Gifted Education

Saucon Valley School District

Policy 206, Assignment Within DistrictLast revised in 2009Does not specify a grouping structureAddresses needs of students and district resources:

The Board directs that the assignment of students to classes and schools within this district shall be consistent with the educational needs and abilities of students and the best use of district resources.

Gives assignment responsibility to Principals:The Board directs that the assignment of students to classes and

schools within this district shall be consistent with the educational needs and abilities of students and the best use of district resources.

The building principal shall assign students in the school to appropriate grades, classes or groups, based on consideration of the needs and abilities of the student, as well as the educational program and administration of the school.

Current Board Policies Pertaining to Class Placement

Classroom assignments for the 2015-2016 school year was completed at the building level.

District office administration did not dictate a process nor was there any direct involvement.

Mrs. Motter convened an SVES Task Force to get teacher input on building needs. Class grouping and the need for an emotional support class were discussed.

Teacher input, performance data, student behaviors and other information was considered in developing class assignments.

Theclass assignment process at SVES was fully compliant with district policy but was different from the past several years.

Classroom Assignment at SVES

Policy 114, Gifted EducationLast revised in 2009Built around compliance with Chapter 16No specific class grouping/placement

addressed.Compliance with this policy, adequacy of this

policy and overall compliance with Chapter 16 is part of the focus of the Gifted Needs Assessment and Task Force.

Gifted Education in SVSD

Plan developed by Dr. Rutt and approved by Board last fall.Specifies:

SVSD follows and implements the Chapter 16 regulations regarding the identification of mentally gifted students.

The Saucon Valley School District uses both acceleration and enrichment to assist students in achieving their GIEP goals.

SVSD clusters gifted students in grades K-6 in order to ensure gifted students are educated frequently with like-ability peers and in accordance with their GIEP’s.

Gifted Education in SVSD

National Association for Gifted EducationCluster grouping – the top 5-8 gifted students

at a grade level placed in a mixed ability classroom as a small group and are provided proportionate differentiated curriculum and instruction by a teacher with gifted training (e.g., 8 children in a class of 24 would receive 1/3rd of the teacher’s time and instruction)

What is Clustering?

No currently identified students in grades K and 1. All identified 2nd and 3rd grade students had been placed

in same class at start of school year.Gifted students in grade 4 and above are grouped with

high achievement students as in prior years.Gifted Teacher caseloads are below the state maximum

of 65. (Lewis, 39 Brodt, 48 Schmidt, 45)Dr. Mowrer-Benda and Dr. Anderson developed a

schedule for K-5 Gifted Teacher that will allow the gifted teacher to have direct contact with identified students.

Students in grades 8 through 12 receive no direct support from a teacher of the gifted.

Current Status of Gifted Program

Chapter 14 requires that we serve students in the Least Restrictive Environment.

Chapter 14 requires that LEA’s provide:Learning Support, Autistic Support, Speech

and Language Support, Life Skills Support, Emotional Support, Vision Support, Deaf and Hearing Support, Multiple Disabilities Support.

Emotional Support

Was developed to meet existing building needs1 Teacher1 Paraprofessional2 Days per Week Social WorkerOT ConsultationBCBA ConsultationEvidenced Based Social Skills CurriculumCPI TrainingConscious Discipline Training

SVES Emotional Support