Ask Roxann: What Is Happening To Lakewood's Gifted Program
L.O.: There are a lot of rumors flying around about the Gifted Program that range from completely restructuring it to getting rid of almost all of it.
We have seen gifted teachers moved from middle school to elementary school and not replaced, and our 2/3, and 4/5 programs eliminated without any input from the community.
We understand that a committee that includes parents and teachers as well as administrators is currently reviewing the District's Gifted Program. Can you provide an overview of what's being looked at, and the overall goals of the committee?
From the desk of Pam Griebel, Director of Teaching and Learning:
PG: The Lakewood City School District has undertaken a study of its gifted programming this year. Using the process of appreciative inquiry a large group of administrators and parents have been studying the current gifted programming to determine whether changes could be recommended to the program to enhance educational opportunities for students. Currently, the district serves gifted students in grade 3-8 with a self-contained classroom model, and through AP and advanced courses at Lakewood High School. The charge of the committee is to recommend to the superintendent a plan for a continuum of service for the school district that casts a wider net to serve more specifically identified academic students as well as those students who are currently in the self-contained program. Another need that was identified was a communication plan that would include online and paper resources for parents and teachers that more clearly define the program components.
The larger committee is divided into three subcommittees: Assessment and Identification, Service Model, and Philosophy, Handbook and Communication. The subcommittees shared out their work to the large committee on January 28 and intend to share that communication with the community as a whole.
Parents are invited to attend one of two meetings to hear progress of committee work and offer input into the progress. These meetings will be held at Harding Middle School Cafetorium from 7-8 p.m. on February 25 and 26. In early March the subcommittees will reconvene to review the strengths and needs identified by the committee and community, in order to incorporate those suggestions into the formal recommendation presented to Mr. Patterson in March 2015.
The ultimate goal of the gifted study is to retain aspects of the programming that are valued by our learning community while strengthening and casting a wider net to reach students who might currently qualify for gifted programming, but because of the current model of service are not receiving services at this time. Any changes to the Lakewood City School District Gifted Program will be widely communicated to parents and our community.