## FY 2005 Project Abstracts

## Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program 

**(In Rank Order)**

**PR AWARD #: S206A050010**

**Grantee: Iowa Department of Education**

**City/State: Des Moines, IA**

**Contact: Jim Reese**

**Target Grade Level: K-12**

**Funding: 318,654 (Year One)**

This project is the joint effort of the Iowa Department of Education and
the University of Iowa's Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education to
address gifted and talented students who have learning difficulties.
Through a joint effort, Iowa will carry out a coordinated program of
scientifically based research and build and enhance the ability of
elementary and secondary schools to meet the special education needs of
gifted and talented students. This project uses a 5-D Model-Discovery,
Description, Documentation, Development, and Dissemination. As a result
of this project, educators will (1) increase their awareness and
understanding of the number and characteristics of twice-exceptional
students; (2) have knowledge of effective systems to comprehensively
evaluate twice-exceptional students; (3) improve their attitudes about
providing appropriate interventions for twice-exceptional students; (4)
have improved skills to understand the unique learning needs of
twice-exceptional students; and (5) change their behavior by applying
their knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and skills as they implement more
appropriate procedures and interventions for twice-exceptional students.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050054**

**Grantee: Colorado Department of Education**

**City/State: Denver, CO**

**Contact: Jacqueline Medina**

**Target Grade Level: K-3**

**Funding: \$123,181 (Year One)**

Project Take Five: *Unfolding Gifted Programming* is a three-year effort
that is designed to better prepare educators for working with gifted and
talented students. Take Five is a promising partnership among educators,
districts, university faculty, regional professional development
councils and the Colorado Department of Education. Take Five focuses on
the development of new professional development modules and the
implementation of U-STARS, an exemplary K-3 Science/Literature
curriculum, to impact teacher practice and enhance student achievement.
The goals of Project Take Five are (1) to increase the ability of
schools to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented
students, and (2) to increase the number of identified gifted students
in low-income and/or high minority schools. Ultimately, gifted students
will be observed during and after the grant period, which will
demonstrate evidence of advanced performance, especially in underserved
populations, as influenced through change in elementary and secondary
practice.

**PR AWARD#: S206A050034**

## Grantee: District One/ NYC Dept. Of Education

**Contact: Barbara Slatin**

**City/State: New York, NY**

# Target Grade Level: 6-8

**Funding: \$156,599 (Year One)**

**The New York City Department of Education** in collaboration with the
School Leadership Team Board has formed the Research Demonstration
Project. The implementation of the Research Demonstration Project will
meet four goals: Curriculum Development, Direct Instructional Services,
Guidance Services Support for Students and Family Outreach, and
Professional Development for middle school teachers in Title I schools.
In partnership, Bard High School Early College (BHSEC), Bard's Institute
for Writing and Thinking, and Master of Arts in Teaching Program, will
serve learners who are economically disadvantaged and underrepresented
in gifted and talented programs by allowing these students additional
resources necessary for higher education.

**PR AWARD#: S206A050046**

## Grantee: Page Unified School District

# Contact: Diane Hansen

# City/State: Page, AZ

**Target Grade Level: 3-6**

**Funding: \$338,957 (Year One)**

**The Buried Treasure**: *A Journey of Discovery* project is designed as
a comprehensive program to transform the education environment of Page
Unified School District through four goals: to increase the number of
students identified as gifted resulting in equity across district
demographics, to increase the number of teachers trained to support
gifted students with instruction for gifted and talented students, and
to disseminate the project model and practices to other educators of the
gifted. This project will allow students considered underrepresented and
gifted to have access to additional resources in order to bridge the
achievement gap. The results of this project will be disseminated at
state and national conferences and will add to the research on gifted
talented education.

**PR AWARD#: S206A050115**

**Grantee: Fremont County School District #38**

**Contact: Barney Lacock**

**City/State: Arapahoe, WY**

**Target Grade Level: 5-8**

**Funding: \$271,294 (Year One)**

**Fremont County School District** in collaboration with the Arapaho
Native American tribe has established the Dream Catchers Gifted and
Talented Project. The Dream Catchers' Project has three interventions:
Mastery Leaning, Creative/Artistic Expression, and Community
Service/Social Responsibility. This project is expected to significantly
enhance the understanding of the role that self-efficacy has on academic
achievement, goal setting, and cultural identity among American Native
Americans who are considered gifted and talented. This project will draw
upon the Native American culture to assist students in developing
achievement methods and provide interventions that specifically target
self-regulatory processes and artistic creative expression.

