Time to Discover Some Webinars in Gifted Education

Teachers are always looking for more information that can help them professionally. Summer could be the perfect time to take a course, do some reading, or explore a variety of online resources. Dr. Laurie Croft and several educators who subscribe to the Belin-Blank Center Educators’ Listserv* shared a list of webinars relevant to gifted education that might interest you.

Photo by Elaine Bernadine Castro on Pexels.com

The University of Connecticut provides a LOT of free webinars on gifted education topics! See the current ones here: https://gifted.uconn.edu/events/. Last year’s set of webinars can be found here: https://gifted.uconn.edu/events-2021-22/ 

The Belin-Blank Center’s list of webinars can be found here:  https://belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/educators/webinar/

Acceleration webinars from the Belin-Blank Center: https://accelerationsystem.org/#webinars

Acceleration podcasts, blogs, and videos: https://www.accelerationinstitute.org/resources/podcast-blog-video.aspx

Conversations with CAGT: https://www.coloradogifted.org/resources/conversations-with-cagt/. They provide lots of recorded presentations on gifted topics. 

NAGC offers Webinars (or the PowerPoint or Audio):  https://dev.nagc.org/demand-learning

“Teaching Young Gifted Children The Whats Whys and How Tos for Supporting Their Needs” https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinars/identifying-reaching-teaching-young-gifted-children-whats-whys-tos-meeting-needs-judy-galbraith-joan-franklin-smutny/  You need to register to access the webinar.

Twice-exceptional students: https://teachercreatedmaterials.wistia.com/medias/ntnyi7vz6t

The Washington State gifted organization offers these webinars:  https://waetag.com/education/webinars/

The World Council (WCGTC) is offering some very reasonably priced webinars:  https://world-gifted.org/webinars/.

There is always something new to learn!

*Gifted Teachers’ Listserv

The Belin-Blank Center hosts an email listserv for educators focused on gifted education, with over 1,200 people giving and receiving useful information. Examples of discussions include favorite TED talks to show students, assessing Algebra I readiness, book recommendations, gifted standards report cards, and identification for creativity and leadership. Ready to sign up? Send an email to LISTSERV@LIST.UIOWA.EDU and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: SUBSCRIBE GIFTED-TEACHERS First-Name Last-Name.

Acceleration and Twice-Exceptional Students

At the Belin-Blank Center, we take a strengths-based approach for all aspects of talent development.  Additionally, we do not recommend holding students back academically if acceleration is a good match for them, even though there are other issues.

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com

We recommend first making sure the students receive services to address specific areas of need; for example, a student might need support for behavior issues.  In a meeting where you are considering acceleration for a student, take time to acknowledge the support the student is already receiving in these areas of need.  Consider inviting those individuals providing support to attend the acceleration child study team meetings so they can add more information about their work with the student in the areas that require attention.  Recognize that they are providing support in their areas of expertise and that support will help the child study team as they consider the academic areas that need attention.

This support will need to continue, even if the decision is made to accelerate the student. Below are some examples of support a student might need after being accelerated (either subject acceleration or whole-grade acceleration):

• A student might need extended time on tests.
• A math-talented student might need to have someone read story problems to them instead of reading them on their own.
• A student talented in English/language arts might need accommodations for handwriting when writing out their answers.
• Students who are resistant to group learning might need help in scaffolding appropriate behavior.

The Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic has worked with many students who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and most (more than 50%) of them require some form of acceleration, either whole-grade, single-subject, or some combination of whole-grade and additional single-subject.  They have the academic aptitude, ability, and achievement indicating the need for academic acceleration.  Their issues related to the ASD diagnosis also require support and so do their academic issues.  One does not preclude the other.  This is why the decision needs to be a team decision.

Additionally, the Talented and Gifted (TAG) teacher might attend the student’s IEP or 504 meeting, in order to add perspective about the student’s academic development and to discuss needed accommodations that might be needed for the student in the gifted program.

Acceleration and other advanced curricular options should not be a reward for good behavior. Students may exhibit behavioral issues, but they would still benefit from academic placement and programming that is matched to their academic needs. These students might simply need additional support. It would also be important to observe the student’s behavior: When appropriately challenged, does the behavior improve?

The chapter, “Acceleration Practices with Twice-Exceptional Students,” found in A Nation Empowered might be helpful reading. Visit http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_empowered/ for a free download.

Belin-Blank Center experts on twice exceptionality have also created The Paradox of Twice-Exceptionality: Packet of Information for Professionals, which provides additional information.

Interested in Acceleration for Your School?

The Belin-Blank Center and the National Center for Research on Gifted Education are excited to invite your school to participate in a research study on boosting learning for advanced students. 

You know how hard it is to meet the learning needs of your students. The truth is time and resources are finite and the needs of your students are diverse. We know some students enter classes on the first day having already mastered the current grade’s content. They are ready for more advanced material. We also know it can be difficult for teachers to provide advanced curriculum while simultaneously trying to close achievement gaps for other students.

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

There is a research-based, cost-effective intervention that can help your teachers better serve their advanced students. The approach is called acceleration, and our team of educators at the University of Iowa, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater would like to assist you with this effective but underutilized intervention to benefit your school. 

Academic acceleration allows students to access curriculum and instruction that is more appropriate for their level of readiness. It respects their right to learn and allows them to continue to grow and develop. Acceleration places students in the class best suited to their needs and does so with no additional cost to your school nor teachers. 

Photo by olia danilevich on Pexels.com

If you participate in this study, our team of experts will provide professional learning and all resources necessary to help you make acceleration a success in your school. Our support will include four 45-min, self-paced learning modules as well as facilitation of review meetings to discuss acceleration decisions for individual students. To support your teachers in this work, we provide stipends of up to $200 per teacher, ($100 for completing the modules and another $100 for engaging in review meetings). We will also pay for additional assessments necessary for your team to decide if grade or single-subject acceleration would be appropriate for a student. 

As a result of participating in this study, we anticipate you will see greater achievement gains and a more positive attitude toward school for your most advanced students. 

Our goal is to help you reduce the barriers to accelerated learning. Information about the study can be found here: ncrge.uconn.edu/acceleration. Provide your contact information at the link below and our team will contact you about how acceleration will help you meet the needs of your advanced students. https://ncrge.uconn.edu/supporting-academic-acceleration-in-schools/

Message from the Director: Hawks Got Talent!

Like many other Hawkeye sports fans, I was completely consumed with Iowa Women’s Basketball this season. I watched their amazing season culminate in an NCAA championship appearance in Dallas, TX, on April 2^nd. The Hawkeye women made it to the Final Four 30 years ago, but they had never been to the championship game! We were experiencing history.

We can learn many lessons from the team’s journey, but the one I loved the most was watching Lisa Bluder, Jan Jensen, and the rest of the coaching staff develop players’ talent. The team undoubtedly had a generational player in Caitlin Clark, but the coaches also recognized that they couldn’t win basketball games relying on just one player. One of my favorite videos on the team’s Facebook page depicts Coach Bluder talking to the women in her famous pre-game circle about being stronger together. Whether it be in the classroom, in the lab, on the stage, or on the court, optimal youth development happens when we identify talents and provide spaces for those talents to develop. In those spaces, youth take risks, make mistakes, and work together to solve problems and reach goals.

Here at the Belin-Blank Center, we too are stronger together when we create a strategic plan consistent with our values and grounded in talent development. Our team seeks to be leaders in student programs, professional development, clinical services, research and assessment, and outreach for talented students across our state and nation. We are excited to see where our journey takes us and what doors we can open for youth in the years to come.

Here’s to a great summer and – Go Hawks!

Think Iowa City for Summer AP Teacher Training

The Belin-Blank Center has a rich history of training high-quality Advanced Placement teachers through our College Board-approved summer training. With the warmer weather, we are getting excited for this summer’s Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI). We have three weeks of training; two weeks on campus (June 26-29 and July 10-13) and one week online (July 17-20). There are 18 courses available this summer. 

We invite you to join us for four days of learning! Choosing an on-campus APSI might provide you with just the summer boost you need. Orbitz refers to this college campus as a “legit travel option” that includes “lovely grounds and historic architecture”. Here’s why on-campus APSI will provide the ideal environment to foster your professional learning: 

• Multiple coffee shops within walking distance, 
• Excellent dining choices, 
• The historic University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, 
• The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art’s world-class collection, 
• The Old Capitol Museum, 
• The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum (minutes away), 
• The state-of-the-art Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, 
• A campus designated as an arboretum with over 8,000 trees, 
• Walking paths along the Iowa River, 
• Prairie Lights Books & Café, and 
• Iowa City’s diverse and welcoming community. 

Learn more about the best APSI ever!

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement
• Professional Development & Outreach: 
  • Chatauqua I: June 12-17, 2023
  • Chatauqua II: June 19-24, 2023
  • On-campus AP Summer Institute (APSI): June 26-30
  • On-campus APSI: July 10-14, 2023
  • Online APSI: July 17-20, 2023
  • Belin Fellowship: July 17-21, 2023

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Information Sessions

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Summer Programs

• 2e Neuroscience Day Camp (Grades 8-10): June 12, 2023
  • For 2e students with an interest in neuroscience careers! Contact the Belin-Blank Center’s Katie Schabilion, Ph.D., (katherine-schabilion@uiowa.edu) for more information on the program.
• JSA (Grades 3-6)
  • Session 1: June 19-June 23, 2023
  • Session 2: July 17-21, 2023
• JSI (Grades 7-8): June 26-30, 2023
• Summer Writing Online: July 10-July 28, 2023
• Twice-Exceptional Summer Camp (Grades 9-10): June 13-14, 2023
• Workshop for Young Writers (Grades 6-8): July 31-August 4, 2023

Thinking About College?

The Belin-Blank Center facilitates two university-based programs for college students – the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy and the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality.

The Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy provides an opportunity for high school students who are ready to enter college early. Program participants are full-time University of Iowa students who take classes, use libraries and laboratories, live in a residence hall, and are involved in campus life. Students experience an enriched academic and social community through the Bucksbaum Academy as they transition to university life together. The students receive a comprehensive support structure from the Center that includes a program-specific resident advisor, a weekly seminar for the first two years, weekly individual meetings, and planned social events.

If you know someone who might be ready to begin college early, we are hosting two online Information Sessions (September 7 and September 21) as well as two on-campus Visit Days (October 16 and November 6). You can read more about the Bucksbaum Academy and register for these events at belinblank.org/academy.

The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality provides a structure of support for neurodivergent University of Iowa students beginning college at a typical age. The academy provides supports for academic skills, practical skills (executive functioning and independent living), and social/emotional skills. Supports include a program-specific resident advisor, a seminar experience each year, weekly individual meetings, access to a licensed therapist, goal setting, and planned social events. Additional supports are available through the University’s Student Disability Services. Like the Bucksbaum Academy students, they are full-time students who participate in university classes and campus activities.

If you know someone who is neurodivergent and would be successful in college with additional supports, we are hosting two online Information Sessions (September 6 and September 20) as well as two on-campus Visit Days (September 25 and October 23). You can read more about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality and register for these events at belinblank.org/2eacademy.

Both of our academies are rooted in a cohort model with support from admission through graduation and are committed to fostering a sense of community. We aim for all the students to feel like the Belin-Blank Center is a home on campus. Join us at an upcoming event to see if an academy is the right fit for you!

Twice-Exceptionality and the End of the School Year

Katie Schabilion, PhD, NCSP
Supervisor of Psychological Services, Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and we wanted to share a few tips for easing your twice-exceptional child’s transition to summer and planning ahead for next fall.

