Student Opportunities for Academic Richness
Dawn at
Maloney Point,
Mrs. Dawn Maloney
495 – 5579
What is SOAR?
SOAR is an educational opportunity for students who qualify as Gifted by Colorado Department of Education standards and/or who are highly motivated, focused on academic achievement, and demonstrate talent in academic areas.
Why do we offer SOAR?
Some students who may or may not enjoy their regular classes would benefit from an additional experience that delves deeper into a subject area with more personalized attention.
What is the Colorado Department of Education guidelines
for qualification?
The following graphic explains:
How does a student qualify for SOAR in District
49?
A three-part identification process in district 49 that takes into account information from;
- Cognitive Abilities Testing, or an I.Q. equivalent and Iowa Test of Basic Skills testing or other norm referenced testing and previous performance together make a body if evidence.
- A teacher recommendation
- Parent recommendation (any level) or self-recommendation (in higher grades) with products or concrete evidence of support .
In addition to these qualifications, a body of evidence (performance items) is considered that demonstrates talent in areas.
What if a student appears gifted or talented but also
struggles with some basic skills or affective needs?
Students who are, “twice exceptional” will be considered for SOAR services. The special education and SOAR department will work together to highlight and encourage a student’s strength while continuing to work on strengthening skills for success in the regular classroom.
HOW IS
CONTENT TAUGHT IN SOAR?
Differentiation –
For many students, their own classroom teacher is meeting the needs of a variety of learners in the classroom. This is accomplished through Differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction requires a teacher to identify the needs of all students and assign learning experiences that best fit a variety of needs in the classroom. For the gifted student, the assignment may have many choices in presentation style and higher level thinking activities held to a strict rubric (in some cases this looks like a contract, co-created by the student and the teacher). This is to ensure that the gifted or talented student uses his/her skills and intellect to produce a challenging and in depth project.
Pull-Out from regular classroom –
Pulling students from regular classes is only truly practical for Middle School on a quarterly basis. The teacher will follow the same curriculum outline as the regular classroom teacher does, but is able to have students with similar abilities work together on projects. The assessment is scored by the SOAR teacher.
In class Co-Teaching –
Teachers may collaborate on inter- disciplinary units presented to students in the classroom. This kind of teaching is designed with differentiation for instruction and attention to smaller group interaction.
.
Individual Mentorships –
A student may have a passion in one area of study that is best met with an individual mentorship. The SOAR teacher, with the student will design a course of study for the student and a professional in the community. Rubrics are used to ensure the meeting of Colorado State Standards and SOAR objectives.
Activities – Contests AVAILABLE AT
SKYVIEW
National Geographic Bee http://www.du.edu/education/ces/di/
Continental Math League http://www.continentalmathematicsleague.com/
Knowledge Bowl (Tri-County Athletics)
More to be included in the future
ALP –
ADVANCED LEARNING PLAN
Advanced Learning Plan for Identified Students are written to include goals and expectations for students expected to work above grade level.
WEBSITES OF
INTEREST FROM CDE
Links to Associations and Organizations
|
Association/Web
Address |
Description |
|
The Association for the Gifted (TAG) |
A division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Promotes Scholarly research, advocacy, and professional development.
|
|
http://www.coloradogifted.org/ |
CAGT is a non-profit
organization of parents, educators, and others interested in promoting
suitable education, including creative stimulation, for gifted and
talented children, while also seeking public recognition and aid for the
special needs of these children. |
|
http://www.bvsd.k12.co.us/tag/resume21.html |
COLO-GT is an electronic
information exchange network for educators of gifted and talented students
in
|
|
The Jacob Javits Gifted Education Program http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/Javits/index.html |
Part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
|
|
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) |
NAGC is a non-profit organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences.
|
|
The
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt.html |
Promotes and publishes
research, especially dealing with current and emerging issues in the
education of gifted and talented students. |
|
International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO) |
The IBO, founded in 1968, is a
nonprofit educational foundation based in |