Administrators Institute

Did you know …

• gifted and talented elementary students have already mastered from 35-50 percent of the curriculum to be offered in five basic subjects before they even begin the school year (Reis & Purcell, 1993, National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented)?

• the Fordham Institutes’ study High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB (2008) reports that the performance of the top students is stagnant? that teachers “believe that academically advanced students are not a high priority in their schools” (p. 51)?

• only a quarter of high achieving first graders are from low-socio economic conditions and that only half of these students remaining high achievers in elementary school? That the talents of high-achieving students from low income families are “under-nurtured” in schools (Wyner, Bridgeland, & Duluio, 2008)?

• Research in 1993 indicated that most teachers use one lesson plan to teach a diverse group of students? That ten years later, the results are the same in spite of the fact that the one-size-fits-all approach to teaching is ineffective (Archambault, Westberg, Brown, Zhang, & Emmons, 1993; Westburg & Daoust, 2003)?

Instructional leaders, have the power to advocate change in their schools or districts. They are the ones who ensure a relevant and rigorous curriculum for all students – including the gifted and talented. Appropriate challenge and continuous progress are the goals. How can administrators facilitate continuous progress? How can they purge one-size-fits-all teaching and stagnation of their high-achieving students? Held for four years, the Administrators Institute provides answers and resources. Participants leave this day-and-a-half institute armed with strategic plans they’ve personally designed for their schools or districts.

 

References

Archambault, F. X., Jr., Westberg, K. L., Brown, S. W., Hallmark, B. W., Emmons, C. L., & Zhang, W. (1993). Regular classroom practices with gifted students: Results of a national survey of classroom teachers. (Research Monograph 93102). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.

Duffett, A., Farkas, S., & Loveless, T., (2008). High-achieving students in the era of NCLB. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Available on the web athttp://www.edexcellence.net/detail/news.cfm?news_id=732&id=130

Reis, S., & Purcell, J. (1993). An analysis of content elimination strategies used by elementary classroom teachers in the curriculum compacting process. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 16(2), 147-170.

Westburg, K.L., Burns, D.E., Gubbins, E. J., Reis, S.M., Park, S., & Maxfield, L. R. (1998, Spring). Professional development practices in gifted education: Results of a national survey. The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Newsletter, 3-4. Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.

Wyner, J. S., Bridgeland, J. M., & Diulio, J. J. (2010). Achievementrap: How America is failing millions of high-achieving students from lower-income families. Lansdowne, VA: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Available on the web atwww.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/jkc.pdf

Important Information about The Administrators Institute

Dates
November 18, 2010: 8-30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CDT
November 19, 2010: 8:30 p.m. - 12:00 p.m. CDT

Location
Carrol Knicely Conference Center
2355 Nasvhille Road
Bowling Green, KY 42101

To download an application for the 2010 Administrators Institute click here.