DOCUMENT RESUME ED 082 413 EC 052 630 AUTHOR Teague, Cecil E., Comp. TITLE Report of Gifted Child Project 1969-1970. INSTITUTION Decatur City Schools, Ala. PUB DATE 70 NOTE 339p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$13.16 DESCRIPTORS *Exceptional Child Education; *Gifted; *Inservice Teacher Education; *Language Arts; Poetry; *Program Descriptions; Secondary School Students; Writing Skills IDENTIFIERS Decatur (Alabama) ABSTRACT Presented is the report of the gifted child project, conducted in the Decatur public schools, Alabama, from 1969 to 1970, consisting of an inservice program for 83 teachers and administrators and a pilot project in language arts for students in grades 9 and 10 in one high school. It is reported that the three teachers from the pilot project will continue to teach English to the same students throughout high school; also, the program will be expanded into elementary and secondary schools. Provided is information on expenditures, the national convention on gifted cl,ildren, ways to meet gifted children's needs, and objectives for 10 inservice meetings. Samples of inservice materials (articles, papers, procedures, and guidelines) in areas such as the following are included: helps for the gifted child, terms used in literature of the gifted, problems in identification, a creativity test, dimensions of creative thinking (originality, fluency, flexibility, and elaboration) , activities and ideas for elementary enrichment, and kinds of evaluation. A statement on philosophy which gives goals for maximum training of superior students precedes a section containing materials from the pilot project. Included are 11 short stories by students and their evaluations by students, the assignment sheet for the short story and poetry unit, comparisons of poetry and short stories, original poems, assignunt sheets for the novel, and compositions on the novel. Also Included are samples of teacher ratings and student ratings. (MC REPORT OF GIFTED CHILD PROJECT 1969-1970 Decatur City Schools Decatur, Alabama 11imil PrN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE v-1 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMEN T HAS BEEN REPRO DUCED EXAIM.,' AS FCCEIVED FROM (Nj THE PERSON :.,,a OP-r.ANIZATION ORIGIN a) STING IT POINTS C., V EY,/ OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT *.TCFScARILY REPRE CD SENT OFFICIAL NAT:01,4L INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION Pat,T ON OR POLICY uJ Report of Gifted ChildProject 1969-1970 Compiled by Cecil E. Teague Decatur City Schools Decatur, Alabama Table of Contents General Report Gifted Child Project Expenditures for Gifted Child Project Report of N.A.G,C. Convention Recommendations r Meeting the Needs of the Gifted - by Consultant George Stump In-Service II Organization Objectives Participants Samples of of In-Service Materials III Helping Your Gifted Child Accent on Talent Terms Commonly Used in Literature of the Gifted Successful Teachers of the Gifted Some Problems in the Definition and Iden- tification of Gifted High School Students Abilities Exhibited by Gifted Children Creativity Test Dimensions of Creative Thinking- Originality Dimensions of Creative Thinking- Fluency Dimensions of Creative Thinking- Flexibility Dimensions of Creative Thinking- Elaboration Methods Used for the Acceleration of the Gifted and Talented Doing Something with What is Read (Elaboration) Questions for Creative Reading Creativity Exercise Materials Elementary Enrichment Activities and Ideas Science Arithmetic Language Arts Social Studies Foreign LanguageF, Music Art Teaching 'resource. Materials Evaluation Evaluation of Learning Refinement cf Programs for Gifted Children Through a Process of Evaluation Evaluating Educational and Counseling Programs for Gifted Children Working Paper on Evaluation of Learning IV Austin High School Gifted Project- V Teacher Comments Identification Mat rials Short Story and Poetry Unit The Type of Learning Experiences Provided in the Short Story and Poe::cy Unit . Short Stories Written by Students in the Program Tommy How Can I Tell ilim? The Last Voyage of the Morning Star The Windshield Tawny A Half-Mile Run That Worm Wore Army Boots Down with the Red Balloon The First Day of Spring The Box The Little Old Lady. from Crystal Creek Short Story and Poetry Unit Assignment Sheet Poetry and Short Story Comparisons Critical Papers on Saki's Short Story Shredni NVashtar Original Poems Assignment Sheets - Novel Compositions from Novel Assigfinient Drama Unit Drama Unit Projects Samples of Student Profile Materials . -VI Three Samples, of Teacher Rated Materials Rating Scale for Development of Intellectual Abilities and Skills Intellectual Functioning Evaluation by Teacher Emotional Development Physical Development Social Development Two Samples of Student Profile Materials - Student Rated Preferences for Working Conditions Pupil Interest Survey Student Self-Evaluation Scale Value Rankings Gifted Child Project Decatur City Schools Although the 1968 -69 school year