What Model Works Best for Gifted Kids?

Which program serves as the best model for gifted children?

Thats an interesting question~ sure to bring out a variety of responses. In this blog~ Id like to share my opinionbut please remember~ its just that~ simply an opinion.

Based on my experience and research~ I have to confidently say that while there is no one perfect system~ no holy grail so to speak of gifted delivery models~ I would recommend some combination of using a separate classroom or pull-out program with some inclusion mixed into the daily schedule.

First off~ an exhaustive evaluation conducted by the University of Connecticut~ Yale University~ and other colleges concluded that in terms of achievement~ gifted children attending special programs performed better than their gifted peers not in programs. Specifically children in Special Schools~ Separate Class programs~ and Pull-Out programs for the gifted showed substantially higher levels of achievement than both their gifted peers not in programs and those attending Within-Class programs. Evidence shows that gifted children~ when grouped together in their own setting~ perform better.

Second~ my own experience working directly with gifted students in both a separate program and a within class setting has shown me that gifted children excel when grouped together~ and that their performance as well as attitudes towards school~ suffer when forced to remain in the general education classroom setting all day~ following the curriculum and pace of the other students.

Currently~ at the school were I teach~ I am required to use a within class model by co-teaching with the general education teacher or providing support facilitation. I have found that this model creates a never-ending tug of war between general education teachers and teachers of gifted in regards to the time spent with the gifted students and the curriculum that needs to be covered. Testing requirements~ new curriculum demands~ and classroom disruptions often override gifted services~ causing the teacher of gifted to serve as an advocate as much as an instructor. In many instances~ as research suggests~ gifted students performance and learning suffers when the teacher of gifted leaves the classroom since many gifted children are forced to repeat curriculum. As an experiment last school year~ I provided several fourth-grade students reading assessments based on upcoming lessons for the next three weeks~ and without fail~ these students demonstrated 100 percent mastery of the material.

On the contrary~ when teaching a separate classroom of fifth-grade students several years ago~ we were able to accomplish some of the following: complete the fifth-grade math text book and district curriculum by December~ allowing time to accelerate most students into sixth-grade curriculum~ complete 10-12 middle school level novels as a class~ complete a number of independent projects based on student strengths and interests~ all while scoring satisfactory results on the FCAT. The one stipulation I would place on using the separate classroom model would be that the gifted students are required to attend recess~ lunch~ special classes~ and field trips with the general population students so that the class does not become isolated or appear elitist~ and the gifted children have an opportunity to develop social skills around all types of children.

Due to scheduling~ my students not only spent the entire academic day together as well as lunch~ but administration scheduled them to attend specials as a class~ which meant they would never mix with the outside world. When gifted students enter the workforce~ they are going to be required to mix successfully with all kinds of people~ with various abilities and I.Q.s. I have never worked in an office that has a gifted department. Several teachers of gifted and I each year lobbied to have our students be scheduled in specials classes with the general population for this very reason as well as the fact that isolating gifted children within a school creates an image of elitism.

I have never had the chance to utilize a pull-out program~ but have colleagues in other schools that use this option and seem comfortable with it. Again~ it would provide the teacher an uninterrupted space to provide advance instruction and also allow the gifted children to interact among peers of like ability. The downside would be that students might miss instruction in the general classroom when being pulled out~ which could cause challenges for both teachers and students.

Considering the strengths and weaknesses of each model~ I think it is reasonable to utilize some combination of the model while tailoring the model to fit the students needs as well as work within a school schedule. I am very interested in knowing what model you think works best.

Thank you~
Steve