Professional Development

Gifted Education Seminar (GES) through Illinois Association of Gifted Children (IAGC) 

• • A 45 hour comprehensive, multi-module course, developed in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education that focused on deepening understanding of how to teach and reach gifted and talented students.

  • All of the ALP teachers have taken the GES Seminar or other equivalent gifted education coursework. 

Total School Cluster Grouping Workshop 

• • For more information on cluster grouping, visit here: http://www.iowatag.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MG1.Cluster.grouping.updated.pdf

  • Professional Development based on the book, A Model to Improve Student Achievement and Teacher Practices Total School Cluster Grouping by Marcia Gentry, PhD.

  • A 2-day workshop attended by administrators and K-5 teacher representatives.  

Total School Cluster Grouping Modules 

• • All K-5 teachers will participate in 9 PD modules during the 17-18 and 18-19 school years.

    • Nature and Needs of Gifted, Creative, and Talented Children

    • Underserved Populations

    • Curriculum Compacting

    • Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading

    • Inquiry and Reflective Practice

    • Differentiation in the Language Arts and Mathematics

    • Student-Focused Differentiation

    • TSCG

    • Response to Intervention

Differentiated Instruction 

• • Offered by District 69 as a summer professional development course. Differentiation is a process teachers use to maximize student learning by improving the match between students’ unique characteristics and the curriculum. 

Illinois Association for Gifted Children

• • https://www.iagcgifted.org/

National Association for Gifted Children

• • http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-parents

  • Additional Information for parents 

Starting Summer 2022

IAGC Gifted Education Modules: Foundations for Teaching Advanced Learners in Today's Classrooms

Module 1: Understanding Advanced Learners (4 hours in-class time + 6 hours independent learning)

Part 1 - Conceptions of Giftedness (2 hour class + readings and assignments)

Part 2 - Recognizing and Developing Gifts and Talents (2 hour class + readings and assignments)

Module 2: Programming, Collaborations and Classroom Structures to Support Growth of Advanced Learners (4 hours in-class time + 6 hours independent learning)

Part 1 -  Supporting Growth of Advanced Learners Through the MTSS Framework, Assessment, and Professional Learning Communities (2-hour virtual class + readings and assignments)

Part 2 -  Classroom, Community, and Family Collaborations to Support Advanced Learners (2-hour  virtual class + readings and assignments)

Module 3: Differentiation and Instructional Strategies for Advanced Learners (4 hours in-class time + 6 hours independent learning)

Part 1 -  Key Components of Differentiated Instruction for Advanced Learners (2-hour virtual class + readings and assignments)

Part 2 - Student-Centered Differentiation for Advanced Learners (2-hour  virtual class + readings and assignments)

Required Text: Heacox, D. and Cash, R., Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics (revised and updated edition). Free Spirit Publishing, 2020 (ISBN: 978-1-63198-432-7) 

OR

CTD: Gifted Bootcamp

Advanced learners have educational needs that require educators and administrators to have specialized knowledge and skill sets. They also need high-quality gifted education programs. For those new to gifted education or looking for the latest research and practices, Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University has developed professional learning for teachers and coordinators that provides the knowledge and skills necessary to identify exceptional academic talent, develop their gifted and talented curriculum, provide appropriate instruction, and help students achieve optimal growth. 

This 15-hour training is available virtually.

Boot Camp can also be offered locally for groups of educators from a particular school or district, making use of online, in-person, or hybrid approaches. ISBE Professional Development Hours are available.

Topics Covered

• • Inclusive, equitable best practices for working with advanced learners

  • Challenging and engaging advanced students online

  • Effective identification of abilities and learning needs

  • Assessment and growth monitoring

  • Acceleration, enrichment, and rigorous curriculum

  • Grouping and differentiating instruction

  • Social-emotional needs and psychosocial skill development