DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 069 077 EC 050 160

AUTHOR Lazar, Alfred L., Ed.; Duncan, Donald K., Ed.TITLE The Challenge of Accountability in Programs for the

Gifted.INSTITUTION California Association for the Gifted.PUB DATE 71NOTE 54p.; Conference Proceedings of Annual Conference,

California Association for the Gifted (Ninth,February 26-27, 1971, Monterey)

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29*Conference Reports; Creative Development;Curriculum; *Educational Accountability; EducationalPrograms; *Exceptional Child Education; *Gifted

ABSTRACTThe conference proceedings include 22 papers or

workshop session summaries from the conference on the gifted. Some ofthe topics discussed are educational evaluation of the social worthof programs, economic accountability, the role of parentorganizations, communicating with the state legislature, encouragingcreativity in learning, describing highly gifted students, providingqualitatively different learning experiences, identification ofcreative potential, and developmental stages (after Erikson andPiaget). Other subjects covered include gifted minority students,individualized instruction and learning centers, educating teachersof the gifted, creative writing ideas, and various other curriculumsuggestions. (KW)

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"The Challenge of Accountability.In Programs for the Gifted"

1971Ninth Annual Conference Proceedings

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MONTEREY PENINSULA COLLEGE

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY, 1971

Edited by: ALFRED L. LAZAR AND

DONALD K. DUNCAN

FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY

1971

Proceedings of Ninth Annual Conference

California Association for the Gifted

Theme:

"The Challenge of AccountabilityIn Programs for the Gifted"

EDITED DTALFRED L. LAZAR AND DONALD K. DUNGAN

FEBRUARY 26.27, 1971

MONTEREY PENINSULAR COLLEGE

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION d WELFAREOFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO.DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG-INATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR WIN.IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILYREPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDI'CATION POSITION OR POLICY

Preface

The need and value of publishing conference proceedings will alwaysbe a constant issue for debate by members of any democratic and dynamicorganization. The rationale for the publishing of the proceedings by theCalifornia Association for the Gifted are several in nature. TIe nature ofthese reasons extend from the realisation that not all members can attend theannual meeting, and in the. case of those that do attend, it is difficult for themto visit all the sessions, which results in the loss of many ideas and experiences.It is felt that the publishing of the proceedings can serve the melabership tosome degree in reducing the adverse effects on communications for the citedreasons, but in addition, it allows our organization to share and exchangeideas with other individuals or groups interested in the education of the giftedand creative person.

Credit for these proceedings goes to the 'main speakers and workshopchairmen that prepared summaries and reports of the activities or presentationsin their sections. I would like to thank Al Lazar for assisting in the editingand to Delores Blanchard for typing the final manuscript and preparing theillustrations.

Finally, I would like to extent my thanks to all individuals. too. many innumber to name that made our 1971 Annual Conference a great success, ofwhich these proceedings are the final product.

December, 1971DON DUNCAN,President

Table of ContentsPage

THE CONSCIENCE OF EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION 5Ernest R. House

THE DOMINION OF ECONOMIC ACCOUNTABILITY 10Ernest R. House

PARENT ORGANIZATIONS ROLE IN GIFTED EDUCATION 17'Gifted Children's Assn. of San Feitiagdo Valley. Inc.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE CALIFORNIA STATELEGISLATURE 18

Gerald StanleyCREATIVITY FROM LEARNING 18

Ivy D. BeaufouefDDING ANOTHER STRING TO HIS BOWDEVELOPING

LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN THE GIFTED 20Deborah K. Osen

PIAGET'S APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OFINTELLIGENCE

Russel E. OrpetHIGHLY GIFTED STUDENTSCAN WE DESCRIBE THEM?

Ruthe LundyRosemarie Moore

ONE GIFTED. TWO GIFTED. THREE GIFTED -i--THE OVERLOOKED MINORITY? 23

Irving S. SatoTHE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS IS INSUFFICIENT 25

Mary MeekerTHE FRAMEWORK FOR CURRICULUM FOR GIFTED 26

Mary MeekerA SYSTEM OF COMMONALITIES DERIVED FROM FOUR

MODELSMary Meeker

A THEORY OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGESJohn Curtis Gowan

PROCEDURES AND PROGRAMS FOR GISTUDENTS

Jose MartinezCaroline Towner

INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMS FOR THE GIFTED 31Bruce DeVries

SUM'R GOODBonnie Deming

SUM'R BETTER. 42Charlotte Morrison

TOOLS FOR CHANGE 43Christopher Thorsons

A CREATIVE CURRICULUM 44Linda Schwartz

A MODEL FOR TRAINING TEACHERS OR TOEXPERIENCE THE JOY OF LEARNING 47

Barbara DunnPARAMETERS: EDUCATING TEACHERS OF THE GIFTED 48

Peter G. FastTHE G-SOME SYSTEM AS A MODEL FOR TRAINING

TEACHERS OF THE GIFTED 49Alfred L. Lazar

Workshops 51

CAG OFFICERS - 1971 53PROGRAM OVERVIEW 54

20

27

28

FTED MINORITY30

42

The Conscience of Educational Evaluation

by

Ernest R. HouseCenter for Instructional Research and Curriculum Evaluation

University of Illinois

"Those persons whip talk numt OHM/ freedom are thiise who are actually Malblindly subject to soviet! determination. inasmuch as they. do not in most cases suspectthe profound degree to which their riiiidffll fs delerni /I their interests. lit contrastwith this, it should lie noted that it is precisely those who insist on the unconsciousinfluence of the social determiumas fff conduct. who strive to overcome these determi-nants as much as possible. Thel lluriirer minium* s motivations in order to makethose forces which /formerly ruled them more and more into objects of consciousrational decision."

KAHL MANNialm, bleulosy mid Utopia, 193.(

It's always exciting to come to California! Wepeople in Illinois spend a lot of time simply studyingwhat people in California do. Having no oceans,no mountains, no ski slopes, voyeurism is one ofour main entertainments, Sometimes. however, thisindulgence leads us into evil thoughts. And someof these thoughts I wish to pursue tonight. If. withinthe next thirty minutes I do not impugn the motivesof everyone here, including myself, I shall be greatlysurprised. It is the custom in conferences like this tosay some nice words about the subject, tell a fewjokes, and in general, make everyone, including thespeaker, feel good about discharging his duties.Tonight I am going to try something a little morepugnant in the hope it will have a more lasting effect.

In recent years many good papers have beenwritten on educational .evaluation, several by mem-bers of our group The Center for InstructionalResearch and Curriculum Evaluation (acronymCIRCE). One of the best was by Bob Stake in whichhe outlined the many kinds of data useful for evalua-tion purposes and suggested ways of processing thosedata. The liberating impact of this paper can bejudged by the reaction of a fellow evaluator who,carried away in a frenzy of orgiastic excess, ex-claimed. "Stake has opened the data matricesrone of the real highpoints of excitement in the evalu-ation world.

The title of Stake's paper was "The Countenanceof Educational Evaluation." The title of my papertonight is "The Conscience of Educational Evalua-tion," which reflects a somewhat different perspec-tive. I wish to look at some unpleasant facts, toexamine evaluation from a different focus.

UNCONSCIOUS MOTIVATIONSThe first observation I wish to make is that there

is no real demand among teachers and administratorsfor evaluating their own programs. To evaluate kids,yes, we cannot live without that; but to evaluate.ourselves and our own programsno. Sometimesin that strange ideology with which we disguise ourmotivations and cover our tracks. we educatorsconvince ourselves that we would be overjoyed toreceive good data about our teaching and our edu'cational programs. Well, try it sometime. Try evalu-ating a program. On simply asking teachers theirgoals (not in behavioral terms) we have had them

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I) break into teacr, and 2) throw chalk across theroom. Rare events but not unrepresentative ofteacher attitudes towards evaluation.

After all, what does a teacher haves to gain fromhaving his work examined? As he sees it, absolutelynothing. He is exposing himself so that administra-tors and parents can take potshots at him. He risksdamage to his ego by flitting out he is not toinghis job as well as he thinks he is. Perhaps worst ofall. he risks finding out that his students do not reallycare for hintsomething a teacher would rather notknow. The culture of the school offers no rewardsfor examining one's behavioronly penalties. Sincethere are no punishments for not exposing one'sbehavior and many dangers in doing so, the. prudentteacher gives lip.service to the idea and drags bothfeeta custom made venerable by all our profes-sions.

And this is not so strange. is it? Do we have anyserious evaluations of lawyers or doctors or cab-drivers? That there is no such demand for evalua-tion is a corollary of a broader principle: No onewants to be evaluated by anybody at any time.Evaluate an evaluator's work and see how he reacts.

As recently as a year ago I believed in what mightbe called the "good instrument" assumption. If onecould develop an instrument easy to adminster, thatwas non-threatening to the teacher, that spoke interms meaningful in the teacher's world (unlike mostpsychometric instruments that measure things like"convoluted neurasthenia"), that was cheap enoughfor even an administrator to purchase, the knot ofevaluation would be partly unraveled. In fact, lastyear CIRCE developed two such instruments. Onecould be administered in twenty minutes, measuredthings that teachers at least talk about, and costabout six bucks a class. The other was so non-threatening that the teacher filled it out herself andcent it home with her studentssimply a descriptionof what was going on in class. The response to theseinstruments was considerably less than overwhelm-ing. Teachers reacted as I've indicated: 'What haveI to gain? Why do this extra work? Why set myselfup for someone to shoot at? Why supply materialfor somebody's book? (Within this syndrome, youunderstand, is a deep-seated and well-founded dis-trust of university professors. Public school personnelunderstand much better than pwofessors that the con-

cern of the university is to help itself and not thepublic schools.)

Nonetheless the instruments have been used some-what. Although there is no demand for evolution,there is a demand for personal attention and forsomeone to talk to. Teaching is a lonely professionand if the instruments (or any innovations) are pro-pogatet by personal contact, some people will usethemat least as long as the personal contact lasts.

Among school administrators the low priority assigned evaluation is well exemplified in budgets foreducational programs. School districts spend nomoney for evaluation. State and federal programstypically allocate very littleusually a few percentof the total budget. When budgets are cut (as theyalways are) evaluation funds are the first to go.Even where as much as ten percent of the budgethas been set aside for evaluation, it is difficult to getdistricts to spend the money for the purpose desig-nated. This anti-evaluation attitude is deeply embedded in the school structure,

At the higher governmental levels the situationis only slightly different, Once when I was harpingabout the U.S. Office of Education evaluating someof its programs a high OE official told me, "Look.In order to sell these programs to the Congress wehave to promise them everything good that canpossibly accrue for the next ten years. What's anevaluation going to do? No matter how good theprogram, it's going to show that we are not deliver-ing on all we promised." Generally speaking, in thiscountry the claims for education have been so ex-travagant that there is no hope of living up to thepromises. But without evaluation who's going toknow the difference?

Why then have you brought me here to talk aboutaccountability and its step-brother evaluation, andwhy have I been directing a large evaluation projectover the last few years? There are, I think, a fewimportant exceptions to the general rule that noone wants to be evaluated. Evaluation becomes de-sirable when you think you are doing well but feelunappreciated: when you are in serious trouble: orwhen someone with authority over you insists thatyou be evaluated. For example, the large-scale evalu-ation of the Illinois Gifted Program got underwayonly when it was clear that the program was in deeptrouble in the state legislature and even then onlywhen higher authorities put on strong pressure tohave it evaluated; State officials will confess that thisevaluation was a novel and anxious event.

Under those pressures the gifted personnel init-ially submitted with the enthusiasm of a chloro-formed moth being pinned to a mounting board.Later they warmed up when it appeared the evalua-tion might have some value for them. As it turnedout, the evaluation has played an instrumental role insaving the program. but at the beginning no oneknew that. By no means did the Ilinois people volun-teer themselves for examination.

As you know, the, troubles that beset most pro-grams are economic: they need money. The contestfor funds at the national level and the rising taxrates at the state level ensure that educational enter-prises are going to come under increased scrutiny.Accountability is a means of lassoing the wild stal-lion of educational spending by groups competingfor the monies.

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A related set of forces are the interest groups whowant one thing or not another within the school.For example, one of the Illinois independent studyprograms has been under attack from conservativeelements on the local Board of Education. Forcesin favor of the program launched a counter attack.Right now there is an uneasy stalemate with theBoard having removed the principal of the school,but with the independent study program still ope-rating. With neither side having decisive politicalstrength, words of evaluation are in the air. Con-ceivably, either side may use data to bolster itscase, but a true resolution of the problem will comewhen one side gains the upper hand politically.

Often evaluation activities are spurred by groupswho feel they have been short-changed by theschools. In today's atmosphere this could be almostanybody. Thus we have the NAACP audit of Title I.ESEA. funds. which revealed interesting irregularitics in their disbursal. The point is that evaluationsare not inspired by the heart-felt need of professionalsto try to do a better job (frequent though thatrhetoric is) : rather the impetus is usualy traceable .to a pressure group that has something specific inmind.

EVALUATIONS FOR DEFENSEAND FOR ATTACK

What kind of evaluation results from these dy-namics? Well, we get evaluations for defense andevaluations for attack. Most Office of Educationevaluations are a good example of the former. Underpressure the OE officials tell the Congressional aides."Yes, we will evaluate this program if we get themoney." So into the OE guidelines goes a require-ment for evaluation. It is a symbolic gesture and isinterpreted as such by the fund recipients. They re-spond with a token evaluation which says their pro-ject is doing fine. Everyone is happy. Paper begetspaper.

Now some people fault these evaluations becauseof poor scientific methodology. But that is not theprimary problem. One might get valuable informa-tion by asking his cousin or by other "unscientific"means. The problem is in the intents: the evaluationswere never intended to produce relevant information.Rather they were meant to protect the Office ofEducation from hostile forces in the Congress andthe Bureau of the Budget. Occasionally the Officeis surprised, as it was with last year's Title I evalu-ation.

On the other side. are the evaluations for attack.Generally these are better done because they muchcarry the burden of trying to change things ratherthan defending an entrenched position. A veryrecent example is the Carnegie report by CharlesSelberman, entitled Crisis in the Classroom. Thisevaluation obviously lays the groundwork for aliberal assault upon the educational establishment.It attacks the "mindlesness" and restrictiveness ofthe public schools and takes as its positive model the"open classroom"' as exemplified by the Englishinfant schools. You have heard of the report becauseit has been given much coverage by the so-calledliberal press. It was sponsored by the CarnegieFountation, often associated with liberal causes ineducation.

You will also remember that in the reaction fol-lowing Sputnik came a series of reports authored byJames Conant, also sponsored by the Carnegie Foun-dation. These reports severely criticized provisionsfor the academically talented and helped put manyof your programs into existence.

Occasionally we also get evaluation for defenseand attack simultaneously. ILte is an excerpt fromthe University of Illinois stuti% at newspaper:

"POLL SCI INVESTIGATIONS START

The University political science departmentwill be undergoing an evaluative investigationthis week as initiated by the College of LiberalArts . . . The investigation is the first of itskind, although the political science departmentevaluation wil not be the only one conductedthis year in the colege .

Sources in the political science departmentmaintain, however, that the investigation wasinitiated by Chancellor J. V. Peltason . . .Peltason initiated the evaluation, according tosources within the department, because certaindepartment members' political activities havebeen 'a thorn in his side' for at least twoyears."

Daily Mini, December 10, 1970

What might be interpreted as an evaluation attackon the political science department on one levelmight be construed as an evaluation for defense ofthe university on another. Some very angry statelegislators are breathing hard down the neck of theuniversity over last Spring's strike activities, whichfeatured prominent performances by members ofthe political science department.

In case you haven't guessed. who sponsors andpays for the evaluation makes a critical differencein the eventual findings. And who conducts the eva:uation is equally important. For example, knowingthat the evaluation of the University of Illinois po-litical science department is to be conducted by acommittee of three political scientists from othercampuses might give you a clue to the outcome ofthe evaluation. Certainly the outcome will be dif-ferent than if the committee were comprised of threelegislators. Even finer predictions could be madeif we knew the relationships between thee threeprofessors and the principals in the case, e.g. howthe evaluators were chosen, This is a gross example,but if you knew how mtch difference could resultfrom one evaluator doing a study rather thananother, it would make your teeth hurt.

THE CONTEXT OF VALUATIONAND THE CONTEXT OF JUSTIFICATION

Now this is quite a mess, is it not? If you havebeen following these arguments. you must believethat evaluation is a branch of sophistry. And, judgingfrom the number of times I've heard comments like,"Well, you can prove anything with statistics," thefeeling is fairly widespread. Formal evaluations doarise from political motivations and reflect the biasesof their origins. Whom can you trust if you can'ttrust an evaluator?

Rot this is not an entirely new problem in humanknowledge. Thoughts always arise from obscure andsuspect origins: from metaphors, from dreams. fromall forms of illogic. Quite often from the most per-verse attempts at self-serving. Such is the verysubstance of creativity.' For all we know, the crea-tive person may simply be one who has leaky neu-rons. Yet, whatever the genesis of these thoughts.it is often possible to determine the worth of an idea.

Philosophers of science have found it useful todistinguish betWeen the "context of discovery" ofan ideathe psychological background from whichthe idea aroseand the "context of justification--the publicly determined worth of the idea. (Schef-flr. 1967), Even though we do not think in syllogisms. or any formal logic. it is often desirable.perhaps necessary, to construct a Logically idealizedversion of thinking so that the idea may be criticallyexamined.

Analogously, in formal evaluation it may be use-ful to distinguish between the "context of valuation"and the "context of justification." The "context ofvaluation" involves the basic value slant derivedfrom the genesis of the evaluation, and includes allthose motivations, biases. values, attitudes, and pres-sures from which the evaluation arose. The "contextof justification" involves our attempt to justify ourfindings. There are many means of justifying thefindings, but in formal educational evaluation thisusually means using the. logic and methodology ofthe social sciences (predominantly psychology) tocollect and analyze data. In fact, Scriven (1967)defines evaluation as a methodological activity whichconsists of gathering and combing performance datato yield ratings and in justifying the data collectionprocedures.. the weighings of the data, and the goalsthemselves. (Most operating definitions of evalua-tion set it down squarely within the "context ofjustification.")

Such "scientific- procedures do not guaranteethat the findings are "true," but they do promisethat biases originating from the "context of valua-tion" will he greatly reduced. Hence we get conceptslike "control group" and "random sampling," whichwhen stripped down are pretty much common senseattempts to eliminate one form of bias or another.(In passing it should be noted that in addition tothe non-argumentative logic of science, argumenta-tive forms of logic are available for justifying find-ings. One example is the methodology of our courtsystem to which we, entrust our property and ourlives. This raises the possibility of other legitimateforms of justification.) But in the main we rely onthe institutionalized methods of science to exercisethe demons of subjectivity.

Thus utilizing scientific methodology in the "con-text of justification" enables us to justify findingsarising from the "context of valuation." So far, sogood. But the problem is not quite so tasily disposedof. As much as evaluators love to appear in whitelab coats and tell their clients that this brand ofindividualized instruction will decrease tooth decay(and as much as it comforts clients to have themdo so). life is not so simple: Many leading scientiststell us that even our scientific "approaches"ourmodels and theories. the way we collect data. andthe way we present dataare ultimately based.

After all. the communities of men who establishscientific canons are subject to the same pressuresas the rest of us. In educational research Glass(1968) has pointed out that our most respIctedanalytical tools bear the limitations of their agri-cultural origin and are in many ways inadequate forunderstanding the educational process. In fact, therecan be no vaitiefree social research. All researchmust proceed from initial valuations of some kind.So if being "objective" means being totally free frombias, there can be no "objective" research. Try aswe will, there is no escape from the "context ofvaluation."

Gunnar Myrdal. the Swedish social scientist, con-tends that it is not necessary for social research tomeet the impossible condition of being value-freein order to be useful to us (1969). All that is im-portant is that the scientist reveal and make explicitthe valuations on which his research is based, It isthe hidden. unseen valuation which is damaging andwhich leads to opportunuistically distorted researchfindings. For the covert valuations allow us to pursueour base interests at the expense of proper justifica-tion. We trick ourselves as well as others.

Making explicit one's valuations demonstrates thatthe evaluator is aware of them, forces the evaluatorto account for them, and exposes them for whateverthey may be. Ideally one would use alternative setsof valuations-to-evaluate a program. Seldom areresources available to do so. Practically one usuallychooses one set of valuations and puts his meagerresources into that. But one can try to see that thevaluations are neither hidden nor arbitrary, Theyshould be relevant and significant to the audiencesinvolved. According to Myrdal, only in this way canthe evaluationsbe as fair and honest as possible.

