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Dear Parents, Colleagues, and Community Members,
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Mainers are lucky people! They live in a state that's beauty far surpasses most regions! They enjoy a less hectic lifestyle than most and appreciate the sanctity of family and friends. The great outdoors is their playground and offers more year-round activities than the imagination can fathom. Maine is also a proud supporter of gifted education (Maine Gifted Law Chapter 104). This speaks to the high value that Maine places on education. The words “meeting the needs of every learner” are met with action in Maine. I am proud to reside in Maine and look forward to sharing my talents with my community. The opportunity to work with your children as the Talent Development/Extended Learning Coordinator is an honor.
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According to the Johns Hopkins Center, identifying talented Youth for more than 40 years relied on test scores as a make-or-break qualifier for its academic enrichment programs. But when it came to reaching high-potential students in Baltimore City, that formula didn't work; CTY interim director Amy Shelton wrote an op-ed for The Baltimore Sun published recently (NAGC News, May 22, 2019). Amy's position piqued my interest, and I tend to agree quite frankly.
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In her Baltimore Sun article, Shelton (2019) explains that aptitude and achievement tests—including those used by CTY and college admissions—have a pronounced socioeconomic and cultural bias. When CTY developed the free Baltimore Emerging Scholars program five years ago, the nonprofit opted to bypass testing entirely. Instead, the program and its new spin-off summer program rely on school recommendations to identify academically gifted Baltimore City elementary schoolers. Shelton's argument is valid and concerning. As an educator and parent, I have experienced firsthand how outside circumstances affect test scores. A bad day, illness, anxiety, lack of sleep, hunger, and so on can profoundly impact a student's mental aptitude. This can cause an intellectual divide between ability and proficient test-taking skills. Shelton (2019) added that advanced learners exist in all communities. Still, we have little hope of closing the often-cited “excellence gap" if we cannot identify these students and provide them with the support they need to realize their full potential.
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The Millinocket Schools will be piloting a universal identification process. The NWEA scores will be used as a starting point for identification. The NWEA test is a national test available to all grades K - 12 students. This will provide equity among students and validity to the program. The CogAT nonverbal tests will also be used; i-Ready scores will be reviewed. However, research supports that not all student test scores accurately indicate their knowledge and talents. Therefore, teacher recommendations will play a significant role in the identification process, and parent and student recommendations will be considered.
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Additionally, I will evaluate students during classroom visits, enrichment clusters, and after-school activities. This systematic collaborative approach will take time to implement fully. The ultimate goal is to create a process that is fair and accessible for all students who show an aptitude or desire for advanced learning opportunities.
The process will require support from parents, teachers, students, and community members. A Talent Development/Extended Learning Committee will be formed to provide a venue for collaboration and begin to meet this Fall. A group of dynamic parents, teachers, students, community members, and students will develop the team and meet once a month for an hour to discuss, review and evaluate the program. The team will be a tremendous asset and essential to the program's success. If you are interested in becoming a part of this dynamic team, please complete this online invitation. Your commitment will be minimal; one monthly hour meeting and refreshments will be provided! The meetings will be held in the Talent Development/Extended Learning Classroom (room 202) located in the Stearn Jr/Sr High School from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM. The first meeting will be in October 2023.
A few of the exciting programs to be offered are Chess Club, Future City Engineering, Mock Trial, Historical Theater, Journey North Tulip Project, Project Citizen, Newspaper Forum, Stock Market, Destination Imagination, Model UN, Engineering, Personal Finance, Paranormal Studies, Film/Podcasting Studies, Introduction to Marketing, We The People: The Citizen, and The Constitution, Debating, Project Citizen, Junior National Honor Society, Community Service endeavors, First Lego League, National History Day Contest, Bridge Building Competition, Math Video Challenge, Street Law, Esports, Cribbage, and Scrabble Club. The following advanced middle school classes will be offered during the Electives, STEM, and Humanities; additionally, a Liberal Arts class will be available during the RTI block (Monday - Thursday).
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The Talent Development/Extended Learning Program’s goal is to continue the District's educational vision of providing a world-class education that is rigorous, relevant, and motivating to ensure that students reach their potential in an environment of continual learning for both students and staff by expanding advanced and enrichment opportunities.
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Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns by phone, email, or a visit. My classroom is located in the Stearns Jr/Sr High School in room 202.
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Sincerely,
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Laura Dwyer
Talent Development/Extended Learning Teacher