Ms. Tonna Jones, Gifted Liaison 

Students with a gifted certified teacher at Smoke Rise Elementary School are served through the Cluster Grouping model. The description is below.

 

Cluster Grouping - Students are served by a gifted endorsed teacher. Instruction is differentiated by content, process, product and/or assessments.

 

In this model, students learn the Georgia Standards of Excellence for the subject area and the teacher differentiates the curriculum for gifted students. This differentiation focuses on developing cognitive learning, research and reference, and metacognitive skills. Below are some examples of differentiation strategies used with gifted learners.

 

Content: Complex and challenging subject matter that: 

• Requires intellectual struggle 

• Integrates research skills and methods 

• Incorporates relevant and real-life experiences 

• Integrates interdisciplinary connections

 

Process: Instructional strategies are designed to: 

• Emphasize higher-order thinking, problem-solving and communications skills 

• Foster self-initiated and self-directed learning 

• Promote creative application of ideas 

• Model and encourage academic discussion

 

Product: Gifted student products should demonstrate a developmentally appropriate capacity for: 

• Self-directed learning 

• Meaningful collaboration 

• Effective problem solving of challenging and complex issues 

• Effective communication

 

Assessment: Gifted learners need various methods and opportunities to document mastery of curriculum such as: 

• Pre/post tests 

• Self-assessment through rubrics 

• Creation of goal-based checklists 

• Conferencing, commentary, and qualitative feedback 

The teacher employs these strategies with students during instruction. 

Additionally, because we are a STEM school, students will complete projects throughout the year to demonstrate their learning.