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Program Mission Statement and Vision
Mission
The mission of the Bernards Township identified gifted program is to challenge all children to pursue appropriate learning opportunities that promote gifted behavior. Gifted behaviors are evidenced when above average ability, task commitment, and creativity result in original materials, products, and/or performances that reflect the highest standards of a discipline.
Program Goals
Develop the academic potential of identified gifted learners.
Encourage and challenge students in their areas of specific abilities and interest by providing opportunities for in-depth learning in their area of talent and interest.
Develop the thinking dispositions and affective skills such as risk taking, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation necessary for students to become independent learners.
Encourage opportunities for interaction with academic peers to develop self-awareness and self-efficacy.
Development of social and leadership skills, fostering a sense of societal responsibility.
Encourage creative productivity through the development of higher order thinking skills such as problem solving, decision-making and critical thinking in all students.
Foster ongoing professional development to support classroom differentiation of content, process and product.
Schoolwide Enrichment Program
Our program has been developed from the Renzulli model for schoolwide enrichment. This video below is narrated by the developer of the model, Joseph Renzulli and provides an overview of the model that has been adopted by Bernards Township School District.
Our program has been developed from the Renzulli model for schoolwide enrichment. This video below is narrated by the developer of the model, Joseph Renzulli and provides an overview of the model that has been adopted by Bernards Township School District.
Joseph Renzulli, Professor at the University of Connecticut and Director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.
What is a Gifted Learner?
What is a Gifted Learner?
Gifted and talented means “those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district, and who require modification in their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.”
Gifted and talented means “those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district, and who require modification in their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.”
How are students "identified" for Type III learning opportunities?
How are students "identified" for Type III learning opportunities?
The identification is for Type III learning opportunities and is thorough, considering all students as part of the process. The process is designed to identify students who are in the top 5% of the grade level in terms of the three spheres of giftedness; academic ability, task commitment and creativity. Students can be nominated by parents, teachers or through their assessment scores. The process is designed so that we are unlikely to miss a qualified student.
Bright Student vs. Gifted Student
Bright Student vs. Gifted Student
The chart below compares characteristics of students who demonstrated "giftedness" and those who are bright, but not gifted. It is important to consider the difference when making a decision to nominate your child. Bright, but not gifted students are very strong students whose needs can be met in the regular classroom through differentiation of the process, product and content by their classroom teacher. In addition, these students will benefit from the Renzulli Learning System, which is available to all students in Bernards Township. This system will provide students with opportunities to extend their learning both in class and at home.
In this video, narrated by University of Connecticut's Joseph Renzulli offers a definition of giftedness.
A Bright Student
A Bright Student
1. Knows the answers
1. Knows the answers
2. Works hard
2. Works hard
3. Top group
3. Top group
4. 6-8 repetitions for mastery
4. 6-8 repetitions for mastery
5. Understands ideas
5. Understands ideas
6. Enjoys peers
6. Enjoys peers
7. Grasps the meaning
7. Grasps the meaning
8. Completes assignments
8. Completes assignments
9. Technician
9. Technician
10. Enjoys things that are straight forward
10. Enjoys things that are straight forward
11. Is alert
11. Is alert
A Gifted Student
A Gifted Student
1. Asks the questions
1. Asks the questions
2. Plays around, yet tests well
2. Plays around, yet tests well
3. Beyond the group
3. Beyond the group
4. 1-2 repetitions for mastery
4. 1-2 repetitions for mastery
5. Constructs abstractions
5. Constructs abstractions
6. Prefers adults
6. Prefers adults
7. Draws inferences
7. Draws inferences
8. Initiates projects
8. Initiates projects
9. Inventor
9. Inventor
10. Thrives on complexity
10. Thrives on complexity
11. Is keenly observant
11. Is keenly observant
Identification Process 2024-2025
The identification process for School Year 2024-2025 is outlined below:
The identification process for School Year 2024-2025 is outlined below:
Students in Grades K-2 will not be formally identified
Students in Grades 3-5 will be evaluated annually for services and identified for QUEST type III programming according to the following process:
A “universal screener” will be administered in the fall of 2024 to all students
3 and 4 (CogAT)
Students take the Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal Reasoning subtests of the CogAT assessment; out of these assessments, the higher of the Verbal or the composite Quantitative - Nonverbal scores is used for the universal screener.
Grade 5 (CTP-5)
Students take the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning subtests of the CTP-5 assessment; the higher of the 2 scores is used for the universal screener.
Students who score in the top 20% of their grade, by building, will be invited to participate in the identification process. The identification criteria is designed to evaluate students across the three domains of giftedness: academic ability, task commitment and creativity, as follows:
Academic ability: Fall MAP Score in Reading or Mathematics, the higher of the two
Task commitment: Completion of QUEST Design Project
The QUEST project task will take place in school.
Students will be given a design challenge and materials.
Student projects will be scored by at least two evaluators.
Creativity
Grades 3: Profiles in Creativity Assesssment
Grades 4 and 5: Torrance Test of Creative Thinking
The results of the three assessments described above will be analyzed by grade and building. The top 3-5% across the three domains will be invited to participate in the QUEST Type III pull-out programming.
Each year, students will be evaluated using a rubric that awards points based on student performance in each of the three areas described above. The QUEST Grade 3 Rubric for SY 2020-2021 is included below as an example to illustrate how student results are used. The rubric points will be normed annually.
Identification Rubric for Grade
Triad Model of Enrichment
Triad Model of Enrichment
Type I Enrichment activities are general exploring experiences to get students interested in a particular topic.
Type II Enrichment activities provide group training, they let students practice the skills and acquire the knowledge they will need to successfully conduct their own activities
Type III Enrichment activities are individual or small group investigations of real problems based on students interests and skills with the aim to produce a product for real audiences.
To engage in type III activities the following skills (practiced in type II activities) are useful:
Cognitive training (creativity; creative problem solving and decision making; critical and logical thinking)
Affective training (see Emotional Intelligence)
Learning how-to-learn skills (listening; observing; perceiving; note taking and outlining; interviewing and surveying; analyzing and organizing data)
Using advanced research skills and reference materials (preparing for type III investigations; library skills; community resources)
Developing written, oral and visual communication skills
Ideally students who conduct type III activities present them to other students to get them also interested in an activity.
Resources for further exploration:
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