GPS:  Gifted Programming & Services

First and foremost, Candeo’s gifted and general education programs are guided by our school’s philosophy and mission statement:

Philosophy
All children have gifts and talents; it is our responsibility to find and nurture them.

Our Mission

GPS Program Design:

Our responsibility to identified gifted students at Candeo is to ensure:

1.       Differentiated instruction to challenge, motivate and enhance learning of qualified strength.

2.       Identify and nurture the social and emotional needs of the individual.

3.       Inspire students to reach their full potential.

Appropriate academic course offering for qualified gifted students is evident in the curriculum chosen and implemented by Candeo.  Core Knowledge, Singapore Math and our literacy programs are sound, viable and researched programs that are rich in content and promote critical thinking for all students.  The curriculum at Candeo drives the instruction and delivery of our gifted programming and services.

Core Knowledge:  The content of the curriculum is solid, specific, sequenced to promote academic excellence, greater fairness, and higher literacy.  Core Knowledge meets and exceeds Arizona State Standards.  Its researched and rich content can be differentiated through processes and products.

Singapore Math:  A rigorous math program that requires critical thinking and problem solving.  Students’ progress is tracked and needs based groupings are maintained.

Words Their Way:  A differentiated word study program that is driven by individual learning progress. 

Writer’s Workshop:  Keeping of “notebooks” promotes choice in writing and aids in nurturing emotional health of child.  Our instructors teach children through a workshop how to apply their stories/wonderings/seed ideas to various forms of writing and we teach them the syntax through grammar lessons that are needs based.

Reader’s Workshop:  Provides time, choice and opportunity for children to read books that interest them and to respond to various genres in ways that appeal to them.  The social/emotional piece is tapped when a teacher holds individual reading conferences with them, puts them in flexible groups based on a common interest or need, or allows them to explore texts more deeply with partners.

Candeo Circle:  An opportunity to help kids grow together as a community of learners and thinkers where each one of them is valued.  Culture and diversity in all areas are respected and appreciated.

In essence, we have created Candeo to be a place for kids to grow and learn together in heterogeneous groups, but have provided within the classrooms a place for teachers to meet the needs of all students.

Behind the curriculum of Candeo are qualified, highly trained teachers at all grade levels.  Through an instructional coach, all teachers, regardless of the GPS student population within their class, will receive specialized training and/or be endorsed in gifted education.  Generally, responsibility for the education of gifted learners is a shared one requiring strong relationships between the gifted education program and general education schoolwide.   The instructional coach will provide additional support for teachers in adopting best practices for the instruction of GPS children. 

K-6 Services (Grouping & Delivery):

K-6 students are placed in cluster classrooms for instruction.  Through flexible grouping, students may be arranged according to intellectual ability, learning style, interest, achievement and other aspects of a learning profile, depending on the purpose of instruction.  Students will receive regular, planned, and purposeful differentiation through Core Knowledge, Singapore Math and other curriculum choices made by Candeo.  The instructional coach monitors and guides the teacher in decision making of grouping and delivery of services.

Curriculum and Instruction:

Where appropriate, differentiation is strategically implemented through content, product and process by teachers.  Differentiation of curriculum and instruction is paramount in the education of gifted learners.  Several strategies can be used and applied to extend student learning in academic areas.  Using Core Knowledge topics and Singapore Math, teachers will meet and exceed state standards and focus on increasing depth of understanding of content. 

Sample strategies include the following:

·         Providing flexible instructional arrangements, such as special classes, seminars, resource rooms, mentorships, independent study, and research projects

·         Pre-testing for content knowledge and contracting instruction/activities accordingly

·         Providing extension and enrichment through product choice menus which reflect individual learning styles and strengths

·         Providing instruction which goes beyond the standard and asks students to apply, analyze, and infer within a framework of solid foundational concepts

·         Regularly incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy into lesson activities which focus on the higher-order thinking skills of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

·          Providing opportunities to increase critical thinking skills (logic, reasoning, problem solving) through regular instruction, modeling, Socratic methodology and/or formalized curriculum

·         Incorporating open-ended and proactive questioning strategies during instruction

·          Utilizing a teacher &/or student generated rubrics to develop students who are self-directed learners and quality producers

Monitoring and Parental Involvement:

The monitoring of gifted services for qualified students will be on an individualized basis.  The instructional coach will provide parents with a detailed report of their child’s instructional management and delivery during the school year.  Parents are encouraged and welcomed to conference with the instructional coach and/or child’s teacher at any time regarding their child’s progress.

Access to the Gifted Program “Scope and Sequence” is available on the school website:

http://candeoschools.com/uploads/scope_and_sequence_narrative_-_Candeo_Schools_08.pdf

 It is a document intended to acknowledge the range of gifted needs and guides us in making important decisions in the education of gifted students at Candeo.  

Schoolwide Enrichment

Instructional Coach

Ann Becker, M. Ed.

abecker@candeoschools.com

9965 W Calle Lejos

Peoria, AZ 85383

623.979.6500

Click here for more information.