1. The switch from highly structured school days to totally unstructured summer days can be jarring and lead to challenges. Try to offer some structure during summer days by loosely planning times for independent play, group activities, outings, and meals so that the child can anticipate how their day will go.
2. To alleviate anxiety about summer plans, enlist the child’s help in the planning process. Let them have a say in events or activities and involve them in logistics planning (e.g., dates/times, how to get there, etc.) as much as possible. Academic skills can also be nurtured through this planning, by involving the child in reading about travel destinations, writing itineraries or reflections about their experiences, and calculating costs and determining a travel budget.
3. If the child will be changing schools for the next school year (e.g., advancing from elementary to middle school), ask their school team if it is possible to take a tour of the new building and meet some of the staff who may work with the child. This may be more feasible to offer during the spring of the current year, while teachers are still on contract, than during the summer, when many teachers are away from school and many school buildings are undergoing cleaning or construction projects.

If you are still looking for summer plans for your 2e child, the Belin-Blank Center is offering two 2e-specific events, in addition to our standard summer programs. The 2e Neuroscience Day Camp for current 8^th through 10^th graders is returning for its second year on June 12, 2023, and parents can sign their children up by completing this survey. The 2e Summer Academy for current 9^th and 10^th graders (and their parents!) will take place on June 13 and 14, 2023, and parents can learn more and sign up at belinblank.org/2esa.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Professional Learning Edition!

It can be tricky to figure out the best professional learning for your summer, so we’ve put together a guide to options for those teachers who seek to “update themselves on evidence-based best practices….and regularly reflect on and adjust their practice” (National Association for Gifted Children & Council for Exceptional Children, 2013, p. 5).  Teachers build on the foundation of skills, knowledge, and expertise they bring to the classroom, and one of the most important options for these professionals is the opportunity to determine the new knowledge that will expand their understanding and add to the tools to best meet students’ needs (Casteel & Ballantyne, 2010).

The Belin-Blank Center, in partnership with departments in the University of Iowa College of Education, offers a wide variety of professional learning opportunities.  Coursework is available every semester, even over winter break, but the summer has opportunities that meet every need! Choose the option below that fits you best to jump to the answer: 

1. I’ve been asked to become the new TAG teacher in my school!  How can I prepare over the summer?
2. Do you offer fully-online and asynchronous classes?  I need a flexible schedule.
3. I’ll be teaching an AP class next year for the first time (or, I’ve been teaching AP, but expectations for my content area have changed). 
4. Can I earn the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement in one summer?
5. Where can I participate in classes that are aligned with national standards in gifted education?
6. What if I have more questions?

“The key here is choice. Choice in what teachers can learn about and choice in how to learn it. It is, after all, professional development, and as such, we need to be professional about it.”

Wolpert-Gawron, 2018, n.p.

---

I’ve been asked to become the new TAG teacher in my school!  How can I prepare over the summer?

The first thing is to get registered so you can take advantages of classes this summer:  Visit Distance and Online Education; register as a non-degree seeking student (graduate or undergraduate—either qualifies you for the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement). Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most (belinblank.org/educators/reg).

Consider the Belin-Blank Chautauqua (belinblank.org/chautauqua) to earn one semester hour, or two or three semester hours, up to six semester hours—enough to qualify you for a conditional endorsement and half of the hours required for the endorsement.  Chautauqua is different every summer, and the six courses provide at least one semester hour in required strands: Psychology of giftedness (understanding more about the nature and needs of gifted and talented learners), Programming for the gifted (learning what evidence-based practices challenge gifted students and develop their talents), and the administration of gifted programs (the “big picture” that many school administrators don’t know). 

Chautauqua participants engage with others for the first two days of each class, either face-to-face on campus or via Zoom; they complete each three-week workshop online.  This summer’s Chautauqua includes:

• EDTL:4075:0001 Topics: Talent Development for Gifted Students (meeting Jun 12/13, ending Jun 30), Dr. Laurie Croft

• CSED:4119:0001 Family Issues and Giftedness (meeting Jun 14/15, ending on Jul 5, not expected to work on Jul 4), Dr. Kristine Milburn

• EPLS:4111:0001 Evaluation of Gifted Programs (meeting Jun 16/17, ending on Jul 7, not expected to work on Jul 4), Dr. Jolene Teske

• EDTL:4073: 0001 Prog/Curr for High Ability Students: Creating Empowerment Curriculum: Diverse Faces in Gifted Education (meeting Jun 19/20, ending on Jul 10, not expected to work on Jul 4), Dr. Alena Treat

• CSED:4129: 0001 Creativity: Issues and Applic Gifted Ed (meeting Jun 21/22, ending on Jul 12, not expected to work on Jul 4), Anna Payne, MA

• EDTL:4021: 0001 Science for High Ability Students (meeting Jun 23/24, ending on Jul 14, not expected to work on Jul 4), Dr. Hallie Edgerly

Classes that focus on content areas such as science are not designed for those who have a background in that area; they’re designed to help educators know the most effective ways to meet the needs of advanced learners who have a passion for and ability in those fields of study!

Participants in Chautauqua registered as graduate students earn an automatic tuition scholarship when they enroll in all three classes in one week; they pay for two, and the Belin-Blank Center pays the tuition for the third class.  Those who enroll in all six classes over the two weeks earn two tuition scholarships; they pay for four classes, and the Center pays the tuition for two classes.

Back to top of post.

Do you offer fully-online and asynchronous classes?  I need a flexible schedule.

The Center offers several fully online classes that require no meeting times.  You can find the full schedule for classes at belinblank.org/courses.  Courses are organized by strand, and you click on each strand to see the available options.

Most classes over the summer are one-semester-hour workshops. These are just three weeks long, and participants only pay the per hour tuition (no technology fees). 

Summer term at the University of Iowa actually begins in May, and the first workshop, EDTL:4075:0WKA Topics: Understanding and Addressing the Unique Needs of Gifted LGBTQ+ Students (Dr. Haley Wikoff) begins on May 15 (ending on June 2).  Other workshops focus on Math Programming, Social Studies, Gifted and General Education Collaboration, and Cognitive and Affective Issues of the Gifted with a special focus on Low SES Learners.  This summer’s final workshop, EDTL:4074:0WKA Differentiation at the Secondary Level (Dr. Kristine Milburn) shares tips for providing effective options for secondary learners who are more advanced than classmates or who learn at a faster pace.

Two classes this summer are three-semester hour “extension” classes; these last for eight weeks and participants do pay a technology fee as well as tuition, but these classes do go into greater depth.  CSED/EDTL:4137:0EXW Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (Dr. Erin Lane) provides an outstanding overview, and PSQF:4123:0EXW Academic Acceleration (Dr. Antonia Szymanski) explores this best practice with a stronger research base than any other educational intervention for gifted students!

Back to top of post.

I’ll be teaching an AP class next year for the first time (or, I’ve been teaching AP, but expectations for my content area have changed). 

In partnership with the College Board, the Belin-Blank Center offers three different Advanced Placement Summer Institutes (belinblank.org/apsi).  Two of these take place on campus, one from Jun 26-29, and the other from Jul 10-13.  One APSI, from Jul 17-20, is fully online. The APSI prepares new and current AP teachers to provide these challenging courses that can allow students to earn college credit while in high school.

Teachers can enroll for 2 semester hours (EDTL:5080) for any of the classes offered by College Board Consultants during any of the APSIs; the work is primarily completed during the Institute itself.  Teachers receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship (based on graduate tuition; those registered as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship).

If participants prefer, they can register for Iowa Licensure Renewal Units through the College of Education’s Baker Teacher Leader Center.

Participants who enroll in EDTL:4074:0WKA Differentiation at the Secondary Level (Dr. Kristine Milburn) will also receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship (based on graduate tuition; those registered as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship).

Back to top of post.

Can I earn the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement in one summer?

As you’ve read above, we have more than enough credit hours available for you to complete the endorsement in one summer.  Educators can earn a conditional license, however, with only six hours, and they can complete the remaining hours the next summer, or over the next two years.

Back to top of post.

Where can I participate in classes that are aligned with national standards in gifted education?

ALL of the courses that the Belin-Blank Center offers are aligned with national standards developed by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC); as well, Belin-Blank Center practice addresses all of the standards developed to ensure the highest quality of programming for professionals.  You can read the Knowledge and Skill Standards in Gifted & Talented Education for All Teachers, which we share so professionals in the field know how to address working with their general education colleagues.

Those new to the field of gifted/talented education should be familiar with and meet the NAGC-CEC Teacher Preparation Standards, and those who have completed their endorsements but want to strengthen their knowledge and skills can refer to the Advanced Standards in Gifted Education Teacher Training.  Teachers who take workshops at any time throughout the year, including summers, can receive a 50% tuition scholarship (based on graduate tuition; those registered as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship), if they attend with at least one other educator from their school or district, using the learning opportunities as part of their professional learning community!

Finally, the Belin-Blank Center ensures that their endorsement program meets the Faculty Standards for Teacher Preparation Programs in Gifted Education, ensuring that professionals are well-prepared to understand and respond to the needs of the wide variety of advanced learners in our schools today.

Back to top of post.

What if I have more questions?

If you have questions about professional learning opportunities, contact Dr. Laurie Croft, Associate Director for Professional Development at the Center at laurie-croft@uiowa.edu.  You can also email educators@belinblank.org!  For APSI questions, contact Dr. Randy Lange, Administrator, Professional Development & Curriculum at randolph-lange@uiowa.edu.

We look forward to supporting your professional learning interests and needs!

References

Casteel, C.J. & Ballantyne, K.G. (Eds.). (2010). Professional Development in Action: Improving Teaching for English Learners. Washington, D.C.: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED512636.pdf

National Association for Gifted Children & Council for Exceptional Children. (2013). NAGC-CEC Teacher Knowledge & Skill Standards for Gifted and Talented Education. https://nagc.org/resource/resmgr/knowledge-center/NACG-CEC_Teacher_Knowledge_a.pdf

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2018). The Importance of Choice in PD. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/importance-choice-pd/

Math Scholarship Program for Schools in Rural Iowa

The Belin-Blank Center faculty and staff sometimes come across great opportunities for bright kids and want to share! This is one such program – while not affiliated with the Belin-Blank Center, we thought it could be a wonderful opportunity for many of our readers’ students.

LIVE’s National Scholarship Program strives to challenge and inspire highly motivated 6th and 7th grade students with limited access to resources to succeed in math. This is done through online after-school enrichment classes taught by nationally-ranked high school students who have taken improv comedy classes to make learning math challenging and fun. 

Classes meet online twice a week for an hour at a time. Accepted students will receive 90% scholarships bringing down the cost to $2/hour. Scholars must be in 6th or 7th grade as well as be eligible for free or reduced lunch.

The LIVE course curriculum is powered by Po-Shen Loh, a math professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the national coach of the USA International Math Olympiad team. 

If you think this is a good fit for your school and would like to schedule a Zoom chat with LIVE, please email the Director of Student Scholarships, Jung Lau, at Jung@PoShenLoh.com

For students who may be interested in LIVE, by Po-Shen Loh’s readily available paid classes, check out LIVE.PoShenLoh.com. While the curriculum focuses on middle school content, it also includes classes for elementary schoolers up to high schoolers preparing for math contests.

Twice-Exceptional Summer Academy

We are excited to announce our inaugural Twice-Exceptional Summer Academy! The Academy, which is for for students currently in grades 9 and 10, will take place on the University of Iowa campus on June 13th and 14th. This semi-residential experience will consist of engaging sessions for both 2e students and their parents/guardians, including social events and networking opportunities. The cost is $200, and financial aid is available.

Apply for the Academy

Fall Registration is open for IOAPA courses!

Fall 2023 registration for Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is now open! IOAPA provides free access to asynchronous advanced courses for Iowa students in 6th grade and above. A primary aim of this program is to provide access to students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district.

On our website, you can find a wealth of information, including our course catalog, important dates, registration, and information about getting started, along with support materials designed to help you and your students make decisions about course selections.

COURSES OFFERED

• 16 AP courses are available to high school students. This now includes the new course offering of AP French Language and Culture! See our course catalog for more information.
• 15 advanced courses are available to middle school students. These above-level courses are designed for high school students and made available to students in grades 6-8. We also now offer U.S. History since the Civil War in addition to our other course options.

