EDG 550B

Performance Task #4
Acceleration
Strategies
Dual Enrollment

Advantages Implications/Considerations
• Access to high level courses. • May discriminate against economically disadvantaged
• Earned college credits can be applied to desired students.
college upon high school graduation. • Ensure that all high school graduation requirements
are met so a student does not need to do additional
work.
Advanced Placement

Advantages Implications/Considerations
• Many courses offered (over 30). • Fee for taking the AP test
• Many colleges offer credit for high scores on the AP • High stakes test at the end of the course.
exam.
• Students are still members of their neighborhood
high school.
Early Admission to College

Advantages Implications/Considerations
• Students can begin their college education early. • Students will miss out on high school experiences.
• Socioemotional maturity is essential for students to be successful.
• Access to high level courses.
• Consider continuing to live at home and commuting to the campus.
• More independence and personalization possible. • Predictors of success: IQ scores of 150 or above, advanced course-
work in high school, SAT math or verbal score above 650,
motivation and/or interest in at least one academic area, frustrated
with current school experience.
Differentiation/
Enrichment
Techniques
Tiered Instruction

Advantages Implementation
• Students work on assignments at their readiness level • Pre-assess students on the upcoming topic.
with appropriate scaffolding. • Design a lesson and then make it more and/or less
• Good for all students, not just gifted students. challenging for students at different readiness levels
• Students are still working toward the same learning (usually 3 levels).
goals, just using different paths.. • Professional development is essential for successful
implementation.
Field Trips

Advantages Implementation
• Can explore cultural or scientific areas or career • Outline of tour should be planned in advance of the field trip.
• Students should be expected to ask questions, solve problems, and
possibilities.
complete activities as a part of the field trip experience.
• Can be done with a whole class or a small group of • Preparation activities and follow up projects of the field trip must
students. be differentiated for gifted students.
• Students can ask questions of experts and interact • Experts and teachers must anticipate student questions and be
with the environment. flexible in responding to student interests during the field trip as
much as possible.
• Can be taken virtually
Mentors

Advantages Implementation
• Mentors provide social and emotional support and • Identify and recruit good mentors.
• Match mentors and mentees on the basis of ethnicity, gender, social
advocacy.
class, background, and values as much as possible.
• Benefits include increased self-confidence, • Consider mentors who are experts in their field, you are interested
responsibility, and purpose. in teaching young people, and who are available to devote the
• Particularly valuable for underachieving and necessary time to the program.
disadvantaged students. • Online mentoring increases the pool of mentors and allows for easy
communication between mentor and mentee.
• Increase career motivation
Grouping
Strategies
Cluster Grouping

Advantages Disadvantages
• More homogenous mix of students in each classroom • Requires additional scheduling considerations to group
making differentiation easier for all teachers. all gifted students in each grade together.
• Gifted students can interact with intellectual peers. • Requires training of multiple teachers in gifted and
• Efficient use of G/T trained teacher. talented strategies.
• Non-gifted students in other classrooms have • Entire school must be on board for it to be effective
opportunities to shine. and sustainable.
Push-In Programs

Advantages Disadvantages
• Differentiated tasks design by a G/T trained teacher. • Students may have limited opportunities to interact
• Differentiated work aligns with regular classroom with gifted peers.
objectives. • Gifted students may not receive the sole focus of G/T
• Improve instruction for all students, not just the teacher during instruction.
gifted.
• Additional opportunities for students to be identified
for services.
Pullout Programs

Advantages Disadvantages
• Good for social and intellectual support of gifted • Part time solution to a full time problem.
students. • students are only being served some of the time they
• Can be accomplished with minimal staff as one are in school.
teacher can serve students in multiple schools. • Coordination between regular classroom teacher and
gifted teacher.
• Focus on strengthening creativity, thinking, and • Students miss regular curriculum content,
communication skills.
• Students may feel labeled.
Magnet Schools

Advantages Disadvantages
• Designed to serve specific interests of student • May not be tailored for the specific needs of gifted
population. students.
• Transportation required as these are no neighborhood
• Curriculum is relevant to students.
schools.
• Admission process considerations.
School-within-a-School

Advantages Disadvantages
• Gifted students can interact with intellectual peers. • Additional time to create a schedule that
• Gifted students engage with curriculum designed for accommodates this model.
their specific learning needs. • Professional development for training the G/T
• Gifted students are still a part of a regular school and teachers.
can interact with non-gifted friends. • Entire school must be on board for this to be
sustainable.
References:
Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D. & Davis, G.A. (2018). Education of the gifted and talented (7th ed.).
Pearson Education, Inc.