An 'exarinple: When I began to evaluate the IllinoisGifted Program I was not a neutral observer. I wasnot about (nor is anyone likely) to invest much timeand effort in a project about which he has no feel-ings. Early in the project it was suggested by severalpeople that we set up a massive testing design, usingstandardized achievement tests to measure the out-comes of the state program. That was the "normal"thing to do and in fact would have been done by aneutral' evaluator who was unwilling to spend

much time. I knew in advance because of the natureof achievement tests and technical problems likeregression effects that there would be no significantdifference in favor of gifted programs.

Most importantly, by familiarity with the programI knew that increasing achievement was not the mainintent of the state and that the major efforts of theprogram had gone into promoting certain kinds ofclassroom environmentnamely higher thought pro-cesses and student involvement. So we looked in thearea of environmental press measures and, led byJoe Steele, eventually developed an instrument tomeasure those factors. We measured the program atperhaps its point of greatest strengththat's what Imean by being fair.

At the same time in the "context of justification"we developed this instrument in a rigorous, fashionand employed as good a sampling design as we wereableby no means did we provide a "set -up" forthe gifted people. Where the program did turn outbadly we reported it. Through familiarity with theprogram we also knew where the weakest points lay.

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We knew that ninny districts were taking state giftedfunds and doing absolutely nothing for the gifted..So we developed instruments to measure that, too.That's what I mean by being holiest.

We reported both favorable and unfavorable datato people in the program, to people with controlover the program and to state legislators, sayingthat in our opinion the good outweighed the .bad..Although we were conscious of "context of valua-tion" problems at the time, even stating in theoriginal rationale the intention of making all' valueassumptions 'explicit. in retrospect I see places wherewe did slipshod work because we were often influ-enced by our prior valuations. For. example, weintended collecting some achievement scores as wellas the other type of data, yet succumbed to our ownprior valuations by placing such data so low on ourpriority list that we never did it.

In looking at our earlier work I can also see allsorts of hidden valuations and implicit assumptionsthat resulted in systematic errors. Perhaps most un-portant, we put many more resources into collectingdata that might be positive. :',they than negative.For cnample,. we never investigated the elitism thatmight arise from gifted programs. As Myrdal sug-gests, ignorance, like knowledge. is not random butis opportunistically contrived. We. don't know whatwe don't want to know. Nonetheless, all these prob-lems notwithstanding, I think we were as fair andhonest as one is likely to Irt, though our work cancertainly be criticised on thesegrounds..

THE CONTEXT OF PERSUASION

There is one final check on our own valuations andbiasesthe biases and interests of other people. Foryou might note that although the State Legislature.maintained the funding of the Illinois Program atits previous level, influenced by our evaluation data,they did not significantly increase funding in certainareas as we suggested. Much to the chagrin of bothevaluators and parents, people do not always dowhat you tell them to do. This final argument I willpursue under the label the "content of persuasion."For, my friends, producing data is one thing; gettingit used is quite another.

In fact, evaluation data will be utilized or ignoredmainly to the extent that they are of advantage tothe interpreting group. On the national scene youwill remember the Kerner Commission on Civil Dis-orders which said that the United States has a sys-tem of institutionalized racism. President Johnsonsaid the report looked interesting, but didn't findtime to read it. More recently Governor Scrantonhanded President Nixon a report claiming that amajor reason for campus unrest was the lack of moralleadership in the White House. Mr. Nixon did readthe report and said. gee whiz, there are lots of peopleresponsible for moral leadership, like teachers andpreachers. President Nixon did not wait to read thecommission report on obscenity and pornography.He rejected the findings out of hand without con-taminating himself with the data. (Evidently noteveryone felt that way. An illustrated copy of thePornography Report was a best seller at $12.50.)The examples I have used are all hot political issues,but I have here a recent clipping from the ChicagoDaily News:

"White House Stalls Data on ConsumerProduct Tests"

"The White House is delaying release of anorder to government agencies to publish dataon the thousand of products they test . . in-cluding brand names of everything from com-puters to toilet paper. The order is based on ayear-long study recommending that (govern-ment agencies) publish for the first time resultsof tests they make on products for governmentpurchase . . . White House sources say thatpressures from business groups . . have post-poned its release indefinitely. The report, pre-pared by representatives of 21 agencies underMrs. Knauer's direction, is weaker thanconsumer groups had hoped, because it con-centrated on positive data. Groups such asConsumers Union had sought release of allinformation, including negative facts on whichproducts failed tests and why. But the WhiteHouse report . . . states "the release of . . .

adverse test data ...would not contribute muchin the way of useful data to consumers . . .

Now I submit that toilet paper is not a hot politi-cal issuebut that evaluation is. Evaluation is apolitical act because it involves an allocation ofresources, which is a euphemism, for some peoplegain and some people lose. Little wonder that evalu-ation data are stringly filtered in the light of whatthe results mean for the interpreting group, Earlyin the Illinois evaluation we were amazed and con-founded at the way our findings were used. Onegroup would pick up one finding and use it to pressits own position, ignoring the rest of the findings..Another would take the same finding to justify main-taining the status quo. In the Legislature the partof the program we found most effective for changingteacher behavior was severely cut because it waslabeled "fellowships" and fell under the ire of legis-lators during the spring riots.

Later on we began to understand this phenomenonand use it to our advantage, which brings me to thelast point of the paperthe "contest of persuasion,"We all live in a very concrete world, in a world ofmetaphors and anecdotes. of strong feelings andpersonal relationships. Even evaluators live in thatworld. When I make decisions for myself it is onthe basis of the concrete world, not the abstract one.The kind of information a person can act on mustbe meaningful in terms of personal experience. Andthat means appeals to metaphors, anecdotes, andself- interests.

Evaluators are not very good at translating ab-stract data like correlation co-efficients into concreteexperience for their audience, The more formalizedthe operations in the "context of justification," themore difficult it is to make the findings meaningful

in personal terms. in fact. the very methods thatincrease our generalizing powers lead us away fromconcrete meanings into abstract relationships. Thereis a natural antipathy between personal meaning,which leads us to action, and abstract data, whichleads us away. Communicating scientific findings isnot a matter of understanding research terminology;it is a matter of finding correspondence within theaudience's personal experience that will register thefindings. Every person has a vocabulary of actionwithin his mind; only when evaluation data roughlycorrespond to his internal vocabulary, does he re-spond to them.

Political lobbyists have been most effective inunderstanding and using the vocabulary of legisla-tors. As one state legislator told me, "Man, I don'tneed another report. I've got sixty of those in myoffice. Don't tell me about statistics and all thatstuff. I believe you. Tell me what you found out."In this case, personal credibility was his guide toaction. On another level the Silberman report Imentioned earlier is a good example of persuasivewriting. In 525 pages there are only two lines re-ferring to row data were collected. Though he doesrefer to research studies. the bulk of the report iscomposed of anecdotes. And it is persuasive. Ordi-narily though, evaluators greatly neglect the "con-text {3f persuasion." However, it seems to me, thatthe producers of the data must assume some burdenin seeing their ;formation is properly understood.Simply wrapping the baby up warmly and leavinghim on the doorstep at midnight .does not absolveone of responsibility,

So there it isa thumbnail sketch of the prob-lems of. trying to determine the social worth of edu-cational programs: valuation, justification, persua-sion; values, thought, action; morality, knowledge,power. New problems for education. but perennialproblems for society,

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LIST OF REFERENCESI. Glass, Gene B. "Some Observations on Training

Educational Researchers." The Record, TeachersCollege, Columbia University. (In press.) .

2. Mannheim, Karl. Idiology and Utopia. New York:Harcourt, Brace and World. 1936.

3. Myrdal, Gunnar. Objectivity in Social Research.New York: Random House, 1969.

4. Scheffler, Israel. Science and Subjectivity. Bobilas-Merrill Co. 1967.

5. Striven, Michael. "The Methodology of Evalua-tion." AERA Monograph Series on CurriculumEvaluation, November 1. 1967.

6. Silberman, Charles E. "Crisis In thr, Classroom."New York: Random House, 1970.

7. Stake. Robert E. "The Countenance of Educa-tional Evaluation." Teachers College Record,68; 523-540; 1067.

The DoMinion of Economic Accountabilityby

Ernest R. HomeCentel. for Instructional Research and Curriculum Evaluation

University of Illinois

Greetings from the Heartland. You expatriateswill be sorry to hear that we have had a very mildwinter and that everything is well under control.You may know that our most famous expatriate isthe good Governor himselfGovernor Reagan (or"Dutch" as we used to call him in Illinois). Youmay not know that the Governor went to a smallcollege in a town about twenty miles outside Peoria.Someone once said that you can't understand Green-wich Village unless you ve seen Kansas City. I mightadd that you can't understand California unless

. you've seen Eureka, Illinois. One description of thetown is that whoever discovered it did not say"Eureka." But the place has now achieved newstatus since the Governor's great success. In fact.they arc going to erect a shrine to him out of theremnants of the very last redwood to be cut down.

Unfortunately, all our celebrities migrate east orwest. We have only two leftMayor Daley andHugh Hefner. In fact. some people contend that theMayor and Mr. Hefner are one and the same person.13ut I don't think it's true. Hefner was a journalismstudent at the University of Illinois who was expelledfor publishing a naughty undergraduate magazine.OF course, as luck would have it, today he is at oncethe most famous and influential Illini alumnus. Onthe other hand, Mayor Daley, many years before hebecame involved in Chicago politics, was a pirate,;(4-ytin on Lake. Michigan.

DA enough of the biography of famous men. I.(4.,m4, to talk about accountability. While recognizingtlat it may be a passing fad, and that some mani-festations are as ephemeral as, this meeting, I believethat the. idea is going to be around for a while. Iffor no other reason, it is a way of lassoing the wildstallion of educational spending. Groups competingfor funds at the federal, state, and local levels ensurethat educational spending will not continue to climbas rapidly as it has in the past. So whatever elseaccountability may be, it is a way of holding downspending. Although some good may come from it,I am disturbed at the form it is taking.

Perhaps nowhere is this not-so-subtle purposeof the accountability movement more transparentthan in gifted education. On the roller-coaster ofeducational .priorities, gifted education is currentlydown (though it will most certainly rise again onthe vagaries of social change). For example, one ofthe prime motives for evaluating the Illinois GiftedProgram was to use the four million dollars it is nowspending each year in other places. This purposewas foiled, at least temporarily, because we foundso many good results and communicated them tothe right people.

But even though collecting relevant data may beessential. maintaining gifted programs is primarilya political problem and demands a political solution.Information does no good unless it is delivered ina politically relevant manner, a topic 1 touched onlast night, Today, rather than discussing the. problemof justifying the very existence of gifted programs,

I am going to examine the. debilitating effects currentaccountability pressures wreak within the internalstructure of such programs.

It has been said in support of accountability thatit will result in favorable changes in professional per-formance and these will be reflected in higher aca-demic achievement, improvement in pupil attitudes,and generally better educational results." (Barre..1970). I would contend that accountability will notautomatically do good things, that we are alreadyaccountable for many things that we do, that beingaccountable in fact makes our lives miserable incertain ways, and often actually prohibits favorablechanges in professioni4 performance and better edu-cational results. For example, college professors arequite accountable for publishing articles, yet onewould be. hard pressed to show how this arrange-ment helps, say, the public schools. Similarly publicschool teacheers are accountable for keeping theirclassrooms quiet, and I've heard it said that this isan impediment to good teaching.

So when one hears talk about accountability asif it did not now exist and that all good things aregoing to happen when we get it, one must regardthis argument as too simplistic and look moresquarely at what is being proposed. It is safe toassume that somebody wants something he is notnow getting.

ECONOMIC ACCOUNTABIITY

Not long into any current discussion on account-ability, someone always raises the question,. "Whois accountable to whom?" Almost invariably theresponse is that one is accountable to his superior.In fact, most people. apparently perceive the societyas being a vast hierarchy in which each person isaccountable to his boss and his boss is accountableto someone else and so on. In this ubiquitous con-ception the school district, the society, the world isperceived as being organized like a vast bureaucracy,a' gigantic corporation. Accountability is upward.Each person is accountable to the institution.

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in a recentissue of the Phi Delta Kappan (December, 1970)&voted to the theme of accountability. Explicitlyor implicitly, several articles in the magazine harborthis view. But the apotheosis is the lead article writ-ten by a Rand Corporation economist. He proposesthat pupil performance measures be given to all thestudents in a school district. Then, through a seriesof multiple regression equations. each teacher, eachprincipal, and the superintendent be held account-able for that bit of pupil performance that the ana-lisis attributes to him. Mrs. Smith, for example, isresponsible for three percent of verbal reasoning,while Mr: Jones only managed to get in one percent.Presumably Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jones will be dif-ferentially rewarded for those contributions. Goodgirl, Mrs. Smith. Bad boy, Mr. Jones.

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The technical and political problems that thisapproach would encounter are so insurmountablethat they will never be overcome. Technically theconditions necessary for employing the satisticalanalysis cannot be met: none of the current measuresare adequate indices of the relevant variables: thevariables cannot be made independent of one an-other: and there is no way of specifying all thecritical variables that should be. included. The politi-cal problems are even more formidable. If the teacherorganizations are anything like the rascals I knowthem to be, they would never allow such a thing.

But I must confess I am intrigued by the prospectsof Mr. Jones sabotaging Mrs. Smith's lesson plansso he can pick up a few points on her. Or the kidsin eleventh grade algebra organizing to throw themath test and send the despised Mr. Harms intobankruptcy. My mind slips back to those excitingdays of comparative anatomy practical exams whenthe desperately competitive pre -coeds would pullthe numbered pins from one part of the cat's bruinand stick it into another in order to fool their rivals.

Although this particular scheme is not going tobe widely employed, this conception of accounta-bility is so widely accepted that I would not besurprised to read in an education newsletter that the-superintendent in Lockjaw, California, or Bone Gap,Illinois. having secured a batch of army surplus testsand a slide rule for the business manager to workthe. regression equations on, has decided to institutethe system. (I also can't help remarking that, afteryears of making the world safe for the American airforce, the Rand Corporation is in serious financialdifficulty (Newsweek). Let me be the first to recom-mend to the Rand administrators that they employthis very same technique to determine which of theireconomists are contributing to their productivity.)

The point I'm trying to make is that discussions ofaccountability always lead us down this dismal road.In fact, we are so far down the road that it is impossible for many people to even imagine another typeof accountability. For the dominant theme today iseconomic efficiency and its purpose is controlcon-trol over pupil behavior, control over staff behavior,control over schooling.

At the risk of oversimplification, let me outlinethis mode of accountability, which I call economicaccountability. It is an economist's view of the world.Basically it presumes that the purpose of educationis to supply manpower to other institutions of thesociety, particularly the economic ones. The skillsneeded to run the societal machinery can be formu-lated in specific terms, so educational goals aremandated by technological demands. These goalsbeing specific and set, the job of educators is tomaximize these goals. (usually forms of studentachievement) with the greatest efficiency possible.Ultimately then the goals of education become eco-nomic and the attendant accountability system iseconomic.

Economic analysis always has to do with maximi-zation of known objectives (Brandt, 1970). It pro-vides a descriptive theory of how maximization willhappen or a prescriptive analysis of how to get it tohappen. Thus we get analytic tools like systemsanalysis, cost/benefit analysis. PPBS. and perform-ance contracting. Perhaps the technique "par excel-lence" is regression analysis against a production

function. in which the most efficient combinationof inputs is related to output.

Now there are serious problems in applying economic analysis to education in a pluralistic society.Where objectives or outcomes are not known,economic theory offers no way of determining them.And where there are competing viewpoints of whateducation should be doing, the maximizing solutiondoes not even apply. In a pluralistic society like ours,there are irreconcilable differences as to what theoutputs of education should be. At best, one cancompile a great list of possible mttputs and try torelate inputs to them. thus establishing a collage.But this solution doesn't have much practical appealto administrators who want to make decisions. Forexample, it would not tell them what would happenif an attempt were made to increase a particularoutput.

The alternative is to reconcile these differencesinto a few set goalswhich is what I believe thedemands for economic .accountability are attemptingto do. The ultimate form of accountability then is totighten the system to the point that each person isheld personally accountable for his contribution tothose few goalsjust as the Rand economist sug-gested. In this scheme students arc shaped to pre.specified ends, educators are efficient at producingthose ends, and education is more closely wired tothe economic institutions of the society. The wholesocial system is more efficient, but the cost is terriblyhigh: it is our cultural pluralism and our humanity.For this mode of accountability reduces to simplythis: the individual is accountable to the institutions,but the institutions tire not accountable to the in-dividual.

The Dominance of Managerial Education

Inextricably bound to economic accountability iswhat 'Thomas Green (1969) calls' "managerial"education. The same principle of economic effi-ciency shapes both the accountability system andthe nature of education. Managerial education domi-nates when the schools are assessed by the utilityof their ''product" to the dominant institutions ofthe.society. In our society this means that the schoolsare held accountable for effectively and efficientlymeeting the demands for education manpower. Tothe extent that school credentials become the pilmarytheir voracious appetite for technical skills and tothe extent that Nebo() cret;entials become the primarymeans of placing people in the structure, managerialeducation will predominate.

Contrast this with "humanistic" education in whichschools are assessed in terms of what they do forpeopleindependent of their contribution to otherinstitutions. The humanistic credo, often expressedas the impossible goal of "developing each individualto his fullest," is the official ideology of most educa-tors. It seeks not to shape the individual to a pre-determined end, to some criterion of external utility,but to cultivate independence and individualism.

Yet, according to Green, in spite of this credo,managerial concerns now shape the schools and willincrease their dominance substantially over the nexttwo decodes. One reason is that each lower educa-tional level must at a minimum prepare its students

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for the next higher level and at the top of thepyramid are the graduate and professional schools.which feed into the economic institutions.

Down this road a few decades Green foresees avery high level of managerial education for an eliteand a lower level for the majority of people. To acertain extent this has already happened. As weinvestigated gifted programs across Illinois we foundgifted children being educated toward some kind ofvocational marketability in the future. In shapingthe child toward these distant and pre-specifiedgoals the classes tended to he dull and repressive.often requiring that both teachers and parents exertgreat pressures on the child in order to get him toperform. The rationale underlying these classes wasu3ually. "This may be painful now, but it will helpthe child when he wants to get ahead."

Here are some excerpts from one of our casestudies, code named ''Parchland." First, excerptsfrom an interview with the teacher, Mr. Harms:Q: What would you say your major goal is for this

particular class?Mr. Harms: I'd say the major goal is to prepare

them for advanced math. Most of the studentswill probably go ahead and take college work inmath as either a science, math or engineeringmajor.

Q: Of today's activities were there any that areespecially appropriate for the gifted?

Mr. Harms: Not necessarily, except that I expectthem to reproduce the proof while I wouldn'texpect the regular class to prove it normally.I assign this class some problems I wouldn'tassign the regular class, too.

Q: Could you give. me a few more examples of whatthe students do that are especialy appropriatefor the gifted?

Mr. Harms: Its primarily what we do in class discus-sions. I don't run any special projects for them.This spring they might do something with mathe-matical instruments, a little field work, use ofthe transit and so on. It's primarily a matter ofacceleration and an enrichment of mathematics.Projects are good, but I feel that in math therereally is no substitute for hard work; there justisn't any royal road to mathematic . I'm afraidI probably assign more problems than someteachers do, but even the good students needpractice.

Q: How would you describe .a successful student inthis class?

Mr. Harms: A succesesful student would be one thatstudies regularly every day, pays attention inclass, does well in his tests, and does his home-work pretty regularly.

I have some students that ask questions andothers that don't. I believe that 1 like to havethem ask questions, but some students have got-ten to the place where they get it pretty much ontheir own and don-t have to ask questions.Others don't ask questions because they're . . .well, they don't.

Q: What does it take to get an "A "?Mr. Harms: Well, my feeling is you have to be

pretty good to get an "A.' You have to be. anoutstanding student, have to almost have an

"A" on every test. It depends somewhat on how

many tests we have during the quarter, but un-fortunately with an "A." you don't have a gradeabove the "A" to average with one below tobring it up, and so it's a little tough.

The student enthusiasm is extremely low. and,what is rare for a gifted group, there is no humorir. the class. Here is a brief excerpt from an inter.view with Donna, the best student in the class:Q: What kind of things do you do in this class?Donna: Mr. Harms will ask if we have any questions

over the problems we did, and if we do, he'lldiscuss them and write them on the board. He'llalso give us at least one proof a day. And hekind of yells at us a little because we don't likethem. But he keeps saying that we should likethem, and we should do them because that's allwe're going to do in college.

Q: What kinds of things are you supposed to learnin this class?

Donna: I think we're supposed to learn the general-ities with proofs and just learn the technique ofproving. He doesn't give us too much busy work,like some teachers do. He is concerned about usknowing proofs because he keeps saying we haveto know this for college.

