Refreshed, rejuvenated, and all abloom!

Check out the new High Ability Logo which just blossomed!

The Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) High Ability Department is pleased to announce the winner of the High Ability Logo Contest. The purpose of the contest was to empower the field to create an easily recognizable and reproducible design to communicate the essence of Indiana High Ability education. This award-winning logo will now become the official visual representation of High Ability education in Indiana.

There were over 100 applicants for the contest, and the winning logo is based on the design concept of Destiny Via from Spiceland, Indiana. Destiny has been designing for two years at the New Castle Career Center. Currently, she is a second year student in Mrs. Michael’s graphic design class. This May, she will be graduating with a technical honors diploma with two certificates: Adobe Illustrator certification and Photoshop certification. Next fall, Destiny will be attending The Modern College of Design in Kettering, Ohio to study graphic design where she aims to gain the expertise to advertise for a major brand marketing campaign.

Destiny’s inspiration for the logo came from the creativity of our minds, coupled with the expansive intelligence and ideas in Indiana that will illuminate a bright future. Destiny’s instructor, Jennifer Michael, sees true potential in Destiny and is very proud of her progress this year, stating, “She has become a very strong designer, and I see success in her future!”

IDOE is excited to share Destiny’s talent through her logo design and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors. Destiny will receive a plaque featuring the High Ability Logo and be recognized locally and at the 2019 High Ability Conference. Look for Destiny's creation on the High Ability web page: https://www.doe.in.gov/highability

As you begin to wrap up the 2018-2019 high ability grant cycle, it is time to reflect upon your high ability program elements. What needs to be thrown out? What is missing? What needs to be enhanced?

There are six main components to analyze and review:

· Program Design

· Identification

· Curriculum and Instruction

· Social-Emotional Needs

· Professional Development

· Program Evaluation

The attached quick and handy checklist will help guide your next steps and should be shared with your Broad-Based Planning Committee. After doing a quick sweep of your program elements, begin developing the HOW. This is your launch pad for 2019-2020.

Happy Cleaning!

IDOE's High Ability Department is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 High Ability Competitive Grants. The grants offer up to $75,000 to support districts that have assessed their current high ability program implementation and are prepared to take the next steps to provide enhanced and advanced learning experiences for their high ability students.

The 2019 High Ability Competitive Grants focused on proposals including curriculum/instruction, social-emotional learning, enriched after school experiences, Saturday and summer experiences, STEM, and project-based learning. There were 96 grant submissions in all, and nine districts were awarded competitive grants totaling $476,684. Congratulations to:

• Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock
• Danville Community School Corporation
• East Allen County Schools
• Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation,
• Indiana Academy for Science, Math, and Humanities
• Manchester Community Schools
• Northeast School Corporation
• North Montgomery Community School Corporation
• Whitley County Consolidated Schools

Grant amendments are easy, but time is running out!

All amendments must be submitted by June 1.

You only need to submit an amendment if you significantly want to change the scope of the grant or desire to make a change greater than percent.

1. Fill out the Jotform: Amendment Form, 2018-2019

2. Provide a rationale for the change in the designated box

3. Enter your new revised budget

4. Wait for approval via email from Cindy Schuler

5. Re-submit your cash request form, if needed: High Ability Cash Request Form

Districts all across the state are embracing the social-emotional learning available through SENG SMPG Facilitator Training. This training allows for families to come together with two certified trainers to guide and broaden their understanding of high ability children. Through a 6-8 week book study of A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, parents come to discussion groups to collaborate and glean new insight to help nurture their children’s unique needs. There are many topics covered in this training. Please click on the topics below to broaden your understanding of the social-emotional needs of high ability students.

Calling All New AP Calculus AB and AP Language and Composition Teachers!

If you have been teaching these courses for under three years, you are eligible to attend the AP Summer Institute for free. Seats are very limited, so hurry and register today! Please click here for details.

Advanced Placement Saturday Study Session for AP Biology,

AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science will be held in AVON

FREE to Central Indiana AP Students

Avon High School-Advanced Learning Center

7575 East Oriole Avenue

Enter Door 13

Session 1: 8:30 -9:15 a.m.

Session 2 : 9:20-10:05 a.m.

Session 3: 10:10 -10:55 a.m.

Session 4: 11:00 -11:45 a.m.

For more information, please contact Anthony Record ajrecord@avon-schools.org

The Indiana Association for the Gifted is accepting original student artwork through May 15 to be featured on the cover of the 2019 conference program: Forty and the Future. For more information, please see: http://www.iag-online.org/conference/Art%20Contest/.

Advanced Placement Binders

These new comprehensive binders will have robust curriculum and instruction guidance. Teachers, be sure to place your order today. They will be available at the end of May!

Each teacher must request his/her own. Here is the ordering link: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/2019-20-course-exam-description-preorder-form

There is a new AP Summer Institute offering at Eastern Kentucky. Please see the attached brochure. In addition, please notice the other AP offerings.

Regional networking is a great way to bond with your AP colleagues around the state. Thanks for sharing great tips and insight with one another.

Lebanon Community Schools’ High Ability students are using their gifts and talents to give back. All high ability identified students were allowed to choose to participate in a service group with a mission of their choice. The students in the HA group determined what they would do to serve and how they would accomplish their goals. The purpose of this group was to give the high ability students the opportunity to set the scope and sequence of the service learning initiative for their group. This opportunity allowed the students to reveal creativity, initiative, and leadership. As a result, the students set and secure their service at the four elementary schools within Lebanon community schools and used their gifts and talents to bring learning alive and to new heights!