Talent Development and Gifted Services
Overview
Talent Development and Gifted Services in Albemarle County Public Schools
- Differentiated instruction;
- Interest-based enrichment and extension;
- Opportunities for domain-specific exposure and exploration;
- Clubs and organizations; and
- Development of student passions and potential.
For many advanced learners* these opportunities require differentiated planning and monitoring. Educators work with students and parents to identify and provide a variety of learning opportunities and services that extend and enhance the curriculum in order to challenge advanced learners and address their unique educational needs.
Mazzoli Smith, L. (2014). Extending sociological theorizing in high ability: The significance of values and lived experience. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 24(4), 354-371. doi:10.1080/09620214.2014.976436.
Talent Development Mission & Vision in ACPS
Talent Development as a Framework for Gifted Services
In 2015, Albemarle County Public Schools took the first step to be more inclusive regarding opportunities and access for all students to develop their talents. Talent development as a division-wide approach focuses on student potential by providing opportunities and access regardless of a gifted label. Historically, the gifted label has excluded groups who identify as Black, Latinx, English Language Learners, students who have learning exceptionalities, and students who are identified as economically disadvantaged. The shift from the “gifted child” paradigm to a talent development framework required a reimagining of ACPS’s services for advanced, high-ability, and students with potential. The table below, adapted from Dai and Chen (2013), addresses the specific areas of reimagining: assumptions around ability, purpose of services, who receives services, and how services are provided.
Talent development as a framework for services intends to be more inclusive by providing opportunities for students to explore and demonstrate talents. The greatest difference between a Talent Development framework and the "gifted child paradigm" is the understanding of ability. Albemarle County Public Schools recognizes that talents and strengths may manifest themselves in different ways, across a variety of domains, and throughout a child's educational career. Talent development resource teachers (TDRTs) along with their colleagues in the schools work to support the developing talents of strengths of students by providing opportunities for growth and exploration. TDRTs collaborate with their fellow educators to provide opportunities for children to develop the mental and social emotional skills to reach their potential and beyond. This may be through co-teaching, co-planning, supporting differentiated instruction, and engagement with the school professional learning communities. The shift to a talent development framework ultimately allows TDRTs and educators to be more intentional in supporting students through their growth and development by recognizing strengths in all students, and being responsive to those strengths.
Important Note About Title Change
Throughout the process of implementing a division-wide approach to talent development, the Gifted Resource Teachers (GRT) agreed that the title "GRT" no longer aligned with the mission, vision, and services that they provided at their schools. In an effort to be responsive to the community and schools, the GRTs decided to change their title name to: Talent Development Resource Teacher (TDRT). This title reflects the role the TDRT plays when supporting the whole school, including the students as well as the teachers, as a resource to facilitate talent development as a school-wide model. The use of the title "Talent Development Resource Teacher" is unique to Albemarle County Public Schools.
Contact Us
Local Plan
Find My Talent Development Resource Teacher
Elementary Schools
School Name |
Talent Development Resource Teacher |
|
Agnor Hurt |
Emily Kinser |
ekinser@k12albemarle.org |
Baker-Butler |
Lucy Spencer |
|
Broadus Wood |
Dimitra Aumiller |
|
Brownsville |
Hope Aghaebrahim |
|
Mountain View |
Chelsey Lundgren |
|
Mountain View | Carrie Oertel | coertel@k12albemarle.org |
Crozet |
Caitlin Poole |
|
Greer |
Emily Hudson |
|
Hollymead |
Lisa King |
|
Meriwether |
Sara Hankins |
|
Murray |
Laura Richardson |
|
Red Hill |
Allison Drake |
adrake@k12albemarle.org |
Scottsville |
Mary Erwin |
merwin@k12albemarle.org |
Stone Robinson |
Kelly Oehler |
|
Stony Point |
Linda Montoya | |
Woodbrook |
Ryan Drago |
Middle Schools
High Schools
School Name |
Talent Development Resource Teacher |
|
Albemarle |
Holly Newman |
|
Monticello |
Teresa Goodin |
|
Community Lab | Ouida Powe** | opowe@k12albmearle.org |
Western |
Zoë Padrón |
|
** Not a TDRT, but point person |
FAQ
Why Talent Development?
Talent development as a framework for services intends to be more inclusive by providing opportunities for students to explore and demonstrate talents. Albemarle County Public Schools recognizes that talents and strengths may manifest themselves in different ways, across a variety of domains, and throughout a child's educational career (VanTassel-Baska, 2022). Talent development resource teachers (TDRTs) along with their colleagues in the schools work to support the developing talents of strengths of students by providing opportunities for growth and exploration. TDRTs collaborate with their fellow educators to provide opportunities for children to develop the mental and social emotional skills to reach their potential and beyond. This may be through co-teaching, co-planning, supporting differentiated instruction, and engagement with the school professional learning communities. The shift to a talent development framework ultimately allows TDRTs and educators to be more intentional in supporting students through their growth and development by recognizing strengths in all students, and being responsive to those strengths.
The purpose of Talent Development is to :
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Recognize all students’ potential
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We conduct professional learning opportunities with colleagues, partner with PLCS, and engage in training around the Teacher Observations of Potential in Students (TOPS) tool, as well as conducting on-going data collection around student interests and engagement.
