Tier 2: Strategic Targeted Intervention

Children of high-ability or with high-achievement levels are put into a separate group for differentiating instruction. Can be full or part-time or flexible sorting.

Above level diagnostic testing is used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of gifted students and determine areas of study. Especially useful for mathematically gifted students.

Students take courses with advanced or accelerated content (usually at the secondary level) to test out or receive credit for completion of college level course work. Although one such program is designated Advanced Placement®, several such programs exist, e.g.,International Baccalaureate.

Cluster grouping is the practice of placing the top group of students from a grade into the same classroom. This assures the teacher of having a “group” rather than just one student who is above and beyond his or her peers.

The teacher of this group should enjoy working with high-performing students and have a background in differentiated instruction for high ability/high potential students. With this strategy, high ability/high potential students are working on advanced curriculum and assignments as a group within a regular classroom. It avoids the situation where a single child is always working by himself or herself, thus allowing interaction and discussion within their own group.

Curriculum compacting is the practice of pretesting student knowledge of material before it is taught. This can be done by using end of level tests, a written narrative of what the students already know, etc. If the student has mastered or nearly mastered the material, he or she should be delivered a curriculum that is new and offers a challenge.

With skill-based subjects, such as math and early reading, the end of unit tests work well. With more content-based areas, such as literature, social studies, and some science, students could have the option to take the book, study the chapter, take the test, then go on to replacement, or extension, material.

Examples:

Math Olympiad, Destination Imagination, Math Counts, Junior Great Books, Future Problem Solving, JASON Project.

Organizing groups of learners in three to four-member teams of like ability and adjusting the group task accordingly.

Students who are gifted in math or reading are grouped for instruction with similarly gifted students. This usually happens within the whole school or grade level (Walk to Read model). The students may change groups as needed, or indicated, by assessment.

Schools using this strategy will have reading, math, etc., within each grade level at the same time each day. High ability students then go to the teacher teaching the curriculum at a faster pace, with more breadth, depth, and complexity.

Accelerated programs outside of regular school curriculum may be offered after school, on Saturday, or during the summer.

This is a variation of regrouping for specific instruction. In this situation the entire school must teach the same subjects at the same time so that students go to classes that are taught at their level regardless of grade level placement.

At a particular time each day, students would travel to the appropriate grade (or room) for their instruction. The instruction would be delivered for their level. For gifted students, again, the focus would be on pace, depth, breadth, and complexity.

Students are involved in a study of concepts through theme-based units that stress the application of reasoning to reading, writing, creating high-quality projects, and organizing learning.

Computer programs, such as Renaissance Learning and Success Maker that allow the student to work at their own pace and give direct, immediate feedback to student and teacher.

Provision of highly challenging, accelerated learning experiences, usually on a college campus in a specific talent area for highly talented students.

Programs such as Mentoring Mathematical Minds (M3) and Accelerated Math focus on mathematical reasoning, creativity, and conceptual understanding.

Students using programs such as M3 and Accelerated Math have shown statistically significant gains in mathematical understanding and have outperformed students in comparison groups.

Removal of gifted/advanced learners from the regular classroom for a specific period each day or week to work with a trained specialist on differentiated curriculum.

Direct instruction in research that will allow students to pursue areas of strength and interest.

William and Mary curriculum, National History Day, Mentoring Mathematical Minds, Accelerated Math, Project Spring, and Project Spring II