We have to learn how to do the proofs: weare going to have to realize that we' can't skipover them. Some of us work the problems anddon't have enough time to get to all of them, sowe'll do the rest of the problems and skip theproofs. And say we didn't get them because weprobably wouldn't get them anyway.

Q: Do you get graded in this class?Donna: Yes, and I need to be graded so that I have

some drive to get me going. It makes me feelreal good when I can bring home an "A" andmy Dad is real proud of me.inally here's part of our interpretation:

Mr. Harm's class is the stereotypical math classthat students through the years have come to dislikeintensely. Of more than 100 classes examined, thisone is lowest on student enthusiasm. The unremittingaim of the teacher is to ingrain the subject matterinto the heads of his students so tl- t they can "getahead" vocationally. This future orientation of theteacher and the degree to which he impresses it onthe student ia a significant feature of the class. Therationale for the future utility of the subject attemptsto mitigate against current unpleasantness.

To the teacher's credit he does manage to teachfor the higher thought process of "analysis." Thisemphasis occurs in all math classes we have studied.In all probability, the students will perform well onthe Advanced Placement tests he keeps remindingthem about. Since this is the main goal, the class maybe a success in that regard. The cost is high, however.The strict humorless classroom atmosphere and totaldomination of the class by the teacher results in aparticularly uninspiring class. There is no joking, noquestioningonly the grimest pursuit of subjectmatter. When he wishes to "enrich" the class hedoes so by showing the students other ways of solv-in equations. His pathetic attempts at "making thestudents independent- consist of occasionally notgiving them any help on their homework.

When Mr. Harms tries to start a discussion inclass, he asks recall questions that leave nothing todiscuss and that no one cares to answer. In addition.he is a very hard grader. The extreme emphasis ongrades is quite strong in the entire schoolquitetypical of all the middle class suburbs studiedandthe teacher manifests these pressures. The severecompetitive environment is very real to the students.There is one thing that the students like about hisclasshe doesn't collect and check their homework.However, unknown to them, he does check on themcovertly.

Even the best student stresses the dullness of theclass and claims that the only thing that keeps hergoing is pressure from her father to make goodgrades. At best, the other students are resigned. Asa helpful crutch, Mr. Harms relies on his ultimaterationale, that learning math is unenjoyable ( "Thereis no royal road ") but one must do it in order toget ahead in college and eventually gain a competi-tive advantage in the job market. The philosophy ofthe community is embodied in the classroom of theteacherlearning is not intrinsically worthwhile, butis unpleasantly necessary to "getting ahead." Thehonors classes reveal a considerable trace of elitism.Parents and students see the classes as quite a statussymbol.

In summary. strong community pressure for com-petition and success. a subject difficult to teachenjoyably. and a teacher who has little flexibility,humor, or ability to enliven the class, combine foran unhappy learning experience and a negative feel-ing toward the subject. As one of Mr. Harm's stu-dents says, "Math is a lot more 'cut and dried' thanmost subjects. I'm sorry to say, it seems mostlydried, and I don "t think anything can help."

Atkin (1970) has called attention to the. para-digm of this type of education in which educationalservices are perceived as "products" to be mass-produced. This production-line model calls for elab-orate prespecification and quality control. Emphasisis placed on that which is replicable, easily quantifi-able, readily discernible. and unambiguous. Ed-ucation becomes engineering and finally industrialproduction. Evaluation becomes greatly simplified:one need only compare the prespecification to thefinal priduct.

PPBSAn Accountant's DreamThus we get simple business management tools

applied to education--like the PPB system Californiais implementing soon. The system promises no lessthan providing "information necessary (1) for plan-ning educational programs that will meet the needs ofthe community; and (2) for choosing among thealternative ways in which a school district can allo-cate resources to achieve its goals and objectives."(California State Department of Education. 1969)According to the State's lucid and well-written man-ual, here's how the system works:

The school arrives at a set of goals which are thecornerstone of the system. From the goals is deriveda set of objectives which must be measurable. Basedon these objectives the program is developed, whichis a group of activities to accomplish the objectives.including attendant resources and schedules. Thiscompletes the program development. Then the prolgram description package is drawn up, which includesthe course content, objectives, and method of evalu-

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anon. Then the program structure is set up which isa hierarchial arrangement of programs. (The system

is very big on hierarchies: about 15 of the 18 chartsin the book are some kind of hierarchy.)

Finally the program code is built. which meanseach program is assigned a number: the programbudget is completed: and the multiyear financialplan, a five-year cost projection, is constructed. Allneatly rational and internally consistent if youbelieve in an abstract "economic man.- Actually anyrelation between the PPB system and reality will bepurely coincidental.

First the problem of defining goals in a pluralisticsociety has already been noted.. The PPBS manualspends no time on how to arrive at goals. and withgood reason. Defining goals is a political, not aneconomic process. Empirical studies of businessorganizations have shown that their goals are chang-ing, multiple, inconsistentand the organizationssurvive quite nicely. (March. 1966) Upon close in-spection even the profit goal in business organizationsturns out to be quite elusive.

Assuming that the goal problem is overcome, onemust then develop a set of objectives which aremeasurablethe old behavioral objectives problem.Here is a behavioral objective for gifted studentsfrom Educational Technology (Kepler. 1968):

"The student. will be given a problem whichis totally unfamiliar to him. He will be able torespond by stating ideas or solutions to theproblem. The responses (as measured by achoice of checklists, teacher observations,teacher evaluation, and teacher-made exer-cises) will be rated on the basis of newness anduniqueness."

How many of these would one have to write tofully cover what a gifted child should be. doing?One Office of Education project set out to compilea complete set of behavioral objectives for the highschool. 13efore it was abandoned. the last I heardwas that they had 20.000. Teachers must teach andmeasure each one. No wonder they went a raise.

There are many other objections to behavioralobjectives, most of which revolve around the impos-sibility of specifying a complete set for anyone andthe difficulty of specifying any but the most trivialtasks. I might add that of all the gifted programs weinvestigated in Illinois. not one employel a set ofbehavoral objectives.

The program description package is preparedafter the program has been "developed." (See page14) If you compare the simplicity of this programdescription with even the brief excerpts from ourcase study example, you will see how .something ascomplex as a classroom cannot be reduced to aledger sheet. I submit that with this form completedyou would know almost nothing worthwhile aboutthe programn. There is also implicit here the interest-ing idea that "program development" is completedwhen these activities are specified. This is not howgood gifted programs develop. Our own data indi-cate that program development is a complicatedprocess that occurs when an "advocate," perhaps aparent or teacher. becomes interested in developinga program for gifted kids. This advocate organizesa group of people. secures resources and proceedsto build a program. The development of the programis never complete. (House, et al, 1970)

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Finally these artifacts are coded and related tothe budgetwhich I suspect was the purpose allalong. The code numbers can then be manipulatedas if they meant somethingwhich they clearly donot. The manual is peppered with statements like**Assessment of results is essential" and other ex-

horations to evaluate thes programs, do cost/benefitanlyses and so on. But actual procedures for doingso are glossed over at great speed. Well they mightbe, for there is absolutely no legitimate way now inexistence to collect the measures and make the com-parisons the system demands.

PPBS Element Form

GOAL STATEMENT

To provide all students the opportunity to develop skills in typing.' shorthand, bookkeeping.and office machine operation.

DEVELOPED BY_._ .. __._ ..._.._. _..

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT AND EVALUATIVE CRITERIA

Ninety perecent of graduating Business Curriculum students shall meet the following standards:

Typing-70 words per minute as measured by the IBM Test with 905; accuracy.ShorthandI 00 words per minute as measured by the Gregg test.

BookkeepingDemonstrate understanding of journals, income statements, and bal.nce sheetsas determined by decision tests.

Office Machine OperationMean score equal to national average on NCR test.

DEVELOPED BY

.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

This program is designed to allow students to develop skills in the areas of typing, shorthand,bookkeeping. and office machine operation sufficient to gain employment using these skills. This pro-gram will include practice with typical problems and situations found in actual employment situations.Contacts will be maintained with the local business community to aid students in obtaining employ-ment.

DEVELOPED BY

PROGRAM TITLE

PROGRAM ID No PROGRAM No... ... PROGRAM LEVEL__SUPPORTED PROGRAMS

SUPPORTING PROGRAMS

The end result is what I always find in dealingwith systems analysisa lot of hazy generalizationsthat seem reasonable on the surface, but are actuallyimpossible to implement. All the objections to thissystem that I have raised are based on either empiri-cal evidence or experience. But one thing I've foundwith the systems people is that they are never dis-turbed by data. They simply say, "You aren't doingit right," which means that people aren't behavingin accordance with the rationalistic economic modelthat underlies the system. If they did behave prop-erly the model would work a brilliant piece ofcircular logic.

,:\! .t4

In short, this system seems to me to be an account-ant's dream of how the world should work. Its im-plicit message is economic efficiency, promotingeconomic rationality at the expense. of other humancharacteristics such as political rationality (Wildav-sky, 1968). Significantly, the California system wasdrawn up by an accounting and budgeting commis-sion and almost all the examples used are in businesseducation.

My prognosis is something like this. My worstfears are that the system will actually succeed indoing what I see as its real design. In that case, wewill have a very high level of managerial education

for the gifted. The repression and dullness of theclassroom will increase and we will have succeededin crucifying our kids on the cross of economicefficiency. My most hopeful prediction is that peoplewill realize the restrictiveness of this system andsubvert it into an information system that attendsto the needs of the kids instead of simply shapingkids to the needs of the institutions.

But I don't think either of these projections islikely in the near future. I think the schools will staypretty much as they are now. Schoolmen will get byjust as they got through chemistry labby fillingout forms the way they are expected to, regardlessof what is happening in reality. It will take morepeople to fill out the forms, more destroyed treesto provide the paper, and more people in Sacramentoto shuffle them around. As one economist says, mostPP B systems have culminated in "sterile accountingschemes." (Brandt, 1970) But I can see the publicand certain government leaders providing moremoney for the schools now that "sound businessprocedures" have been adopted. The end result willbe a slightly less efficient system that looks moreefficient. But even that is certainly preferable to thefirst choice I outlined.

Institutional Accountability

Here. is a newspaper clipping from THE WALLSTEET JOUNAL dated June 24, 1970, datelinedSan Francisco. The headlines read:

EDUCATED DROPOUTSCollege Trained Youths Shun the Professions for a

Free-Form Life

John Spitzer of Harvard Is Cabbie; Clara PerkinsonSmith Carries the. Mail

OPTING OUT OF "THE SYSTEM"

The article goes on to say that increasing numbersof highly talented and educated young people donot want to join the system. John Spitzer says,"When I was a senior, Dylan's 'Subterranean Home-sick Blues' came out. Remember that's the one whenhe says, 'twenty years in school and then they putyou on the day shift.' That touched so many nervesfor so many people; that said it all." Although wemight not agree on the problem, on whether thosekids are refuse or martyrs, saboteurs or saviors, wewould agree that PPBS is not going to solve theproblem. In fact, it would make the situation worse.

I wish I had a well-worked out alternative toeconomic accountability that would solve all ourproblems. I don't. But let me suggest a differentmode of accountability in which institutions areaccountable to persons rather than persons beingaccountable to the institution. Such an accountabilityscheme would provide feedback on the client's well-being instead of just how well they are "shaping up."Teachers might be responsible to students and ad-ministrators to teachers. The information systemattendant to this mode of accountability would re-volve around the question, "Is this information goingto help the institution adjust to characteristics of thestudent or will it result in shaping the student to thedemands of the institution ?"

With this in mind. here are some recommnds-:ions for dealing with any kind of information system.

I . Examine the function if the system, not just itsrationale. The. true nature of the. system isrevealed by how it works, not what it prom-ises.

Try to respect the complexity of reality. Goodgifted programs do not result from establish-ing a few objectives and selecting appropriateactivities. Establishing any pi ogram success-fully necessitates complex political processes.Any model of development that denies this isdysfunctional.

3. Insist on multiple outcomes. No educationalprogram should be judged on the basis of oneor two measures. Resist attempts to reduceeducational output to simple achievementscores.

4. Look at classroom transactions. Regardless ofoutcomes, the atmosphere in which a childspends a good portion of his life is important.One instrument, the Class Activities Question-naire, developed by a former California giftedteacher, Joe Steele, examines both the cogni-tive and affective dimensions of the classroom.Many classroom interaction schemes are alsoavailable.

5. Collect many different kinds of data. In lightof all the above, the more kinds of data thebetter. Testimonials, interviews, classroom in-teraction analysis, objective testsalmost anydata is appropriate. They provide a picture ofthe richness of classroom life and mitigateagainst making decisions based on highly ab-stract information. One thing we did in ourevaluation was combine 25 different kinds ofinformation to produce a case study of theclass. The resulting image of the class was muchsuperior to a combination of just a few kindsof data.

6. Collect data from different sources. It is espe-cially important to find out what students arethinking. even if one asks only "What are thethree things in this class you would like tochange most ?" Students can give as good areading of what is going on as anyone else.Information should also be collected from par-ents and other groups,

7. Report to different audiences. For example,parents have a right to know something aboutwhat's going on in class. The Class Reportform, developed by Bob Stake, provides adescription for parents of gifted classes as seenby the teacher.

8. Rely on intuition and professional judgments.Many experts on PPBS emphasize that analytictools should only provide assistance to intui-tion. There is no substitute for human judg-ment.

9. Promote diversity within the system. The mostdifficult task for organizations is to generatealternative ways of doing things. (March,1966) An information system should promotethe development of divergent ideas, not in-hibit them. There are even many places where

economic efficiency should be the criterion.For example. we did a cost/benefit analysiscomparing the rffic-.cy if demonstration cen-ters and summer training institutes. But thecircumstances were propera fe:w. short-range

goals were at stake. Ordinarily. :fe is not thatsimple.

Finally, let me say that nowhere is it more im-portant to make the institutions accountable to peoplethan in gifted education. Like baby seals, the giftedare vulnerable to exploitation. When the federal gov-ernment has been concerned at all. it has treated thegifted as exploitable natural resources. Nothing couldbe easier than for the drives behind economic ac-countability to transform gifted education into a highform of managerial education for a small elite. Giftededucation would simply become defining the mostdifficult jobs and training students for them. Thegifted would be those who learn the job requirementsfastest. The human potential of our students wouldbe sacrificed. That would be a tragedy for the peopleinvolved and a catastrophe for our social structure.

Fortunately we have found in our studies in Illi-nois that gifted programs do make a difference, inspite of the kind of classroom typified by our casestudy of Mr. Harm's class. Consonant with the goalsof the Illinois program, we found many classes em-phasizing opportunities for individualism, independ-ence, divergent thought, and student involvement.We have found many class atmospheres where play-ing with ideas was encouraged and students wereenthusiastic. In fact, the basic dichotomy we foundfor distinguishing classes was enthusiasm, independ-ence, and higher level thought processes on theone hand and test/grade stress and lower levelthought processes on the other. What distinguishedgifted and non-gifted classes was that the students inthe gifted classes had an active role, while students inthe non-gifted classes were subjected to a listening.passive role. (Steele, et al, 1970) Unfortunately, wefound very few comprehensive programs or pro-grams for gifted minorities. Nor did we find specialprovisions for the most highly gifted.

As I look at the agenda for this conference I amencouraged. I see sessions on politics and commu-nity involvement: creativity, higher thought proces-ses, values, and effective learning; and, most en-couraging, talks with the students themselves abouttheir programs. These are the things we should belooking for and be accountable for in gifted pro-grams. But breaking the exclusive hold of economic

accountability is not easy to do. I hope that econom-ists and those who control our economic institutionswill stop maximizing economic gains long enoughto assess the long-range consequences of doing so.There is some hope. Even an economist has re-marked, "When my son, Christopher, got all A's in

first grade, but found school repressive and dull,the arguments that his grades indicated a successfuland lucrative future was little consolation to him orto me." (Brandt, 1970)

LIST OF REFERENCES

Atkin, J. Myron. "Curriculum Design: The CentralDevelopment Group and the Local Teacher."Prepared for Institute for die.. Padagozik de Na-turwissenschaften Invitational Symposium, Keil,West Germany, 14 October 1970.

Barr°, Stephen M. "An Approach to DevelopingAccountability Measures for the Public Schools."Phi Delta Kappan, Vol: LII, No. 4, 1970.

Brandt, John E. "Public Service Outputs of HigherEducation: An Exploratory Essay." in The Out

puts of Higher Education: Thtir Identification,Measurement. and Evaluation. Boulder: WesternInterstate Commission for Higher Education, 1970,

California State Department of Education. Concept-ual Design for a Planning, Programming, Budget-ing System for California School Districts. 1969.

Green. Thomas F. "Schools and Communities: ALook Forward." Community and the School, Har-vard Educational Review Reprint No. 3, 1969.

House, Ernest R., Joe M. Steele, Thomas Kerins.The Development of Educational Programs: Ad-vocacy in a Non-Rational System. Center for In-structional Research and Curriculum evaluation,

University of Illinois, 30 pages.

Kepler. Miriam B. "Behavioral Objectives and theGifted." Education al Technology, June .15, 1968.

March, Jones G. "Organizational Factors in Super-vision," in The Supervisor: Agent for Change inTeaching. Association for Supervision and Curric-lum Development, NEA, 1966.

Steele, Joe Milan. Ernest R. House, Steplten Lapan,. and Thomas Kerins. Instructional Climate in Illi-

nois Gifted Classes. Center for Instructional Re-search and Curriculum Evaluation, University ofIllinois. August, 1970. 55 pages.

Wildaysky. Aaron. "The Political Economy of Effi-ciency: Cost-Benefit Analysis, Systems Analysis,and Program Budgeting," in Planning, Program-ming, Budgeting: A Systems Approach to Man-agement, Lyden, Fremont J. and Ernest R. Miller,Editors, Chicago: Markham, 1968.

1(9

PARENT ORGANIZATIONS' ROLE INGIFTED EDUCATION

by

Gifted Children's Association of theSan Fernando Valley, Inc.

Participants:

.Cathy Kennard. PresidentMaurice Boyd. Executive Vice-President.Adele Cavanagh. I st Vice-PresidentGarnet Pose. Past PresidentCollette Friedman. Past PresidentMarge Bushnell. Member at Large

Summary: Background, history. activities, and ques-tion and answer period.

The once neat lines between the "outside" com-munity and the school are blurring as an increasinglycomplicated society depends more and more on itsschools to solve problems. Teachers, students. par-ents. and community must work together in partner-shipinstead of in conflict. A climate of two-waycommunication. mutual acceptance. and trust mustbe maintained. Schools are not equipped or readyto handle all the problems these uncommon childrenpresent. Schools cannot do the job alone, and shouldnot. A broad base of parental support is needed.Parents must be involved and this is especially truein the area of education for the gifted.

Up until a few years ago a parent in the schoolwas regarded as a nuisance. a meddler, even a threat.Although in some schools parents are still unwel-come, there is a growing trend toward accepting.even inviting, parents to become involved.

Parents of the gifted can be the best allies schoolswill find anywhere. They are more interested in edu-cation than most. feel more strongly about theirchildren's education. are more willing to be involved,and have much to contribute. Patents of the giftedmake wonderful resource people. Many have livedoverseas; their hobbies, interests and professionscan be used to advantage for classroom enrichment;tours to places of interest not usually available canbe arranged; .special equipment and displays can beloaned or supplied: speakers can he obtained; andin cooperation with the schools many communityactivities for children can be provided.

Parents of the gifted are also more critical. vocaland articulate. It is much more pleasant to have usas friends than as critics. Simply opening up lines ofcommunication can often accomplish this. We wantthe schools to listen to what we have to say. talk tous truthfully, and above all, avoid what we call the"soothing syrup" approach.

Parents of the gifted are the first to criticize andthe first to flee if the schools do not measure up totheir standards. Theis "threshold of flight" is oftenlow. You would be amazed at the amount of movingthat is done to find just the right school for theirchildren and the amount of investigating that is donebefore the move is made. And when a school haslost its gifted children, it has lost something special.

We recognize the financial burdens and limitationsof our schools. Therefore, instead of pounding on

their desks. we have chosen to work quietly. coope-rating with our schools, trying to understand theirproblems. and attempting to help through construc-tive action. We have put much effort into obtainingstate funding for programs for the gifted. Here wecan apply the full weight of parent groups and be-come a pressure or lobbying group. Because non-profit corporations are limited by law in the amountof political activity they may indulge in, the parentgroups have joined together in an organization knownas the California Parents for the Gifted. The mainpurpose of this organization is to collect. coordinateand disseminate information among the various par-ent and civic groups organized for the benefit of giftedchildren education. It is through this organization,representing all of us. that our political activitiesare carried out.