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We work to help educators, families, and community members understand that ability is malleable, presents itself in a variety of domains, and is on-going throughout a child’s educational career.
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Understanding potential is about impacting educator and student mind-sets through a culturally responsive lens.
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Develop teacher’s confidence to meet students’ needs
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We partner with teachers to integrate differentiated instruction in their pedagogy. This may be through collaboration, co-teaching, coaching, or co-planning.
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The goal of Talent Development as a division-wide approach is to build capacity in our colleagues so that they are able to instruct the students they have through an assets-based lens.
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Match students’ needs to opportunities and services
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Talent development is grounded in students having access to opportunities and services (Olszewski-Kubilius & Thomson, 2015). Services with the Talent Development Resource Teacher are available to all students.
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TDRTs work with colleagues and community partners to provide opportunities or engagement within the school setting.
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These opportunities differ based on the age level, grades, and community resources. Some common opportunities that are across the division include:
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Independent studies at the HS and occasionally at the MS.
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Interest groups, clubs, and passion projects at elementary, middle, and high school.
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K2ABLE (Kindergarten-2 assets based learning experiences) for the early grades to introduce critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, and problem solving.
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As students develop and move throughout the K12 continuum their needs and interests change, as well as how they are served. In elementary school, for instance, the TDRT may be the person who leads “genius projects” which are available to all students. In middle school , the TDRT may be the advisor to the Model UN experiences, or enable a Math Mentor to support children in a math focused club. In high school, the TDRT may be the person who connects the student with other educators in the building who may best support their interests and passions.
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Build partnerships with families and community members.
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Since talent development is about opportunities, the community and families of ACPS students are valuable resources. Opportunities to mentor, coach, volunteer, and lead are available through our community engagement department.
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Parents are the best advocates for their children, and it is imperative that parents understand the shift from the gifted child paradigm (old model) to a talent development framework.
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Parents along with the school partners are the best line of communication when ensuring their students are getting what they need, when they need it. Parents know what their children’s strengths and interests are.
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The TDRT works to ensure that all families, especially those who have been either excluded from school engagement because of linguistic diversity or other access issues, are able to have the knowledge of the opportunities available to their children. Talent development and gifted services are available to all families.
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What about "gifted identification?"
“Identification should be viewed as a way to respond to the need for instructional settings that succinctly meet the students’ needs” (Wells, 2020, p. 37)
Currently we identify students around a general intellectual ability designation, and we focus on creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and performance. As we move forward with a Talent Development framework, we will examine how to recognize and serve students with domain-specific talents. Domain specific talents include, but aren’t limited to: visual and performing arts, leadership, and technology. The concept of “domain specific talents” aligns with the new career pathways model that is a state-wide initiative. We are also working to align identification with the Response to Intervention (RTI) services. In this model, a gifted label is because the student’s needs are not being met in the traditional classroom, the label will help better serve the student (for instance: in the case of Twice Exceptional, where a child’s diagnosis may shade or prevent strengths from being noticed). We are considering how to include “progress monitoring” in the RTI model of gifted identification, to systematically address the idea that abilities are not fixed.
Talent Development In the Media
As recognized leaders in the field of gifted and talented education, external requests are often made to share the successes of Talent Development and Gifted Services in Albemarle County Public Schools. Please find them below:
Meriwether Lewis Elementary School hosts math tournament for student. (April 20,2022)
AHS student presents at Albemarle School Board Meeting about talent development and the impact on her school experience as well as the acknowledgement of her Posse Foundation scholarship. (April, 14, 2022):
AHS student shares the impact of Talent Development and TDRT, Holly Newman, had on her school experience as well as her award from the Posse Foundation Scholarship (Starts at 0:00- 5:11)
Students at Albemarle High School are resuming building, publishing novels, and even writing a French cookbook. This is all thanks to a talent development program that helps them go beyond the classroom. (March 16, 2022):
AHS student receives scholarship after working in talent development program
Recent feature for NBC 29 about the Albemarle County Public School's Early College Degree Program for students who wish to pursue their Associate's Degree through PVCC while completing high school. Please follow this link (March 14, 2022):
ACPS program guarantees associate's degree by high school graduation
Presentation given for the Albemarle School Board updating everyone on the status and next steps for Talent Development in ACPS (1:44:00-2:08:36). Find slide deck here: SlideDeck.pdf (January 13, 2022):
An article about reforms in gifted education and talent development from Deep Dive in which our own Lead Instructional Coach Melanie Lichtenstein is quoted (November 4, 2021):
The Struggles and Success of Diversifying Gifted Education
NBC29 Feature around Albemarle County Public Schools Talent Development and Gifted Services during the Covid-19 Closure (March 22, 2021):
Albemarle County Public Schools gifted program changes persist through virtual learning
Crozet Gazette interview of Maureen Jensen about the redesign of gifted instruction (November 8, 2019):
County Schools Reinterpret Gifted Instruction
Charlottesville Tomorrow explores how Charlottesville and Albemarle will approach gifted education (February 24, 2019):
Changes afoot to how Charlottesville, Albemarle students are ID'd as gifted