• Standards Overview

    In accordance with OAC 210:15-23-1 through 8, State Department of Education Gifted and Talented Education Regulations and Program Approval Standards:

    Norman Public Schools identifies and provides services for students who give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, musical, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic areas, and who require learning opportunities or experiences not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities. These educational experiences will be provided at each school through site-developed programs, which are in alignment with the mission of the District's Education Plan and goals of that plan.

    These standards are separated into elementary, middle, and high school divisions. The qualities of a strong program are consistent throughout all of these levels. The ten standards, around which each school's program is built, are as follows:

    I. A comprehensive and cohesive process for the identification of gifted students will be ongoing, and will be based on current theory and research.
    II. Information will be provided by the school to parents in a timely manner once a student is identified.
    III. Learning opportunities will consist of appropriate curricular options, differentiated instructional approaches, and resource materials.
    IV. Documentation of enrichment and differentiated learning opportunities will exist.
    V. There will be opportunities for parent input and regular communication among parents, school staff, and students.
    VI. Opportunities for interaction with other gifted and talented students will exist.
    VII. Opportunities for students to participate in proficiency promotion testing will be provided twice per year.
    VIII. Gifted program evaluations shall be conducted at regular intervals and will be presented to gifted council members as well as school administrators, faculty members, school board members, and school patrons.
    IX. Guidance and counseling shall be provided for gifted learners by counselors familiar with the social and emotional needs of gifted students.
    X. All school staff shall be provided ongoing staff development in the nature and needs of gifted learners, and appropriate instructional strategies for those students.

     

    Gifted Program Standards

    1. A COMPREHENSIVE AND COHESIVE PROCESS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GIFTED STUDENTS WILL BE ONGOING, AND WILL BE BASED ON CURRENT THEORY AND RESEARCH.
      1. The process will include input from parents, teachers, and students, and will occur at all levels.
      2. The process of identification will be conducted in a consistent and timely manner.
      3. Students will be identified using multiple criteria. A site committee consisting of certified staff members will review multiple criteria such as standardized intellectual tests of ability, standardized achievement tests, placement/performance in a talent area, leadership awards, and nominations and will place students using available information.
      4. All parents of identified children shall be notified by the school and will receive information about the gifted program and its services.
      5. Students will maintain their identification status as they move from one school level to the next.
    2. INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL TO PARENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER WHEN A STUDENT IS IDENTIFIED. Parents will receive documents from the Norman Public Schools through the site gifted resource coordinator.
      1. Parents will receive the Parent Handbook.
      2. A copy of the Norman Gifted Program Standards will be provided.
      3. Regular communication with the site gifted resource coordinator may be in the form of their own newsletter, a principal's newsletter, and/or a website.
      4. All parents are invited to attend their site gifted parent meeting(s).
    3. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WILL CONSIST OF APPROPRIATE CURRICULAR OPTIONS, DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES, AND RESOURCE MATERIALS.
      1. Administrators, counselors and classroom teachers will use assessment data for providing students with appropriate curricular options.
      2. Classroom teachers will use various instructional strategies in order to meet the intellectual needs of all students. Questioning with the use of Bloom's Taxonomy, using Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, or differentiated techniques from Carol Ann Tomlinson are examples of strategies that classroom teachers may employ.
      3. Appropriate resource materials will be located in the school library for students to use. Parents and teachers will have access to books on gifted education/students in the school's media center and/or the gifted resource coordinator's classroom. Parents and teachers may also check out materials through the Norman Professional Development Center and the office of the Director of Gifted and Testing at the Curriculum Center.
    4. DOCUMENTATION OF ENRICHMENT AND DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WILL EXIST.
      1. Gifted resource coordinators will keep a compiled record of enrichment and differentiated learning opportunities provided at their school site.
      2. Parents will be notified through newsletters, websites, and/or parent meetings of upcoming opportunities and services available for their child.
    5. THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENT INPUT AND REGULAR COMMUNICATION AMONG PARENTS, SCHOOL STAFF, AND STUDENTS.
      1. Parents will be invited to attend their school site's gifted parent meeting where the gifted resource coordinator explains the site's gifted education plan and services. Parent input is appreciated.
      2. Parents will receive newsletters from the gifted resource coordinator or have access to articles from the gifted resource coordinator in the Principal's Newsletter. Some gifted resource coordinators have websites that parents may access.
      3. Gifted resource coordinators will be available for parents at the school's Open House.
      4. Meetings may be scheduled with the gifted resource coordinator by calling the school and requesting that a meeting take place.
      5. Two or more parents from each site will be selected to serve on the District Gifted Council, which meets three times per year.
      6. Four parents are selected from the gifted council to serve on the District Gifted Committee, which meets approximately seven times throughout the year with the Director of Gifted and Testing.
    6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTION WITH OTHER GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS WILL EXIST.
      1. Students may be grouped in the regular classroom with other identified students.
      2. Students will have opportunities to work with the gifted resource coordinator on projects/studies of interest.
    7. OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN PROFICIENCY PROMOTION TESTING WILL BE PROVIDED TWICE PER YEAR.
      1. Parents/students may get proficiency promotion testing applications from their school site or the office of the Director of Gifted and AP Programs.
      2. Students who score a composite score of 90% may promote through a grade level (K-8), or class (9-12).
    8. GIFTED PROGRAM EVALUATIONS SHALL BE CONDUCTED AT REGULAR INTERVALS AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO GIFTED COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY MEMBERS, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AND SCHOOL PATRONS.
      1. Results of gifted program evaluations will be made available for parents, school patrons, and school personnel.
      2. Presentations will be provided to groups such as the gifted council, school board, etc.
    9. COUNSELORS FAMILIAR WITH THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF GIFTED STUDENTS SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING FOR GIFTED LEARNERS.
      1. Teachers and counselors shall serve the affective needs of gifted students in individual and/or group situations.
      2. Underachieving gifted students will receive help from the gifted resource coordinator and/or counselor.
    10. ALL SCHOOL STAFF SHALL BE PROVIDED ONGOING STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN THE NATURE AND NEEDS OF GIFTED LEARNERS, AND APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
      1. Gifted resource coordinators will meet regularly with classroom teachers in how to best meet the needs of individual students.
      2. The Director of Gifted and AP Programs will provide staff development for certified staff.