We wish to stress that what we want for our chil-dren is an education commensurate with their ability.

"1....lual education is the foundation of theright to be a human being . . . This does notmean that any gifted child or any child havinga greater capability to learn may or shall bedeprived of his or her opportunity of learningmore. It does mean that every child shall havethe equal opportunity to learn to the best of hisor her ability. That opportunity must be madeavailable to all on equal terms."

Superior Court Case 822854County of Los AngelesAlfred Gitelson, Judge

There is a prevalent feeling that these children"have so much going for them" that they do notneed any extra help. But they do! Gifted children,contrary to popular notion, are often the neglectedchildren in the classroom. Because they require aninordinate amount of the teacher's time. mentallygifted pupils are too often forced into a programdesigned for the average student. There is increasingevidence that these children are suffering from bothphysical and mental problems.. Moments of excite-ment and challenge for most children may be dulland repetitious for the brighter few. What is fulleducation to one child may be inadequate trainingfor another. These children who demonstrate morethan ordinary abilities must not be overlooked.

In an effort to solve some of the problems facingparents of gifted we would like to tell you some-thing about the Gifted Children's Association ofthe San Fernando Valley. not to sell this type oforganization to you. but to illustrate what can bedone by parent volunteers when they form a groupto seek improvement in the education of the gifted.This will reflect our approach to solving the needsas we see them in our own community. We urgeeach new association, as it organizes, to evaluate theneeds of its own community and to determine itsown goals and objectives. Some associations work

17

7

very closely with their schools from the beginningespecially in smaller communities. Others find it nec-essary to be almost entirely independent of theschools until they can prove themselves to be re-

sponsible and worthwhile.The panel will make a brief presentation of the

activities of our association and we will then beavailable for a question and answer session.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE CALIFORNIASTATE LEGISLATURE

byGerald Stanley, Ed.D.

Garden Grove Unified School District

Mr. Cory shared many insights concerning theworkings of our legislature and how to communicatewith that body. He made the point that legislatorstend to listen more diligently to those persons withwhom they have had extended contact. It seems tonaturally follow that if we are to be effective withthe state legislature we (C.A.G.) are going to haveto become more active in politiacl activities.

According to Mr. Cory. we can be more effectiveworking in our own assembly and senate districtcampaigns than by swarming into Sacramento as agroup or sending short letters or telegrams whichsimply say, "Please voe for (or against) A.B. 001."Speaking of letters. Mr. Cory made the point thatall letters get answered, but not all receive the samereading. Legislators are interested in what their con-stituents have to say, but the typical letter to thelegislature just doesn't say very much. Mr. Corysuggested that he and presumably others in thelegislature are more impressed with longer lettersin which constituents offer a rationale for their posi-tion or give supportive factual data.

The most significantway to influence a legislator,according to Mr. Cory, is to have established a per-sonal relationship with him through individual effortsin his behalf prior to the time that one has a par-ticular bill to discuss with him. One of the implica-tions of this for professional organizations who haveparticular interests in specific bills is to seek out theirorganization members who have previously estab-lished relationships with their legislators. Then thoseorganization members should urge their legislatorsto support the bills in which we are interested.

Mr. Cory gave us many unique. insights into theworkings of the state legislature. He was candid andforthright in his statements. His message to profes-sional organizations was clearbecome politicallyactive as individuals!

SUMMARY OF REMARKS BY THE HONOR-ABLE KENNETH CORY made on February 27,1971, at the California Association for the GiftedConference in Monterey.

CREATIVITY FROM LEARNING

byIvy D. Beaubouef

Cajon Valley Union School DistrictEl Cajon, California

For years local educational agencies have beeninitiating programs that would help meet specificneeds of children. Educators have run the gamutfrom fccusing their strength, efforts and monies onthe mentally retarded child, the gifted child, thephysically handicapped child, the educationallyhandicapped child, the culturally deprived child,the pre-school child, but there has always been oneneed that has not been met sifficiently to allow thestudents to grow up into not just leaders of tomor-row, but decision makers of the future, and that oneneed is related to the creative or productive diverg-ent thinking processes.

Historically every educator has looked for andtried to develop the "creative spark" in his students.However, according to recent nationwide researchit has been found that educators generally do not

understand what is meant by .the term "creativity"and they have "difficulty in identifying and nurtur-ing creative talent in their classrooms." It has beenapparent that many students with much creativepotential have gone unnoticed in many classrooms.Creative potential is considered to be a normallydistributed trait in the population and like intelli-gence, every student in every classroom possessessome degree of creativeness. The problem has beenthe inability to identify the child's creativeness andfurther to develop it. The objective of education asit relates to the creative potential of children hasbeen voiced most adequately by Harvard's Ann Roe.She states, "Our problem is not to develop creativity,but to keep from inhibiting creativity. The creativeapproach to life is built into the human speciesapart of our normal functioningand our problemis to let it go, rather than get it started."

If our nation is to survive, then education mustnot continue with "more of the same."," but stu-dents must be trained to be not merely learners, butalso thinkers. If this nation is really concerned aboutnatural resources then something has to be doneabout the creative mind, which needs nurturing, asmuch as any other resource this country has.

Arnold Joseph Toynbee, the British historian, haswritten much in the area of creative thinking. Hestates that "creative talent is the talent which, whenFunctioning effectively, can make history in any areaof human endeavor. Creativity is mankind's ultimatecapital asseta matter of life or death for anysociety. He concludes that if America is to fulfiillher manifest destiny, she must treasure and fosterall the creative potential that she has within her."

It is with the above, premise in mind that theCajon Valley School District began negotiations withTitle III of the Elementary and Secondary EducationAct for the proposal in the area of creativity. The"dream" was to establish an Environment to Encour-age Creativity In Learning. The objectives of theprogram that would encompass the whole schoolconcept (K-6) are: ( I ) to create an awareness inthe teaching staff of the meaning of creativity andhow to recognize creative, traits in students; (2) toproduce an environment in the school and class-rooms which will be conducive to creative productivedivergent thinking; (3) to alter teaching techniquesand strategies rather than subject matter, to stimu-late students to develop their creative potential tothe fullest.

This unique program has encouraged teachers toput into practice the findings of recent research con-cerning the development of creative thinking pro-cesses in students. The teaching staff (25 strong)is undergoing a year long intensive training sessionconducted by outstanding consultants in the areaof creativity. Sessions are then followed by theteacher implementing classroom strategies whichhave resulted from program development activities.Teachers also use video tape equipment to recordclassroom sessions in order to evaluate their ownteaching techniques. Of course, the most importantcriterion as to the effectiveness of the teacher is theresponse From his students.

The course of study at the project school is identi-cal to what it has been in the past for teachers andstudents at each grade and learning level. The dif-ference is the concentrated effort of the teacher touse techniques developed by the project consultantswhich tend to bring out the individual's creativityand help him to think clearly and to use his mindwith greater dexterity. The student is required todiverge his thinking in an effort to use his mind tothink of new ideas, new responses to a problem or

19

question. He is called upon to delve into every cor-ner ruof his stored up knowledge to make new .so-ciations. This method of inquiry is called productivedivergent thinking.

This can be accomplished only it a climate existsin the school whereby there is freedom to learn. Sucha climate has been implemented at the ProjectSchool. The student is being taught to create andcooperate but not conform. His self-confidence isbeing returned to him. This climate allows for verbaland non-verbal communication without fear of ridi-cule from teachers or peers. There is a "free- spirit"in this environment that permits students to comeface to face with their strengths and weaknesses andtherefore creating positive self-images. A LearningCenter has been instrumental in helping to producethis climate. This has been accomplished by remodel-ing the auditorium and stage area into a two-levellearning center with a full library and instructionalmedia complement. A resource teacher and fiveteacher assistants have provided a warm and invitingclimate that supplements the classrooms in stimu-lating productive divergent thinking processes andallows an open-eridedness in the learning environ-ment. It is a place where students may not only studyand conduct research, but also pause to reflect andproject their own ideas.

The project staff realizes that pupil creativenessis dependent on many factors, such as the amountof knowledge the student has which may be recalled,but on the other hand, creativity goes further thanthe mere feeding back of facts. The following pro-ductive thinking processes contribute heavily to cre-ativity; it is these thinking processes which theCuyamaca staff are attempting to develop more fullyin their pupils: ( I ) fluent thinkingthe ability toproduce a number of ideas and responses; (2)flexible thinkingthe variety of approaches andkinds of ideas; (3) original thinking unusual,clever ideas, production away from the obvious;(4) elaborative thinking--adding necessary details,stretching or expanding upon ideas; (5) willingnessto take risksventures to guess, setting greater goalsfor greater gains; (6) preference for complexitydigging into difficult problems or solutions, likingto work with intricate ideas; (7) curiositythe ca-pacity to wonder about things which may lead some-where; (8) imagination the fteedom to formmental images which have not been actually presentto the senses.

It must be remembered that subject matter isstill very important, but it is only the vehicle thisdistrict is using for developing the thinking processes,The methids and techniques are the highway andthe thinking processes are the destination.

ADDING ANOTHER STRING TO HIS BOWDEVELOPING LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN

THE GIFTED (Grades 4-8)by

Deborah K. Osen. Ph.D.Assistant Professor. School of Education

California State College at Fullerton

-1 don't like it -1 won't do itand you can'tmake me. Besides thatit's dumb!" How can brightunderachievers who react like this to so many schoolactivities turn themselves on to involvement asleaders)

Under the guidance of Miss Virginia Mott, Serv-Ann advisor in the 'Anaheim Union High SchoolDistrict, members of the panel will role play brightunderachievers in the process of developing large.group leadership skills in this nationally-known pro-gram.

Mrs. Dorothy Klausner of Counseling and Con-sultant Services (Fullerton) will react to this pre-sentation and assist workshop participants in devel-

oping guidelines for extending these techniques foruse with bright underachievers in grades 4-8.

To extend the concept of developing leadershipin the gifted as presented in Session I. the secondsession will examine methods by which the giftedchild functions as a leader of small groups and ofhimself as an independent learner.

Participants in the workshop will use a systemsapproach to problem solving for the. gifted, devel-oped by Dr. Deborah K. Osen and implemented inthe 1970 Summer School for the Gifted (GradesK-12). co-sponsored by California State College.Fullerton, and the. Placentia Unified School District.

PIAGET'S APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENTOF INTELLIGENCE

Russel E. Orpet, Ed.D.California State College at Long Beach

Outline of Presentation

A. Two theoretical trends1. Psychometric

a. Binet-Terman general mental ability ap-proach (Spearman -g'1)

b. Thurstone-Guilford multivariate cognitivefunctions.

2. Piaget's CognitineDevelopment ApproachB. Cognitive developmental theory summary of

main points.1. Concerned with the nature of knowledge and

the structures and processes by which it isacquired.

2. Development of knowledge cannot be ex-plained merely by maturation and experience.

3. Third factor added by Piaget is a mental log-ical structure called equilibration.

4. Nature of cognition changes in a predictableand orderly sequence through various stagesof intellectual development.

5. Development is characterized by the forma-tion of new structures.

6. Experiences are not recorded as isolated S-Rconnections but are integrated into a con-stantly changing structure.

C. Facto. a affecting development.I. Maturation (organic growth).

2. Experience.v. Experience with the physical world (ac-

tions performed on objects).b. Social interaction and transmission. e.ik.

imparting of knowledge by language.3. Equilibration

a. Series of active adaptations on the part of2U

D.

the child in response to an external dis-turbance.

b. Atjustment is both retroactive and antici-patory.

c. Fundamental ingredients of intellectualfunctioning are assimilation and accommo-dation.( I ) Assimilation

(a) Organism incorporates environ-mental data into its own organi-zation.

(b ) Integration of external eventsinto evolving or completed cog-nitive structures.

(2) Accommodation(a) Applying, adapting, or modify-

ing inner organization to a par-ticular environmental reality.

(b) Process of modifying existingcognitive structures to the re-quirements posed by the en-vironment.

Four major periods of mental development.I. Sensorimotor period (birth to about 2 years).

a. Four(I)

major acquisitions.Able to coordinate and integrate in-formation from the various sensorymodalities.

(2) Schemes involving different parts ofthe body are integrated.Able to exhibit goal directed andpurposeful behavior.

(4) Concept of the permanent object.

( ;1

b. Plaget divides sensorimotor period into sixsuccessive stages.

2. Preoperational (2 to about 7 years).a. Preconceptual reasoning phase (2 to 4

years).(I) Approaches point at which he can

function symbolically.(2) Able to deal with only one charac-

istic of an object..b. Intuitive thought (4 to 7 years).

(I) Form of thought in which judgmentsregarding physical reality are madeon the basis of perception rather thanreason.

(2) Logical reasoning is overpowered bythe deceptive demands of intuition.

3. Concrete logical thinking operations (7 to 12years).a. Thinking is logical and systematic 13.71 still

bound to direct experience (concrete).b. Ability to comprehend the principle of

conservation of matter and quantity.4. Formal thinking operations (12 to 15 years).

a. Reasoning no longer tied to the concrete.b. Able to formulate alternative hypotheses

and to think abstractly and to use verbalpropositions.

c. Able to reason about contrary to fact as-sumptions.

d. Able to reason realistically about the fu-ture.

E. Film demonstrating Piaget's cognitive stages:preoperational, concrete, logical, and formal

operations.

SELECTED BIBLIOGI4APHYFlavell. J. The Developmental Psychology of Jean

Piaget. Now York: D. Van Nostrand, 1963.Furth. Hans. Piaget and Knowledge. Englewood

Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 1970.. Piaget for Teachers. Englewood Cliffs.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 1970.Ginsberg. H. and S. Opper. Piaget's Theory of Intel-

lectual Development: An Introduction. EnglewoodCliffs. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 1969.

Goldschmid, M. L. and P. M. Bentler. Concept As-sessment Kit-Conservation. San Diego: Educa-tional and Industrial Testing Service. 1968.

Kohlberg, Lawrence. "Early Education: A Cogni-tive-Development View." Child Development,1968. 39, 1013-1062.

Piaget, Jean. Science of Education and the Psychol-ogy of the Child. 1970.

Piaget. Jean and Barbel lnhelder. The Psychologyof the Child. New York: Basic Books, 1969.

Sigel, Irving E. "The Piagetian System and the Worldof Education." In David Elkind and J. H. Flavell(editors). Studies in Cognitive Developinent. NewYork: Oxford. 1969.

HIGHLY GIFTED STUDENTSCAN WE DESCRIBE THEM?

Palo Alto Unified Schoolfor Highly Gifted

CoChairmen: Mrs. RutheDr. Rosem

SUMMARY: PROGRESS REPORT

"WHY" A STUDY? For a number of years, PaloAlto Unified School District has had a plannedenrichment program for its 25% of studentsidentified as academically gifted by criteria ofCalifornia State Department of Education.However. it has been impossible to assess howappropriate those educational arrangements arefor highly able students. Little is known aboutthose dimensions of individual differences whichmay characterize, any group of highly academ,ically able students.We have begun to describe that group of PaloAlto students for our purpose of individualizededucational planning for each student. Then,as we can describe individually and for thegroup, some important dimensions of learningexperience and learning effectiveness, we willbe able to evaluate the educational arrange-ments we are making for them.

21.

District's Pilot ProgramGrades K-12

Lundyarie Moore

"HOW" A STUDY? Our first step was to develop

an instrument with which we could begin todescribe the current learning experiences andpreferences of highly able students. Two pro-cedures helped us begin the semistructuredinterview schedule we are presently using.I. Several teachers of identified highly giftedstudents during elementary school were pro-vided released time to meet with us. They wereasked to describe, discuss. and characterize themodes of learning and patterns of excellenceof those students they had known and taught.2. About a dozen secondary school students,identified as highly able, met in small groupswith one research person to participate in de-veloping the research effort, by describing theirown learning experiences in school and out ofschool. their preferences for curriculum, mate-rials. time, instructional arrangements, indepen-dent study, etc.

02 I

From the materials gathered, a questionnairewas developed, for use from third throughtwelfth grades, to gather a sample of experiencedescriptions. (Try-out of the instrument at sev-enth, fourth, and eleventh grade level showedit to be reasonably suitable at those levels, andtape recordings of its administration were madefor training purposes with future interviewers.)Each half-hour interview is taped on casaette,as well as recorded on the enclosed form by theinterviewer.

RESULTS TO THE PRESENT: All Palo Alto stu-dents of third and fifth grade levels whoseindividual intelligence test score is 3 S.D. abovemean or more, have been interviewed. The datais not yet tallied or rated for even the mostsimple statistical presentation. Impressions arcall I can give, but those may interest you.Four general dimensions appear often in thechildren's interview responses.1. Vareity: a desire, appreciation, and prefer-ence for varied methods of learning. (i.e. "It'sboring to just work out of a book, and answerquestions. We look into the book and we areasked for an answer." "We just get a questionsheet, and have to do it in two days." "I likeit best when we do special fun things to learnour math and spelling.")2. A second dimension is the Freedom to Pur-sue an inquiry for piece of work, i.e. "I like itbest when we can draw what we want to, andhave time to finish it." "It's most importantwhen I learned for myself. I learned how torun and not fall; I'm fast now, I practice atrecess, by myself." "I liked finding a lot ofmaterial on the person I'm giving a report on.1 had time to really look."3. An appreciation or desire for Humor andthe Unexpected in school situations is a thirddimension. (i.e. "More things like todaynotbad, just funny and unusual. It made schoolfun-ner1" "My teacher has a sense of humorand math is more fun." "When we ask a ques-tion, its sometimes funny; she helps us learnwhen it's 'funny too.")4. Often the timely and suitable instance ofAdult Help is described by children as a valu-able part of school for them. For example, "Ilike math best; the teacher shows us easy waysof doing math; its fun and I learn fast." "1 likehim because he'll listen to what I say, and hejust drops by sometimes." "A teacher who talksoften to students, and if they have trouble,helps them right away." "She explains thingswell, not just once or one way. Students sharetheir work and not just shouting I've got it!"

NEXT STEPS: The same interview will be admin-istered to ninth and eleventh grade students,comparably identified, and a similar one toselect teachers of the students studied.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 1. Data summaries ofstudent interviews will be analyzed for sug-gested instructional changes, for ways of indi-vidualizing educational program for differentuses of the schools, resources of teachers, peergroups, and time blocks, etc.

22

2. The method may be useful as an example ofhow high school students can participate indeveloping research programs about their owneducation; as an example. of collaborative workbetween guidance and instruction departmentsin a school district, leading to greater knowl-edge of individual differences which are sig-nificant for educational arrangements: as anexample of how a research project generatesinterest among participating school staff mem-bers for developing new educational activitiesfor highly able students.

* * *

Palo Alto Unified School DistrictAdvanced Programs Department

INTERVIEW DATA SHEETHIGHLY GIFTEDWrite in summary of student comments.

1. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGTHAT HAPPENED IN SCHOOL TODAY?(alone or with others? how did it come about?momentary or prolonged?)

2. WHAT WAS THE MOST BORING THINGFOR YOU TODAY?(alone or with others? how did it come about?momentary or prolonged?)

3. WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT OR IMAG-INE TODAY THAT SEEMS WORTH RE-MEMBERING?

4. THINKING BACK, WHAT WAS THE MOSTEXCITING, MOVING, UPLIFTING OR"PEAK SCHOOL EXPERIENCE OF THISLAST SCHOOL YEAR?

5. THINKING BACK, WHAT WAS THE MOSTDIFFICULT, UNHAPPY. DISAPPOINTING,SAD OR "VALLEY" SCHOOL EXPERIENCETHIS LAST SCHOOL YEAR?

6. COMPARING WHAT HAPPENS IN SCHOOLAND OUT OF SCHOOL WHAT IS DIFFER-ENT ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THINGS INSCHOOL AND OUT OF SCHOOL TOYOU) ?

7. ARE THERE THINGS YOU ARE VERY IN-TERESTED IN THAT YOU DON'T DISCUSSIN SCHOOL? WHY? WHAT MIGHT MAKETHIS DIFFERENT IF SCHOOL COULD BECHANGED?

8. WHAT PART DOES IMAGINATION PLAY.IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT DO YOU USE ITFOR? HOW DOES. IT HELP YOU (ORDOES IT) ?

9. IN WHAT KIND OF CLASS SETTING ORWITH WHAT KIND OF TEACHER DO YOULEARN BEST (MOST ENJOYABLY AND INDEPTH))

10. HOW WOULD YOU ORGANIZE SCHOOLOR HAVE IT ARRANGED SO THAT YOUOR OTHERS LIKE YOU COULD LEARNBEST? )self study, small groups of other stu-dents you could teach as well as be taught?)

II. WHEN DO YOU LIKE TO LEARN ALONE?WHEN DO YOU LIKE TO LEARN WITHOTHERS ?

12. DO YOU HAVE SOME TEACHERS YOULIKE TO TALK TO ABOUT THINGS IM-PORTANT TO YOU? WHAT ABOUT THEMMAKES YOU FEEL YOU CAN TALK TOTHEM?

13. WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL WORK DO YOULIKE BEST? WHY? HOW MUCH OF THE

SCHOOL DAY GOES INTO THIS KIND OFWORK?

14. WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL WORK DO YOULIKE LEAST? WHY? HOW MUCH OF THESCHOOL DAY GOES INTO THIS?

15. FINALLY, IF YOU COULD HAVE ANYKIND OF SITUATION AT SCHOOL THATYOU WANTED AND STILL GET CREDIT,ETC., WHAT KIND OF THING WOULDYOU ASK FOR?

ONE GIFTED, TWO GIFTED, THREE GIFTEDThe Overlooked Minority?

orPROVIDING QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENTLEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL

NUMBERS OF GIFTED CHILDREN

By Irving S, Sato

-I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference."

from "The Road Not Taken"by Robert Frost

The individual teacherthat educator "on thefiring line--determines the educational differencefor that single gifted child in his classroom. Whenthere is a small number of gifted children in a class,the teacher must have a strong commitment togifted-child education. for in reality, such a teacherwill expend as much time and energy as, or morethan, one preparing and planning learning experi-ences for larger numbers of gifted. And there arethose other children of varying abilities in the doss-room for whom he must also make provisions. Afurther handicap for this teacher is that oftentimeshe is relatively far away (perhaps in a rural setting)from resources which could help him do the job.

Nevertheless, after the committed teacher tunesin to the unique learning characteristics of giftedchildren, he should assimilate the following princi-ples into his teaching:

Maintaining openendedness and flexibility.Encouraging independent inquiry, individual-

ized learning.Providing multiple resources.Through these key principles, it would be possible

23

to make available qualitatively different learningOpportunities for small numbers of gifted children.

(The workshop group was divided into triads todevelop specific ways in which a teacher can workwith small numbers of gifted. The triads used themodel for independent inquiry outlined on the chartso that they could become familiar with how childrencould operate independently through a similar pro-cess.)

We educators should constantly be tapping re-sources which will help change us so that we canbecome more able facilitators and orchestrators oflearning. Among these potential resources are thefollowing:

Observing and participating in student activi-ties in others' classrooms.Reading magazines and books actively by re-acting, interacting, adapting.

Publications on the gifted and talented(Gallagher, Gold, Ward, Barbe, French,Gowan, Martinson, etc.; California StateDepartment of Education publications).

Publications on education in general (Post-man, Lessinger, Kohl, Rogers, Leonard,Glasser, etc.)

Attending and participating in workshops, con-ferences, and college courses.

Learning from other peoplekids, parents,business and industry, educators, gifted peo-ple in various fields.

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nderstanding all childrenby

Irving S. Sato. Consultant, E

ducation of Mentally

Gifted. C

alifornia State Departm

ent of Education

in class

Understanding unique characteristics

and needs of gifted childrenand

comm

itting oneself to effectingquality education for them

Openendedness

andflexibility

Providing learning experiencesappropriately differentiated for

gifted child(ren)

Independent inquiry,individualized learning

Operating at higher

intellectual levels

Developing and utilizing

creative skills

Other

Multiple resources

Brainstorm

ing concern andproblem

areas

Self-selecting specificproblem

(s) for study

Setting specificobjective(s)

Identifying steps toattain objective(s)

Selecting resourcesneeded and available

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THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS IS

INSUFFICIENT

by

Mary Meeker, Ed.D.Loyola University

The personal and academic history of five giftedgirls identified in 1962 was traced from the fifthgrade through their third year in college. (See Mau-rice Freehill's new book on Case Studies of GiftedChildren, in press) The girls had formed a group.vieing for leadership from kindergarten through highschool. Of the five, one of the highest achievers inhigh school was not gifted; she made a score of 115on the Binet, but she made top grades and highestpercentile scores on achievement tests and so wascarried by the.district. Her Binet responses, as wereall of the girls, were placed in a structure of intellectprofile. and she showed all semantic successes, thusexplaining her ability to achieve so highly. However,she was unable to compete with students at Univer-sity of Santa Cruz in conceptualizing and has sincedropped out of college.

Another girl, scoring 180 on the Binet, symbolicweaknesses (numerals) in the structure of intellectprofile but highly creative (see rating scale) andhigh figural ability. did have great difficulty in mathin high school and was counselled to withdraw fromcollege bound groups by her high school counselorbecause of low math grades. Her parents intervened,demonstrating that she nevertheless scored abovethe 95% on group achievement scores. Her senioryear brought her awards in several creative projects;her writing was superb. Her A's in English and His-tory balanced her poor math grades and her collegeyears have provided her with the stimulation andpeer group experiences commensurate with her highability. She has had recognition in photography, jour-nalism, poetry and art. Still a loner, her social adjust-ment and independence have made her betterequipped for overcoming the usual problems ofadjustment and social conformity which try youngpeople.

Two of the girls scored at 1 48 on the Binet. Bothshowed balanced structure of intellect profiles withstrengths in symbolics and semantics. Both wereCSF students, school leaders and placed high ingrade point average at graduation. As would beexpected, they have achieved well in college. Neitherwas included as creative in ratings done either infilth grad or in high school. Neither has demonstratedcreative skills in college and both are majoring innon-creative disciplines.

The fifth of the group had emotional problemsstemming from a home environment in which highest

expectations were held for her achievement. With a15 3 IQ score and high semantic and high symbolicskills. she did not disappoint her parents. She fre-quently longed, however. to be involved in the cre-ative aspecii of high school. Her poetry was tech-nically gooki, but void of any creative spark. Sheattempted dance but was too restricted in her bodymovements to succeed. She tried out for parts inthe school plays. Her voice was too constricted to begiven parts. She demonstrated at almost every at-tempt the need for expression away from home.She usually ended up coaching or helping the teacherbecause of her competency and conceptual skills.When she was not accepted at the university of herparents' choice, she turned to a male teacher andpoured out all of her love and need for acceptanceto him. At that point she began drinking and con-tinued her drinking through the first two years ofcollege. She was accepted at a state university andcontinued her good grades, but chose to live in anapartment alone. Her third year of college was sac-rificed for a year abroad, traveling alone.

Summary. Identification of intellectual skills whichorganize abilities into a theory of human intelligencesuch as Guildford's structure of intellect allowed forindividualized programs during elementary schoolyears and some deficits were temporarily remediatecl.But the lack of articulation and lack of nurture ofthese same skills in non-articulated programs in tra-ditional, college oriented high schools, actually ledto failures for some of these children. Those who hadbeen rated as creative, continued as creative andwent into creative fields in college. For those whoneeded creative experiences to counter balance emo-tional problems, no divergent production experienceswere forthcoming or perhaps some of the failurescould have been lessened.

The urgency of developing a tri-partite individu-alized curriculum based on differential diagnosticsof 1) academic-intellectual skills, 2) social-emotionaladjustment and 3) physiological needs can de dem-onstrated in the loss of potential when gifted chil-dren fail. in any one of the three areas.

Note: These girls were selected from a follow-upstudy of 67 gifted children who have been studiedby the author for the past ten years. The girls, in thisgroup, however, had been brought to the author'sattention when they were in kindergarten and posingproblems stemming from battles for leadership.

A RATING SCALE FOR IDENTIFYING CREATIVE POTENTIALby

Mary Meeker, Ed.D

Please rate this student by checking whether you consider him to be High. Medium or Low in com-parison with other students.Student's Name_ _

UNUSUAL SENSITIVITY:To PeopleTo ProblemsTo Perceptual Stimuli

FLUENCY: VerbalMotor

FLEXIBILITY:In Social SituationsWith Numerical ConceptsWith Abstracts ConceptsWith Concrete Media

ORIGINALITY:Of IdeasOf Expressions (Verbal)

(Motor)In Sense of Humor

ABILITY TO ABSTRACTABILITY TO ORGANIZEABILITY TO SYNTHESIZE

HIGH ENERGY LEVELPERSEVERENCEIMPATIENT WITH ROUTINE

. .

I NTELL ECIVA LLY PERSONALITYhighigh Medium Low High Medium Low

Interpretation: When a student is found to be consistently high in any one or more of the above char-acteristics, it may well be that this is an indication of creative potential. Planned experiences incurriculum may provide the impetus for nurturing his ability so that it may be put to constructiveuse within the classroom.

THE FRAMEWORK FOR CURRICULUMFOR GIFTED

byMary Meeker, Ed.D.

Loyola University

The main thrust of this workAop was the de-scription of the forthcoming Tentative State Frame-work for Curriculum for Gifted Children. now inpress in the State Department of Education. Therewill bc 32 individual frameworks for Science, Math,Language Arts, Literature, Art, Music, Foreign Lan-guage and Social Sciences. A separate frameworkfor kindergarten for gifted children will also bepublisheas The individual frameworks are developedin each cubject matter for grades 1-3, 4-6, 7 -9,and 1 0- 1 2.

The necessity for developing a framework forgifted with different principles and objectives couldbe defended only if it were possible to develop astrategy which would be well based on theory.

Four theories which would have such applicabilitywere chosen; two were models: Phenix, Piaget whoare concerned with the process of learning anti Guil-

26

ford and Bloom-Krathwohl's Taxonomy which areconcerned with the products of learning.

The accompanying given figure which will bepublished in the master framework shows how thecommonalities of these four theories and modelscould be abstracted so that they would serve as abase for developing principles of education for thegifted. From these principles, objectives for teachersand children were developed.

The fifth chapter is devoted to evaluation of pro-grams and includes an example of a new, complexand in-depth report card which will be passed onfrom teacher to teacher with a color coding of re-sponses so that the growth of gifted students overtime is apparent. Some teachers will not want tomake such refined observations, and it is true thatthis kind of card will take more thinking. observing,and awareness of the individual student's levels

of development. For those teachers, the stand-ard approach kind of reporting will suffice. Forother teachers a special kind of reporting will seemnecisary to evaluate the individualized approachsuggested by the frameword.

Special recognition and appreciation go to the

people who were so instrumental in the developingof the ideas behind the framework:

Maurice Freehill Virgil WardPaul Plowman Irving SatoJohn Church Ralph HoepfnerRon Hunt Jim MagaryCharles Carey Stewart Cooney

A SYSTEM OF COMMONALITIES DERIVED FROM FOUR MODELSMary Meeker, Ed.D.Loyola University

INTELLECTUAL RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENT (IRE)can be defined according to the wayor ways information is processed

FACTORS OF IRE

there are five major operationalabilities

ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

within any one of the major operationalabilities, the information isorganized from simple to complex

The ability to do convergent thinking.(4) results in one of six products

TEMPORAL FACTORS OF ORGANIZEDMATERIALThe Phenix hierarchy designates that themore simple curricular material (L) betaught before the more complicated, (P)that is, a through e above of any majorability ( 1-5), ought to be presentedfirst in Language (L), secondly inMathematics (M). on through PersonalKnowledge (P)

P

PA

LEVEL OF ASSIMILATION OF KNOWLEDGE

Piaget, concerned with the basicintellectual processes underlyingadvanced knowledge, offers a time Sequencefor order of difficulty of material

1. COGNITION(COMPREHENSION)

2. MEMORY (KNOWLEDGE)3. EVALUATION (ANALYSIS)4. CONVERGENT PRODUCTION

(APPLICATION-SYNTHESIS)5. DIVERGENT PRODUCTION

(APPLICATION-SYNTHESIS)

a. UNITSb. CLASSESe. RELATIONSd. SYSTEMSe. TRANSFORMATIONS1. IMPLICATIONS

L -- LANGUAGEM.MATHEMATICSSSCIENCES

PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE,MORAL MEANINGS, HISTORY,RELIGION. PHILISOPHY

AGEBirth to 2+ SM=SENSORI-MOTOR STAGE21:2 + to 5+ PC=PRE-CONSERVATION5 to 12+ C =- CONSERVATION STAGE10 to adult F---.FORMAL

The commonalities of these four theorists lay a psychological foundation for a system in the developingof curriculum and the sequence in which it is best presented-

A THEORY OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGESJohn Curtis Gowan, Ph.D.

San Fernando Valley State College

The significance of this theoretical paper is thatit presents the first integrated field model of periodicdevelopment stage analysis. The central thesis isthe transformation or refocus of energy in successivedevelopmental stages. The need for energy-focusingleads to periodicity in developmental stage theory,which results in important consequences. Buildingon Eriksonian and Piagetian stages. this model (seeappended diagram) arranges the stages in a three-period cycle, depending on whether the attentionof the psyche is directed (as in the first column)toward the world of experience, (in the secondcolumn) toward the ego itself, or (in the third col-umn) toward love of self or others.

Each stage thus has a special relationship withanother, three stages removed from it. Thus stages1, 4, 7 (trust, industry and generativity) are no-ticeable for a thing-oriented, sexually latent aspect,concerning the individual with experience in theworld of the senses. There is a calmness or coolnessof the ego which results from a lack of self-conscious-ness and an absorption in experience. By contraststages 2, 5, 8 (autonomy. identity, and ego-integ-rity) are ego-bound, ego-oriented, and ego-circum-scribed. They are all about me, my identity, myexistence, and my salvation. They are times ofsearching introspection, of withdrawal rather thanreturn, and of defiance of authority, rather thanobedience to it.

Stages 3 and 6 (initiative and intimacy) dealwith the love relationship and the expansion fromnarciccistic love through oedipal love of parents to

generaliztd heterosexual love to fixation of thatlove on some one individual. Creativity first devel-ops in the initiative stage through the child's reactionto the affectional approach of the opposite sexedparent. This enables the child to reach deeper intothe preconscious and to build a bridge between thisarea and creative fantasy. If the first set of stagesmay be described as "cool," and the second set as"introspective" then the third set may be describedas loving, spontaneous, joyful and creative. The keyquestion is "Am l in control of my environmentthrough the help of my beloved parent, or is myenvironment in control of me ?" Whatever has po-tentiality for creativity, has potentiality for destruc-tivity also:. We do not find it surprising that theyoung child creates and destroys practically in thesame breath. We seem, however, not to understandthat college students, denied creative outlets througha stereotyped curriculum turn to destrictiveness asan alternative.

The paper concludes with some guesses about thenature of the higher cognitive (Piagetian) stages(beyond formal operations) to go with the higherEriksonian stages. It is hypothesized that these threestages, not reached by many are respectively: cre-ativity, parchedelia, and illumination. Each of thesestages shows an increasing integration between theconscious and preconscious parts of the mind. Therarity of these stages does not diminish their theoreti-cal importance in understanding man's potentialdevelopmental pattern. The development of superior,mentally healthy individuals thus foreshadows thecourse of evolutionary prograss for all mankind.

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES(after Erikson and Piaget)

LATENCY IDENTITY CREATITY

3 it, they I I. me 2 thou

THE WORLD THE EGO THE OTHER

ERIKSON 2 3

PIAGET TRUST AUTONOMY INITIATIVEMODE SENSI-MOTOR IRE- OPERATIONAL INTUITIVE

ERIKSON NONE IMPERATIVE OPTATIVE

VIRTUES DRIVE HOPE SELF- CONTROL. DIRECTION-WILLPOWER PURPOSE

AGE 0 1 2 3 4 6

ERIKSON 5 6

PIAGET INDUSTRY IDENTITY INTIMACY

MODE CONCRETE FORMALOPERATIONS OPERATIONS (CREATIVITY)

ERIKSONINTERROGATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE

VIRTUES METHOD-COMPETENCE DEVOTION- LOVE-

FIDELITY AFFILIATIONAGE

13 17 18 -- 25

7 8 9

ERIKSON (AGAPE-LOVE)GENERATIVITY EGO - INTEGRITY

PIAGET(PSYCHEDELIC (ILLUMINATION

PRODUCTION- RENUNCIATION-ERIKSON CARE WISDOMVIRTUES

AGE 26 40? 40 ONWARDS

J. C. Gowan, 1971

j99

PROCEDURES AND PROGRAMS FOR GIFTEDMINORITY STUDENTS

Co-Chairman: Jose MartinezCaroline Towner

Panelists: Katie BlavatBenjamin Levine

As is the case with every child at any age, eachlearns at his own rate; and if given the guidanceand patience he needs, he will develop to his great-est potential. The kind of educational enterprisethat is needed, then, is one that puts the culturallydisadvantaged gifted in the center of the learningprocess and begins with him as the central agent.

Torrance states several misconceptions associatedwith the gifted child. The most important miscon-ception revealed, particularly as it concerns the cul-turally disadvantaged gifted, appears to be the highvalue placed on verbal skills. Since most of ourteaching and testing is done in the language ofpredominantly middle class society, the child wholacks the opportunity and stimulation for verbalintellectual growth because his meager backgroundis inferior in performance to the middle-class child.The disadvantaged gifted child's skill developmentis often in disparity with his learning potential.Because of this very factor these things may occur:First, the teacher may make a formative evaluationof the child's functioning capacity on the basis ofhis demonstrated ability.. Thereby, formulating anexpectancy achievement factor that is in dissonancewith the child's optimum potential. Second, theteacher may use a task performance exercise wherea time termination factor may be used as an indexfor predicting scholastic success. This undertakingwould bring the individual's educational achieve-ment expectancy factor more in tune with his realpotential. In order for a teacher to contribute effec-tively to the child's optimum potential and growth.she must help the child build a sense of identityand purpose. and a drive to accomplish his privategoals.

In the Long Beach School System a genuine at-tempt is being made to satisfy the intellectual andacademic needs of culturally disadvantaged giftedstudents. A check list on which variius indices orattributes are given based on Section 3821 of theCalifornia Education Code is used in identifyingculturally disadvantaged mentally gifted minors inLong Beach. A committee at the local school levelidentifies the mentally gifted minors on this basis,and in some cases on other criteria which might bepresented.

We have found that in the elementary schoolmost of these children have had limited opportu-nities to experience what the community has tooffer. We also discovered that the children used alimited vocabulary and this was an obstacle to ex-pressing themselves freely and fluently. The programsestablished for these children were ones that wouldhelp them increase their vocabularies and facilitatetheir use of written and oral expressions. It was feltthat this could best be accomplished by providingthem with concrete experiences. So the programs gen-

30

erally involved field trips to places in the communityand then follow-up activities. Several grouping pat-terns developed in the district. In some schools.cluster grouping of gifted pupils was predominantlyused. Special activities and materials are used withAhem for at least 200 minutes a week. In otherschools, there are clusters of children on an ungradedor multigraded basis. These children are taken outof their regular classes for 200 minutes a week towork with special materials. Additional activitiesare added in different schools, depending on theneeds and specific interests of the children.

The psychologist's principal involvement is theidentification of gifted children by individual tests.In the case of the culturally disadvantaged giftedminor the required test results frequently are toolow. How can we find clues as to their potentialbrightness? Look at things least susceptible to ex-periential background. Do not make judgmentson the basis of language skills. For example, lookespecially at learning in the field of math. Since themath curriculum covers certain processes at ceitaingrade levels, a child's ability to benefit from thisprogram would depend relatively more on his innateability rather than on his background.

In one of the high schools of Long Beach theproblem was approached from an entirely differentpoint of view which has many exciting possibilities.The students themselves were asked about whattheir needs were and what they felt had hinderedaccomplishment of their goals and aspirations. Oneinteresting comment made by the students was inasking themselves what life was all about, theykept coming up with the same answera busy sig-nal, The two major points the groups came up withas problems were: I) inability to relate to peers,and 2) intolerance for those not as bright. A BlackHistory Culture Club was formed in which the blackLtudents acttd as tutors. They had decided that theywanted to de something that had meaning for theirschoil and that would halp them in the two areaspreviously mentioned. It proved quite successful.

Long Beach High School culturally disadvantagedgifted students were fast to discover that there areteachers who care, teachers who demonstrate aworth and value in the disadvantaged student's wel-fare. It was interesting to note that once studentswere aware of this element of concern and interestfor them by teachers, 'their outlook toward realityseemed to take a new appearance. They were nowwilling to concentrate on the use of academic en-deavors as a means for enhancing their social andeconomic status.

Much in the area of human resources is lost eachyear and this loss could be prevented if only theschools would start culticating more individual tal-ents. The goal of the educator should be that ofprovviding an environment in which the child is ableto use and dissover his abilities and to developthem to the fullest extent possible. Too, we shouldwant the child himself to be governed by innerdeterminants, rather than social or environmentalones,

INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMS FOR THEGIFTED

Practical Methods and Procedures ut UsingIndividualized Programs in the Classroom, Gr. 3-6

Moderator: Bruce De Vries, Cupc: tato School District

Panel Members. Cupertino School District: MissSallie Lillard. Miss Mary Jo Stopp. Miss PatMalone, Mrs. Kay Davis

Individualization is something that everyone istalking about when they are interested in new meth-ods of instruction. Through this type of learning, achild can develop independence, responsibility, andself management in the classroom as well as out-side in other roles.

There are several new roles that a child shoulddevelop in order to successfully work in this pro-gram, These include self-responsibility, self-direc-tion. cooperativeness, and decision making. Theteacher also must adapt to new roles. She becomesthe classroom manager, student counselor, diagnos-tician, and she provides for the learning facilities inthe classroom.

Nimitz School in the Cupertino School Districthas a totally individualized class of 65 fourth, fifth.and sixth graders under the direction of Miss Ma-lone and Mrs. Davis. The setting (shown in slidesat the workshop) is a large room, complete withits own stage, its library and learning centers. Thereis no grade segregation; each student is workingon his own program at his own speed. His workis done on a contract basis, and self-corrected.Tapes, slides, models, etc.. are available to him touse when needed for his program.

There are several ways to individualize. They arethe development of contracts, learning packages. andlearning centers. All may be used at the same timein a classroom or they may be used separately.

A contract is a written agreement between ateacher and a student that defines it skill or skillsto be accomplished. A contract may be plannedfor one day, a week, or several weeks. It may bedesigned for one subject or several. Most contractsinclude stated, desired behavioral objectives foreach skill that is to be learned. It is important thatand adequate feedback between the student and theteacher takes place throughout the learning period.

A learning package is designed to teach a Specificskill. The main idea is stated as the title. the specificskill is given in a form such as. -Von will be ableto . . . Detailed instructions are given to the childand the learning activities follow. The child is fre-quently given a choice of learning activities. Follow.ing each lesson, the child can give himself a selftest. The learning package always includes a pre andpost test.

Learning centers provide the child with a widevariety of alternatives, both in difficulty and rangeof experiences, and they should be dropped orchanged as the interest in them seems to wane, ofwhen the project has been cofpleted.

Centers can be arranged by grouping children'sdesks together, using large tables. orange crates, orwhatever can be provided. Some ideas might in-clude: a library center, writing center. researchcenter, investigation center, sharing center, art cen-ter, math center, and skill game center. Each center

31

should have everything necessary for the construc-tion or manipulation of the child. This has been oneof the most successful ways to individualize.

All three of these methods of learning can helpmake your classroom a more stimulating and ex-citing place to learn.

INDEPENDENT WORK CENTERS

A Means for Individualizing

A variety of independent work centers providesmany opportunities for children to exercise someresponsibility for their own learning at their ownpace. Various methods of organizing them and al-lowing children to select and move around the cen-ters are possible, depending upon your objectivesand the age of maturity of the children.

Most centers should provide a wide variety ofalternatives, both in difficulty and range of experi-ences, and they should be dropped or changed asthe interest in them seems to wane. or when theproject has been completed.

Centers can be arranged by grouping children'sdesks together, using large tables, orange crates,brick and board counter, large boxes, or whateveryour own ingenuity can provide.Ideas for center might include:

I. The Library Center Various types of librarybooks with many ranges of ability and a goodselection of different children's magazines andnewspapers. programmed reading material, arug to sit on, a rocking chair. or some floorcushions, flash cards of vocabulary words, wordgames. These later might be in a skill center.The Writing Center Writing materials andspare drawing paper and crayons. chalkboard,writing suggestion box. picture- file, large hang-ing dictionary or alphabetized word box, pub-lished dictionaries. Interest objects to writeabout; an old shoe, a coin collection, an emptybirdnest. A typewriter. if possible. Books andstories that children have written. Story starters.

3. The Research CenterInformational books, dic-tionaries, magazines, picture collections, writingmaterials and writing space, bulletin boards todisplay written reports. charts, maps and othercreations. Or these could he dispersed amongother centers but available for independent use.

4. The Investigation CenterScience books, sci-ence materials: magnifying glass, microscope,scales. magnet:. batteries. wiring, etc. Watercolor paints, fish and live animals. exhibits andcollections.

5. The sharing CenterAn area set aside for chil-dren to display projects, collections, special find-ings. etc.

6. The Art CenterPainting materials, area todry and display art work, clay table, specialproject table,

3.

7. Math CenterManipulative objects, flash cards,skill games, puzzles, a selection of math booksto choose problems from math mystery box,cards with problems on them. Rulers, scale, mea-suring cups and spoons, toy money, checks, smallchalkboards.

8. Skill Game CenterA large selection of skillgames that the children have been taught toplay, a rug or table for playing games, scratchpaper and pencils for keeping score.

9. Drama CenterA flannel board, puppet the-ter, old clothes, books on plays and puppets,copies of short stories. Puppets and materialsfor making more.

10. Construction CenterBuilding tools, construc-tion paper, clip board, measuring equipment,paints. glue, scissors.

11. Listening CenterEarphones and listening post,record player, tape recorder, radio, records,tapes, writing materials.

12. Viewing Center Film strip projector, filmstrips, individual viewers, movie projector, lis-tening post. writing materials. (This works wellinside a refrigerator carton, the knee hole of thedesk, or some place secluded.)

13. Social Studies CenterBooks on unit being stu-died, questions made out by class, pictures andrealms, writing materials, materials for construct-ing small projectsdioramas, peep boxes, mu-rals. etc.

14. Needlecraft CenterSewing box, large rolls ofcloth, scissors. measuring tapes, knitting needles,yarn, "Learn How" books.

15. Music Center Rhythm instruments, bells,drum, ukelele, small organ, sheets of easy toplay music, music books.

16. Recording CenterTape recorder, microphone,tapes, direction on chart.17. Poetry Center Books of poems. display of

poems written by children, rhyming word games,lists of words, writing materials, picture file.

18. Living Things Center--A table or counter forkeeping small animals, terrarium and aquarium,plants, pictures of living things, books, fish.

19. Sound CenterPhonics games, anagrams, bul-letin board displaying alphabet. blends, etc.Workbook or ditto pages with self-correct lan-guage master, mirror so children can say soundsand watch their mouths.

20. News CenterBulletin Board space for childrento display articles of interest from newspapersand magazines. Chalkboard to write news of theclay. Writing materials to write own news ar-ticles.

21. Invention CenterJunk box, dismantled itemsto be reassembled, clocks or other castoffs to

be taken apart. Rules for safety, etc.22. Retreat CornerA place for children to get

hold of themselves. Include crayons and paperfor scribbling. clay, a punch ball, or clown, abook or something to take their minds off them-selves,

Today's children, in order to live and work in ourworld of the future, need to develop creativity, self-management, self-direction, independence, sensitiv-

32

ity to their fellow man and critical thinking abilities.Instruction needs to be more individualized and lesspunitive and the children need to enjoy learning.

The "Learning Centers" are divided in the follow-ing manner: a Science Center, a Math Center, aReading Center. a Social Studies Center, and a Writ-ing Center. Each center has basic supplies (i.e.pencils, erasers, scissors, crayons, paste) plus realia,books, A.V. equipment, exploratory materials, andcharts or other appropriate teaching aids.

At first, one might think this is simply a classroomsituation where there are lots of independent activi-ties for the children to do when their work is fin-ished. But there are many differences. None of thechildren have their "own" desks, stuffed full of"their" things. In a Learning Center room. the onlything that belongs to a student is his 4"x6" "mail-box" in which his work is returned to him, and it ishis responsibility to check his mailbox daily to seethat he takes home his work and notices. All otherequipment is shared. Pencils, etc., are available incans on top of the tables for use when necessary. Itis not "my" deck in the teacher's room, but "our"equipment in "our" classroom.

Secondly, the role of the teacher changes to oneof providing assistance to individuals while theypursue projects of their own choosing. Essential tothis changed role, however, is a carefully planneddevelopment program so that the Learning Centerwork does not degenerate into a "play time." Thismeans that each week, as the teacher selects thematerials and projects to make available at eachLearning Center, she must design them carefullyso that necessary skill will be developed in sequence,and so that the student who wishes to pursue a skillin depth will be able to do so. Actually, this isreadily done simply by following curriculum guidesas you would ordinarily do.

A third major difference in this method is thatmost lessons are taught after the student has donesome work on the concepts on his own. using anindustive method. For example, if the Science Lessonone week happened to be "Plants Come fromSeeds," the Learning Center would be set up onMonday with dirt, seeds, resource books, opened toappropriate pages, a chart hanging on the wall nextto the table, and perhaps a film strip projector witha film strip on seeds ready to view. From Mondaythrough Thursday, the students would be encouragedto find out how seeds grow into plants by readingabout them and planting them. My method of "en-cot..agement" consists of a folder with a contractstapled on the front listing expected accomplish-ments for the week and leaving space for additionalprojects to be listed if they are well executed or areuszful to the student in developing his skills. Thisenables the parents and the students to see whatis being done in class, and it gives the students asense of direction.

On Wednesday after school, the children's draw-ings of plants growing or diagrams of seeds, etc..would be removed by the teacher from their foldersand arranged on a chart. The teacher would thenplan a lesson using the students work and projectsas a basis for discussion, On Thursday, the classwould talk about their findings. Which ones wereimportant? Who was most correct? What has been

,3aN

discovered? And, now that the children are involvedthrough their work in the concepts. the teacher canbuild on them and add to them to complete thelesson.

Motivation. interest, involvement, attention. andconcentration are high. Learning has taken placethrough experience and through critical, inductivethinking.

Other important differences in the Learning Cen-ter approach are in classroom management. \Ve havefound the following system to be the most successful.At the beginning of each time segment, we meet asa class briefly to review standards, if necessary, tomake suggestions, or to motivate some of the moredifficult activities. We pass out the folders, and oneby one. the students choose a seat and begin work-ing. If they finish all the projects at that Center.they are allowed to get supplies and equipment fromanother Center, but they must return to their original

WHAT ARE LEARNING CENTERS?

Learning Centers provide a means for developingthe ability to solve problems creatively through indi-vidual experiences in exploration and problem solv-ing.

This guide offers:

I. room environment suggestions

2. materials that can be used

3. time schedule possibilities

4. sample lesson plans

It can be adaptable for all teachers and all groupsof children.

WHAT CAN LEARNING CENTERSDO FOR CHILDREN?

DEVELOP: self management

--self direction

independence

creativity

sensitivity to others

critical, reflective mintonglonger attention span

better concentration

skills in a sequential manner

greater academic understanding

seat to work. They change Center only after aclean-up and at the beginning of a new time seg-ment. usually after a recess.

The Learning Center approach allows the studentto choose how and when he will develop skills andconcepts. The teacher determines what skills andconcepts are to be developed. If a student choosesnot to work at a Learning Center where an essentialskill or concept is to be developed, the teacher makesit clear that she will assign the time and methed forthe work to be accomplished the following week.

What results can you expect from the LearningCenter approach? \Ve found learning took place ata faster rate; enthusiasm for learning was never lost;permancy of learning was more evident: and thestudents were now more confident. independent andself reliant. They were better equipped to live andwork successfully as adolescents and adults.

Aaapp)e from the

traditional .

33

HOW DO TEACHERS START?

diagnosingprocedures

evaluate needs of childrenestablish goals to determine centers that areneeded

plan a sequential development of skills to meetestablished goals

ice_ W-Teacher Used I

space for 1

working with

small groups I

C

0

,. ..

1 LP 1

C

C

organize room in a functional mannerdevelop a time schedule to include "LearningCenters" program

determine materials that will be needed

door

C

C Math

Center

04) C:et0

1Writing

1 0etc' OC,

C' ScienceCenter

c`c

Reading

Center

c

C

Fs [11

Viewer

Easel

Unit books 1 paper supply Ilibrary sink

HOW DO TEACHERSORGANIZE THE ROOM?

arrange furniture to form centers provide necessary audio-visual equipment

distribute basic supplies to centers obtain resource books from library

display motivational and functional bulletinboards corrected work and notices to go home

provide a place for each child to pick up his

MINITE SCHOOL

CUPERTINO SCHOOL DISTRICT

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.

CONTRACT- WEEK: _YAW

READING WB PAGES

OTHER

MATH PAGES

OTHER

LANGUAGE CONTRACT #

OTHER

SPELLING UNIT -*4-

OTHER

PAGES

SOCIAL STUDIES

SCIENCE

YESI HAVE COMPLETED ALL MY WORK. NO

VISUAL & TAPE CENTER

(Filmstrip, Tapes, Etc.

MATHCENTER

c., a 0GROUP

TAPES

so, c. a

cl CI

GROUP

TAPES

0 O'

RESEARCHCENTER

& CLASS

LIBRARY

dHZ

iHu1

LIBRARY

1

N

Mo3

tOc4U

aacl

aa3<4

VISUAL & TAPE CENTER

37

Name

Team

Teacher

SUBJECT

READING

SPELLING

WRITTEN

ENGLISH

MATHEMATICS

2-1I

2-2

3-1

3-2

4-1

ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL

4-2

5-1

5-2

6-1

2-1

2-2

3-1

3-2

4-1

4-2

5-1

5-2

6-1

SOCIAL SCIENCE (history, geography)

Major concepts taught this quarter:

Quarter 1 2 3 4

Year 19

6-2

7-1

7-2

6-2

7-1

7-2

12

34

Ach.

Eff.

EFFORT

12

34

Work expected this quarter

_Notebook

_Oral report(s)

Discussion

Note-taking

Worksheets

Map(s)

Tests

Outlining

SCIENCE

Major concepts taught this quarter:

12

34

Ach.

Eff.

Work expected

Notebook

Discussion

Worksheets

Tests

this quarter:

102

_Oral report(s)

Note-taking

Experiments

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

ART

HANDWRITING

MUSIC

ORAL LANGUAGE

SELF CONTROL

LISTENING

12

34

PLANNING FOR SELF

RESPECT FOR ADULTS

RESPECT FOR PEERS

NEATNESS IN WORK

GROUP WORK

RESEARCH SKILLS

12

34

11110111111

COMMENTS:

Meaning of marks:

0-Outstanding

S-Satisfactory

U-Unsatisfactory

3-1-3rd grade, first half

3-2-3rd grade, second half

Work expected:

V Expected and completed

N Not satisfactorily

completed

THE PLACEMENT OF THE NUMERAL ON EACH ACHIEVEMENT

GRAPH SHOWS

THE STUDENT'S LEVEL AT THE END OF THE QUARTER.

Teacher

This is the cover sheet for the Student's Section of 4.his learning package.

THIS SECTION FOR STUDENT USE

(title)

This should be an attention getter; it does not haveto be the same as the idea. skill, or attitude.

CONSTRUCTION

Major Idea. Skill. or Attitude to be learned. Onesentence is usually sufficient; however, it usuallycommunicates better if it can stand alone and is ofa positive nature.

Component Ideas, Skills, or Attitudes

A component is an essential element which, whenunited with other components, further identifies themajor idea, skill. or attitude to be learned.

List as many components as are required to supportthe major idea. skill. or attitude. Usually there areat least three components, but not usually more thanfive or six.

9

3

5.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives should be stated in be-havioral terms and usually contain three elements:

I : The performance expected of the learner.

2. The conditions under which the performancewill take place; and

3. The proficiency level expected of the learner.

The number of objectives is determined by theproducer. Usually. there will be at least one objec-tive for each component idea. skill. or attntude tobe learned.

I.

3.

4.

5.

Pre-Evaluation(or Post-evaluation, the form is the same)

Purpose:

Instluctions:

I. _

7

etc.

PRE-EVALUATION(or Post-Evaluation, the form is the same)

Purpose of the Pre-Evaluation (or PostEvaluation)

Explain to the learner why he is taking the pre-postevaluation. The learner should be made awareof the relationship between this evaluation instru-ment and the Learning Objectives. In the case of thepre-evaluation, he should be encouraged to viewthe test as a method of gathering information abouthow he is to proceed through the learning package.not as an instrument to be graded or one that isPASS /FAIL.

InstructionsThis must be specific. It tells the learner exactly

how to proceed, what functions he must perform.whether to score the test himself, (if so, tell him thelocation of the key) or if he should consult with histeacher about the results.

Body of the TestThe pre or post evaluation should measure

achievement of the learning objects and allow

39

for determination of the extent to which the studentunderstands the major and/or component ideas,skills, or attitudes to be learned.

The usual format for a pre-evaluation wouldevaluate all the component parts. However, anothersuggested format is to construct the pre-evaluationin sections so that a correlation between the com-ponent idea, skill, or attitude. the associated learningobjectives and the specific part of the prevalua-tion can be determined. It may be designed to allowthe learner and/or the teacher to select only thoselessons that require the learner's time. If the learnerhas already achieved an objective, that part of thelearning package could be ignored.

IN SOME LEARNING PACKAGES THE PRE-AND POST - EVALUATIONS ARE THE SAME,BUT USUALLY THEY MEASURE THE SAMETHINGS, USING DIFFERENT TEST INGREDI-ENTS.

39

The keys to the pre- and post-evaluations areusually contained in the teacher's section.

* * *

LESSON (S)

Number the lesson (s) according to need; usually.there is a lesson for each component.

Component:

The specific component idea, skill, or attitudeselected as the central theme of this lesson wouldbe stated for the learner. Depending on the learner'sability level, the statement may or may not be arepeat of what was expressed in the teacher's section.Objective:

The specific learning objective(s) to match the.component as stated above. would be presented.Student ability level considerations apply as above.Instructions:

Be specific, indicate exactly what the learneris to do.

The learner may not need to do every learningactivity suggested, or he may be required to dosome activities, while other activities would be op-tional alternatives from which he may choose basedon what he and/or the teacher feel will help, himachieve the learning objectives.

Inform the learner to proceed to the self-evalua-tion at the end of each lesson when he believes heis ready. He should correct or have a fellow studentcorrect his evaluation. When he has passed the self-evaluation, the learner should proceed to the nextlesson or ask the teacher for the post-evaluation. Ifthe learner fails the self-evaluation, he must continuethe learning activities.

Learning Activities:

Place and emphasize the one word that bestdescribes the learning activity before the number ofeach activity. The activity should contain the neces-sary instructions for the student to work withoutinterrupting the teacher for additional instructions.

If the materials or media is teacher-produced,it should be included in the activity. However, ifthe materials or media used in the activity is com-mercially prepared. the learner should be referredto the title, chapter, page number, or film title.

Some examples of materials, media, and instruc-tional groups are:

Materials: For exampletextbooks, periodicals,programmed texts, pamphlets, etc.

Media: For examplefilms, filmstrips, records.tape recordings, 8 mm single concept loops,video tape recordings, study prints, etc.

Instructional Groups: Small group activity, i.e..,brainstorming; large group whert media isused; teacher-pupil conference; research in thelearning resource center or in-depth activity.

.* * *

LESSON I

Component:

Objective:

Instructions

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

CONSTRUCT: (Instructions for proceeding witheach activity must be incluled.)

READ:LISTEN:DISCUSS:LOOK:ILLUSTRATE:BUILD:TEACH:DESIGN:PAINT:ETC.

SELFEVALUATION:

(The key to the selfevaluation should be madeas convenient as possible to the student for self-checkingbelow, on the next page, etc.)

This can be an activity, an experiment, an exer-cise. or questions to be answered. Some method ofself-checking should be provided. If the producerdesires, the self-evaluation can be combined for twolessons. In that case, the self-evaluation would beat the conclusion of the second lesson.

QUEST OPPORTUNITIES

Suggestions should be made for those studentswho desire to continue exploration of other ideas,skills, or attitudes to be learned which were stimu-lated by this learning package. Items listed shouldbe presented as SUGGESTIONS, and should beworded to indicate they are.

Write only one or two quest activities, but indi-cate to the student he. should identify his own questactivity. REMEMBER, the student should NOT begraded on his quest because he has already com-pleted the post-evaluation. The quest should dealwith related ideas. NOT the one taught by yourlearning package.

3. Or anything else that interests you. Check withyour teacher.

STUDENT EVALUATION FORM

Write a brief questionnaire to be completed bythe student. The student answers will assist you incompleting your evaluation of this learning package..Introduction

In order to effectively individualize instruction,changes in the planning system for teachers are required. Learning packages are a modification de-signed to achieve these changes. Basically. learningpackages accomplish four tasks for the school sys-tem:

I. For the studentsThey provide a set of direc-tions to achieve some pre-defined objective.

40

LID

2. For the teachers They assure individualizedlearning systems which can be used by the ma-jority of students.

3. For the administratorsThey provide an organi-zed and manageable. process to achieve a pre-scribed curriculum.

4. For the community They will more surely pro-vide graduates with specific competencies, whocan make decisions. and who are at their ownmaximum level of achievement.

STEPS THAT LEAD TO LEARNING PACKAGEDEVELOPMENT

I. The development of an attitude about the needfor an individualized system with continued pri-gress.

2. The construction of learning packages in a speci-fied sequence of topics.

3. The development of other parts of the school toallow for the implementation of a learning 'pack-age program.

CONSTRUCTION OF LEARNING PACKAGES

Learning packages are an extension-of the unitscommonly written by teachers for use with groups ofstudents. Two major differences are that learningpackages are ( I ) writtc.n for and to students, and12) smaller learnable ideas.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER. AREAS

The learning package is only a vehicle to achievethe goal of individualized instruction. Further, in-dividualization is necessary for a continuous progressprogram to develop. It must be clearly understood,however, that many other parts of the educationalprogram either must be or may be as the learningpackage program develops.

I. Teaching Teams. As more students are morespread out across subject areas, there is an increasedamount of individual attention needed for eachlearner. Many schools have found it advantageousto use groups of people to instruct a set of students.These teams might include experienced teachers,student teachers, parent aides, clerical aides, andstudent aides. all with different roles to play in thegroup.

2. Open Space Facilities. The standard classroomis designed for group-paced, teacher-directed instruc-tion. Facility needs for learned spaced and objective-directed instructions include an independent studyarea, a small group discussion area, a testing center, alarge group room, and the normal set of administra-tive and special instructional facilities. Perhaps themost effective building plan for future schools willbe along the linest of a carpeted warehouse!

3. Flexible Time. As the instructional activitiesare individualized, so also must be the learner'sschedule. The typical flexible schedule is usually notflexible on a day-to-day basis. It has been shownthat large blocks of time are most satisfactory forstudents if they have the freedom to move to dif-ferent areas of the building.

4. Variety of Materials. The textbook will be-come the dinosaur of instructional materials. Neededwith the learning package program are a large totalnumber of materials, with a few examples of dif-ferent authors, points of view, and reading levels.In addition to the reading materials would be films,filmstrips, audio tapes, and any other device thatcan communicate ideas (including informed peo-ple!).

5. Other Management Systems. Many organiza-tional practices are designed specifically for a non-continuous progress program. Report cards, Carne-gie Units, lesson plans, transcripts, and "courses"are examples of these practices. As a more individ-ualized program develops, each of these manage-ment practices must be. carefully examined, andadapted to implement the new philosophy.

41

What Can l'eaehers Expect?

--That there will be a workable noise level whichwill not interfere with progress.

That the children will become more responsible.That some lessons will be a result of spontaneousenthusiasm.

That academic and social skills will develop at afaster rate.

How Can Learning Experiences Be Evaluated?Spot evaluation.

Set aside about fifteen minutes at the end of theday.

Children share. projects or tell about discoveriesor experiences.

Discuss value of experiences and use of time.

Discuss problems that may have arisen.Talk about suggestions for completing contract

requirements.

How Can Teachers Motivate Children to FulfillTheir Contracts?

Provide a special interest activity.Allow children to be class monitors.

Give an achievement award (e.g., certificate,badge).

Allow children to assist classmates with contractwork.

.Prepare a bulletin board for recognition.

SUM'R GOODBonnie Deming

SUMMARY: Educational provisions for the giftedstudent are a consequence of a philosophical com-mitment to provide every student with educationalopportunities suited to his level of ability. Amongthe benefits and opportunities felt to be desired forthe gifted child are curricula flexible enough to meetthe needs of the individual methods of study thatare stimulating and challenging; and an emphasison learning that utilizes the resources in the school,the home. and the community. In these programsthe gifted student is assured a strong basic curriculum at each grade level with additional enrichmentduring the regular school year.

In the Summer, a six-week program of highlyindividualized enrichment is offered to all state andcity identified gifted children in San Diego CitySchools to add even a greater dimension and unityto learning. Children are invited to participate inany two of the diverse programs provided for atone of eight schools where a regular Summer SchoolProgram is going on. Parents take complete respon-sibility for attendance and transportation. Two, two-hour blocks of time are arranged for in-depth experi-ences at each center.

A slide presentation covering most of the Sum-

mer School classes for the gifted shows the uniqueand divergent program as it is. Highlights from SanDiego include:

Musical Comedy and Creative DramaticsArt Activities with Clay and Paper MacheShakespearean Theater and Theater WorkshopOceanographyGerman Language and CulturePuppet and Puppet TheaterChildren's LiteratureGuitar and Folk SingingScience, Mathematics, and LogicEnjoying Good BooksArt and Music AppreciationAnthropologyMedieval and Renaissance ManDrama WorkshopBiologyMath Lab WorkshopPianoCreative Expression through Environmental

AwarenessTypingInstrumental MusicEtc.

SUM'R BETTERCharlotte Morrison

Postman and Weingartner originated the Vacci-nation Theory of Education in, Teaching as a Sub-versive Activity. "A subject is something you 'take'and when you have taken it, you have :had' it, andif you have 'had' it, you are immune and need nottake it again." This seems to be the philosophy inmuch education of gifted, where the recall of ran-dom facts is often thought to be the highest formof intellectual achievement. It is strange that weshould feel the necessity to plan increasingly sophis-ticated ways to promote the absorption of miscel-laneous information but fail to recognize the needto provide for training and practice in the use of theinformation.

There are a number of techniques that can beincorporated into the curriculum to encourage de-velopment of the use of information. Inquiry train-ing is a step in the right directionas long as weremember that it is the process of inquiry that weare teaching, with the answer to the problem of themement being no more than a side issue. The truepurpose of inquiry is to help learners increase theircompetence as learners with questions being theinstruments of perception. Thus, it is through inquirythat the learner becomes more able to identify thereal problem to be solved.

Further practice in the use of information is de-pendent upon the learner having confidence in hisown ability to learn and to produce. He needs tobe in a school environment which allows him tohave success in carrying out his own projects, eitherby himself or with the cooperation of his peers. Aproject which is tightly controlled by the teachermay be more polished or sophisticated than a stu-dent-planned one, but too much teacher-directionrobs the student of an opportunity to develop hisown independence. The proper role of the teacher,

that of a resource person, allows the student to have.confidence in his own ability to learn, to determinewhat is really relevant to his given situation. to relyon his own judgment and to have the freedom toadjust his original hypothesis to fit his changingconcept of the problem. Failure to have freedom tomodify the project as it progresses is an inhibitor tocreativity. Experiences with the process of projectdevelopment include identification, modification,evaluation and presentation of the project.

Change is the most striking characteristic of ourworld today and to deal adequately with change wemust not insist upon pre-mature closure a neatlittle solution for every situation. Once we haveclosure, once we judge someone or something, wetend to stop thinking about him or it. It is necessaryto allow certain situations to remain open -ended andto learn to be comfortable with them this way.Today's world demands the ability to generate vi-able, possible solutions to problems.

Simultation activities give students the opportu-nity to develop feasible solutions and follow-up torealistic problems. The necessity to adjust the planof attack as the situation demands, may be the mostvaluable part of simulation activities. With theproper teacher and a problem to which the studentscan relate, simulation games can be set up withinthe classroom. Once again, the role of the teachermust be clearly stated as that of a resource person,with students practicing life-like roles within thesafety of the classroom.

We hear a lot of talk about relevant curriculumbut find it hard to define what relevant curriculumreally is.are becoming increasingly sensitive to which pro-grams are appealing to young people.

Youth organizations, with volunteer participants,42

but being appealing to young people is not the onlycriterion for relevance. The teacher who is learnerand problem oriented may find that curriculum. asit has been written in the past, is far from beingrc!evant to the student.

Curriculum writing might be improved if it werelimited to indicating the behaviors desired. with theteacher being directed to provide the setting toachieve these behaviors.

Let's dream a bitwhat if a summer school teach-er's assignment were to provide the place. the sup-port and the resources so that each child in the groupcould carry out a project of his own choosing anddevelop it to a point of excellence that would besatisfying to him? Just that. This would leave thechild free to determine for himself the point atwhich his effort and the results of his endeavorwere balanced. He might even decide Co; abort cer-tain projects. The teacher would be able to encour-

age more sophisticated approaches to some problemsby posing unanswered questions as, "What if . . . ?

Then what? Why ?" The anticipated difficulty ingetting children started on such projects amply pointsout the need for starting this kind of training early.

Curriculum, such as this, would require a shiftfrom a prime objective of storage and retrieval ofmuch miscellaneous information to a prime objec-tive of process skills and basic skills working handin hand. Then the student could be seen as beingprepared to work in a world of change where hemust be able to generate processes that are adequateto deal with life situations of the present an thefuture.

Norbert Wiener in. The Human Use of HumanBeings, says. "We have modified our environmentso radically that we must now modify ourselves inorder to exist in this new environment."

The old ways are no linger adequate.

TOOLS FOR CHANGEby Christopher Thorsons

Interaction Associates, Incorporated, has beenworking in the Berkeley public school system undera Carnegie grant developing and testing Tools forChange, a basic course in problem-solving. Toolsfor Change is a course in learning how to learn, fo-cusing on the "how" rather than the "what of theeducation process. It's base is a list of some sixtyprocesses which forms a common language for shar-ing and discussing individual problem-solving strate-gies.

Over the last year and a half seven experimentalclasses at the 6th, 9th and graduate school levelswere conducted to test the basic assumptions thatfollow:

1. That there are some basic thought processescommon to all.

2. That individuals have a process bias.

3. That :iy becoming aware of their own pro-cesses and process bias. students can becomemore productive, flexible thinkers, more self-confident and more self-directed.

4. That by externalizing and sharing their thoughtprocesses, students may become resources toeach other and the education community atlarge.

Group problem - solving, games. puzzles and prob-lems, camping trips and individual projects wereused as initial contexts within which to focus on par-ticular processes. These contexts were used becausethey pose little threat and offer the student a chanceto see his own processes in action. Subsequently.connections were made to academic subjects andeveryday life activities.

While the classes seemed to verify most uf the

43

assumptions. several important questions emerged.These relate to such things as:

1. The level of abstraction appropriate to differ-ent age levels.

The advantages and disadvantages of using apre-established vocabulary.

3. The usefulness of another compartmentalizedclass.

4. The most meaningful ratio between doing(problem- solving) and talking about doing(eternalizing, sharing).

5. The difficulties of evaluating such a course,particularly regarding transfer.

As a result of this study. Interaction is now direct-ing its energies towards the following:

I. Designing new techniques to help students ex-ternalize their thinking.Integrating Tools for Change with the regularacademic subjects.

3. ImpleMenting a wackier training program at\Vest Campus. Berkeley, and Seramonte andJefferson High Schools. San Francisco, forwhich they recently received a two-year con-tinuation grant from Carnegie.

4. Developing a "Directory of Heuristics," a gen-eral reference of processes including definitionsand examples.

5. Developing a "Directory of Experiences." acollection of useful and meaningful activitiesfor a process- oriented classroom.

A CREATIVE CURRICULUM

Linda SchwartzA. T. Teacher, Torrance USD

Illustrated herein is a booklet compiled for distri-bution in my workshop, "A Creative Curriculum."I have prepared sixty booklets and will have theseavailable for participants at the conclusion of myworkshop.

In addition, I plan to present practical and crea-tive ideas that teachers and administrators can takeback to their schools and incorporate in their cur-riculum. My presentation will include examples ofwork completed by gifted students from my classes.Just a sample of some of the ideas I plan to presentinclude the folliwing:

S oeial Studies Science

TOOTSIE-ROLL STOCK EXCHANGE Aunique approach to a study of the stock market. itsfunction, and operation. Students select a stock, plotits closing price daily, and may sell at any time.Students are then paid off in Tootsie Rolls for eachpoint their stock advances at selling or pay theteacher for each point the stock declines.

CREATIVE GAMESAn ideal way to combinecreativity, learning, and fun. Students pick a topicand create a game complete with playing board,rules, objectives, etc., for other members of theclass to play.

BELIEVE-IT-OR-NOT BOXESStudents work-

ing on individual studies decorate a shoe box ac-cording to the theme of their topic, such as Africa,the Civil War, etc. A contest is then held to see whocan fill their box with the most interesting facts forothers in the class to share.

CREATIVE SONGS--Students are encouragedto write original songs using social studies or sciencefacts and putting them to current hit tunes. Songsare then taped for others to learn and share.

CREATIVE WRITING

CREATE-A-WORDStudents "invent" a newword and then have fun either making a mobile toillustrate their word or drawing a picture.

BOOK FAIRGifted students become authorswhen they interview students in a younger grade andwrite, illustrate, and dedicate a book especially fora given child.

My workshop includes many other ideas, such asgeometric thread designs, geoboard puzzles for math,light-bulb puppets for dramatization, collective classpoems, formats for individualized instruction andmany more. In addition, various educational games,books, and materials were on display that are ideallysuited for the gifted.

CREATIVE WRITING IDEAS

I. Imagine that you are a football cleat on theshoe of a famous player, or the T.V. antennaon the Empire State Building. or a propeller ona great ocean liner, or a saddle on a famousrodeo bronco, or anything you want. Write astory telling what it is like to be the thing youimagine.

2. Monkeys have tails. Leopards have spots. Ele-phants have wrinkled skin. Leaves turn red inthe fall. Why? ? ? ? ? Try to write a humorousand non-scientific explanation for some phenom-enon of nature.

3. One day while you are sitting in this class, somestrange time warp hurls you into the year 2000.What do you see? What do you do? You arethere for a day and then return to the present.Give the class a report on what has happened.

4. Who is the most interesting or wonderful or in-fluential person you know? Write a charactersketch of the person. Make the reader feel hisor her personality as you feel it. Use specificillustrations rather than general things or termssuch as nice or funny. Paint your portrait sovividly. that the person will come to life in yourwords.

5. Create your own daffy definition after examin-ing the examples:A baby sitter is a person who is paid for watch-

ing T.V.

A report card is a device for boosting parental.blood pressure.

6. Write a mood piece about a city street at dusk,an empty football stadium, a late ride on acrowded bus, a deserted beach: anything thatarouses a strong mood in your own imagination.Use descriptive words to reinforce the idea youwant to get across. Create your scene by use ofdetails, and don't forget to include sights,smells, and sounds that will bring to life thepicture you want to create.

7. What would your life be like if your body werecompletely flat? Turned sideways, you wouldhave no shadow. You might easily slide undercicsed doors. You could tie a string to your beltand have friends fly you like a kite. Of course,you could eat only flat meals of pancakes andwafers. What other strange conditions wouldyou meet? Once you have listed as many as youcan think of. write a story about someone whois flat.

8. A knife with peanut butter on it. A red spot onthe floor. A dog with a leash sitting by the redspot. Write a story that makes use of all threeof these things.

9. Write a story (humorous or serious) in whicha young person learns an important lesson aboutlife,

10. Draw a circle on a piece of paper. Place an Xin the center of the circle. Draw two trianglesabove the circle. Draw three squares at the bot-tom of the circle. Shade in 1/4 of the circle.Now write a creative story about your drawing.

1 I. Choose one of the settings below and use yourimagination to write a description of the placeat the time indicated:

A classroom in the year 2000 A.D.A construction site after the workers have left.A farm at sunset.A campsite by firelight.A factory going full blast at 2 p.m.A rocky shore at sundown.A colonial cabin in 1569.A freeway at rush hour.

12. Write a swifty by matching an adverb with anaction and thus forming a self-descriptive sent-ence. Study the following examples. Then sharp-en your pencil and begin (said Miss Schwartzpointedly).

1 broke my leg." said Tom Lameley."Here comes the steam roller," said Tom

Flatly."I'll see if I can dig something up for you,

said Tom Gravely.

1 3 . Write an occupational swifty. Study the exam-

pies and see how many other examples you canadd to the list (said the mathematician).

"I'm fed up with this," said the cook."You hit the nail on the head," said the car-

penter."That was a close shave," said the barber.

14. VI/Ate a chopper. In this game you take a singleword and chop it into parts that would make arecognizable name. Study the examples andmake up your own.

Pa Strami is the senior member of the Italiandelegation. Other representatives include MacA. Roni and Madam Minnie Stroni.

BRAINSTORMING A THEME

Write everything that you can think of that isassociated with "It Really Bugs Me" on the linesprovided. Select the idea you like best and write atopic sentence about it on the bottom of this sheet.Then on another sheet of paper write a compositionstarting with and about your topic sentence.

IT REALLY BUGS ME . . . .

TOPIC SENTENCE

SIX STEPS TO PAINLESS POETRY

STEP One: Write down a subject such as friend-ship, football, gossip, school anything you

want to talk about.

STEP TWO: Now, on the line under this first word,write the persons or things you associate withthis topic.

STEP THREE: Write three words that describe thepersons or things mentioned on line two.

STEP FOUR: Write three actions connected withthe persons or things on line two.

STEP FIVE: Write either a time or a place asso-ciated with line two.

STEP SIX: Write your comment on the wholething.

Below is a list of topics to get things going; alsostudy the examples. Now have fun and create apoem on your own, but don't feel you're limited bythe list of topics or by the examples. You can changethe subject and the plan as the poet in you desires.The steps you take are your own.

TOPICS: Communication. Competition, Anger, Joy,Childhood, Honesty . . .

EXAMPLES. WARSoldiersSkilled, wounded, going inFighting, crying. killingTomorrow and tomorrow.The end?

45

THE DUELby Eugene Field

The gingham dog and the calico catSide by side on the table sat;'Twos half-past twelve, and what do you think!Not one nor the other had slept a wink.The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plateAppeared to know as sure as fateThere was going to be a terrible spat.( I wasn't there; I simply stateWhat was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The Gingham dog went, bow - wow -wow!The Calico cat replied, me-owlThe air was littered an hour or soWith bits of gingham and calico.While. the old Dutch clock in the chimney placeUp with its hands before its face,Font always dreaded a family row!(Now mind: I'm only telling youWhat the old Dutch clock declares is true.)

The Chinese plate looked very blue,And wailed, "Oh, dear! What shall we dolBut the gingham dog and the calico catWallowed this way and tumbled that,Employing every tooth and clawIn the awfullest way you ever sawAnd, oh, how the gingham and calico flew!(Don't fancy I exaggerateI got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning, where the two had satThey found no trace of dog or cat;

And some fools think unto this dayThat burglars stole that pair away!But the truth about the cat and pupIs this: they ate each other up!(The old Dutch clock it told me so,And that is how I came to know.

lb * *

The following directions are to be used with thepoem. ''The Duel," found on the preceding page.

Fun and fancy are yours today

As you discover the creative way.Scraps and glue and the imaginative seedAre without a doubt all you'll need.When your animal is completely doneYou'll have time for rhyming fun.With words set about to tellThe ways of this animal you know well.You might tell the story of its creationOr even discuss this animal's education.The idea is yours, so what you'll doHas been left completely up to you!

SUGGESTED PROJECTS FOR COMPLETIONOF LITERATURE BOOKSFOR GIFTED STUDENTS

I. Design a book jacket for your book and writea -blurb- including:a. Description of setting or moodb. Character sketchesc. Exciting incidentsd. Striking aspects of the author's lifee. Other books by the same author

2. Write an original ending to the story or reversehappy or unhappy endings.

3. Make up and act out a playlet based on yourreading.

4. Invent a diary which might have been writtenby one of the characters.

5. Write a character sketch supporting each detailby reference to the book.

6. Make a diorama of your favorite scene in thebook.

7. Pretend your book is to be filmed and:a. Select the cast for the leading roles, justifying

your choices.b. Decide on possible locations for the shooting

of various scenes.c. Decide which scenes would be suitable or

unsuitable for inclusion in a movie and ex-plain why.

d. Try your hand at writing the scriptfavorite part of the book.

* * *

for your

INDIVIDUAL STUDYName_ ... _ . _ - Topic__Subtopics I Plan to Research:

23.45.

7.

Budget Your Own Time

WEEK # 1

WEEK #3WEEK 15WEEK #.2

WEEK #4WEEK #6

BRAIN TEASER

Who Owns the Zebra?The facts essential to solving the problemwhich

can be solved by combining deduction, analysis andsheer persistence--are as follows:

1. There are five houses, each of a different colorand inhabited by men of different nationalities,with different pets, drinks, and candy bars.

2. The Englishman lives in the red hou

3. The Spaniard owns the dog.

4. Coffee is drunk in the green house.

5. The Ukranian drinks tea.

6. The green house is immediately(your right) of the ivory house.

7. The Snicker candy bar eater owns

Se.

to the right

snails.

8. Mars candy bars are eaten in the yellow house.9. Milk is drunk in the middle house.

10. The Norwegian lives in the first house on theleft.

I I. The man who eats three Muskateer candy barslives in the house next to the man with the fox.