**PR AWARD#: S206A050068**

## Grantee: Davis Joint Unified School District 

# City/State: Davis, CA

**Contact: Nancy Brownell**

**Target Grade Level: 4-5**

**Funding: \$108,657 (Year One)**

**The Davis Joint Unified School District**, the California State
University, Sacramento, and the Equity Network have partnered to enhance
student achievement in the elementary school setting. This project seeks
to provide: a framework in which a sound research protocol may assist
school districts in identifying GATE students, provide the in-class
tools to improve student learning through a differentiated instructional
professional development series, influence other school districts, and
initiate an educational enrichment program for students in grades 4-5.
This project allows for easy incorporation into ongoing professional
development programs in the California school district. Teachers as well
as students will benefit from this program through the continuous
learning experiences provided by this project.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050136**

**Grantee: Ohio Department of Education**

**City/State: Columbus, OH**

**Contact: David Ehle**

**Target Grade Level: K-12**

**Funding: 399,209 (Year One)**

**Project I-GET-GTEd**- Improving Gifted Education by Teaching Groups of
Trainers and Educators will develop and deliver high quality
professional development (HQPD) training modules in gifted education
that are tailored to the needs of five critical target groups-general
education teachers, education administrators, school counselors, school
psychologists, and parents of gifted children. This project will develop
a module for gifted education specialists that focus on high quality
professional development, the adult learning theory, and leadership.
Project I-GET-GTEd will train 550 gifted specialists and 11,000
educators throughout the state of Ohio. Impact measures will include pre
and post assessments of the trained target groups, changes in LEA
policies and practices related to gifted education, changes in resources
allocated to serving gifted students, and changes in the availability of
research-based gifted services that have proven to be effective in
promoting student achievement.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050011**

# Grantee: Massachusetts Department of Education

**City/State: Malden, MA**

**Contact: Susan Whetle**

**Target Grade Level: Pre K-12**

**Funding: \$326,682 (Year One)**

**The Massachusetts Partnership** for Gifted Education is a
collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Education, the
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, the Massachusetts Department of
Early Education and Care, the Massachusetts Association of School
Superintendents, the University of Massachusetts, the College Board, and
the Massachusetts Association for Gifted Education. This project will
add to the research on Pre K-12 gifted education by building on existing
state initiatives and research based curricula. This project will serve
200 educational leaders, 150 teachers, and 3,000 students and enhance
student achievement among minority students as well as non-English
speaking students. This project will convene leadership conferences on
research-based services with an emphasis on serving low-income and
minority students as well as English language learners.

**PR AWARD #: S206A05112**

**Grantee: Maryland State Department of Education**

**City/State: Baltimore, MD**

**Contact: Dr. Jeanne Paynter**

**Target Grade Level: Pre K-2**

**Funding: \$255,828 (Year One)**

**Project Operation Evidence**: Potential and Promise in Primary
Students will enhance the ability of Maryland elementary schools to
nurture and challenge Pre K-2 students in underrepresented populations
through a coordinated plan of scientifically based research. The
overarching goals of this project are twofold: (1) to demonstrate
evidence that a talent development approach is effective in identifying
and nurturing high achievement capabilities among underrepresented
groups, and (2) provide evidence that an exemplary curriculum and high
quality professional development can affect teacher's expectations to
increase nominations for gifted and talented education. The professional
development and curriculum activities of this project will potentially
impact all primary classroom teachers, special education, ELL and gifted
resource teachers and Pre K-2 students in St. Mary's County, Maryland
(16 schools) and Baltimore County Schools (104 schools).

