiative that focuses on ways to identify and serve the needs of gifted and talented students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. For more than 20 years the results of the research and demonstration grants funded through the Javits program have provided best practices for classrooms across the country." * Where possible, include examples of how students have benefitted from the research and grants funded by the Javits program. * ** note that 10 Senators have already co-signed the letter; Senators on the appropriations committee may decline to co-sign. * Click here to read the Dodd-Grassley letter. President Obama's Budget Excludes Javits Program As you may know, President Obama's budget was sent to Congress yesterday. Unfortunately, the education budget did not include funding for the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education program. Of course, we're disappointed that the President didn't support the program this year, especially considering that he did when he was in the U.S. Senate. Although the budget documents state that the president supports gifted and talented education, there is no indication of how he and the secretary of education intend to demonstrate that support. Know that NAGC will be working to persuade the administration to show their support in tangible ways. IN THE MEANTIME, gifted education advocates will rely on the strategies that have served us well in the past. We'll take our case directly to Congress to ensure that the Javits program is funded in fiscal year 2010 and beyond. IN THIS REGARD, we have the opportunity to send a strong signal to the Senate appropriations committee by securing additional Senators to join Senators Dodd & Grassley in requesting at least $11.25 million in funding for the Javits program in fiscal year 2010. Originally, the letter to the appropriations committee was to be sent on April 24, but because of the delay in Congress receiving the president's budget, Senators Dodd (CT) and Grassley (Iowa) have extended the deadline to co-sign their letter to May 12. NAGC urges you to take a moment in the next few days to email your senators, asking them to co-sign the Dodd-Grassley letter requesting $11.25 million for the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. Click here to read the letter. So far we have 10 Senators who have agreed to co-sign the Dodd-Grassley letter (see below), but we'd like to have many more to show the appropriations committee that there is real support for this small, but important program. (Note that Senators on the appropriations committee may decline to sign the letter, because the letter is directed to them.) Senate email addresses (or online forms) are posted for all Senators at www.senate.gov. Use "education appropriations request" as your email subject line so that your message will be directed to the appropriate staff. If you have used information developed by the National Research Center on the Gifted & Talented, or if your district or state has benefitted from participation in a Javits grant project, please be sure to include that information in your messages to the Senate. We need to let Congress know the myriad ways that the Javits program benefits students. Thank you, your advocacy efforts will make a difference! Senators Already Co-Signing the Dodd-Grassley Letter on the Javits Program Blanche Lincoln (AR) Joseph Lieberman (CT) Richard Lugar (IN) Frank Lautenberg (NJ) Jeff Bingaman (NM) Sherrod Brown (OH) Ron Wyden (OR) Robert Casey (PA) John D. "Jay" Rockefeller (WV) Russell Feingold (WI) National Association for Gifted Children 1707 L Street, N.W. Suite 550 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: (202) 785-4268 Fax: (202) 785-4248 Email: giftedsupporter at nagc.org www.nagc.org You are receiving this news directly from NAGC at your request. We never share your personal information with outside parties. If you are interested in NAGC membership, or updating your e-mail and address information, visit the membership section on the NAGC Web site or call 202/785-4268. To ensure delivery, please add nagc at nagc.org to your email address book or Safe Sender List. If you are still having problems receiving our emails, see our whitelisting page for more details. 1707 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 [http://www.magnetmail1.net/spacer.cfm?tracking_id=3393153657] ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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URL: From Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us Tue May 12 08:24:08 2009 From: Stacey.Figgins at ode.state.or.us (FIGGINS Stacey) Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 08:24:08 -0700 Subject: [Tag-Info] FW: SENG Announcement: Gifted and Thriving: A Deeper Understanding of the Meaning of G/T Message-ID: From: SENG Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted [mailto:office at sengifted.org] Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 11:02 AM To: FIGGINS Stacey Subject: SENG Announcement: Gifted and Thriving: A Deeper Understanding of the Meaning of G/T SENG ANNOUNCEMENT: Please share this important online opportunity with parents of gifted children, as well as with educators and health professionals. Wednesday, May 20 4:30 PM Pacific 5:30 PM Mountain 6:30 PM Central 7:30 PM Eastern Sign Up Today! Webinar FAQ Gifted and Thriving: A Deeper Understanding of the Meaning of G/T 90 Minute Webinar Presentation Presented by Mike Sayler, Ph.D. Please consider your time zone for correct time in your area! All registrants will receive a link to a recorded version within a week following the live event. SENG Webinar Event [http://www.sengifted.org/images/bio_Sayler.jpg] Mike Sayler, Ph.D. Details: Date: May 20, 2009 Time: 4:30 PM Pacific 5:30 PM Mountain 6:30 PM Central 7:30 PM Eastern Location: Participate at home or office using your computer. What makes a gifted person happy? In this address, Dr. Sayler will present a life-span model happiness and thriving for gifted individuals, which explores the personal and external influences and dynamics related to talent development and thriving at home, in school, career success, personal well-being, life-satisfaction, and personal happiness. Dr. Sayler has presented his ideas on what it takes for the gifted to thrive in a series of article in the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented journal Tempo. In a series of four articles he presented the model, discussed the need for academic/intellectual development, the need for finding and developing good friendships both at home and with school peers, and finally on the spiritual aspects of a person's life that impact their flourishing. Dr. Sayler is the Associate Dean for Academics and Research in the College of Education at the University of North Texas in Denton. He studies the life-span development of gifted individuals, especially the highly gifted. His model looks at the overall development of the gifted person from early childhood through late adutlhood and focuses on intellectual-academic-career, relationships-friends, and spirituality. He also studies early college entrance and accelerative options for the gifted. To view a text version of this email, click here or copy and paste the following link into your brower: http://www.sengifted.org/webinar_sayler_5_20_09/gifted_and_thriving_sayler_5_20_2009.txt. If you experience difficulty in registering, copy the following link into your browser: http://www.instantpresenter.com. For more information, contact office at sengifted.org, phone 845-797-5054. This Webinar is provided by SENG, www.SENGifted.org. SENG is committed to sharing complex issues relating to the social and emotional needs of giftedness. Webinars reflect the opinions of their speakers and do not necessarily represent the philosophy of SENG. SENG invites your comments and discussion about this webinar following the session. Forward email [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/safe_unsubscribe_logo.gif] This email was sent to stacey.figgins at state.or.us by office at sengifted.org. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(tm) | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/cc-logo-color-sm.gif] SENG Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted | PO Box 488 | Poughquag | NY | 12570 ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. ********************************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: