GCS BOE approves Advanced Learners Plan - Miscellaneous School Issues - Schools


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jwg
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On May 24, the GCS BOE reapproved the GCS Advanced Learners plan. This document, required by NCDPI, is the 'bible' for teaching Advanced Learners.

If your kid is an AL student (or could be), you may want to check this out. It lays out what you should expect from the school system for your child.

One of the major points brought up in the BOE discussion concerned AL students having to make up work the rest of the class did while the AL student was 'pulled out' for AL instruction. From the PAL: "Students who are pulled out of general education classes for AL services are not expected to complete missed class work".

The most recent copy is on the BOE site at http://www.gcsnc.com/boe/2007/5_24/al_plan_memo.html . There is a lot of 'educationese'.

The prior version online as a web site at http://www.gcsnc.com/al/index.html.

GRITS
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jwg wrote: On May 24, the GCS BOE reapproved the GCS Advanced Learners plan. This document, required by NCDPI, is the 'bible' for teaching Advanced Learners.

If your kid is an AL student (or could be), you may want to check this out. It lays out what you should expect from the school system for your child.

One of the major points brought up in the BOE discussion concerned AL students having to make up work the rest of the class did while the AL student was 'pulled out' for AL instruction. From the PAL: "Students who are pulled out of general education classes for AL services are not expected to complete missed class work".

The most recent copy is on the BOE site at http://www.gcsnc.com/boe/2007/5_24/al_plan_memo.html . There is a lot of 'educationese'.

The prior version online as a web site at http://www.gcsnc.com/al/index.html.

Thanks for the update jwg, however my advice to all who have AL kids is the classroom teacher will expect the child to complete any missed class work for homework.

I have personally dealt with this issue at Summerfield Elementry with VanKalker and James. Vankalker's explanation to this statement is that she can not stop teaching her other students simply because the AL kids are pulled away---it is a disadvantage to the other students. Therefore she is not going to stop and do something different such as homework or go over something that everyone has talked about---she is moving on. It is up to the AL students to do the work that they have missed.

I wished the BOE would stick to their guns and mandate all teachers follow their guidelines, however, they will never know what goes on if no one complains. I wish it was that simple.

smileyfaces
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Supposing that the AL child already has the knowledge of whatever is missed in class? Is he or she still required to complete the missed homework?

It would make sense to me if the student needed some reinforcement or needed to learn the skill. However, I would question the need to complete missed assignments just for the sake of "busy work" or to fill in a grade spot in a gradebook.

jwg
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Grits,

There are some addition comments on this "homework punishment" aspect of AL on the N&R Chalkboard (http://blog.news-record.com/staff/chalkboard/archives/2007/04/update_on_advan.html#comments).
"Ann Barr, the retired AL director, said teachers should be prohibited from requiring gifted students to do both advanced and regular work, which is apparently causing some frustrated students to opt-out of the program. "

It is possible that the teacher/principal is not aware that exempting a kid from missed classwork is a requirement of the PAL. Every school has a Team for Advanced Learners. You should contact one of the team members or principal and discuss this with them, especially if it is just one teacher that is the issue.

I would expect that the pullouts would be coordinated with the teachers' lesson plan so that the AL services are provided while the rest of the class is doing something that the AL kids have already mastered.

Ms. Darlene Garrett specifically asked about this in the BOE meeting and was told that it should not be happening. As you stated "I wished the BOE would stick to their guns and mandate all teachers follow their guidelines, however, they will never know what goes on if no one complains. I wish it was that simple." Ms. Garrett would probably like to hear from you.

This is one of the reasons kids don't participate in AL services and don't reap the benefits of participation.

GRITS
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jwg wrote: Grits,

There are some addition comments on this "homework punishment" aspect of AL on the N&R Chalkboard (http://blog.news-record.com/staff/chalkboard/archives/2007/04/update_on_advan.html#comments).
"Ann Barr, the retired AL director, said teachers should be prohibited from requiring gifted students to do both advanced and regular work, which is apparently causing some frustrated students to opt-out of the program. "

It is possible that the teacher/principal is not aware that exempting a kid from missed classwork is a requirement of the PAL. Every school has a Team for Advanced Learners. You should contact one of the team members or principal and discuss this with them, especially if it is just one teacher that is the issue.

I would expect that the pullouts would be coordinated with the teachers' lesson plan so that the AL services are provided while the rest of the class is doing something that the AL kids have already mastered.

Ms. Darlene Garrett specifically asked about this in the BOE meeting and was told that it should not be happening. As you stated "I wished the BOE would stick to their guns and mandate all teachers follow their guidelines, however, they will never know what goes on if no one complains. I wish it was that simple." Ms. Garrett would probably like to hear from you.

This is one of the reasons kids don't participate in AL services and don't reap the benefits of participation.

My AL kid is now in the middle school. At the time I did challenge the teacher regarding the missing work. I also spoke to the AL director at Summerfield regarding this teacher and this issue. Your are correct, the AL student should not be having to do classroom missing assignments due to the student is learning the same information being taught at a higher level. I was defeated in this challenge, and my child had to do the extra work.

Comments on the other blog such as "my child just stopped doing the AL work", and being kicked out of the AL program because it was not challenging enough, were mirror images of what I went through with my child. I can't really blame these kids either. The entire AL program needs to step up and make it more challenging for these students.

All I can say is I hope the AL program does improve and make it attractive so that kids will want to participate. I will not have my second child in this program at the elementry level if she is an AL kid and if it continues the way it does now.

I know children who did not participate in AL programs but could have. Their academic skills are just as good, if not better, as the AL students. Comparing students in and not in the program, I can not really see the benefits academically at it's current level. It's just extra work.

jwg
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Grits,

"Comparing students in and not in the program, I can not really see the benefits academically at it's current level. It's just extra work."

At the request of the BOE (after a motion by Dr. Childs regarding the VSN program), Dr. Zhang conducted a study of the Advanced Learners program. He found that participation in the AL program resulted in statistically significant higher EOG scores at all AL levels (http://www.gcsnc.com/boe/2007/4_26/AL_programs_Evaluation_2007.pdf page 59 Finding 4). This was not a comprehensive study as the data is not kept in an appropriate format but it does show that participation in AL programs does provide significant benefit to students.

In order for the AL programs to be implemented the way that they required to be under the PAL, parents are going to have to keep advocating for their kids (as you did).

I wouldn't discourage any parent of an AL kid to bail out of AL services without first exhausting all avenues to insure their child receives the services to which they are entitled. This includes talking to the teacher, principal, TAL, AL staff, and BOE representative.

By the way, a new person will be in charge of AL services starting July 1, I believe.

jwg
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New Director for Advanced Learners - Ms. Lise Timmons

From Friday Notes June 15, 2007:

"Ms. Lise Timmons was approved for Director for Advanced Learner. Ms. Timmons is currently a project coordinator for Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute with UNC-Chapel Hill."

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ustars/staff.cfm

"Lisé A. Timmons, B.A., Project Coordinator

Lisé comes to Project U-STARS ~ PLUS from the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System where she worked for 10 years in various capacities including teacher, counselor, Comer Facilitator, coach and administrator. Most recently, she served as the Advanced Studies Coordinator for middle and high schools. Lisé has an established record of successful educational leadership and is a certified College Board consultant. She has been recognized nationally, and locally, with several awards for her work with minorities in rigorous programs and under-represented populations. She received her B.A. degree from UNC-Charlotte. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at UNC-Chapel Hill with intentions of receiving a Ph.D. in Culture, Curriculum, and Change which is her area of focus. "