Course descriptions and syllabi for all courses can be located by clicking “Learn More” on the course’s entry in our Course Catalog.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

To begin, visit our website (belinblank.org/ioapa) and review the Getting Started information. When you are ready to register, navigate back to the registration section of our website and click Register.

Step-by-step course registration instructions are included below:

1. Register your school and assign a site coordinator and mentor. The first step is for principals to register their schools. They can do that on our website (belinblank.org/ioapa) by clicking on Register. As part of this step, schools assign a site coordinator and a mentor. They can be the same person or different people; however, the mentor needs to be a certified teacher.
2. Nominate the student(s) taking the IOAPA course(s). Completing the school registration page sends the principal or other administrator an automated email with a link to nominate the student.
3. Confirm that the student has self-enrolled in the course. Once the student has been nominated, an email will be automatically sent to the student to enroll themselves in the actual course. Be sure to have students check their junk mail folders, as automated emails sometimes get filtered there. Students should complete this process and be sure to click submit when they’re done.

After registering, be sure to complete any College Board requirements for offering AP courses:

• Register your school with the College Board.
• Complete the AP Course Audit process for Online/Distance Learning courses by the end of January in order to be able to label courses as “AP” on students’ transcripts. Instructions for completing this for Project STEM courses can be found here.
• Encourage high school students to take the AP exam and order all AP exams by the College Board’s deadline. Also, as mentioned above, be on the lookout for emails about applying for our IOAPA AP exam scholarships.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions or concerns.

Advocating for Acceleration: Suggestions for Parents

A parent recently told us about her child’s teacher, who confidently stated, “Well, you know the research tells us that it’s a really bad idea for kids to start kindergarten early.” Another parent said that the climate at his children’s school is unsupportive of acceleration. When approached about the possibility of subject acceleration or grade acceleration, the principal simply said, “Kids who accelerate don’t fit in.”

Those of us who have read (and done some of) the research want to jump into those conversations with both feet, summarize 70 years of research, and demand accelerative opportunities for the children. This isn’t necessarily the best approach. Being an advocate for our children might mean introducing information slowly or finding ways to inform educators other than forcefully giving them a list of the “Top Ten Reasons My Child Should be Allowed to Accelerate.”

One important thing to remember is that many educators simply have not had the opportunity to be informed about acceleration. Even in graduate programs in gifted education, educators don’t necessarily learn about the research and tools for acceleration, let alone how to practice acceleration in schools. Regular education teachers and administrators spend very little time in their undergraduate courses learning about gifted students, and even less time studying acceleration. All of this means that you, the parent, might be better informed about the research and practice about acceleration than the educator sitting in front of you. It also means that educator might, with every good intention, believe that certain myths about acceleration are true.

Get ready. You might have to learn the information on your own, and you might be the one teaching your teachers and administrators about acceleration. Fear not! There are many resources to help you with this.

Learn the facts.  Research tells us that acceleration is often the most appropriate avenue for helping academically talented students find a match between their abilities and the curriculum available at their school. The Belin-Blank Center’s Acceleration Institute gathers important research and information about acceleration in one place. Research articles, practical advice, video stories – it’s all there. Other great places to find information include the Hoagies Gifted website and the Davidson Institute website.

Share what you have learned. Volume 1 of A Nation Empowered and Volume 1 of A Nation Deceived are both very approachable resources that a busy administrator or teacher can read quickly. You can download both of those documents for free from the websites linked above. If you want even more information about the research, read Volume 2 of A Nation Empowered.

Be reassured that there are objective tools that can help us know when it is appropriate to accelerate a student. You don’t have to make the decision about a grade skip or subject acceleration based on a “gut feeling.” The Iowa Acceleration Scale was designed to help families and educators work together to gather information, discuss important factors, and make an informed decision about whole-grade acceleration. Above-level testing is the essential tool for making decisions about subject acceleration. The Integrated Acceleration System is a platform recently developed by the Belin-Blank Center focused on helping educators and families determine if a grade skip, early entrance to kindergarten or college, or subject acceleration are a good fit for their student. This new platform also draws on the Belin-Blank Center staff members’ extensive experience with twice-exceptional students and special considerations when accelerating them.

Advocacy might also mean helping to write policy for your school or district. First, a caution: Policy work takes a long time. If you are trying to resolve a situation for your child, focus on your child and the issues that are pertinent to your child. Don’t try to solve everything for everyone. Leave the policy for another day.  However, if you are in a position to help make things better for future students, this might be the time to have policy discussions. Together, the Belin-Blank Center and the National Association for Gifted Children produced a helpful document on Developing Academic Acceleration Policies. This should help you get started on writing defensible policies for acceleration.

OK. It may seem like a lot but have courage. You have the tools, you have the information, and you can be an effective advocate for your child’s acceleration.

Resources for IOAPA Computer Science courses

Mentors of Iowa Online AP Academy’s (IOAPA) computer science (CS) courses have slightly different tasks than those required for mentoring other courses. This is due to Project STEM being a curriculum provider as opposed to an online school. More information about our CS courses and the role of mentors in Project STEM can be found here. However, Project STEM provides a wealth of resources to students and mentors that are helpful for navigating this role.

Getting Started

• Project STEM offers a set of onboarding videos to help mentors get started.

• At the beginning of the year, you will receive an email from a member of the IOAPA team with specifics for mentoring Project STEM courses. This will include information such as a suggested timeline of due dates, the opportunity to set up an orientation, and reminders of points of contact.

• You should also receive an email from the support team at Project STEM with a specific list of resources at the start of the year.

During the Semester

• Student and Teacher forums provide access to a team of teaching assistants available 7 days a week to provide students a space to ask questions about coursework and answer mentor’s questions about facilitating courses.

• Project STEM’s Help Center page provides a wealth of detailed guides for most tasks that students and mentors will run into, including (but not limited to): account setup, accessing the forums, and completing the AP Course Audit.

• The Teacher Resource Sidebar within Canvas provides mentors with information such as syllabi, pacing guides (anticipated time need to complete assignments), and explanations for the few scored tasks in AP CS Principles.

Technical Support & Administrative Support

• support@projectstem.org is available for technical support. The initial email from Project STEM sent at the beginning of the year also includes the direct contact person at Project STEM for IOAPA mentors.

• Additionally, feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any other questions that may arise.

Looking to go a step further?

• IOAPA mentors also have access to Project STEM’s Professional Development Courses. In addition to information about using Canvas, they also provide training for mentors who might be interested in learning more about the curriculum and teaching computer science courses.

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is a partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the State of Iowa to provide free access to 30 advanced online courses for Iowa students. This program is for Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district and therefore reduces geographic and resource-related barriers to success. IOAPA classes include Advanced Placement® courses for high school students as well as high school-level courses for eligible middle school students. Keep an eye out for our next blog post for more information about fall enrollment.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Introduction to IOAPA Computer Science courses

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) offers three online computer science (CS) courses for Iowa students who don’t have access to these courses within their school district. These courses are offered through the curriculum provider Project STEM. Current computer science course offerings include:

High School

• AP Computer Science A (Java): This course introduces students to the Java programming language while emphasizing universal language techniques like syntax, semantics, and readability. This allows the student to understand and master important concepts that will apply to programming problems in many additional languages.
• AP Computer Science Principles: This is an introductory college-level computing curriculum that introduces students to the breadth of the field of computer science. The major areas of study in the curriculum are organized around big ideas that encompass ideas foundational to studying computer science.

Middle School

• Computer Science Python Fundamentals: An introductory course for students brand new to programming that teaches the foundations of computer science. This course prepares students for AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles, as well as helps build problem-solving skills.

More information about these courses can be found in our course catalog. Additionally, Fall 2023 enrollment for these courses is now open!

Mentors do not need to have any previous CS teaching experience or knowledge to facilitate a course within Project STEM. The curriculum and lessons for these courses are already prepared. However, mentoring these courses differs from others offered by IOAPA in that there is no teacher provided by Project STEM to facilitate the course. This makes the role of mentors slightly different for Project STEM courses. The majority of assignments are assigned grades automatically as your students submit them. This is particularly true in the CS Python Fundamentals and AP Computer Science A courses.

The AP Computer Science Principles course requires the most mentor involvement, as has always been the case. This course requires students to submit some essay questions that need to be graded by mentors. However, these assignments have a rubric in the Teacher Resource Sidebar, which gives mentors all of the information they will need to accurately grade the essays. Additionally, mentors and students can ask Project STEM’s Teacher Assistant team questions in their forums at any time. While teacher assistants cannot make grading decisions, they can provide guidance and answer specific questions mentors may have about the content.

Additionally, as there are no built-in teachers for Project STEM courses, AP Computer Science mentors will need to be listed as the teacher of record on the AP course audit. However, College Board does not allow the teacher of record and AP coordinator to be the same person. So, although our policies do not require that the two roles be filled by separate people, this will be necessary for the two Project STEM AP courses. Therefore, schools where the same person usually fills the AP Coordinator and mentor roles will need to consider alternatives. Step-by-step instructions for completing these course audits can be found at the following links for AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles.

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is a partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the State of Iowa to provide free access to 30 advanced online courses for Iowa students. This program is for Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district and therefore reduces geographic and resource-related barriers to success. IOAPA classes include Advanced Placement® courses for high school students as well as high school-level courses for eligible middle school students. Keep an eye out for our next blog post, which will talk more about Project STEM resources available to students and mentors.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

We teach a graduate-level course about academic acceleration – entirely online!

PSQF:4123:0EXW (3 semester hours). Academic Acceleration

Dates: June 12 – August 3, 2023 

Academic acceleration moves high-ability students through an educational program at a rate faster or at an age younger than typical. The goal of acceleration is to match the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum with student’s level of cognitive and academic development.

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

Academic acceleration has been one of the most debated and misunderstood issues in gifted education. It has decades of research support, yet educators and families are still reluctant to use it for students of high academic ability.

In the course, we will review the research basis for when and for whom academic acceleration is appropriate. The goal of this course is to provide parents, teachers, and administrators with the knowledge of the forms of acceleration, the ability to evaluate students for acceleration, and the skills to practice and implement acceleration effectively.

Course topics include the forms of acceleration, the process of implementing acceleration, suggestions for writing and evaluating school acceleration policies, and advice for effecting attitude change through persuasive communication and media outreach.  We will introduce the new online tool for making decisions about academic acceleration, the Integrated Acceleration System. Students will learn how this new tool is to be used for acceleration decisions and how to support students, families, and educators through the process of collecting data, having a team discussion, and making a transition to an accelerated placement.

Instructor: Dr. Toni Szymanski

Registration: To take part in classes, participants must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. Those earning the Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education may register as either graduate or undergraduate students, regardless of professional status (undergraduates pay less tuition per course but may lose district benefits). Once participants have their “HawkID” and password, they can follow the directions to register for courses that match their interests and needs. Follow the steps at belinblank.org/educators/reg.

Questions? Email acceleration@belinblank.org

Your Academic Acceleration Journey Starts Here

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

The Belin-Blank Center is known for its work on acceleration, including summarizing the research and practice around acceleration in our reports, A Nation Deceived and A Nation Empowered. We have also developed tools to help educators and families make decisions about acceleration, such as the Integrated Acceleration System.

We’re excited to share more information about acceleration with you through our free acceleration blog series. When you first sign up, you’ll begin an acceleration journey of 5 emails (one per week) connecting you to our blogs about acceleration. Topics include talking with educators and families about acceleration, subject acceleration, an equitable approach to acceleration, and transition planning for acceleration. After that, we will send an email about once a month on other topics related to acceleration (you can unsubscribe anytime).

Start your acceleration journey by signing up here!

If you’d like more of a choose-your-own-adventure, you can explore some of our past blogs on acceleration.

There is also still time to sign up for our webinar about acceleration, Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools, which will be offered on March 23^rd.

Additionally, you could take an entire graduate course about acceleration this summer! Whatever form your acceleration journey takes, we hope it leads to new and improved skills for supporting students.

