MCPS is cutting ELC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this makes me think about the lottery-based CES programs.
Imagine if special education and EML programs were lottery-based.
Why is it that only the low performing students are guaranteed the services/programs they need?

Because gifted students will still score high on standardized tests regardless of what they’re offered. That’s the sad truth. They only care about raising the bottom in our accountability based system.

Also because the IDEA guarantees FAPE for students with disabilities. No such federal law for gifted students. Although with the dismantling of civil rights at the federal level, who knows.

In fairness, that is the goal of public education. The goal is a sort of minimum competency for our citizenry, not to help every student reach their full potential.

What a waste of time and potential to sit all day for 13 years of instruction designed only to raise the bottom students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another important benefit of Model 1 (cohorted classes) is that my understanding is that teachers of ELC classes get mandatory, focused training on how to teach and support gifted kids. General elementary school teachers get little to no training on this.

I haven’t seen training as part of the plan, I hope it is- for either model. Model 2 may need even more training on handling the larger range of students in the same class and meeting everyone’s needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another important benefit of Model 1 (cohorted classes) is that my understanding is that teachers of ELC classes get mandatory, focused training on how to teach and support gifted kids. General elementary school teachers get little to no training on this.

I haven’t seen training as part of the plan, I hope it is- for either model. Model 2 may need even more training on handling the larger range of students in the same class and meeting everyone’s needs.

+1
Model 2 is much harder to implement meaningfully. Teachers need to be very adept at integrating enrichment into the class when they also have below-grade level students. In fact what will happen in most classrooms is that students who are above grade level will receive no enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another important benefit of Model 1 (cohorted classes) is that my understanding is that teachers of ELC classes get mandatory, focused training on how to teach and support gifted kids. General elementary school teachers get little to no training on this.

I haven’t seen training as part of the plan, I hope it is- for either model. Model 2 may need even more training on handling the larger range of students in the same class and meeting everyone’s needs.

At the Board of Ed subcommittee meeting on gifted kids a few weeks ago, it seemed pretty clear to me that ELC teachers are considered a special category that gets a whole bunch of dedicated training multiple times a year from the AEI office on a variety of topics related to gifted kids that they rattled off ... whereas it sounds like other/general ed teachers get little-to-none of that. Stewart and Montoya both seemed concerned about that, FWIW.

Video is here, the section on training starts around 1:30 and lasts 15 minutes or so: https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/341601

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another important benefit of Model 1 (cohorted classes) is that my understanding is that teachers of ELC classes get mandatory, focused training on how to teach and support gifted kids. General elementary school teachers get little to no training on this.

I haven’t seen training as part of the plan, I hope it is- for either model. Model 2 may need even more training on handling the larger range of students in the same class and meeting everyone’s needs.

At the Board of Ed subcommittee meeting on gifted kids a few weeks ago, it seemed pretty clear to me that ELC teachers are considered a special category that gets a whole bunch of dedicated training multiple times a year from the AEI office on a variety of topics related to gifted kids that they rattled off ... whereas it sounds like other/general ed teachers get little-to-none of that. Stewart and Montoya both seemed concerned about that, FWIW.

Video is here, the section on training starts around 1:30 and lasts 15 minutes or so: https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/341601

It sounds like more of targeted training and a train the trainer model. They are training those who are assigned person for gifted students, and also training leaders like Principals, Content Specialist, Reading Specialist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another important benefit of Model 1 (cohorted classes) is that my understanding is that teachers of ELC classes get mandatory, focused training on how to teach and support gifted kids. General elementary school teachers get little to no training on this.

I haven’t seen training as part of the plan, I hope it is- for either model. Model 2 may need even more training on handling the larger range of students in the same class and meeting everyone’s needs.

At the Board of Ed subcommittee meeting on gifted kids a few weeks ago, it seemed pretty clear to me that ELC teachers are considered a special category that gets a whole bunch of dedicated training multiple times a year from the AEI office on a variety of topics related to gifted kids that they rattled off ... whereas it sounds like other/general ed teachers get little-to-none of that. Stewart and Montoya both seemed concerned about that, FWIW.

Video is here, the section on training starts around 1:30 and lasts 15 minutes or so: https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/341601

It sounds like more of targeted training and a train the trainer model. They are training those who are assigned person for gifted students, and also training leaders like Principals, Content Specialist, Reading Specialist.

I am skeptical that much meaningful training on teaching gifted kids really makes it to the general teachers, despite the fact that as others have mentioned they probably have the *harder* job of trying to effectively differentiate and enrich for advanced kids while simultaneously teaching on-level kids and trying to help below-level kids access the material and make progress on catching up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this makes me think about the lottery-based CES programs.
Imagine if special education and EML programs were lottery-based.
Why is it that only the low performing students are guaranteed the services/programs they need?

Because gifted students will still score high on standardized tests regardless of what they’re offered. That’s the sad truth. They only care about raising the bottom in our accountability based system.

Also because the IDEA guarantees FAPE for students with disabilities. No such federal law for gifted students. Although with the dismantling of civil rights at the federal level, who knows.

This is absolutely true. When our principal presented the terrible 4th and 5th grade results from the end of module assessments for our school, she noted that children in ELC this year did not take the assessments so it made sense scores were lower because they were missing “a bunch of students”. I am certain that played into the decision to not let our 5th graders finish out the ELC curriculum even though that’s what everyone wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no a federal right to GT education, but MD requires it. The law says “shall” not “can.” See COMAR here: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Gifted-Talented/COMAR_13A0407_GT_Education.pdf

Excerpt:
Programs and Services.
A. Each school system shall provide different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program from an annually reviewed Maryland State Department of Education approved list of programs and
services in order to develop the gifted and talented student’s potential. Appropriately differentiated, evidenced-based programs and services shall accelerate, extend, or enrich instructional content, strategies, and
products to demonstrate and apply learning.
B. Each school system shall review the effectiveness of its programs and services.
C. Each school system shall implement programs and services for gifted and talented students that:
(1) Provide a continuum of appropriately differentiated curriculum and evidence-based academic programs and services in grades PreK—12 during the regular school day for identified gifted and talented students.
(2) Provide programs and services to support the social and emotional growth of gifted and talented students.
(3) Provide programs and services to inform and involve parents/guardians of gifted and talented students.

