GATE Portfolio Training
The student portfolio has been revised for SY 2018-2019.
Why did we revise the Gifted and Talented Program?
New Changes for SY2018-2019
During summer 2018, a GT Equity, Access, and Inclusion Principal Focus Group developed recommendations to improve the GATE program. The recommendations were approved by Dr. Cruz and will be implemented during SY2018-2019.
Revised GT Screening Student Portfolio (Updated SY2018-2019)
As part of the new GATE 2.0 program, all students in grades K-12 participating in the GT Screening Process complete independent projects.
Elementary principals will determine if students in grade bands K-2 and 3-5 will complete either the Voice & Choice Assessment OR the Common Assessments.
All Secondary students will complete the Voice & Choice Assessment.
K-5 Common Assessments
Experts agree that gifted and advanced students benefit greatly from being able to work on open-ended abstract tasks that are connected to subjects being taught at school. Texas law requires that schools provide an array of appropriately challenging learning experiences in the four (4) foundation curricular areas to gifted and talented students.
Elementary students (as determined by campus principal) will complete the Common Assessments at school with staff support. These projects cannot be sent home to be completed.
Each grade level has its own Common Assessment and they are provided in both English and Spanish to make it easier for Dual Language and Bilingual classroom integration. Each one is also divided into Humanities (language arts and social studies) and STEM (math and science) tasks.
Teachers need to teach the Common Assessments in the order presented as Part 1 will lead into Part 2 which leads into Part 3, etc. Each Common Assessment will have several tasks that students will complete. It should take approximately one week, about 30-45 minutes a day to complete the grade level Common Assessment.
If a teacher teaches all subjects, that teacher will teach all sections of the Common Assessment. If a teacher departmentalizes and shares students with another teacher, then each teacher will only teach the sections that connect to the subject(s) they teach. Teachers need to be sure to plan together to select the week they want to complete the Common Assessment and plan the days each one will teach each section. Remember to teach the sections and tasks in the order they are listed in the Common Assessment.
Teachers do not need to print a copy of the Common Assessments for each student, but can if they choose to do so. If copying for students, be sure to copy front to back and you will only need 2 pieces of paper per student. Another option is to project on the screen for the whole class to view and have a few paper copies available for students who need to examine the tasks more closely. Each student task will be completed on a separate sheet of paper. The teacher(s) will collect all student tasks and combine them in a digital or paper folder for the GT Advocate along with a copy of the activity pages.
Remember, the Common Assessments can be led with the whole class. If so, it is okay for students to read the provided reading as a whole class assignment or in a partner or small group setting. Teachers may want to read the text aloud with the students and have a classroom discussion regarding the reading before students work on the individual student tasks.
K-12 Student Voice and Choice Assessment
For these reasons, students who are being screened for gifted services will have an opportunity to pick a real-world issue or global concern to study and think about as they create an independent project of their choice. Adults can provide some guidance and support to students, but the project needs to be the student's own work.
All secondary students and elementary students (as determined by campus principal) will complete the Voice & Choice Assessment at school with staff support. These projects cannot be sent home to be completed. Teachers should reach out to the librarian and other support staff to see if they can help students research and plan for their Voice and Choice project.
Schools may also decide to have students complete the Voice & Choice Assessment at school but outside of the classroom setting. For example, the students could be pulled out of class by the GT Advocate or other support staff for a couple of extra hours beyond the Online CogAT testing days to allow students to have time to complete their Voice and Choice project. In this case, it is recommended that the librarian and other support staff be available to assist the GT Advocate in helping students with research and planning.
The school might also consider a hybrid model by providing both in-class and out-of-class time. In this example, the teacher would begin the work with the students during class time and the library or other flex space will be made available to students before or after school. If students will have an opportunity to work before or after school, the parents should be notified so they can plan for transportation.