IOAPA Spring AP Exam Scholarships

IOAPA offers AP exam scholarships for low-income students completing courses through our program. Applications for this opportunity are currently open, and we want to encourage you to apply if you have eligible students. The application deadline for this funding is March 17, 2023. Please click here for access to this online application.

Eligibility

• Students who qualify for the free/reduced-cost lunch program will receive preference. Low-income students not meeting FRL guidelines will be considered if funding is still available.
• Low-income students in non-rural schools will be considered if funding is available.
• Students must be enrolled in an IOAPA Advanced Placement course during the 2022-2023 school year. Preference will be given to students in AP courses that start in the spring semester. Students taking academic year courses will be considered if funding is still available.
• Funding must be used for the exam associated with the IOAPA course the student is taking during the 2022-2023 school year, not a different exam.
• Funding is limited. Not all eligible students may receive funding.

Process

1. The per-exam cost for the 2022-23 school year is $62 for students eligible for free/reduced-cost lunch. Schools should plan to pay the $62 per student to the College Board. Schools with students who receive this scholarship should plan to submit an invoice to the Belin-Blank Center after students have taken the AP exams, along with documentation showing they have paid the College Board for these students’ exams by June 1st, 2023. There will be no reimbursement if a student does not take the exam.
2. Funding is limited to only one AP exam per student.
3. The purpose of this funding is to increase the number of students taking AP exams from rural schools in Iowa. If schools are already paying for AP exams, they should not request this funding.
4. The deadline for submitting applications is March 17, 2023.
5. Awards will be announced by March 24, 2023.

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is a partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the State of Iowa to provide free access to 30 advanced online courses for Iowa students. This program is for Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district and therefore reduces geographic and resource-related barriers to success. IOAPA classes include Advanced Placement® courses for high school students as well as high school-level courses for eligible middle school students. Keep an eye out for information about our upcoming fall enrollment period.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Message from the Director: How Kids Feel About School Matters

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

In 2018, Saba Ali, Susan Assouline, Duhita Mahatmya, and I were awarded a US Department of Education JAVITS grant titled, Culturally responsive talent identification and career exploration (TICE). The overall goal of the project has been to broaden participation of underrepresented students in talented and gifted programming and to increase opportunities for academic and career achievement. Our team, which includes several graduate students and Emily Ladendorf from the Belin-Blank Center, has accomplished a lot in the past four and a half years. Now it’s time to share our findings!

Last week, our work was published in High Ability Studies, an academic journal that examines developing potential across disciplines. The tile of the paper is Patterns of high ability and underrepresented students’ subject-specific psychosocial strengths: A latent profile analysis. While this title may seem a little intimidating to those outside of academia, the underlying idea is both simple and important: bright underrepresented students are not all the same, particularly when it comes to their approach to and feelings about academics. 

Led by Duhita Mahatmya, we took a theoretical approach to understanding patterns of psychosocial and academic strengths among 240 middle school students who participated in the TICE program. We measured students’ skill in reading, mathematics, and science and their beliefs about these skills. We also looked at students’ career interests, goals, and outcome expectations. Finally, we inventoried their academic goals. From these assessments, we identified student profiles – that is, we grouped students with similar traits. We labeled these groups as follows:

• Uninspired
• Confident but Directionless
• Humanities Focused
• STEM Focused
• Confident and Highly Capable

Students in these categories did not differ based on whether they were in their school’s gifted program, their abilities, or whether they had a disability. That means that a student identified for the gifted program was just as likely to be in the Uninspired group as the Confident and Highly Capable group.  Likewise, students of equally high academic potential appeared across all groups.  Students’ strengths vary widely, making it important for educators to tailor interventions based on the psychosocial profiles that students bring to the classroom. For example, a teacher would talk about future career options differently with an Uninspired student than a student who is Confident and sure of their future path.  This kind of differentiation in approach becomes particularly important for students from underrepresented backgrounds, who may not have the support they need to thrive.

There is diversity among talented students, both in their domains of talent and in their psychosocial presentation. Knowing a student’s academic abilities is not enough – knowing their psychosocial strengths is important, too!

Is your child a high achiever?

We’d love to have them join our neuroscience research team.

Our colleagues at the Michaelson Lab are seeking research volunteers who can partner with us to better understand the strengths and concerns of exceptionally talented individuals.

If your student meets any of the below criteria:

• participated in accelerated coursework in school
• skipped a grade
• qualified for a gifted program in school
• competed for admission into a talent development program for art, music, dance, or writing
• competed for admission into a talent development program for math, science, or engineering

We are also eager to have your family members participate in this research if they are available. Participation will involve answering surveys about your mental health and creative strengths and talents, and potentially: 1) donating saliva for genetic research 2) participating in an MRI session (brain scan). The Michaelson Lab provides compensation for participation.

Please visit https://redcap.link/devGenes today to learn more and to enroll! If you have questions, please reach out at michaelson-lab@uiowa.edu or by phone at 319-335-8882.

APSI at Iowa Offers Much More Than Learning

The Belin-Blank Center hosts the only College Board-approved teacher training site for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in the state of Iowa. This summer, the Center will host two session of APSI on campus (June 26-29 and July 10-13) and one session online (July 17-20) for a total of 18 single-subject classes. All Iowa teachers can apply for a significant scholarship ($500) through the Belin-Blank Center to apply toward the registration fee. Additionally, anyone who completes registration by May 26^th will pay a reduced cost and have the chance to win an Amazon gift card. 

More information, including the specific courses offered, can be found at the APSI website. 

The on-campus APSI at Iowa experience sets itself apart from other AP training opportunities in five ways:

Learning: We pride ourselves on hiring excellent instructors – veteran AP teachers themselves – who provide a wealth of ideas and strategies that participants can use with their students in the fall. The learning spaces are conducive to interactions among participants and feature fast and reliable wireless internet. Top-notch customer service coupled with breaks, snacks, and included daily lunch helps to set a perfect learning environment.

Enrichment: Iowa City is designated as a UNESCO City of Literature. We pride ourselves on creativity and innovation, and the University of Iowa campus is home to multiple museums. The Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum have special exhibits throughout the year, and the Stanley Museum of Art, which opened its doors just last year, is home to one of the best collections of African art in the world.

Shopping: Whether you are looking for Hawkeye gear or something more eclectic to bring home, Iowa City has options. The Pedestrian Mall is adjacent to campus with a variety of stores to window shop or to find a keepsake to remember your summer in Iowa City! Prairie Lights Books & Café has been a local and visitor favorite since 1978. The Coral Ridge Mall and Williamsburg Outlet Mall are both a short drive away.

Relaxation: Because learning is meant to be fun, professional learning should not be stressful. The University of Iowa campus and the surrounding area provide the perfect backdrop to foster relaxation. There is ample outdoor space to unwind and clear your thoughts. The campus is a designated arboretum with over 8,000 trees, including a horse chestnut sapling from the tree outside Anne Frank’s annex. Our participants enjoy the many walking paths and quiet neighborhoods, as well as simply sitting near the Iowa River, which runs through campus.

Welcoming: The University of Iowa is an inviting setting to learn new ideas, with a diverse and welcoming community. Participants feel safe here and appreciate the nesting of the AP training within a homey location versus a sterile hotel conference room. Iowa City has maintained a small-town feel but offers big-city amenities.

Come learn with us!

Lessons Learned from STOMP

The theatrical performance STOMP debuted in New York City in 1994. On January 21, 2023 the show came to Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa. Students from the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy and the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality were among attendees who enjoyed an invigorating performance featuring matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and more. As I watched the show, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels to gifted and talented education.

STOMP celebrates an uncommon approach to creating a stage show. In the same way that STOMP uses a variety of objects to create a continuum of sounds, schools and other educational organizations must establish a continuum of services to meet the needs of students in their talent areas. One size does not fit all, so a program that offers multiple options (e.g., acceleration, independent projects, extracurricular activities) is more likely to match its students’ needs.

STOMP is well choreographed, with the components of the show creating a meaningful experience. The performers know what they are doing and why they are doing it. Programs and services for gifted and talented students must contain the same level of organization. We must be driven by a clear mission and vision, well-defined program goals, and research-based best practice. These key foundational pieces guide day-to-day decision-making.

STOMP is interactive, with performers not only interacting constantly with one another on stage, but also reaching out to the audience. On multiple occasions, they extend an invitation to clap along to become more immersed in the performance. Similarly, gifted education shouldn’t be siloed from the rest of the field of education. Through engaging with a variety of stakeholders, we not only gain support for what we do, but we also develop pathways to better serve students. School boards, special education teams, classroom teachers, parents/guardians, and administrators can be excellent sources of new ideas.

STOMP incorporates a varied collection of objects into the performance as well as fielding a diverse cast. They all work together seamlessly for a common goal. Gifted education and schools have come a long way in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but there is still work to be done. We need to continue to make advances in providing opportunities to learn, assessing student strengths and areas for growth, discovering talent, and broadening curriculum. All students should have access to an engaging, appropriately challenging classroom experience that meets their academic needs.

STOMP is loud, and the performers are proud of what they have to offer. As a field, we need to be loud and proud of what we do to meet the needs of gifted and/or talented students. The National Association for Gifted Children, its state affiliates, and gifted education centers are staunch advocates for the field. The same commitment and level of effort needs to be apparent within every local context, and it’s important to show the impact that gifted programs and other talent development have. In places where gifted programs don’t exist, a grassroots movement needs to be initiated because bright students exist in all populations, and they need to be challenged in school.

STOMP has had an incredible run on Broadway and across the country. Gifted education and talent development offer incredible opportunities for students, and a vibrant gifted program should be an important aspect of all school systems. In both cases, a diverse, well-choreographed, interactive approach is the most successful one.

An Opportunity for Educators New to Gifted Education

The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education is a preeminent professional development program in the field of gifted education. Launched by Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, the program was intended to help educators better understand the nature and needs of gifted learners. This summer’s Fellowship will be its 43rd year of introducing educators to the field.

Applications open in early March. Please share information about the program with colleagues who are interested in meeting the needs of advanced learners but have little preparation to do so!  We are especially interested in recruiting teacher leaders for the Fellowship. These educators are in a unique position to share evidence-based information about gifted/talented learners with multiple teachers in their buildings and districts. We continue to welcome applications from teachers who have realized they need greater understanding to help those students who finish their work early and already know much of the grade-level content.

The Fellowship will be held from July 17 – 21, 2023. The Fellowship provides room and board to participants, and we ask districts to pay $250 to cover the costs of materials and presenters. Participants can choose to enroll for two semester hours of academic credit, which fulfill hours in the Psychology strand of the State of Iowa Gifted and Talented Endorsement. Participants receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship (as determined by cost of graduate tuition; those who register as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship).

We will send information to superintendents and school principals when the application period opens, so be sure to ask those gatekeepers for the information when it arrives. The Belin-Blank Fellowship is professional learning at its best! Visit belinblank.org/fellowship to read more.

Hone Your Writing Skills This Summer

We have writing opportunities for grades 3 through 11 this summer! Whether you’re just starting your authorship journey or you’re looking for fellow writers to dissect the finer points of storytelling, we have a program for that.

• Grades 3-4: Greek Mythology: Through the Use of Modern Graphic Novels, June 19-23
• Grades 5-6: Creative Writing, June 19-23 and the Workshop for Young Writers, July 31-August 4
• Grades 7-8: A Writer’s Retreat, June 25-30 and the Workshop for Young Writers, July 31-August 4
• Grades 9-12: Summer Writing Online, July 10-28

A Growing Program Supporting Twice-Exceptional College Students

The Belin-Blank Center piloted its Academy for Twice-Exceptionality in Fall 2021. After decades of success with our first university-based program, the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy, discussions began on how to create a program that supports twice-exceptional college students at the University of Iowa. The inaugural cohort consisted of two students. The main emphasis was on weekly meetings and a few social events. Although the cohort was small, they provided us with excellent input and experience as we planned for Fall 2022. 

