"TAG Potential" qualifying scores changed

Another post from Scholle Sawyer McFarland, TAGAC Chair:

FYI, the TAG department has changed the qualifying score for "TAG Potential" to 85%. TAG Potential students have the same rights to TAG services as TAG Identified students do.
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/gray/1307.htm:

Dear Principals and TAG Facilitators,

Thank you for all your continued support of Talented and Gifted Education.

1. I have consulted with Jane Clarenbach, the Director of Public Education at the National Association for Gifted Children, and she has stated the small differential gap of 96-97th percentile between identified and potential does not make sense. The critical question is around how we are developing the potential of students within a difference of 1-2 percentile. If a child is in the top 85th percentile, how do we NOT support that child regardless of a process is a question that is asked frequently. If you think about kids on a number line from 1-100, there would be 84 children behind a child who norms at the 85th percentile. This child still has needs that may need attention. These are valid questions to think about.

2. Dr. Webb, who has been recognized as one of the 25 most influential psychologists nationally on gifted education, recently presented at OATAG in Portland. Included in this email on page 3, you will see that even though many districts see potential or identification as the top 3%, in reality it is best practice to consider the top 10%. Perhaps, this group is the better representation of the potential in a population. Potential should not really be measured in such a small gap nor perhaps TAG identification for that matter.

3. Potential is difficult to recognize in a 1-2 percentile difference. This is a matter of 1 or 2 questions on an assessment.

4. We have not historically been intentional about recognizing and developing giftedness. This extremely narrow gap prevents us from being successful in this endeavor.

5. We are way over identifying in reading and math because of access and life experiences for children The IOWA reading and math for Kinder and First is especially easy for kids who are early readers or have math skills. This is an issue we will need to address at some point. Over 50% of Kinder and First Graders who were nominated in the past for reading and math qualified for TAG. This does not make sense.

6. This extremely narrow gap between the 95-97th percentile perpetuates the historical narrative of gifted education in our community and does not allow us to progress as we seek for a broader expression of giftedness and the more deliberate attention to developing talent and giftedness K-12.

7. The re-nomination process has been open for many years to parents and teachers, regardless of the percentile for potential. This could be the 85th percentile or 94th percentile for example. If a child did not reach the threshold last year, they theoretically could apply again. We do not presently have a mechanism to stop this.

8. We will move forward this year. This is not retroactive. As we continue to progress as a community we will need to be adaptive, flexible, and understanding.

Thank you for all you do!

Best,

Andrew Johnson
Director of K-12 Talented and Gifted Education
PPS

Next District TAGAC meeting Tuesday 1/12

From Scholle Sawyer McFarland: 

"Please join us at January's TAGAC meeting, Tuesday 1/12 from 6:30-8:00 PM, in the Mazama Conference Room at the BESC District Administration Building, 501 N. Dixon St., 97227. Childcare is not yet confirmed for this meeting. [PLEASE NOTE: The PPS TAG Web site has the incorrect date for this meeting.]

The agenda includes updates on Single Subject Acceleration and the TAG Pilot programs, as well as initial discussion of a possible recommendation to ensure advanced math options in the middle grades at all PPS schools. We will also discuss how best to advocate for a TAG budget during this year's budget cycle."

Attending TAGAC meetings are a great way to learn more about the district's TAG efforts, and Andrew Johnson (District TAG Director) is usually there to present info and answer questions. 

Link to TAG Family Info Night Slides

The presentation slides from our Family TAG Information Night are now posted on our Sabin Website: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/sabin/507.htm

Nomination forms due November 2

Please remember TAG nomination forms are due to Ms. Schachner by November 2.  Forms are posted outside the office.  You fill out the parent portion and then pass it on to the teacher.  Teachers are required to complete part of the form as well as evidence (projects, assignments completed, test scores, etc) to support their portion/recommendation.  We are getting down to the wire if you plan to nominate!  Please pick up a form and pass it on to your teacher ASAP.

Sabin TAGAC is Official!

