This document discusses talented and gifted students who are also at risk of not reaching their full potential. It notes that while 2-5% of students are both gifted and have learning disabilities, schools in the US spend much more on students with mental disabilities than on gifted programs. It encourages identifying gifted students using multiple criteria, recognizing that giftedness occurs in many areas and that gifted students can also face challenges like learning disabilities or unstable home lives. The document challenges educators to find underserved gifted students and support their success through appropriate identification strategies and a focus on student strengths, passions, and minimizing barriers to achievement.

1. WHERE ARE YOUR
TALENTED AT-RISK
STUDENTS?
DROWNING?
Barb Hahn, GPAEA
Sandy Morrison, GPAEA
Laurie Noll, Burlington Alternative High School

2. U.S. schools
spend $8 billion
on the mentally
retarded and just
10% of that on
the gifted
(TIME 8/27/07)

3. Between 2-5 percent of all
students are both gifted
and talented and learning
disabled
(Dix & Schafer, 1996)

4. Of the 62 million
school-age kids in the
U.S., 62, 000 have IQs
of 145 or higher
(TIME 8/28/07)

5. High-IQ kids who skip
at least three grades
are the happiest and
most successful
(TIMES 8/27/2007)

6. 40% of the top 5% of
graduates fail to finish
college
(Times 8/27/07)

7. Underachievement is made up of a
complex web of behaviors, but it
can be reversed by parents and
educators who consider the many
strengths and talents possessed by
the students who may wear this
label
(Delisle & Berger, 1990)

8. Questions to Ask
• How many talented and gifted
students do you have identified?
• Who are your TAG students?
• How can you identify them?
• What is the attendance rate of your
TAG students?
• How is their behavior in school?
• Are they making the grades?

9. It's all about standing out...
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT TALENTED AT
STUDENT RISK STUDENT

10. Areas of Giftedness
• General Intellectual
• Specific Academic
• Leadership
• Visual and Performing
Arts
• Creativity

11. Multiple criteria for identification must be
used including potential, achievement,
leadership, creativity, product,
evaluations, and nomination. A pupil may
be identified in more than one category.

12. Twice Exceptional
• Attention Deficit
• Health Problems
• Learning Disabled
• Gifted does not protect you from a disability
or life experiences.

14. Minimize the barriers; Maximize the child ~ Colangelo
•Adult responsibilities
•Unstable home life
•Health & Learning Disabilities
•Mental Health Issues
•Lower SES
•High mobility
•Homeless
•Absenteeism
•Childbirth/sick child
•Cultural attitude about
achievement
•Environment
•Interpersonal attitudes about
giftedness

15. Rejection and failing grades become
the norm

16. Gradual Release of Responsibility
Teacher Responsibility
Focus Lesson “I do it”
Guided Instruction “We do it”
Collaborative “You do it together”
Independent “You do it alone”
Student Responsibility

18. Ask students:
What is your passion?
What do you want to learn?
Listen and Brainstorm for best results

21. Every young person needs and
deserves:
1. A one-on-one relationship with a
caring adult
2. A safe place to learn and grow
3. A healthy start and a healthy
future
4. A marketable skill to use upon
graduation
5. A chance to give back to peers and
community
Milliken, 2007

22. Focus on what we can do!
When we focus we do make a difference!

24. Relevance

25. A LESSON WITH RELEVANCE
ASKS STUDENTS TO:
USE THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO
TACKLE REAL-WORLD
PROBLEMS THAT HAVE
MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION.

26. A LESSON WITH RIGOR ASKS
STUDENTS TO:
EXAMINE PRODUCE
CLASSIFY DEDUCE
GENERATE ASSESS
CREATE PRIORITIZE
SCRUTINIZE DECIDE

27. What can you do?
• Find teachers that motivate students
• Give up complacency
• Find your gifted students

28. “Convince me that you love children.”
~ Frank Schargel

29. Encourage Every Star To Shine

31. You have these gifted students
They do not need to be perfect in all areas
They may be impacted by at-risk factors
and disabilities
TAG students need to be recognized so we do
not lose our treasures.

32. Your Challenge
TALENTED AT
RISK STUDENT
Find underserved gifted students by
using a broad definition of giftedness
and a multiple criteria approach with
unique and appropriate identification
strategies

33. http://try.alot.com/tb/videos/videos_viral_boy
le.php?aff_id=google&camp_id=956&gclid=CL
D135mDx50CFRwhDQod1CpfqA

34. We have the privilege to help
students achieve their dreams and
open their treasures.

35. Goals for all students:
Success for their Future

36. http://tagatriskstudents.blogspot.com

37. Questions