Fast forward to today, and there are now seven students in the Academy! The program has expanded beyond weekly meetings to monthly group workshops, more regular social events, communication with families (every three weeks), a Spring Family Weekend, and plans for additional staffing. In the past year, we more clearly detailed the student support framework to address academic, practical living, executive functioning, and social/emotional skills. A scope and sequence have been drafted to focus on the varied needs of students in their first year through their graduation year. Topics include understanding a syllabus, finding classes on campus, email communication, planning for job fairs, and applying for jobs and/or graduate school. The University of Iowa campus is rich with student-centered resources. We have established many partnerships, such as with Student Disability Services, University of Iowa Libraries, Housing & Dining, the Career Center, and Admissions.  

In January, we surveyed the current cohort and received our first glimpse into the program’s effectiveness. All seven students responded “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” to the following questions: 

• The program has helped me advocate for myself. 
• The program has helped me challenge myself to take more safe/healthy risks. 
• The program has helped me with interacting with others at the University of Iowa. 
• Setting goals in the program has helped me accomplish what I had hoped. 
• During the weekly one-on-one meetings, I receive useful ideas and suggestions to try on my own. 
• During the weekly one-on-one meetings, I receive useful support to help me reach my goals. 

None of the students responded “somewhat disagree” or strongly disagree” to any of the fourteen survey questions about the intended support framework provided.  

College is a journey. The Belin-Blank Center is committed to joining students whose profile requires some additional support to get to a desired destination. When asked what they enjoyed best about participation in the program, one student responded, “I have enjoyed meeting more and more people who are in the same boat as me.” The University of Iowa is an incredible “boat” that is full of opportunity, and the Belin-Blank Center is committed to assisting these students as they steer their own boat. 

Learn more about the Academy of Twice-Exceptionality on our website.

Welcome, Patience and Jill!

This year, a new year brought new colleagues! We are excited to welcome two new members of our staff.

Patience Duepa-Kannah joined us after earning her B.A in Education Studies & Human Relations this past December. In her tenure since as Administrative Services Coordinator, she has already proven invaluable during the rush of summer program applications. Chances are that if you have called the Center or emailed a question about your summer program application, Patience was there to help!

Jill Schenck began working at the Center part-time as an undergraduate, learning the ropes from our IT staff and helping to make sure that the technological aspects of our summer programs ran smoothly. Following her graduation with a B.A. in Philosophy and Ethics and Public Policy in December, Jill joined our staff as an IT Assistant. From SQL queries to copy editing, Jill has tackled a wide array of behind-the-scenes projects to help keep the Center moving forward.

Professional Learning: Spring Semester 2023

Do you remember Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery? The author once said that “nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know,” and that goes for taking advantage of just-in-time professional learning opportunities! Consider adding one or more of these to your busy schedule to learn to support your gifted/talented students even better.

This semester, the Belin-Blank Center, in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Education, is offering opportunities for teachers to further develop their understanding of gifted learners and how to meet their needs, as well as providing classes that apply to the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement in Gifted Education.

• EDTL:4066:0EXW Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education begins March 20 (ending on May 12). This three-semester course focuses on arguably the most crucial focus for advanced learners: what is best practice in the classroom? This class fulfills the requirement for the Programming for the Gifted strand of the endorsement and develops expertise in the 2019 NAGC Pre-K – Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards, especially Standard 1 Learning and Development, Standard 3 Curriculum Planning and Instruction, and Standard 5 Programming.

• EDTL:4075:0WKA Topics in TAG Programming: Acceleration as an Option for Gifted Students begins on March 28 and continues through April 17. This workshop is designed for those who take advantage of one (or both) of the acceleration webinars offered by the Center this spring.

On Thursday, February 23, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik and Dr. Randy Lange provide an Introduction to the Integrated Acceleration System; on Thursday, March 23, Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools will focus on preparing the team, planning for the meeting, and follow up. Dr. Susan Assouline, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Dr. Randy Lange will provide those with familiarity with the Integrated Acceleration System greater understanding about the practical aspects of grade skipping.

Participants can join webinars live or can watch a recording. Multiple participants can watch the webinar or recording with one registration, so suggest that your school, district, or AEA register!

Participants in this class will build on the knowledge provided during the webinar(s) and extend their understanding about acceleration. Participants will also receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship based on the cost of graduate tuition (those registered with the University of Iowa as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship). This class fulfills the requirement for the Programming for the Gifted strand.

• PSQF:5194:0WKC allows those who register for the ITAG Spring Workshop to extend their learning by focusing specifically on the presenter’s book, Start Seeing and Serving Underserved Gifted Students. The workshop begins on April 24 (through May 12). Participants receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship based on the cost of graduate tuition (those registered with the University of Iowa as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship). This class fulfills the requirement for the Administrative strand.

Workshops with automatic scholarships require participation in the event (e.g., the webinar or the Spring Workshop). Registration is restricted; contact educators@belinblank.org to override the restriction.

Enrollment in practicum is still available. EDTL:4188:0EXW is for those who want to complete more than one semester hour of practicum credit and begins on March 20. EDTL:4189:0WKA begins April 17 and provides one semester hour of practicum with the focus on the age level opposite that of certification, as required by the State of Iowa. Both courses end on May 5, and both require contacting educators@belinblank.org to override a course restriction and enroll.

Get Registered for Credit

To participate in endorsement classes, you must register once each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the purposes of the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student regardless of your professional status. In other words, if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit (e.g., promotion in your school), you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for courses at belinblank.org/educators/reg.

Ordering AP Exams for Spring only courses

As you may know, an important deadline is approaching if your students are taking Spring semester-only AP courses. AP exams for your students enrolled in one-term, spring semester courses must be ordered by March 15, 2023. Courses that began after November 15 are included in this deadline. This is also the deadline to make changes to existing orders (click here for instructions and check here for additional deadlines). Unfortunately, even if your students are taking their AP course(s) through IOAPA, our team cannot place these orders for your school. Each school must order its own exams.

More information about this can be found on page 64 of the AP Coordinator Manual Part I. Here’s an excerpt for your convenience:

For Students Taking Courses That Begin After November 15
There’s not an option for a second-semester exam only section. You may have students from another school—for instance, a virtual school—who are taking an exam at your school but at the school they attend they’re taking a corresponding course that begins after the November 15 final ordering deadline. You may need to submit the exam order for these students after November 15.

In this case, the student should be enrolled in both:

• The second-semester class section for the subject at the school they attend.
  The student’s Order Exam? status should be No for this class section.

AND

• The exam only section for the subject at your school. The student’s Order Exam?
  status should be Yes for this exam only section.

By being enrolled in both the exam only section and the second-semester class section for the subject, the late order fee isn’t applied if you submit the exam order for this student after November 15.

BEST PRACTICE: Make sure the student is enrolled in both the second-semester class section at the school they attend and the exam only section for your school before you submit the student’s exam order.

Following these instructions should ensure that schools are not charged fees for late ordering. However, to be safe you might reach out to Edmentum to ensure that your students are enrolled in MyAP on their end to fulfill College Board’s requirements. Note: It is also Edmentum’s MyAP sections that allow students to access the resources available there for their course.

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is a partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the State of Iowa to provide free access to 30 advanced online courses for Iowa students. This program is for Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district and therefore reduces geographic and resource-related barriers to success. IOAPA classes include Advanced Placement® courses for high school students as well as high school-level courses for eligible middle school students.

We also offer AP exam scholarships for IOAPA students! Keep an eye out for more information on the spring application process in the coming weeks.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

It’s February, which means it’s time for our periodic roundup of upcoming events at the Center.

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 20-May 12, 2023
• Professional Development & Outreach: 
  • Chatauqua I: June 12-17, 2023
  • Chatauqua II: June 19-24, 2023
  • On-campus AP Summer Institute (APSI): June 26-30
  • On-campus APSI: July 10-14, 2023
  • Online APSI: July 17-20, 2023
  • Belin Fellowship: July 17-21, 2023

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Information Sessions

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Summer Programs

• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students (details to come in future newsletters): June 12, 2023
• Twice-Exceptional Summer Camp (details to come in future newsletters): June 13-14, 2023
• JSA (Grades 3-6)
  • Session 1: June 19-June 23, 2023
  • Session 2: July 17-21, 2023
• JSI (Grades 7-8): June 26-30, 2023
• PRSI: July 9-21, 2023
• Summer Writing Online: July 10-July 28, 2023

Webinar for Parents

• IEP or 504 Meeting: What You Should Know: April 4, 2023

Webinar for Educators

• Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools: Preparing the Team, Planning for the Meeting, and Follow-Up: March 23, 4:00-5:30 PM

Parents and Educators as Partners in Learning About Students’ Academic Capabilities

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Belin-Blank Center helps educators and families work together to learn more about their students’ academic capabilities as well as to discover challenging educational opportunities for them.  Parents: Does your child need more challenges? Teachers: Are you looking for ways to systematically discover which students might need an additional stretch?

We provide I-Excel testing for 4^th-6^th graders as a means of discovering talent in math, science, English, and reading. Based on the student’s test profile, we recommend options such as enrichment in the regular classroom, curriculum compacting, extracurricular programs, competitions, honors courses, subject acceleration, and grade skipping. Parents receive information that helps them be better-informed advocates, and educators learn more about how they could more effectively group students for instruction.

Students may test at a school-sponsored group testing session, or parents can arrange individual testing with a local proctor. We have great news for Iowa students! Currently, funding is available for eligible Iowa 4^th-6^th graders to take I-Excel at no cost. The cost for students outside of Iowa is $49 for group testing (4 or more students). Individual testing is $90.  Reduced fees of $22 and $45 are available for students eligible for the free/reduced cost lunch program at school.

If testing occurs in school, a teacher sets up the testing using the online system. Alternatively, parents can schedule an individual testing session at a local school, library, or other suitable location. Parents are responsible for finding a licensed educator who is willing to proctor the test. Acceptable proctors include full-time teachers, tutors, and college professors.

Do you have additional questions? See our website or contact us at assessment@belinblank.org.

Resources

More information about I-Excel: https://belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/students/bests/

More information about above-level testing: https://belinblank.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/whats-the-best-kept-secret-in-gifted-education-above-level-testing/

Subject acceleration: https://belinblank.wordpress.com/2023/02/02/thinking-about-subject-acceleration/

Helping when gifted students fall behind

Working with gifted/talented students who are not accustomed to being challenged by coursework can be a challenge for teachers and mentors. These issues can be compounded if challenging coursework is also presented on a self-paced platform, such as in IOAPA courses. Educators will want to help students shift their mindsets surrounding the amount of time homework for an advanced course might actually take. Previously, they may have been able to put off homework until the last minute and still complete it on time because the material was less challenging. Now, they need to allocate extra time to work through difficult assignments. Additionally, with the self-paced component, students must adjust to a new level of responsibility by providing their own reminders to stay on track as opposed to being reminded by their teacher of upcoming due dates at the end of each class.

What are some ways we can help students develop these important and transferable skills?

If these are new skills, sometimes even the brightest students need some scaffolding for how to tackle these problems.

One easily explainable and structured way to do this is learning to set SMART goals.

SMART goals, while not a new concept, may be new to students and can be used in a variety of contexts. The SMART goals process provides some guidelines for setting goals that are attainable and have a built-in timepoint for follow-up, so they can be adjusted as needed. The acronym stands for:

• Specific – make the goal as clear as possible
• Measurable – think of how you would know that you have reached it
• Attainable – make sure goals are realistic (this may need to be adjusted when put to the test)
• Relevant – in this context relevance might be built in, but it never hurts to stop and think about why it is important to them
• Time-bound – decide when it should be completed

This page describes this concept in more detail and provides questions that can help students with goal generation.