Sabin Tag Advisory Council (TAGAC) was officially voted on yesterday at School Site Council.  Please reach out if you'd like more information on how to get involved and advocate for your child.  Here is our mission statement:

TAG Advisory Council

Sabin School

Established to support the needs of TAG Identified students at Sabin School.  Goals include:

• ·         Serving as a resource to newly identified TAG families.
• ·         Supporting teachers and TAG coordinator in sharing and implementing ideas for TAG plans (both Building Plan and Individual TAG plans).
• ·         Helping to make the TAG identification process at Sabin more transparent and equitable.
• ·         Serving as a liaison between District TAGAC, Sabin Administration, Parents, and Teachers.
• ·          Supporting the district TAG goals:  “PPS TAG Department is charged with creating and establishing a program to meet the unique and diverse needs of all students. For our community to continue to move forward; changes are necessary. One of these critical shifts is in our interpretation of gifted education. The prevailing, historical context of gifted education is based on the predominant view of the majority culture. By establishing a neighborhood program at each school, we may be able to better address the needs of TAG students AND provide an opportunity for development and the nurturing of potential students.” (PPS TAG Program model 2015-2016)

Establishing Sabin TAGAC Members: Meghan Whitaker, Jenna Cooper, Kim Ford, Helen Kilber, Dana Anderson

Sabin TAG Night 6-7pm *Tonight* 10/28

TAG night at Sabin has been rescheduled for Wednesday 10/28 from 6-7pm in the auditorium.  We are working on getting a middle schooler to hang out with younger kids during the meeting, as many 8th graders are trying to earn $ for their DC trip.  Children are welcome as long as they do not distract too much from the meeting.  Please come and meet Ms. Schachner, our new AP and TAG coordinator.  Hope to see you there!

OATAG Conference is in Portland this year!

To quote Deborah Martelly, current TAGAC member and PPS parent:

Some of us have gifted children who demonstrate their unhappiness by acting out at school and others of us have kids who wait until they get home to explode. Problems, at home and at school, can happen when gifted children feel they have to suppress their overexcitabilities, or if those overexcitabilities are uncontrolled.

“We can make an analogy between people’s overexcitabilities and television channels. Most people are wired to receive, say, 10 channels. Others come equipped with a wide selection on cable. Some have a satellite dish and high definition. They receive and respond to signals that many others don’t even know or can’t imagine might exist. It can be difficult to keep track of several stations, so it’s easy to imagine a person being overwhelmed by trying to manage the hundreds of signals on a satellite dish. While this analogy is helpful as a description, there is one caveat: In our modern world, we can upgrade our television service to receive cable if we don’t have it. Overexcitabilities, which we call OEs, are referred to somewhat tongue-in-cheek as ‘original equipment.’ They are innate predispositions. We are born with them. Although everyone is born with basic modes of experience, persons with overexcitabilities are usually intense in their experiences. They react to lower stimuli than others – that is, one’s reactions may be higher or greater than others’, but also one’s threshold for reaction may be lower, and a person may react strongly to what others perceive as a non-event.” (p.35 Living With Intensity by Daniels & Piechowski)

For insight and tools to help parents/teachers understand overexcitabilities and, thus, help children harness their overexcitabilities, I encourage you to attend this year’s OATAG conference; this year’s theme is “Supporting Success: What Do TAG Students Really Need?” – it will look at the whole child’s needs, awareness of social-emotional development in addition to intellectual stimulation. Insight into ways our children struggle, coupled with strategies on how to turn overexcitabilities into superpowers, can completely change home, and school, dynamics.

The Keynote Speaker is James T. Webb, Ph.D., the founder of the national nonprofit organization SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted Children, Inc.)

This year’s conference is conveniently in Portland at Floyd Light Middle School (10800 SE Washington St., Portland, Oregon 97216) on Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 9:30am to 4pm.

In addition to attending yourself, I strongly encourage everyone to invite PPS teachers and administrators to go to the conference so they too can learn more about what “TAG Students Really Need”

http://oatag.org/OATAG_Conference
http://sengifted.org

Sabin TAG Family Information Night

Sabin TAG Family Information Night
October 15th  6-7pm
Come meet Ms. Schachner, our new AP and TAG Coordinator.  Whether you are currently nominating your student or already have children at Sabin who are TAG identified, this is a great time to get your questions answered about everything TAG at Sabin.