We are in week Three of Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary School! We have been learning so much about our students, and we continue to do so. Students have been assessed using the ORF (Oral Reading Fluency Assessment), and math pre-assessments that our teachers created this summer, to determine our first set of flexible grouping. I so appreciate all of this pre-assessment. Yes, it takes time. To read through an entire class set of math pre-assessments takes a lot of time on the part of the teacher, but it is time very well spent, as the student is the benefactor of the effort. Now we are in the throes of MAP testing (Measure of Academic Progress) in both math and reading, and CogAT testing (Cognitive Abilities Testing) for third and fifth grade. The MAP tests are designed to show achievement in two core academic areas - math and reading - and the CogATs are designed to show cognitive ability in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal (general academic intellectual, including problem-solving and reasoning). This sounds like a lot (which, frankly, it is!), but gives us such a valuable picture when creating and implementing the right educational program for each child.
My little story of the day is about a little boy who talked with his parents about how happy he is at Harriet Bishop this year. Last year he had a bit of a struggle in his school, but because of the way our school is structured this year, he has articulated how comfortable he is with his same-age peers and how excited he is to be in his class (with a SmartBoard!). This is why we are building this program - and stumbling at times, but continuing the journey - it is because of our students and their success.