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is a partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the State of Iowa to provide free access to 30 advanced online courses for Iowa students. This program is for Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district and therefore reduces geographic and resource-related barriers to success. IOAPA classes include Advanced Placement® courses for high school students as well as high school-level courses for eligible middle school students.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Thinking About Subject Acceleration

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Subject acceleration (also called content acceleration) is useful for students who have demonstrated advanced ability in one or more academic areas. Examples include several advanced 5^th graders grouped for math instruction, a 1^st grader moving into the 2^nd grade classroom for reading, or students taking an Advanced Placement (AP) course. Subject acceleration can be appropriate for a high-ability student who isn’t recommended for whole-grade acceleration, exhibits an uneven academic profile with an extreme strength area, or has already skipped a grade but needs additional challenge in one area.

Some people might be concerned that subject acceleration may cause academic harm or put students in situations that are too challenging.  Research (such as that provided in A Nation Empowered) tells us otherwise:  

• High ability students engage in abstract thinking at a younger age than typical students.
• Accelerated students do not have gaps in their academic backgrounds.
• Accelerated students will not run out of courses before high school graduation. Students never really run out of content to study, but the high school might not offer the next course that is needed. In this situation, a student might need to utilize other options, such as dual enrollment or online coursework.
• Accelerated students do not “burn out.” Research shows that acceleration leads to higher levels of achievement.

Subject acceleration has many advantages:

• It provides a systematic progression through the curriculum.
• The regular classroom teacher does not have to search for materials for the advanced student, because that student is removed during class (for example, the student moves to a different class for math).
• It is more likely that the student will be grouped with intellectual peers.
• The student receives credit for work completed.
• The student is appropriately challenged and therefore remains interested in the subject (and in school).
• Research clearly supports the use of subject acceleration with academically talented students.

The disadvantages of subject acceleration include:

• Although the student is now working at a higher level, the pace may still be too slow.
• If the student is accelerated by only one year, there may be little new content.
• The student may not receive credit for high school courses completed before enrolling in high school due to district policies.
• Additional planning and discussion time may be required, if subject acceleration is new in a school or to a particular group of educators.
• Long-term planning is essential, so the student does not “run out” of coursework before graduating from high school.

Utilizing subject acceleration can be challenging, and it requires us to consider a variety of questions:

• How are grades and credit assigned?
• When completing the school’s regular testing, which grade-level achievement test does the student take (“age-appropriate” or new grade)?
• What transportation is needed?
• How do we schedule the same subject at the same time for the two grade levels? For example, one district offers math at the same time every day across the district, so students don’t miss another subject if they are accelerated for math.
• What indicators of accelerated coursework are needed on the student’s transcript?
• How is class rank determined?

Subject acceleration requires careful thought and planning. However, the time invested in thinking through some of the challenges and long-term issues presented by subject acceleration provides an important result:  students who are appropriately challenged and engaged in school.

Additional Resources

• Subject acceleration policies: Developing Academic Acceleration Policies.
• Using above-level testing to help make subject acceleration decisions: belinblank.org/talent-search.
• Do you have additional questions about subject acceleration? Email us at acceleration@belinblank.org.
• The Belin-Blank Center is hosting several webinars about acceleration in February and March.

Webinar for Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools: Preparing the Team, Planning for the Meeting, and Follow-Up

The Belin-Blank Center will offer a webinar for those who have already had experience with the Integrated Acceleration System or the Iowa Acceleration Scale. We’ll take a deeper dive into some of the practical aspects of making decisions about grade-skipping.

This online professional development session will focus on:

• A brief overview of the Integrated Acceleration System
• Talking with students, parents, and colleagues about acceleration
• Planning the Team Meeting to discuss the potential acceleration
• Transition planning for the student who will be grade-skipped
• Early entrance to kindergarten

The Integrated Acceleration System, an online tool developed by leading researchers in gifted education, guides participants through the integration of information about acceleration. Informed by decades of research, the Integrated Acceleration System includes all the major factors to consider and produces a report about readiness for one of the many forms of acceleration, including grade-skipping, early entrance to kindergarten, subject acceleration, and early entrance to college. The Integrated Acceleration System is designed for users in the United States. However, the flexible framework can be applied to international educational systems.

If you cannot attend the session live, you may still register. We will send the recording as soon as possible after the session. Please note, the cost to purchase the recording is the same as the cost to participate in the live session. You will also receive one access code for the Integrated Acceleration System.

Register here.

Presenters: Dr. Susan Assouline, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Dr. Randy Lange

Session fee: $79. Includes one access code to the Integrated Acceleration System (valued at $69)

Date/Time: Thursday, March 23, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Central Time (The last 30 minutes of this online session is an optional question/answer segment.)

Online, via Zoom

 If you are not able to attend the live session, the session will be recorded.

If you would prefer to attend an introductory webinar, there is still time to register for the Feb. 23 webinar, An Introduction to the Integrated Acceleration System.

Webinar: The Integrated Acceleration System

Figuring out whether to accelerate a child is a major decision; accounting for all the relevant information can feel overwhelming. The Belin-Blank Center has developed an online system that helps educators and families gather the correct information, targets the essential factors, and produces a report which recommends whether acceleration is a good fit for a particular student. 

The Integrated Acceleration System, an online tool developed by leading researchers in gifted education, guides participants through integrating information about acceleration.  On Thursday, February 23rd, we will be hosting an online professional development session about using this new tool when considering a grade skip. The session will focus on:  best research-based practices in using academic acceleration, how to use the online Integrated Acceleration System, and suggestions to coordinate communication among the relevant team members and support the student’s transition to acceleration.  

 Informed by decades of research, the Integrated Acceleration System includes all the significant factors to consider and produces a report about readiness for one of the many forms of acceleration, including grade-skipping, early entrance to kindergarten, subject acceleration, and early entrance to college. The Integrated Acceleration System is designed for users in the United States. However, the flexible framework can be applied to international educational systems.  This online session will focus on grade-skipping. We are also planning a follow-up webinar in March, Advanced Uses of the Integrated Acceleration System, for people who have already had some experience with it or with the Iowa Acceleration Scale. 

Presenters: Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik and Dr. Randy Lange .

Session fee: $79. Includes one access code to the Integrated Acceleration System (valued at $69). 

Date/Time: Thursday, February 23, 2023; 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Central Time (The last 30 minutes is an optional question/answer segment.)  

Location: Online, via Zoom. Registrants will receive location details via email. 

Register: Learn more and register on our website. 

If you cannot attend the live session, the session will be recorded.  The recording is available for purchase. Use the link above.

Message from the Director: Jingle Bells and ASD Screeners

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

As I am writing this note, there is one more week in the semester and only about three more weeks left in 2022. Then in January, I’ll be starting my 20^th year at the University of Iowa. It really does not seem possible! Throughout my tenure, one of my biggest joys has been contributing to the research on twice-exceptionality. In my new role as Belin-Blank Center director, I am fortunate to be able to continue this journey and am proud of a recent publication in Gifted and Talented International that is an example of this work.  

Along with a team of UI counseling psychology students, we developed the High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS). The impetus for this study was noticing in our Assessment and Counseling Clinic and through our research on twice-exceptionality that high ability youth with autism spectrum disorder  (ASD) sometimes have unique presentations, resulting in diagnosis occurring later in development. This is problematic since researchers and clinicians emphasize the importance of early intervention for persons with ASD. At the same time, evaluations are very time consuming and pricey, and not all families have insurance that covers the costs. In this study, we discuss how we developed the HFAS and provide preliminary evidence of its effectiveness:  

Qualitative and quantitative development of the High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS)  

Megan Foley-Nicpon, Margaret Candler, Erica Behrens, Zachary Sussman, Owen Gaasedelen, and Cara Wienkes 

ABSTRACT  

ASD manifests in children throughout the ability spectrum, though screening tools may not adequately identify high-ability youth who would benefit from a comprehensive identification evaluation; thus, the impetus for developing The High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS). Information from content area expert interviews determined the 93-item pilot form administered to high ability youth (ages 5 years, 11 months to 18 years, 2 months) with ASD (n = 15), average ability students (n = 10), and high ability students (n = 23). ANOVAs identified items that differentiated the three groups and/or were most endorsed by the high ability/ASD group, resulting in the 36-item HFAS. Preliminary receiver operating characteristic curves indicate the scale is excellent at classification. 

The HFAS is the first measure of its kind to help clinicians screen for ASD among high ability populations specifically.  It is also the first to help researchers learn more about best practices in assessment and intervention for high ability youth with ASD.  While more research is needed to further validate this screener before we can make it available to clinicians, this publication is an important step toward earlier diagnosis and intervention for high ability youth with ASD.   

As we approach the end of 2022, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year and to think about all that we hope to do and experience in the next one.  This year has brought many changes for me, most notably a new position as director.  As I’ve settled into the role, we’ve begun a strategic planning process that will continue well into the new year, leading to exciting new directions for the Center.  I hope you all have a safe and healthy holiday season, and Cheers to 2023!  

Megan  

Middle School Scholarship Opportunity from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship open to high-performing 7th grade students with some financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for high school. There are Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, music/art lessons, support for the purchase of hardware and software needs, and other learning enrichment opportunities that are specific to the student. This is an opportunity that many families are not aware of and we want to change that.

Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) works collaboratively with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to educate families and educators about this opportunity and help families through the application process. Throughout the winter and spring, Tammie Stewart, CTD Outreach Manager for the Young Scholars program, is offering free online workshops for anyone interested in learning more about how to apply. The application will close May 11, 2023.

More information is available online. If you have any questions or would like to arrange for an information session at your school, please contact Tammie Stewart at tammie-stewart@northwestern.edu.

Upcoming Webinar on Preparing for an IEP or 504 Meeting

This interactive webinar presented by the Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is for parents/guardians who might have questions about IEP or 504 meetings.

Highlights will include: defining key terms, differences between an IEP and a 504 plan, common accommodations and modifications (including tech-based), and how to prepare for the meeting. There will be time for questions!

• Presented by Jenny Feng, MA, current University of Iowa doctoral student.
• 6:30PM–7:15PM on Wednesday, January 18, 2023
• Cost: $10 (donated to Assessment and Counseling Clinic financial aid fund)

Come learn with us!

Our Commitment to Twice-Exceptionality

The Belin-Blank Center uses the definition of twice-exceptionality (2e) drafted by Dr. Sally Reis and her colleagues: 2e learners both “demonstrate the potential for high achievement or creative productivity in one or more domains…AND…manifest one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria.” Despite the high potential these students possess, they are often not identified and/or admitted into programs for talented students. Their unique profile results in misunderstanding and frustration for schools, parents/guardians, and the students themselves. This reality serves as the catalyst for our research and programming efforts to ensure these students are challenged and engaged in school: 

• Research articles, chapters, and presentations on twice-exceptionality. Drs. Megan Foley-Nicpon and Susan Assouline from the Belin-Blank Center are considered research leaders in this area. 
• The Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment & Counseling Clinic offers comprehensive clinical services for twice-exceptional students, including evaluations, therapy, and consultations. In 2022, we served over 125 students and families. 
• An online social skills group for twice-exceptional middle school students in Iowa. 
• A partnership with Carver College of Medicine’s Iowa Neuroscience Institute on research and intervention projects.  
• A Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality co-hosted with the Iowa Neuroscience Institute in 2021. The summit featured speakers sharing research from several different domains, including neuroscience, genetics, gifted education, special education, psychology, and psychiatry. 
• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students sponsored by the Iowa Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, returning for its second year on June 12, 2023. More details to come! 
• Specific guidance and support in the Integrated Acceleration System, a tool used in grade-skipping decisions, for twice-exceptional students being considered for acceleration. 
• The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality, a support system for twice-exceptional University of Iowa students. Supports include partnering with UI services, individual weekly meetings, topical workshops, planned social events, and communication with parents/guardians. 
• The new Twice-Exceptional Summer Academy will run June 13 & 14, 2023. This summer offering for students who finished grades 9 or 10 will be held on the University of Iowa campus. More details are coming soon!  

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

It’s that time again – here’s our periodic roundup of upcoming events at the Center.

