Consultants recommend inclusive approach to ‘gifted’ education in District 181

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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:41AM

Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181 is planning the continued use of outside experts in education for gifted students as it develops a strategy for its own gifted program.

The School Board agreed on that direction following an evaluation by a University of Virginia team headed by Tonya Moon, known for its expertise in differentiation of instruction, gifted education, assessment and mathematics instruction.

The board approved a two-year, $43,000 contract with Moon and her team in September 2011 after reviewing community engagement feedback in 2010. The team reviewed data from District 181 in October, followed by visits to 75 classrooms over a two-day period in November.

Following the presentation by Moon and her colleague, Catherine Brighton, the board directed Superintendent Renee Schuster to find an outside expert in gifted education to help the district develop a philosophy and definition statement for its gifted program. A final report from Moon and her team is expected in 2 to 3 weeks and will include additional input on suggested direction. Also, the district likely will hire a gifted expert in the future to be on staff to cordinate the program on a long-term basis. Brighton said it likely will take 5 to 7 years to fully implement a new program.

And with the board and Schuster agreeing to pursue an “inclusive approach” to a program, the title, “gifted” could be dropped in the future.

“We have an opportunity to do some educational change,” Schuster said. “We want to have every child learning everyday in every classroom.”

Schuster said the inclusive approach means educational rigor needs to be increased for all students in District 181, with differentiation used to make certain all students are getting the best possible education. Because of consistently high scores in math on standardized tests by District 181 students, an accelerated math program for all students was recommended in the report from Moon and her team.

Kristy Brindley, a district parent who spoke about the gifted program at a September 2011 board meeting and again Monday, said she likes the idea of an inclusive approach.

“We need to take a look at all of the children; not just the top tier,” she said.

But Brindley said she has concerns the district will continue using the tier system it has in place for math and language arts.

Starting in third grade, students can be accelerated into a curriculum one grade-level ahead in those two academic subjects. In middle school, students can be accelerated up to two grade levels ahead.

“Using the tiers is tracking, and that results in labeling of students, which can have a negative impact on children” Brindley said.

Board President Michael Nelson said tracking is a reality, mentioning Hinsdale Central students needing to have a four-year plan when they start high school as an example.

Schuster said she doesn’t yet know if the district will continue to use its tier system or its controversial ACE program.

The ACE Program is for students with “exceptionally high” cognitive skills, Schuster said. All District 181 students are tested while in second and fifth grades, and the program serves 6 percent the district’s students.

Some residents and board members have been particularly critical of the program because students who are admitted into it after testing in second grade are kept in, even if their test scores in fifth grade would not be high enough to qualify.

Moon and her team recommended the program be eliminated and students should have access to high-quality, enriched and accelerated options through other venues.

“As the program currently stands, it is not defensible,” the report from Moon states.

Because elementary students in the ACE program are involved in it only once a week, Moon’s team called the program “in essence a part-time solution to a full-time need for services.”

Students with advanced intellectual and specific academic needs possess these sills every day they are in school, the report stated.

Board member Sarah Lewensohn said the ACE program needs to be discontinued.

“We have to make a concerted effort to have differentiation in the classroom,” she said.