But no one is enforcing this or defining it. MCPS thinks that by designating some kids as gifted in 2nd grade and giving “enrichment” aka extra worksheets they’re abiding by the letter of the law.

Who exactly is supposed to be enforcing the law?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of this makes me think about the lottery-based CES programs.
Imagine if special education and EML programs were lottery-based.
Why is it that only the low performing students are guaranteed the services/programs they need?

You can be high performing with IEP. IEP has nothing to do with high or low performing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no a federal right to GT education, but MD requires it. The law says “shall” not “can.” See COMAR here: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Gifted-Talented/COMAR_13A0407_GT_Education.pdf

Excerpt:
Programs and Services.
A. Each school system shall provide different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program from an annually reviewed Maryland State Department of Education approved list of programs and
services in order to develop the gifted and talented student’s potential. Appropriately differentiated, evidenced-based programs and services shall accelerate, extend, or enrich instructional content, strategies, and
products to demonstrate and apply learning.
B. Each school system shall review the effectiveness of its programs and services.
C. Each school system shall implement programs and services for gifted and talented students that:
(1) Provide a continuum of appropriately differentiated curriculum and evidence-based academic programs and services in grades PreK—12 during the regular school day for identified gifted and talented students.
(2) Provide programs and services to support the social and emotional growth of gifted and talented students.
(3) Provide programs and services to inform and involve parents/guardians of gifted and talented students.

But no one is enforcing this or defining it. MCPS thinks that by designating some kids as gifted in 2nd grade and giving “enrichment” aka extra worksheets they’re abiding by the letter of the law.

Who exactly is supposed to be enforcing the law?

Anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no a federal right to GT education, but MD requires it. The law says “shall” not “can.” See COMAR here: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Gifted-Talented/COMAR_13A0407_GT_Education.pdf

Excerpt:
Programs and Services.
A. Each school system shall provide different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program from an annually reviewed Maryland State Department of Education approved list of programs and
services in order to develop the gifted and talented student’s potential. Appropriately differentiated, evidenced-based programs and services shall accelerate, extend, or enrich instructional content, strategies, and
products to demonstrate and apply learning.
B. Each school system shall review the effectiveness of its programs and services.
C. Each school system shall implement programs and services for gifted and talented students that:
(1) Provide a continuum of appropriately differentiated curriculum and evidence-based academic programs and services in grades PreK—12 during the regular school day for identified gifted and talented students.
(2) Provide programs and services to support the social and emotional growth of gifted and talented students.
(3) Provide programs and services to inform and involve parents/guardians of gifted and talented students.

But no one is enforcing this or defining it. MCPS thinks that by designating some kids as gifted in 2nd grade and giving “enrichment” aka extra worksheets they’re abiding by the letter of the law.

Who exactly is supposed to be enforcing the law?

Anyone?

Central Office AEI, the Gifted Liaison, heck the ELA team and OCIP. Advanced and Gifted students do not have a responsibility to make school test scores look a certain way. They are students just like everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no a federal right to GT education, but MD requires it. The law says “shall” not “can.” See COMAR here: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Gifted-Talented/COMAR_13A0407_GT_Education.pdf

Excerpt:
Programs and Services.
A. Each school system shall provide different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program from an annually reviewed Maryland State Department of Education approved list of programs and
services in order to develop the gifted and talented student’s potential. Appropriately differentiated, evidenced-based programs and services shall accelerate, extend, or enrich instructional content, strategies, and
products to demonstrate and apply learning.
B. Each school system shall review the effectiveness of its programs and services.
C. Each school system shall implement programs and services for gifted and talented students that:
(1) Provide a continuum of appropriately differentiated curriculum and evidence-based academic programs and services in grades PreK—12 during the regular school day for identified gifted and talented students.
(2) Provide programs and services to support the social and emotional growth of gifted and talented students.
(3) Provide programs and services to inform and involve parents/guardians of gifted and talented students.

But no one is enforcing this or defining it. MCPS thinks that by designating some kids as gifted in 2nd grade and giving “enrichment” aka extra worksheets they’re abiding by the letter of the law.

Who exactly is supposed to be enforcing the law?

Anyone?

Central Office AEI, the Gifted Liaison, heck the ELA team and OCIP. Advanced and Gifted students do not have a responsibility to make school test scores look a certain way. They are students just like everyone else.

And the state if none of them does it. But MSDE is weak and MCOS/BOE know it.

[Anonymous]

I made a petition for mcps to not cut ELC. https://chng.it/mkYgDcB5Th Sign the petition to not remove ELC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made a petition for mcps to not cut ELC. https://chng.it/mkYgDcB5Th Sign the petition to not remove ELC!

Thanks! Are you a student? I'm almost certain it's too late to save the ELC, unfortunately. But what might work would be to list what you think are the most important features of the ELC and start a petition urging MCPS to make sure to include those things in their new enrichment for 4th and 5th graders, because the details of the new enrichment options are still being worked out and could probably still be changed to include additional components. Would you consider a petition like that? What do you think are the most valuable parts of the ELC that MCPS should make sure to keep?

[Anonymous]

Agree. The ELC curriculum itself is gone. Best message is to keep an advanced class, rather than asking teachers to offer enrichment to just some students in an all-levels class.