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education: December 21, 2022
  • Identification of Students for Gifted Programs: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Program Models in Gifted Education: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Assessment of Giftedness: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 20-May 12, 2023
• Professional Development & Outreach: 
  • Chatauqua I: June 12-17, 2023
  • Chatauqua II: June 19-24, 2023
  • On-campus AP Summer Institute (APSI): June 26-30
  • On-campus APSI: July 10-14, 2023
  • Online APSI: July 17-20, 2023
  • Belin Fellowship: July 17-21, 2023

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

• Spring semester information sessions coming soon on the website.

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Webinar for Parents

• IEP or 504 Meeting: What You Should Know: January 18, 2023

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

• JSHS research proposal site opens: January 2, 2023
• Iowa-JSHS Symposium: March 6-7, 2023

Summer Programs

• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students (details to come): June 12, 2023
• Twice-Exceptional Summer Camp (details to come in future newsletters): June 13-14, 2023
• SSTP Online: June 19-July 28, 2023
• JSA: June 19-June 23, 2023
• SSTP In-Person: June 21-July 28, 2023
• BSI: June 25-June 30, 2023
• PRSI: July 9-21, 2023
• Summer Writing Online: July 10-July 28, 2023

ACT: Not Just for High Schoolers Anymore

We are delighted to report that young students are once again permitted to take the ACT. This opportunity had been limited due to the pandemic.

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

What’s this all about? The ACT, the test that many students take in 11^th or 12^th grade as part of the college admissions process, has been used for almost 40 years to discover younger students who are ready for greater academic challenges. We recommend that 7^th-9^th grade students who have already performed very well on grade-level achievement tests (such as the Iowa Assessments) be encouraged to take the ACT. They can take this test through a university-based talent search, including the one offered by the Belin-Blank Center. The Belin-Blank Center provides a detailed, individual interpretation of test scores that is tailored to the 7^th-9^th graders taking the test.

What can you do with the information? The ACT score interpretation provided by the Belin-Blank Center can be used to help students, teachers, and families to understand their aptitudes. Students’ scores may qualify them for a wide variety of academic opportunities, including subject acceleration, grade-skipping and even early entrance to college (for example, the Belin-Blank Center hosts the Bucksbaum Academy, which is an early entrance to college program for students who have completed 10^th or 11^th grade).

Does this sound like a good fit for a student you know? Our website has more details about the process.

Spring Computer Science Course for Advanced Middle Schoolers

Iowa Online AP Academy’s (IOAPA) curriculum provider, Project STEM, has made its CS Python Fundamentals course available for IOAPA middle school students to take as a condensed one-semester version of the course this spring. IOAPA provides free access to high-quality, online, advanced course offerings for Iowa students who would not otherwise have access to these courses in their schools. These courses are offered asynchronously so they can fit into any schedule. In addition, our middle school program allows students in grades 6-8 to take high-school-level classes online while still in middle school. This means that advanced middle school students interested in exploring Computer Science or STEM can start their journey in January!

CS Python Fundamentals (formerly called Introduction to Computer Science) is an introductory course for students new to programming that teaches the foundations of computer science. No prerequisites are required. In this course, students will learn problem-solving strategies, software design, and the foundations of computer science using two key tools: the Project STEM programming environment and EarSketch, a software package that turns your code into music. This course prepares students for further computer science coursework such as AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles and helps to develop critical thinking skills.

Spring enrollment is open for IOAPA courses as well! More information about our other spring courses can be found here. While our registration cutoff for this coming semester is December 16th, we will accept late registration for this course until January 2, 2023 in order to provide schools and students time to register for this opportunity. To begin, if your school is new to IOAPA or has not yet registered for this year, visit our website (belinblank.org/ioapa) and review the Getting Started information. If you are ready to register, head over to the registration section of our website and click “Register Now”. If you are trying to register after the normal registration cutoff of December 16th, please email ioapa@belinblank.org to get a school-specific late registration link.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Advanced Placement Opens Doors

Photo by Nicole Berro on Pexels.com

The Belin-Blank Center has provided challenging programs for decades. Research suggests that when bright students’ readiness is matched with curriculum and instruction, they are more engaged at school. Advanced Placement^® classes are just one vehicle we use to bring out the best in students.  

Advanced Placement (AP)^® is a program created by the College Board College in the United States and Canada. AP^® offers a college-level curriculum to students while in high school. The AP^® curriculum for various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel (including college-level educators) with expertise in a specific field. Many colleges and universities grant placement and/or credit students based on AP^® exam scores. For a high school course to have the designation, it must be audited by the College Board. 

There are several benefits of taking Advanced Placement^® classes. AP^® classes serve as excellent preparation for college. Their content aligns with introductory college courses. AP^® classes on a transcript communicate to college admissions that a student is motivated and ready for college’s rigors, especially at selective colleges and universities. AP^® classes bolster the strength of an application and could help raise it to the top of the pile of applicants. The content and instructional strategies in AP^® classes foster engagement, which is especially important for students tackling rigorous coursework. Finally, students can often translate a good score on the end-of-term AP^® Exam into tuition savings, as many colleges will count such scores towards a student’s general education requirements. Research has found that students who take at least one AP^® class are more likely to perform better in their first year in college than peers who did not take one (regardless of whether they took an AP^® exam or not).  

Please visit the Advanced Placement^® link of the UI Admission website for more information on Advanced Placement^® and the University of Iowa. 

Iowa Online AP Academy

Geography can seriously impact the availability of advanced coursework. Offering AP® courses in rural schools is often difficult due to small class sizes and a lack of resources. The Belin-Blank Center’s Iowa Online AP® Academy (IOAPA) partners with the State of Iowa to provide free access to various online advanced courses for Iowa students who do not have access to these courses in their schools. IOAPA offers fifteen different AP^® classes (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, US History, and English Literature) to almost 100 Iowa schools this semester. Registration for the Spring 2023 semester is open now. Please visit the IOAPA website for more information. 

Check Out IOAPA

The Belin-Blank Center is also proud to be the only approved AP® training site in the state. Each summer, we offer Advanced Placement® Summer Institute (APSI) for teachers to acquire AP® preparation from expert consultants and network with like-minded educators. In Summer 2023, we will offer three weeks of APSI (two on-campus and one online). Like the philosophy of access to AP® for students through IOAPA, the Center commits to providing an online APSI option, so teachers seeking training can attend regardless of location. The APSI offerings for Summer 2023 include Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science & Principles, English Language, English Literature, Government & Politics, Macroeconomics, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, Statistics, US History, and World History. Please visit the APSI website for more information, including requirements for the Iowa teacher grant that covers most of the APSI registration fee.  

Learn About AP Summer Institute

Need Some Resources About Acceleration? We’ve Got ‘Em!

If you are reading this article, you have probably heard over and over that, “Acceleration is the most research-supported educational option for advanced students.” You know that. But how do you convince others to pay attention to this important information?

The Belin-Blank Center is here to help. We provide the Acceleration Institute website, a comprehensive storehouse of information about acceleration. From this website, you can access many more tools and resources focused on academic acceleration. We’ve already done the hard work for you, and we have put together information that helps you show others that acceleration really does make sense for a lot of talented students.

Photo by Arthur Krijgsman on Pexels.com

For example, Volume 1 of  A Nation Empowered (a free download provided on the Acceleration Institute website) is a short, informative book about acceleration. It tells the stories about several students, families, and teachers who have experienced acceleration. This puts a “face” on the idea of acceleration, and helps others see how much of an impact it can have. This also helps reduce the fears about negative impacts on socialization. If you want more information about the research behind the stories, check out Volume 2 of A Nation Empowered (also available as a free download). The 18 chapters summarize what we know about the research around acceleration and include topics such as grade-skipping, subject acceleration, socialization, and early entrance to college.

Dig a little deeper on the Acceleration Institute website, and you’ll find sections for educators, parents, policymakers, and researchers presented in the most user-friendly manner possible. The website is organized so people from those four constituent groups can easily find the resources that are most pertinent to their needs. For example, the policymakers’ page points to information about developing acceleration policies and provides examples of policies from various states and school districts.  The researchers’ page supplies links to the research evidence and summarizes individual studies.

Parents often contact us asking for evidence supporting acceleration. Not only do they want to read the research studies, but also they want to see examples of acceleration applied to individual students. That information is conveniently found on the parents’ page.  It includes many stories of acceleration from individual students and parents, as well as examples of how schools have implemented acceleration.

Educators concerned about making good decisions for specific students can feel confident by taking advantage of additional resources cited on the educators’ page. For example, the Integrated Acceleration System is designed to help guide the conversation about whole-grade acceleration, and IDEAL Solutions offers information for those thinking about subject matter acceleration in STEM subjects.

Explore the Acceleration Institute website a bit more, and discover the Menu section with links to Acceleration Explained (20 Types of Acceleration, Early Entrance to Kindergarten, Subject Acceleration, and Transition to Acceleration, for example) and Resources (Podcasts, Blogs, and Videos and Acceleration in the News).

Additional resources you might appreciate include a ready-made PowerPoint about acceleration that you are welcome to share with educators or families. We are also happy to share a list of our blogs about acceleration. If you’d like to subscribe to those blogs (so you receive them the instant they are written), sign up here!

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com

Fall 22 AP® Exam Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to our AP Scholarship Exam recipients! This fall, we were able to award more than 25 scholarships to students participating in the Belin Blank Center’s Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA). The purpose of this funding is to increase the number of students taking AP exams from rural schools in Iowa by working to reduce financial barriers for these students.

AP® Exam Scholarship Winners!

The Belin-Blank Center offered scholarships for AP® Exams with priority given to rural students with financial needs. We are pleased to announce the Mentors and Site coordinators that are awarded scholarships for their students!:

• Susan Fritzell, Marshalltown High School
• Jadyn Schutjer, Emmetsburg High School
• Joan Enockson, Estherville Lincoln Central High School
• Laurie Eyre, Maharishi School
• Paulina Rodenburg, Glenwood High School

As funds permit, we will continue to offer these AP® exam scholarships. Keep an eye out early in the spring semester for more information on the application process of IOAPA students taking spring courses. Additionally, Spring enrollment is still open for IOAPA’s spring semester courses until December 16, 2022. As always, feel free to reach to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.

Professional Development for Spring and Summer 2023

“Teachers benefit from professional development trainings that are focused, purposeful, provide examples of what the targeted expectation should look like, and allow teachers the opportunity to apply what they have learned and implement it into their instruction”

(Keely Blair P’Pool, 2021, p. 100)

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

That is why professional development has been an integral part of the Belin-Blank Center since 1980, when Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, founding director of the Center, was first talking with Connie and David Belin and Jaqueline and Mike Blank about how to best support gifted and talented children.

Winter Session

Over winter break, the Center will offer EDTL:4085:0WKA Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education (December 21, 2022 – January 13, 2023), allowing “just-in-time” professional learning on topics of most interest to participants.

Spring Semester

In Spring of 2023, the Center is offering three-semester-hour extension classes (Identification, Program Models, Curriculum Concepts) and a two-semester-hour class about Administration and Policy Issues.  A variety of workshops are also available.  Check belinblank.org/courses after the Thanksgiving holiday to see everything that is available.

Summer Professional Development Options

Belin-Blank Fellowship

The Belin-Blank Center will host the 43^rd Connie Belin & Jaqueline N. Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education, July 16 – 21, 2023, on campus at the University of Iowa.  One of the longest-running professional learning programs in the country, the Fellowship allows those with little background in gifted education and talent development to immerse themselves in ways to identify and understand gifted students, including those who have been traditionally underrepresented, and ways to develop students’ talents.  This is the time for parents and teachers of the gifted to find allies in their schools, urging those who have an interest and would benefit from the program to apply for the Fellowship, free of cost to participants (although participants do need to cover the cost of travel to Iowa City).  Room and board, as well as presentations from experts in the field, are all part of the Fellowship.  Teacher leaders / instructional coaches are especially welcome!  Anyone wanting to earn academic credit can enroll in CSED:5237:0WKA.  Look for application materials in mid-January (belinblank.org/fellowship)!