produced the first major ground work for a gifted child program in the Decatur City School System, interest in such a program had been expressed for several years by both the Junior Service League and the staff of the Decatur City Schools. Twice during the year, Dr. Ed Frierson, Director of Special Education at George Peabody College, served as consultant for initiating planning for a gifted child program. The work of Dr.Frierson was facilitated by assistance from two highly capable doctoral students. In order for teachers to be involved in these planning seLsions with Dr. Frierson and administrative staff members of the school system, the Decatur City Board of Education allowed eight teachers to be released from their teaching duties. As a result of Dr.Frierson's consultations,an in-service program was planned. Two series of meet- ings were to be scheduled. The primary aim of the in-service would be to acquaint teachers and other staff members with all aspects of working with the gifted. The in-service program was most successful. Attendance was good. Teachers were most receptive -2- to the idea of working with the gifted. Many teachers began utilizing immediately many of the concepts and methods learned during the meetings. Teachers,also, began to use the new materials purchased for the gifted. As a result of the in-service program, the Decatur City Schools began meeting the needs of many gifted children this year. (See in-service section of this report for further information on the in-service program.) A pilot project for children gifted in the language arts area was initiated in September 1969 at Austin High School. A class of ninth grade students and a class of tenth grade students were used in the project. A team of three teachers worked with the gifted project. Materials for the project were provided by funds from the Junior Service League, Title I, E.P.D.A., and Decatur City Board of Education. The project was highly successful. Both teachers and students, were most pleased with the project. (For further information about the Austin High School Gifted Project, see Austin High School Project section of this report.) As a result of the successful Austin High School Project, the teachers in the project are being allowed to work with one ninth grade class of these gifted students during the students' tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade years. (i.e. the teachers will teach the stud tents -.3- tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade English.) The administrative staff of the Decatur City Schools has decided to launch their main effort to work with the gifted in the middle schools. It was felt that the middle schools were the ideal place to concentrate due to the flexibility and uniqueness of the middle school organization. From the middle school, expansion into the elementary and secondary schools would be a natural growth for the gifted pro- gram. By using ability grouping, acceleration, enrich- ment activities, and self-initiated learning, the Decatur City SchoOls will meet the needs of more-and more gifted children. Using these four ways of work- ing with the gifted will enable the school system to reach more children than could be reached by any single way of working with the gifted. As time progresses, the Gifted Child Program of the Decatur City Schools will exhibit a more formal structure. Due to the number of programs which exist or have existed for the gifted, the Decatur City Schools are in the advantageous position of benefiting from the experience of other programs. The Decatur City Board of Education has arranged for Dr. Ed Frierson to conduct a system wide in-service meeting on May 5. This meeting will deal with the education of the gifted. On the morning of May 5, the 4- Decatur City Board of Education is again releasing a group of teachers from their teaching duties so that they can meet with Dr. Frierson to gain further guid- ance in planning for the gifted. On May 12 and 13, three staff members of the Decatur City Schools will visit programs for the gifted in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina. Plans are also being made to have the directors of these two Carolina programs to serve as consultants for the gifted project of the Decatur City Schools. Cecil E. Teague -1- Expenditures for Gifte,1 Child Project - 1969 - 1970 Q UANITY ITEMS PPTCE 25 Creative Thinkinf; Activities Books $1.6.50 A Group !!embership - National Association for Gifted Children 50.00 =1. 2. Ilental for film - eeting The Challenge of `The Gifted '4.90 2 Rental film - Understanding the Gifted 15.10 1 Test Set . aiIkinlIrlwithWords Form A 5.00 1 Test Set - Thinking Creatively with Words - Form B 5.00 Test Set - Thinking Creatively with Pictures Form A 5.00 Test Set- ThinkingCreatively with Pictures Form B 5.00 1 Norms - Technical Manual for Creative Thinking Tests 1.00 1 Examiner' Kit for Test A & B 7.50 4111-fmr.NNOy...,..,..s.mtb Ideah,)ok - Can You Imagine 11........ .66 1 Ideabook - For Those Who Wonder .72 PI. 7711...1.1...