12. Mars candy bars are eaten in the house next tothe house where the horse is kept.

13. The Butterfinger candy bar eater drinks orangejuice.

14. The Japanese eats Hershey bars.

15. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.NOW. WHO DRINKS WATER? ? ? ? ? ? AND

OWNS THE ZEBRA? ? ? ? ? ? ?413

A MODEL FOR TRAINING TEACHERS OR TOEXPERIENCE THE JOY OF LEARNING

byBarbara Dunn. Ed.D.

California State College, Los Angeles

In considering a model for educating teachers ofclasses for gifted children many often-mentionedreeds come to mind, to know characteristics andlearning needs of gifted children; ways of modify-ing programs to better meet these needs; casualfactors and the importance of early learning. Butless often mentioned, is a need this writer considersto be just as pressing and yet seldom met. Thisinvolves the need to aid the teacher in experiencingthe type of education one wishes that person torecreate for the gifted child. In the literature weoften find reference to the idea that if we want achild to be caring, treat him in a caring way; if wewant a child to be joyful. treat him with joy; if wewant a child to be successful, treat him as a success;If we want a child to be creative, treat him crea-tively. Wouldn't this then be appropriate for ateacher training program?

Let us consider those characteristics we mightfind of value in a teacher of the gifted child. Wecould agree that the person would do well to havea breadth of knowledge, a depth of knowledge inat least one area, a talent to draw upon or a specialp7oficiency in one or more skills. But, in light ofthe current research on creating learning environ-ments there seem to be other characteristics of evengreater import.

If one is to create a powerful learning environ-ment one must have an adequate sense of self, ade-quate in Combs' sense as persons who see them-selves as being liked, wanted, acceptable, able; aspersons with dignity and integrity, of worth andimportance; an essentially positive view of self. Be-cause gifted children have varied and unknownlevels of capability, they must be given every op-portunity to move as far out of the teacher's rangeof knowledge as possible. They must not be limitedto the teacher's limitations. This movement couldpresent a threat to the teacher who has a need fordefense of self or who has inadequate developmentof self. Fromm (1959) feels that one can overcomeinsecurity, the compulsion to conform, and can de-velop a value for uniqueness only if there is anawareness of self as the center or originator of one'sactions.

The gifted student, who often moves at the high-est levels of learning and power of thought, needspractice in exercising choice, in the use of freedomand in dealing with responsibility. To facilitategrowth in these areas a teacher must be growing inher concepts of choice., freedom and responsibility.

The literature of self concept and creativity,(Combs, 1962; La Benne and Greene, 1969; Pur-key, 1970), cite certain conditions or attitudes thatencourage high levels of development. Openness.curiosity. awareness, acceptance are but a few ofthese. To establish conditions which will supportoptimal growth the teacher must possess these atti-tudes.

The gifted student must be more than a highacademic achiever. Our society has great need forcaring, trusting, compassionate human beings. Eachperson must be able to find the joy of learning insituations beyond the formal educational experience.If Maslow's thesis (Combs, 1962) is sound, thenthese characteristics must also be valued for theperson who will guide the gifted student. Our teachermutt experience caring, compassion, trust and joyfullearning.

With the knowledge we have today it is possibleto establish teacher training programs that can sup-port growth in all of these vital areas.

First, we must make sure that the environmentof our classes for training teachers is supportingthose characteristics mentioned. A course that isrigidly structured with teacher imposed objectivesand objective evaluation procedures cannot give ourteachers practice in choice, freedom and responsi-bility. It can only give them an additional patternto restrict these characteristics. A class in which theprofessor plays the role of dispenser of knowledgecannot give the training teacher experience withawareness, curiosity, and openness; it can only resultin another model of inadequate human relations.

There are available to us many ideas, techniques.and exciting materials and activities that can aid usin releasing the kinds of creative awareness and at-titudes toward growth we wish to foster. Much workhas begun in these areas. (Boocock. S. and Schild,E.. 1968: Brown, G., 1971; Gorman, 1969; Mi-chael. 1968). Implementation is now possible in ourclassrooms. These techniques and materials must begiven to our teachers of gifted children. But, wecannot expect them to use these ideas unless theyhave experienced them, unless we who train teachersuse them. If we would have teachers use the openstructure for their classroom, they must themselvesbe taught in an open classroom. If we would haveour teachers relate to their students as real. growing,changing people they must be taught by real, grow-ing, changing people.

Of course, it is important that the training teacherbe involved during her training with gifted chil-dren, that she familiarize herself with the demandsof these learners' uniqueness. But it is equally im-portant that she, as a learner, experience all thoseattitudes we will ask her to nurture. Her experiencemust put her in touch with the joy of learning.

ReferencesAnderson. H. (ed) Creativity and Its Cultivation.

N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1959.Boocock, S. and Schild, E. (ed) Simulation Games

in Learning. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publi-cations. Inc., 1968.

Brown, G. Human Teaching for Human Learning.N.Y.: Viking Press. 1971.

Combs, A. (ed) Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming.1962 Yearbook for the Association for Supervi-

47

sion and Curriculum Development. Washington,D.C.: Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment, Department of National EducationAssociation, 1962.

Gorman, A. Teachers and Learners; The InteractiveProcess of Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,Inc., 1969.

La Benne, W. and Greene, B. Educational Implica-

tions cf SelfConcept Theory. Pacific Palisades.California: Goodyear Publishing Company, Inc.,1969.

Michael, W. (ed) Teaching for Creative Endeavor.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1968.

Purkey, W. Self Concept and School Achievement.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentics-Hall, 1970.

PARAMETERS: EDUCATING TEACHERS OF THE GIFTEDDr. Peter G. Fast

Fresno State College

Phases Components

EXPLORATORY

SPECIALIZED PREPARATION

CONTINUOUS EDUCATION

Personal Fulfillment

Multibase Education(Humanities, social/naturalsciences, arts, technicaland applied fields)

Personal FulfillmentProfessional PreparationPractical Education

Inservice ProgramsAdvanced Credentials/DegreesState/National Institutes,

ConferencesBasic/Applied ResearchPostdoctoral StudiesProfessional

SPECIALIZED PREPARATION

Teaching in regular/gifted classroomsCataloging individual levels/rates of performance,

capabilities, needs, concernsPromoting responsive learning environmentsIntegrating theory and practiceDeveloping instructional approachesBuilding constructive life styles/philosophiesUtilizing school and community resourcesDiagnosing learning disabilitiesContributing experiences, ideas, solutions

Genuine empathy for gifted/creative personsExceptional mental and physical healthCommitment toward and enjoyment of teachingOngoing curiosity regarding gifted/educationIndividual flexibility, firmness. innovativenessInteraction with students, colleagues, parents,

othersProductive orientationConstructive self-actualization

Professional Preparation

Survey of special educationIdentification/assessment of the giftedDifferentiated needs of gifted and creativeLearning theory/individualized learning stylesAdministrative arrangements for giftedCurricular provisions and adaptationsIndividual/group instructional modesIntellectual abilities/creativityCreative problem solving, inquiry, thinkingTalent and leadership developmentAlienation, underachievement, motivationPersonal and vocational guidanceCurrent theory, research, practice

Practical Education

Visiting exemplary gifted programs/schoolsObserving master demonstrations

48

Levels of Implementation

First four years(college or university)

Fifth year(college or university

Sixth year(continuous professionalinvolvement and growth)

CONTINUOUS EDUCATIONI. Pursuance of advanced degrees/credentials2. Preparation of specialists (gifted education)3. Resolution of controversial issues, problems4. Initiation and completion of needed research5. Development of innovative teaching procedures,

curricular models6. Dissemination of emerging programs, research,

knowledge and ideas7. Refinement of creativity; its assessment, nature

and nuture8. Expanding involvement of laity, resource indi-

viduals with gifted education9. Personal input toward local, state, federal pro-

jects, legislation, changes10. Clarification and validation of improved teacher

education models

Lig

THE G-SOME SYSTEM AS A MODEL FOR TRAININGTEACHERS OF THE GIFTED

by Alfred L. LazarCalifornia State College. Long Beach

A critical review of the literature on the trainingof teachers for working with gifted youngsters re-veals a lack of any specific training models. The pur-pose of my presentation today will be to present athree-stage model called the G-SOME System ap-proach for the training of teachers per se. but espe-cially for those teaching the gifted and creative child.

The G,SOME system is a sequenced logic systemthat serves as a framework for assisting the teacherin critical decision making process. It assumes thatthe teacher's role in the classroom or learning sit-uation is that of a. manager of learning using ascientific approach. In using this scientific approachtoward learning and instruction, it is further assumedthat the role of the teacher as a manager of learningis to control and manipulate variables in the learningsituation and utilizing feedback in making eveluationas to the extent that goals and objectives have beenachieved.

GSOME MODEL

G-- General Variables. These involve understandingthe value complex of the community, legalbasis for education as found in codes and laws,family attitudes toward education. and a hostof other variables that the teacher needs toknow and understand in planning and develop-ing a curriculum.

SSurvey Variables. This means that the teacherhas training in the use of formal testing, canevaluate and make effective use of data pro-vided by psychologist and others. Before onewrites objectives or programs, one needs toascertain just where is the gifted child both interms of his effective and cognitive develop-ment. Thus, the first task of a scientific teacheris to survey the student for his strengths andweaknesses.

0Objectives for Instruction. Here objectives arewritten in behavorial terms in the cognitive,affective, and motor domains as required. In-cluded are immediate, short and long rangelearning plans.

MMulti Media Variables. Here the teacher needsexperience in determining which is the student'sbest modality for learning: i.e. tactile, visual,auditory, etc. Will group or individualizeddelivery systems be used in controlling the rateof learning based upon the known or estimatedrate of learning based upon previous baselinedata. Finally, what specific learning theories areinvolved in planning and building the learningsituation.

E-- Evaluation Variables. Here there are three typesof evaluation situations that need to be de-veloped if both the teacher and students are

49

to work in a concerted effort. First. both theteacher and students must develop self-evalua-tion skills. and this is to be followed by mutualevaluation. Finally there can be evaluations bysignificant others to help authenticate the read-ings of the other two. Evaluation and feedbackloops serve as an accountability system toassist in determining why certain criterion mea-sures are not met, or else when it is appropriateto move to the next objective.

This brief summary of my talk can hardly givejustice to the complex aature of systems approachto learning, but it can serve to provide the readerwith an overview. The G-SOME system is a questionmodel organized into five major sequencedcomponents which allow the teacher to constantly as-sess the learning situation. It is to some extent a clini-cal model that helps the teacher diagnosis learningneeds and construct realistic curriculum and learn-ing objectives that will respect the unique learningcharacteristics of the gifted child. It can also serveas a guide as to the kinds of training activities futureteachers need. Finally, the G-SOME systems modelcan help especially with the gifted underachiever.

rictlit: I. G variables. Some critical factors that infuencethe nature and the degree of instructional effectivenessgm! 'pupil-teacher interaction during the learning situa-tion.

Figure I provides an overview of the five se-quenced component G-SOME teaching model. Adetailed breakdown indicating the content, process,and structure of the model, with some suggestedquestions for teachers of the gifted is illustrated inFigure 2. hi-4T Ilty,

ReferencesLazar, Alfred L. "Logistical Control In Special Edu-

cation." The Pointer, 13 (Spring, 1969) 49-52.Lazar, Alfred L "The SOME Systems Approach:

A Paradigm for Educational Instruction and Re-mediation by the Special Class Teacher." Focuson Exceptional Children, 1 (December, 1969)1-8.

Lazar, Alfred L. "Reading Programs and Materialsfor the Educable Mentally Retarded," in MEET-ING INDIVIDUAL NEEDS IN READING byH. K. Smith (editor). International Reading As-sociation, Newark, N. J., 1971.

Z.

GVariablesAdd those itemsessential to thedevelopment ofa data bank forprogram andcommunity under-standing.

SVariablesSurvey of student (s)needs, strengths, &deficits.

Formal tests resultson intellectual, social,emotional development,including creativity.Informal assessment anddata gathering byteachers from othersignificant sources.

Development of individualprofile as to academicskills and knowledges,interests and uniquecharacteristics.

Development of group orclass matrix toascertain variability.

Ascertain administrative &Logistical requirementsand estimates.

Placement and servicesupport plans aretentatively developed.

0VariablesConsideration to bothbehavorial and non-behavorial objectives.

Daily learning plansare formulated interms of:

cognitive objectivesaffective objectivesmotoric objectives.

Estimates of how, what,who, when & whereregarding learningtactics are made.

Estimates of objectivesin terms of time, space,scope & sequence aremade. Projects for weeklyand long range plans.

The works of Bloom,Piaget, Gagne, Guilford,and Torrance are givenconsideration, as well asothers on gifted andcreativity.

TAXONOMY OF SEQUENCED TASKS

Divergent or Convergentthinking stressed. Which.why, when.

MMulti Media VariablesDetermine learner'sbest imput modality:

a. auditoryb. visualc. hapticd. tacticale. other

50

Motivational imputs:a. extrinsicb. intrinsic

Methods of delivery:a. individualizedb. seminarc. small groupd. total classe. teaching machinesf. teacher aideh. teacheri. significant other

Materials to be used:a. book, etc.b. film stripsc. video tape and

recorderd. teaching machinese. other

Mode and rate of learningrequired. includinglearning theor (ies)

a. s-rb. operantc. chainingd. verbale. discriminationf. problem solving

EEvaluation VariablesEvaluation based uponobjectives:a. stlfevaluation:

pupil (s)teacher

b. outside source orsignificant other

c. criterion as toobjective success.

If objective met, goto next one, if notcheck components usingfeedback loops toallow for changes toenhance success tocriterian in next effort.

Workshops

1

Chairman

Chairman

3Chairman

4Chairman

WorkshopsSessions

1 and 11 (2-hour Session)Joyce Sonntag

and 11 (2-hour Session)Debbie Osen

1 and 11 (2-hour Session)Ivy Beaubouef

I and II (2-hour Session)Russel Orpet

Workshop Title

"Meet the Authors" of the New Exemplary Curricu-lum Guides for the Gifted

Grades K -12

"Adding Another String to His Bow--DevelopingLeadership Ability in the GiftedGrades 4-8

"Creative Productive Thinking." Report on a TitleIII project and suggested environments to encouragecreativityGrades K-8

"Piaget's Approach to the Assessment of Intelli-gence." Summary and Film DemonstrationGrades 1 -12

5 1 "Gifted Students Speak Out." Elementary StudentsChairman The Lyceum of Monterey Peninsula from Monterey Peninsula Schools and Lyceum dis-

s cuss their programsGrades 4-6

6Chairman

7Co-Chairman

8Chairman

9Co-Chairman

1 and IIILinda Schwartz

I and IIIJose Martinez, C. Towner

Grades K-12

I and 111David Straus

I and IIIAl Lazar, Peter Fast

10 I and IIICo-Chairman Rosemarie Moore, Ruthe Lundy

11Chairman

12Chairman

13

I and HPaul D. Plowman

I and IIIGeorge Sterling

II and IIICo-Chairman Bonnie Deming, Charlotte Morrison

-A Creative Curriculum." Successful practices inWriting. Social Science, Art and IndividualizedInstructionGrades 4-6

*Procedures and Programs for Gifted MinorityStudents." Long Beach City Elementary and HighSchool ProgramsGrades K -12

"Tools for ChangeAn Approach to Process Edu-cation.** Berkeley's program to develop the processand strategies to solve problemsGrades 6 -12

"Models for Teacher Education TrainingTeachers for the Gifted**Grades K -12

"Highly Gifted StudentsCan We Describe Them?"Palo Alto's Pilot Program for the Highly GiftedGrades K -12

"Criterion Referenced Teaching of Higher Cog-nitive and Creative Skills"Behavioral Objectives for Gifted StudentsGrades K -12

"The Process and Content of a River Ecology Study"Students from Napa High School show their film anddiscussion covers development of course of studyGrades 9 -12

"Sum 'R GoodSum 'R Better"San Diego's Summer School Classrooms "visited"through slides: how to promote affective develop-mentGrades 3-6

51

51

14Co-Chairman

15Chairman

16Chairman

Workshops"How to Communicate with the California Legisla-ture.** Assemblyman Ken Cory will make an addressand answer questionsGrades. K- 1 2

"Docent ProgramMuseum and Nature Trails."Elementary Science Resource Center. San Francisco'sprogram utilizing Community Resources. Grades K-6**Values in the Social SciencesCaught or Taught?"How values are caught and the process whereby students may develop personal commitmentsGrades K- 1 2

**Language Linguistics and CultureAn IndependentStudy Program." Berkeley's pupil and teacher de-signed independent study program in English, For-eign Language and History. Grades 7 -14

"Identifying and Teaching Culturally DisadvantagedGifted Children." San Francisco's program usingmeans other than standardized test data. Grades 1-6"Community Response in Support of Gifted Stu-dents." A description of the Lyceum of MontereyPeninsula's program for gifted students. Grades KI 2"The Milk of Human Kindness Is Not Sufficient"The California Framework of Curriculum for GiftedMinors. Grades K12

"The Creative Development of the Gifted Individ-ual.- Grades K -12

"One Gifted. Two Gifted. Three Gifted." Ways inwhich schools with small numbers of gifted can pro-vide qualitatively different learning opportunitiesGrades K-12

SeminarTalk to Parents of the Gifted AssociationMembers. Members of the San Fernando Valley

Gifttd Child Association answer your questionsGrades 9 -12

"Gifted Students Speak Out." Junior High Studentsfrom Monterey Peninsula schools and Lyceum dis -.cuss their programs

Grades 7-9

"Initiating a Program for the Gifted." How to starta program for gifted students in your districtGrades K- 1 2

"Gifted Students Speak Out." High School Studentsfrom Monterey Peninsula Schools and tre Lyceumdiscuss their programsGifted Child Association answer your questionsSeminar Dialogue with our State Consultants. Achance to get your questions answered

"How can you make use of the regular case studiesfor the benefit of each gifted student in your class-room?"

"Individualized Programs for the Gifted." Practicalmethods and proCedures of using individualized pro-grams in the classroomGrades 3-6

II and IIIGerald Stanley, Jeanne Delp

II and IIIVirginia P. Ryder

II and IIIElizabeth Pellett

17 II and IIICo-Chairman Elizabeth Bennett, Rheta Jogo

18 II and IIIChairman William B. Cummings

19 II and IIIChairman Lewis Fenton

20 II and IIIChairman Mary Meeker

21 II and IIIChairman John Gowan

22Chairman Irving & Sato

23 IIIChairman Cathy Kennard

24 IIChairman The Lyceum of Monterey Peninsula

25Chairman Jeanne Delp

26Chairman The Lyceum of Monterey Peninsula

III

27Ca-Chairman

28Chairman

.Chairman

IIIPaul D. Plowman, Irving S. Sato

IIIRichard Lindbloom

with Joan VascheI and II

Bruce DeVries

sa

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED

OFFICERS

1971

PresidentDonald K. DuncanLos Angeles County Superintendent of Schods

Office

First ViceP-Preident, ProgramAlfred L. LazarCalifornia State College, Long Beach

Second Vice-President, MembershipEugenia BernthalPasadena Unified School District

SecretaryRuthe LundyPalo Alto Unified School District

TreasurerWilliam B. CummingsSan Francisco Unified School District

Immediate Past PresidentMaxine SchenckOrange Unified'School District

Members-at-LargeAllyn ArnoldLos Angeles Unified School DistrictBeverly King. PresidentCalifornia Parents for the GiftedDavid HermansonSan Diego Unified School DistrictHoward C. RothFresno State College

Ninth Annual, ConferenceCalifornia Association for the Gifted

The Challenge of Accountability in Programs forthe Gifted"

Place: Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, Calif.

Dates: Friday and Saturday, February 26-27, 1971.

Program

Friday, February 26, 1971

3:00- 7:00 p.m.RegistrationMonterey Penin-sula College Theater Lobby.

8:00- 9:00 p.m.General SessionTheater.Dr. Ernest House, Director,

Illinois."The Sonscience of Educa-

tional Evaluation."

Saturday, February 27, 1971

8:00-11:00 a.m.RegistrationGymnasiumLobby.

8:15- 9:00 a.m.General Membership MeetingGymnasium.

9:00 -10:00 a.m.General SessionGymnasium.Dr. Ernest House, Director,

Illinois.Gifted Program Evaluation.

"Accountability in Programsfor the Gifted."

54

10:00 -10:30 a.m.Coffee.

10:30.11:30

11:45-12:45

12:45. 2:00

2:15- 3:15

All Day

a.m.WorkshopsSession I.(See descriptions next page)

p.m.WorkshopsSession II.(See descriptions next page)

p.m.Luncheon--Student Union.

p.m.WorkshopsSession III andSeminars.

(See descriptions next page)

Displays and exhibits