Components of Sycamore's GaTES Program
(continued from Parent Pages)

Elementary

Sycamore School District begins the identification process for the formal instructional components of the program in fifth grade for entry into sixth grade at the Middle School. Students’ varied needs are met in the elementary school through differentiated instruction in many areas of the curriculum. Students are observed and assessed over that period of time, so teachers are aware of individual needs and can provide challenges when they are needed. This follows the best practice of differentiating for students at all levels.

Students who require challenges in the area of language arts will be given the opportunity to read novels and nonfiction that are at their own reading ability. Products and projects will be based on the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy in order to provide opportunities for students to use the higher level thinking skills when reading fiction and nonfiction. Research and independent projects may be offered to students who have met the learning goals of the units.

All students will work from the grade level curriculum using the Everyday Mathematics series. The teachers will offer extensions as necessary for students in the GaTES Math program as well as for any other students who need the extensions on each unit. Due to the recent change in the identification procedure and timeline, there are still fifth grade students within the district who have been identified as GaTES students. They will continue in the program in elementary in 2007-2008 and enter the Middle School program in 2008-2009. After that time, students will only be identified after they leave elementary school.

At the Elementary level additional opportunities to extend their academic learning will be offered through enrichment after school or before school programs. The programs are designed to build upon areas of interest and enhance the students’ body of knowledge or creativity in the given topic. All third, fourth, and fifth grade students have access to enrollment in these programs, some of which will have a fee attached.

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Middle School Math

Beginning in sixth grade, identified students are clustered together in single sections for GaTES Math instruction. Students receive a compressed, accelerated curriculum as well as enrichment within the regular classroom setting. All students in this class have qualified for the GaTES Math program. Students who move through this middle school program and complete algebra successfully are eligible for the high school gifted geometry course.

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High School Math

The Senior High GaTES Mathematics program also operates in the cluster model. The cluster model groups the identified students into four classes. These classes are:

9th Graders: Geometry G
10th Graders: Algebra II
11th Graders: Elementary Analysis
12th Graders: Calculus

All four classes are compressed, accelerated programs with provisions for enrichment experiences and expansion beyond the usual course description. These classes are the mathematics courses for these identified students and not an extension of the regular math class. Utilizing the high school counselors and additional course offerings, students are able to create a plan that best meets their needs.

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Middle School Literature

Students qualifying for our GaTES Literature program are clustered together into single sections for literature instruction. Students are presented with challenging materials that provide for in depth discussions, vocabulary growth, and thoughtful reflection. Classroom teachers work collaboratively to plan progressively more challenging concepts and with High School teachers to articulate the expectations of Pre-AP and AP classes offered at the High School.

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High School Literature

Students qualifying for Gifted Programming throughout their elementary and middle school years have access to a variety of courses at the high school to meet their needs as learners. Students who earn A’s in seventh and eighth grade language are also eligible to take AP classes. High school faculty members are critical in helping students identify their strengths and make course choices. Courses offered include Pre-AP and AP classes.

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Identification

Students must meet specific criteria to qualify for the gifted program. Students for both programs are initially identified at the end of their fifth grade year. Additionally, there are procedures in place for identifying students who are new to the district. An appeals process also exists.

The initial pool of candidates is derived from those who scored an SAS of 120 or above on the CogAT taken by all Sycamore School District students in fifth grade. Students may also be added to the initial pool by observations and recommendations of teachers or parents. From that pool, students are identified based on the following criteria recommended by research as the qualifications for both needing challenge beyond the grade level work and for success in those challenges in relation to the needs of the students in this district.

Identification for GaTES Mathematics is based on a combination of the composite of the non-verbal and quantitative scores of the CogAT plus the Mathematics achievement score on the ITBS. Identification for GaTES Literature is based on a combination of the verbal score of the CogAT plus the Reading achievement score on the ITBS. Students who move into the district may qualify with the scores from varied Achievement and Ability tests.

Criteria are weighted in importance and point values are awarded for each criterion. A cut off score has been established, but could vary by the size of the identified population. Sycamore’s Gifted Program serves five to seven percent of the district’s student population.

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Grading

At the Middle School and the High School, the students in the GaTES Mathematics and the GaTES Literature class are graded on the expectations of the accelerated and enriched curriculum.

Students stay in the GaTES program unless they choose to leave the program, or they have difficulty maintaining the pace of the coursework. Students are expected to earn at least a B- in GaTES classes. When students earn less than a B- for a quarter, the teacher will communicate with the parent and with the student and discuss ways to improve understanding of material and work completion as needed. Parents will receive a letter explaining that the student is placed on probation for the quarter. If the grade is not raised to a B- by the end of the next quarter, the teacher, parent, student, and outside person such as the principal, counselor, or gifted coordinator, meet for a conference. Progress is discussed as well as any circumstances that might lead the participants to believe that the student should or should not continue in the program. At that time the decision will be made that is most beneficial to the learning of the student. This procedure is for both Middle School and High School.

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Instructors

The majority of teachers who are teaching GaTES Mathematics and Literature have been trained in methods and teaching techniques designed specifically to meet the needs of gifted children. Their goal is to help students develop their full potential by engaging them in lessons that challenge them and help them grow as learners.
The program director coordinates identification, evaluates data, and oversees the overall program. She meets with instructors to discuss issues, coordinate curriculum, provide resources and gain feedback on progress of the program and may coordinate professional development activities for teachers to build on their teaching expertise. To provide opportunities for networking and informative speakers, there will be a minimum of two parent meetings each year. Communication with parents will also occur by letter to report probation of students with low grades.

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