Talent Development

Our vision is to provide an alternative pathway to access Talent Development ELA opportunities for students who experience text barriers that may affect comprehension assessment information.

The purpose of Talent Development ELA is to provide challenging, engaging, and faster-paced opportunities for learners to advance their strengths and interests in ELA. Learners develop a deeper and broader interaction with the Minnesota ELA standards in order to develop as readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and thinkers at the level of complexity and challenge necessary to ensure a rich instructional match for students whose reading range is significantly above grade level and in need of Talent Development ELA opportunities. In addition, advanced academic opportunities include: p

• Honoring students' knowledge, skills, interests, and talents

• Providing enriched and challenging curriculum at an accelerated pace while meeting the unique academic and social/emotional needs of high achieving learners in a supportive educational environment

• Providing opportunities to explore and interact with challenging reading material

• Deepening reading comprehension skills while expanding metacognitive processes during reading

• Developing critical reading, including interpretation and analysis of text, discussion of figurative language and literary device, evaluation of an informational text, and use of evidence to support ideas, arguments, and assertions

• Fostering an appreciation of diverse, multicultural literature across multiple genres and text types

• Providing opportunities for group discussion of selected texts

• Promoting motivation and enjoyment of reading through choice and self-selection of texts

• Create opportunities to respond to text and discussions in writing

• Create opportunities to cultivate effective communication skills

Criteria for Inclusion in Talent Development ELA

• Standardized Test Scores - Consistent test scores at or above the 97th percentile on reading comprehension assessments NWEA MAP over several testing opportunities

• Classroom Performance - Consistently meets grade-level expectations in MN ELA Standards, shows advanced comprehension and discussion reasoning skills prior to, or quickly after, instruction actively pursues reading or curious investigation of ideas throughout the learning

• Teacher Recommendation

Attributes including readers who:

• Consistently need to have extended challenges in the classroom

• Ask to go above and beyond class expectations and meet or exceed extended opportunities

• Go above and beyond core classroom expectations in reading and discussion

• Meet criteria of the Talent Education 2e Checklist

• Exhibit a verbal capacity beyond the typical grade level

• Exhibit unique visual-spatial abilities

Formal identification for talent development service occurs after careful examination of data and other information from the gifted education coordinator and building gifted education specialist. A student’s need for gifted service is based on a variety of factors. The resulting evidence of need may point toward strategic or intensive programming beyond the regular classroom.

Criteria for Inclusion Using the 2e, Twice Exceptional Pathway System

Our ultimate goal is to ensure our students are placed in the best possible learning experience that meets their academic, affective, and social-emotional needs. Some students meet all the criteria for a talent development opportunity but may have text-based barriers in reading decoding and comprehension that can affect their ability to meet criteria scores for reading on standardized tests. The 2e process seeks to provide opportunities for students who have attributes of a talented reader but experience barriers to text.

1. Initial Considerations & Conversations

The first steps in moving toward an alternative pathway process include:

Consideration for Alternative Pathways and Assessment Alternatives

Students who consistently achieve standardized test scores at or above the 75th percentile on reading comprehension assessments NWEA MAP and have developed decoding proficiency to promote reading fluency with minimum rate to support the automaticity needed for comprehension of text can be considered for a text-based alternative pathway. (FastBridge ORF CBM-R must fall between150 WCPM 4th-180 WCPM 5th). Minimum text access through effective decoding development and fluency to support comprehension are two necessary criteria that will be held firm to ensure students can have a successful experience.

Teacher & Principal Recommendation

At the school level, the classroom teacher will complete the Teacher Checklist Advocacy Form and seek approval from the Talent Development Coordinator and the principal.

Student Commitment and Interest

A student who understands the process and expectations of enriched coursework, who is motivated, and desires to meet the additional challenges and expectations.

2. Action Steps to Alternative Pathway

The next steps include communication with the student, family, and additional assessment.

Parent/Caregiver Conference

Interview with parent/caregiver and completion of the 2e Parent/Caregiver Advocacy Form and additional assessment information, such as a verbal and/or nonverbal reasoning score, if available.

Student Interview and Possible Assessment Steps

An initial short, one-on-one conversation with the Talent Development Coordinator or Literacy Supervisor using specific questions and a responsive conversation using a short text with a rubric.

If the interview indicates, move to the next step:

Assessment with the Talent Development ELA teacher - Informal inventories and diagnostics administered by the Talent Development ELA teacher.

Educator Team Discussion & Action Plan: Placement Meeting

Parent/caregiver, principal, Talent Development ELA teacher, classroom teacher, and Talent Development Coordinator meet to review assessment data and overall best placement opportunity for the student.

3. Pilot Process and Progress Monitoring (Six to Eight Weeks)

If placement into the Talent Development ELA classroom is approved, a review of the placement will occur within 8 weeks to review student success in the new setting. Parent/caregiver and Talent Development ELA teacher will discuss:

Teacher Feedbacks

The Talent Development ELA teacher uses evidence to determine the student's ability to meet class-challenge level, fulfill assignments, engage in activities, produce quality work at a fast pace.

Student Feedback

The Student provides feedback about the class challenge level, ability to fulfill assignments, engagement, quality of work, timeline, and pacing.

Progress Monitoring Data

The student's progress will be monitored to ensure the Talent Development ELA classroom is the optimal setting for growth and data will be discussed between the teacher, Talent Development Coordinator, and parent/caregiver to ensure that the placement is the best opportunity and instructional match for the student