Due to the large number of gifted and advanced learners in our school, a full time position has been dedicated to their support for the past 11 years. Even when budgets have been tight, this position has remained due to the importance to our community and leadership.

The GAL Program Plan is our annual document that maps out specifically what our school vision for GAL is and the steps we'll take to realize it.  This plan is created in collaboration with the building level administration.

Our administrators directly support our GAL programming by purchasing resources for identified students and students who need above grade level content. I have included a variety of purchases over the past 2 years.

Our principal regularly communicates with stakeholders around what is happening with GAL at our school, including data and goals in his weekly bulletins to families and staff.  See highlighted pieces and data at the end Artifact 1. Data conversation starts at the end of page 3 in Artifact 2. 

Our building-level leadership regularly prioritized professional learning around GAL topics for our staff. At the beginning of each year when we do mandatory trainings, GAL is given the same priority and IEP/504 guidance. 

Our building-level leadership coordinates services for GAL such as outlining the responsibilities of teachers at each of our grade levels.

Our district revamped the Honors curriculum  and requirements  for grades 6-12 in the 24-25 schoolyear. The document needed to be read and accepted by administration in early 2024 to prepare.  This email documents communication  between the GAL Lead, Principal, Equity Lead, and Middle School Assistant Principal.

Our leadership team is responsible for class rosters. Our model in grades K-5 is to have mixed-ability classrooms that allow for academic movement. Gifted and advanced students are cluster-grouped within our classrooms to ensure they also have like-ability peers to work with as well. Documents include email instructions from administration and copies of rising 5th and 2nd grade rosters.

This parent communication is approved and implemented by our administration. A version is shared each year  as we begin planning for selecting students for the Accelerated Math Pathway. 

As part of our end-of -year close out procedures, each content lead is asked to submit their needs to endure success for the following schoolyear. This document is a copy of the requested form and what was submitted for GAL Needs. 

Our annual GAL program plan outlines each component of our program and how we will evaluate each. We meet at the end of each year to determine any additional needs. 

Our annual GAL program plan outlines each component of our program and how we will evaluate each.

This annual survey is used to determine where we are succeeding and where we have room for growth. The survey is shared with all instructional and administrative staff by email and helps to plan for the upcoming school year. 

We engage in an annual reflection of our identification rates of students and how we can better support accurate identification within our school.

Each year we screen all kindergarten students using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test. Once testing is complete, we analyze the data as a team with kindergarten teachers, coaches, and Assistant Principal.  Not only do we hope to increase the number of students identified but we want to make sure our under-represented populations are recognized. Teachers also go through their own student scores to complete "Notice and Wonder" as there are always surprises as to who is and is not identified.

The thought is, if students are gifted or advanced, they should also test proficient or above average. Each year we find that does not always ring true and want to give our youngest testers a solid foundation for success on their first year of state assessments and beyond. This data looks at GAL students only 22-23 and all other students not meeting with success, plus GAL in 23-24.  Disaggregating the data helps to see if what we are doing meets the needs of our students. Our MCAP increased in Spring 2024 and were well above the state average!

In our evaluation of representation and success of our underserved populations within the GAL Program, it was determined there is an under-representation of our Black youth.  This program is proposed to create a sense of belonging for Black scientists. This document addresses funding commitment from our principal and outlines the program.

The administrators and coaches/content leads (including the GAL Lead) regularly complete informal observations, including Learning Walks to look for specific criteria and identify trends. This artifact documents recent math and science walks. 

Each year, our 8th graders must apply to a high school in Baltimore City as part of the High School Choice Program. Students who have participated in our honors and Ingenuity programming  are admitted to the top 3 academic and arts schools of their choice. 

Our annual GAL Program Plan not only establishes the components of our program and how they are evaluated, but also how the evaluation results will be shared publicly with stakeholders.

Twice per year, the principal releases  a "State of the School" presentation . This document shares the community presentation as well as the staff communication and reflection request. 

With a school population of almost 1400 students there can be disconnect at times. Instead of one GAL Night in the Spring of 2023 we determined that an "open house" would be helpful for our families that had questions for the GAL Lead specific to their child. The day booked up so fast that we had to keep adding days. This was a chance for families to better understand what services their child was receiving in school and how they were progressing. We able to identify some new students even based on parnet information. 

We disaggregate our math data annually and specifically look at our students on the accelerated pathway to take Geometry in 8th grade.  After some thought last spring and confirmation from MCAP scores and equity concerns, we have proposed changes for the upcoming school year. The agenda and presentation show the data used in this decision.

Members of the Instructional Leadership Team were invited for a summer retreat to gear up for the new schoolyear.  We looked at academic and wholeness data to find trends and create action steps for the upcoming school year. 

At our GAL 101 Night for families, our equity data for the current GAL numbers were shared on slide 11. We realize there is still work to do in identification but we do make sure that students who are showing ability are still challenged and receive services.

Our Principal sends a Sunday Communication to all families each week. Our School Performance Plan goals are always included at the end of the communication as a reminder that all of our activities are rooted in achieving the SPP goals. Our GAL students drive much of the success of these goals. 

We analyze student progress on ILP goals annually which provides insight into students' mastery of content, affective growth, higher-level thinking, and achievement in specific program areas. Attached are an examples of the ILP and goals met (by class). There is an elementary and middle sample.

Annually, we complete the GAL Data Tracker to monitor identified  individual student progress for diagnostic growth in both math and reading.

Annually, students complete affective surveys as a component of the ILP which we monitor to determine growth.

We have our students and parents complete annual beginning of the year and end of year questions to set academic and affective goals for the year. 

This literacy data digs in to DIBELS and it's separate components. Many of our gifted students are hyperlexic or  whole word readers then struggle to decode and therefore comprehend as the work gets more difficult.  We work to make sure all of students have a solid foundation in literacy prior to grade 3. 

Our teachers regularly assess students' own feelings around their learning. The better students understand what they enjoy and what is difficult for them, the  easier it is for the student and for the teacher to work through it. 

Artifact 1 is an 8th grade reflection on Quarter 1 while Artifact 2 is an assessment on content and thoughts on a unit for grade 5 pull-out GAL students.

Our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) consists of teachers, coaches, and administrators. The ILT typically meets twice per month to analyze data, discuss implications and hopefully create change. The SPP goals are included at the top of every agenda to direct our focus.  You can see the multiple indicators of success that we examine including grades, diagnostic data, MCAP scores, and/or student wholeness.