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Talented and Gifted

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The Bethel School District TAG program is designed to meet the educational needs of academically talented and intellectually gifted students in grades K-12 who are capable of performing at advanced levels and accelerated rates of learning. The program supports the active partnership of teachers, parents and students working together to increase student achievement. The program meets the requirements for the State Mandate for Gifted Education, OAR 581-22-1310, 1320, &1330.

TAG Contacts

Each school in the district has a TAG team of selected teachers and an administrator. This team is knowledgeable about TAG. Parents who are interested or have questions about the program may call the school and ask to talk with someone on the building TAG team. You may also click on their name to send an email message:

Parent Information

The State of Oregon passed the Talented and Gifted Education Act during the 1987 legislative session. The mandate is based on sound principles and research regarding the needs of talented and gifted students. It has required a dramatic shift in thinking for parents, educators, and students alike. The law speaks directly to assessing individual needs of students. The regular classroom teacher has become the major player in providing appropriate services.  Any K-12 student can be referred for TAG identification by parents and teachers at the building level. Parents should contact the principal or the building TAG representative to begin the identification process.

Checkout the monthly TAG Newsletters from ODE, as there is a wealth of information, some of which may be of interest to parents.

TAG News

TAG and Advanced Writing Workshops

Since 2006, the Chintimini Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation has supported programs for high potential students, including those identified as Talented and Gifted (TAG), at many Oregon schools. As a recipient of these funds, Bethel School District sponsored writing workshops for TAG and high functioning writers for Grades 3-8 last year and this school year as well. Presented by Louisa Lindsay-Sprouse, Young Writers Association Workshops, bring young talented writers together to explore fiction writing. Louisa, who has been involved for many years with the UO TAG Summer Program, helps students find a greater audience by encouraging them to enter contests, join community workshops, and publish their writing in Up Starts, a literary publication for Lane County youth.  Workshops in elementary and middle schools combine drama, sparkly paper, dreamy ideas, and give students time to play with writing.

Teaching with Depth and Complexity

Last year a number of Bethel teachers atteneded a series of professional development opportunities presented by Paula Wilkes and Mark Syzmanski.  Bethel teachers learned how to use Depth and Complexity ICON Cards and the Deep and Complex Look Book. These materials benefit all learners by helping teachers plan and present lessons to facilitate differentiation of instruction.  Teachers who are trained in earlier sessions have already developed lessons and are enthusiastic about the results.

On January 4th, 2010, all Bethel teachers, kindergarten through fifth grade, met in grade level groups to receive training in these materials.  Elementary teachers, who have been using the materials, shared with their grade-level colleagues the units they developed for their Open Court Reading program using the Deep and Complex strategies.  At the middle level, teachers using the program shared how these same materials can be used to enhance content-area instruction in classes like science and social studies.

Presenter Paula Wilkes discusses differentiated instruction with teachers from Willamette High School.

Differentiated Instruction Workshops

Teachers representing their Bethel schools have been attending a series of workshops focused on identifying and differentiating instruction for Talented and Gifted students.

Presenters, Paula Wilkes and Mark Szymanski from Pacific University, are leading the workshops for Bethel teachers.

Those attending are excited about what they are learning and are sharing what they have learned with their colleagues.

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