**PR AWARD #: S206A050051**

**Grantee: Special School District Number 1**

**City/State: Minneapolis, MN**

**Contact: Christine Maefsky**

**Target Grade Level: K-8**

**Funding: \$200,000 (Year One)**

**The High Potential Strategies Project (HPSP)** embraces cultural
diversity that identifies America's gifted children by using effective
measures to recognize who they are, by identifying and recognizing their
individual needs, by using a program design that addresses those needs,
and by providing ongoing gifted and talented services to K-8 students in
a resource limited environment. The goal of HPSP is for Minneapolis
Public Schools to increase participation of culturally diverse gifted
and talented learners in advanced level courses at middle and high
school. The impact of HPSP will be to train and support 55 teachers in
55 schools to identify gifted and talented students in grades K-8, and
deliver instruction with project partners and staff specialists in:
Special Education, Bilingual Multicultural Education, Indian Education,
Homeless & Highly Mobile Students, and Arts for Academic Achievement.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050063**

**Grantee: Ysleta Independent School District**

**City/State: El Paso, TX**

**Contact: Sheryl C. Maxsom**

**Target Grade Level: PreK-12**

**Funding: \$399,418 (Year One)**

**Project Change** will implement a focused, research-based planning
model that will raise the threshold of performance in all content areas
as well as promote the critical thinking for economically disadvantaged,
LEP learners in a variety of settings. The goals of Project Change
are 1) to implement an alternative identification instrument that is
sensitive to economically disadvantaged LEP learners for purposes of
increasing the identification of LEP students in the Bel Air High School
feeder pattern by 2%; 2) to develop and implement professional training
models for teachers, administrators and parents to increase conceptual
understanding of content by students; 3) to implement, refine, and
extend a scientifically research-based instructional model to increase
critical thinking and problem solving abilities; 4) to conduct research
on short-term and longitudinal student learning gains and the use of
innovative educational methods to gain a better understanding of how to
serve economically disadvantaged LEP students; 5) to strengthen parent
capacity as professional partners to help students realize higher levels
of achievement; and 6) to disseminate project information regarding
increased student identification and academic gains. Proj**e**ct Change
will serve as a model that can be replicated to address the present and
future needs of the diverse gifted and talented student population.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050127**

**Grantee: NYC Region 10**

**City/State: New York, NY**

**Contact: Nicky Rosen**

**Target Grade Level: 4-8**

**Funding: \$270,000 (Year One)**

**The New York City Education Department's Region 10**, in partnership
with the City University of New York Hunter College, Kids Unique, Inc.
will build capacity in high poverty schools through a three-pronged
strategy: improvements in identification procedures, advanced student
services, and teacher training. This project will impact 150 children
(and parents) in advanced academic/mentoring programs and 120 teachers
(and their students) through professional development opportunities. A
unique feature of Project Excel is that an Itinerant Support Team
comprised of certified and experienced gifted and talented teachers will
be recruited to reach out to schools, visiting targeted schools and
providing onsite assistance. A major focus of the Project Excel is to
provide high ability students with opportunities for advanced work in
Arts, Mathematics and Science that they would not otherwise receive in
their local schools.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050091**

**Grantee: Peekskill City Public Schools**

**City/State: Peekskill, NY**

**Contact: Kay Barthelmes**

**Target Grade Level: K-8**

**Funding: \$249,800 (Year One)**

**Project POTENTIAL** will serve 1,297 students and 60 teachers in the
Peekskill City School District. This project is a collaboration between
two elementary schools, middle school and the Center for Talented
Development at the College of New Rochelle. The project design utilizes
research and evidence based practices in optimizing achievement for all
students, in identifying students with gifts and talents in specific
domains, and in providing effective instruction for gifted and talented
students. Project POTENTIAL will utilize a strong professional
development component to improve the strengths, flexibility and
creativity of teachers to differentiate instruction for all students, to
meet the needs of high ability students in the regular classrooms, to
recognize potential giftedness, and to utilize successful procedures to
identify students' gifts and talents.

**PR AWARD #: S206A050086**

**Grantee: Nashua School District**

**City/State: Nashua, NH**

**Contact: John Nelson**

**Target Grade Level: 6-8**

**Funding: \$103,833 (Year One)**

# The Further Steps Forward Project will serve 150 teachers, 15 gifted education specialists and 9,479 middle school students in the Nashua School District, Nashua, New Hampshire. This project seeks to improve the ability of Nashua middle schools within the city, state, and region by identifying and educating underserved gifted and talented populations. The goals of the project are twofold: (1) to identify, develop, and test screening instruments specific to the target middle school students, and (2) to create and promote professional development in the field of gifted and talented education. An internet communication system will be created to implement gifted and talented professional development online. The evaluation component of this project will include pre and post test assessments over the life of the grant.