Online Coursework

Summer of 2023 will offer both PSQF:4123:0EXW Academic Acceleration and the CSED or EDTL:4137:0EXW Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (both three-semester-hour extension classes), as well as multiple online and asynchronous one-semester-hour courses, offered in a workshop format.  Everything available will be posted at belinblank.org/courses early in December.

Belin-Blank Chautauqua

As well as online opportunities, the Belin-Blank Chautauqua (belinblank.org/chautauqua) will take place in June 2023.  Over the two weeks from June 12 – 17 and June 19 – 24, participants will have an opportunity to participate in up to six workshops that will include two days of either face-to-face interaction on campus in Blank Honors Center or via Zoom (participants may choose the option best for them).  Those who enroll at the graduate level for all three workshops in either week—or both—receive an automatic tuition scholarship from the Belin-Blank Center for one of three classes (i.e., three workshops for the cost of two; six for the cost of four). Chautauqua offers opportunities in the Psychology, Programming, and Administrative strands, making earning the endorsement easier than ever.  Chautauqua classes differ from summer to summer, allowing those interested in the endorsement (belinblank.org/endorsement) to complete all of their work through Chautauqua over two summers.  Between online and Chautauqua opportunities, endorsement candidates can complete all of their work before the next academic year.

Get Registered for Credit

To participate in endorsement classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the purposes of the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student regardless of your professional status. In other words, if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most (belinblank.org/educators/reg).

Using Achievement, Aptitude, and Ability Tests for Acceleration Decisions

Achievement, aptitude, and ability tests:  What do those terms mean, and how are these three types of tests used in academic acceleration decisions?  Since the words can be a bit confusing, let’s take them one step at a time. 

Achievement testing is common in schools. Achievement tests measure the student’s learning in specific content areas in the student’s current grade. They are called “achievement” tests because they were developed to measure past learning. “Standardized” tests are typically developed to measure the progress of groups of students. All students are tested under similar conditions and the test items are from a specific item bank. They differ from teacher-made achievement tests, which are not subject to the rigorous test item development usually seen in standardized testing. Examples of standardized achievement tests are the state tests such as ISASP in Iowa or STAAR in Texas. Other examples of standardized tests include Terra Nova, Stanford Achievement Tests, or Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). The Belin-Blank Center highly recommends using the Iowa Assessments (available through Riverside Publishing) if other achievement tests are not already available. For acceleration decisions, we recommend using achievement test data from the past year. Achievement testing is important in acceleration decisions to determine if the student has already mastered the material he or she will be skipping. Frequently, students who are considered for grade-skipping have already scored in the 90^th or 95^th percentile in many subjects compared to agemates. 

Aptitude testing is important for acceleration discussions because these tests provide information about what a student is ready to learn. Aptitude testing is less dependent on specific content (which is why it is in the center position in the graphic above). General aptitude tests are designed to measure an individual’s problem-solving ability that is unrelated to specific instruction in a school setting. Specific aptitude tests are designed to measure an individual’s problem-solving ability for material in a content area that has not yet been formally presented to the learner. One of the best indicators of a bright student’s aptitude in a specific content area is the student’s performance on an above-level test, a test that was developed for older students. These tests include I-Excel, ACT, SAT, and above-level Iowa Assessments (usually two grade levels above the student’s current grade). For purposes of acceleration decisions, aptitude testing should have been completed within the past two years. Students earning scores in the 50^th percentile and above when compared to older students might be considered for acceleration in their strength area. These guidelines are intended to help us predict that the student will continue to be successful in the higher grade if accelerated. 

Ability testing rounds out the trio of types of tests. Ability testing tells us about a student’s potential for success in school. An intelligence test (also known as an IQ test or cognitive ability test) is required for acceleration decisions, especially grade-skipping and early entrance to kindergarten. A group or individual test may be used. Measures of verbal ability are highly correlated with performance in school, so verbal IQ scores are especially useful. Tests include: Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Ability testing should have been administered within the past two years for acceleration decisions. The Belin-Blank Center recommends that students considered for grade-skipping would have scored at least one standard deviation above the mean (average) on a cognitive ability test; in other words, the student scores 115 or higher on an intelligence test that has an average score of 100. In contrast, students earning average cognitive ability test scores are more likely to have their learning needs met with grade-level curriculum and at the same pace as their grade-level peers. 

Data gathered from all three of the above types of tests are important in making acceleration decisions. This objective information helps us to compare students to other bright students and to determine if acceleration is indeed in the best interests of a particular student. Other information is important in the discussion about acceleration, including psychosocial factors, school support, and family support. All of these factors (and more) are considered in the new online Integrated Acceleration System, which facilitates a discussion about four forms of academic acceleration (grade-skipping, early entrance to kindergarten, early entrance to college, and subject acceleration). 

Interested in learning more about acceleration? The Belin-Blank Center offers a 3-semester-hour graduate course on academic acceleration each summer. The course is taught entirely online. Contact acceleration@belinblank.org for details about the class and about enrollment. 

Getting Ready for the 69th Annual NAGC Convention

Nesibe Karakis and Laurie Croft

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

Many of us dedicated to meeting the needs of gifted learners—and supporting the development of their varied talents—are looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues next week in Indianapolis.  We often talk about the importance of ensuring gifted learners spend time with their true peers, and it’s the same for professionals in the field. 

Our field is a small one, though, and the word bittersweet comes to mind when thinking about this year’s convention without Dr. Marcia Gentry, the winner of the 2022 NAGC President’s Award.  She contributed so much to the field, and to our awareness of “missingness,” that is, inequity in identification and services.  While we go to learn from our peers, Dr. Gentry’s voice will be there in many sessions, but we will miss her.

The October newsletter from the Belin-Blank Center included a message from our new director, Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with reflections on lessons learned from Dr. Gentry.  We also have a post-doctoral colleague at the Center, Dr. Nesibe Karakis, who graduated from Purdue University.  Dr. Karakis shared insights from colleagues at Purdue:

Dr. F. Richard Olenchak, Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies, noted that

Having been friends with Marcia Gentry for over 35 years as far back as graduate school, I not only enjoyed working with her, I most enjoyed spending brainstorming sessions with her. Marcia’s dry wit and tendency to drift to dark humor not only ended up helping us to see the positives in otherwise stressful scenarios, but these occasions stimulated my own thinking to find the positive dichotomies when we zeroed in on the cynical side of things. I will go through the rest of my life loving her as one of my dearest friends. She was far more than a work colleague for me.

Dr. Nielsen Pereira, Associate Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies, shared

It is very difficult for me to separate Marcia’s impact on me as a person and scholar since she was such an integral part of my life for over 15 years. It also would be difficult to decide on only a couple of things that impressed me about knowing and working with Marcia, but I will focus on two that come to mind now: her brilliance and her generosity. Marcia was definitely and truly a brilliant scholar. When I look at her contributions to the field (some we have collaborated on), I see how unique and brilliant her ideas were. The Total School Cluster Grouping model, the HOPE projects, the Native American Research Initiative, the Access Denied report all represent her passion for making gifted services more equitable and accessible to students from underserved populations. Additionally, each of these included a twist on things that have been considered best practices in gifted education. More recently, the introduction of “missingness” as a concept when looking at underrepresentation in gifted education (see Access Denied report) is (in my opinion) a contribution that could be key to, hopefully, one day achieving equity in gifted education. Marcia’s generosity is something that I had the privilege to experience at a personal level, but also in professional settings. Over the years, she went from being my doctoral advisor to a colleague and a friend I knew I could trust and count on in almost any situation. She was generous with her time, resources, friends, and so many other things. She helped me in times of great need and when I simply needed a hand or advice. She was always the first to reach out (to me and others) to offer help or support. She also was always willing to share her home with friends and colleagues. I will always remember each celebration at her house… graduation parties for doctoral students, end-of-the year celebrations, a welcome reception for a guest, and many others. She will always have a special place in my heart and I will always remember her as the best mentor and colleague I could have asked for and a dear friend.

Dr. Alissa Cress, Clinical Assistant Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies

I worked with Dr. Marcia Gentry since the beginning of my graduate school program in 2016. Although that is not long in the scope of her amazing career, I was honored to work with her for the time we had. I was her 25^th advisee to graduate with a Ph.D.! Learning from her expertise in the field and how she navigated professional and personal challenges life attempted to throw at her were just a few of the many qualities I found most admirable about her. Her constant, selfless dedication to creating opportunities for all students inspired me and everyone in her life to do and be better. Marcia Gentry’s impact on the world of gifted education—and the world as a whole—will outlast her for decades to come.  

Dr. Olenchak will be presenting at the Convention with Jeffrey Thomas about Exploring Social-emotional Development of High-Ability LGBTQ through Retrospectives.

Dr. Pereira will be presenting with Hernan Castillow-Hermosilla and Yuxiao Zhang about Are They Really Gifted Too? Challenges in Identifying Underrepresented Gifted Students; with Dr. Sarah Bright, Zafer Ozen, and Tugce Karatas: Fostering SEL Skills in STEM Curricula for Underrepresented Gifted Students; and with Dr. Joni Lakin, Dr. Emily Mofield, and Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, focusing on Research into Practice (topic varied by presenter).

Dr. Cress will be presenting with Abdullah A. Tuzgen about Reducing Biases and Creating Partnerships to Recognize & Foster Children’s Gifts and Talents; with Dr. Jennifer Richardson and Dr. Yukiko Maeda, discussing Total School Cluster Grouping: New Research Findings, Directions, and Discussion; and with Abdullah Tuzgen and Hernan Castillo-Hermosilla about What Do Teachers Really Think about Differentiation? Strategies, Successes, and Solutions.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Presentations from staff and faculty at the Belin-Blank Center include:

Dr. Laurie Croft & Dr. Alena Treat, Diverse Faces in Gifted Education: LGBTQ+

Sheyanne Smith, Dr. Toni Szymanski, & Dr. Laurie Croft, Expanding Concepts of Multi-tiered Systems of Support to Serve Gifted Children

Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Dr. Susan Assouline, Dr. Duhita Mahatmya, and Dr. Saba Ali, A Hybrid Model of Talent Identification-career Exploration for Underrepresented Students

Dr. Kimberley Chandler, Dr. Jaime Castellano, Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Dr. Kristina Henry Collins, Erik Francis, Dr. Anne Gray, Dr. Nancy Hertzog, Dr. Tiombe Bisa Kendrick-Dunn, Dr. Kimberly Lansdowne, & Dr. PJ Sedillo, Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Learners: Meeting the Needs of Special Populations in Gifted Education

Dr. Del Siegle, Dr. Betsy McCoach, Dr. Catherine Little, Dr. Susan Assouline, & Dr. Scott Peters, Not so Fast: Think Twice about Identification

Dr. Lori Ihrig & Dr. Nesibe Karakis, Developing Rural STEM Talent Through Afterschool Programs

Dr Randy Lange & Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Transition Planning for Whole-grade Acceleration

Dr. Joni Lakin, Dr. Emily Mofield, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, & Dr. Nielsen Pereira, Research into Practice

Dr. Katie Schabilion & Dr. Amanda Berns, Essential Tips for Teachers of Twice-Exceptional Students

Dr. Katie Schabilion, R&E Dissertation Award Recipients Presentation

Posters of interest from staff and faculty at the Belin-Blank Center include:

Anna Payne & Dr. Laurie Croft, Acceleration: Insights into Environmental Constraints to an Effective Practice

Dr. Toni Szymanski & Dr. Laurie Croft, Exploring Curriculum Models through Lesson Planning

Dr. Nesibe Karakas, Dr. Lori Ihrig, & Dr. Duhita Mahatmya, Who Is Missing from Rural STEM Talent Development Efforts?

Dr. Randy Lange & Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Grade-skipping: The Essential Considerations

Policy: A Fundamental Component in an Acceleration Plan

Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska gave an important talk at a previous Belin-Blank Center conference on “The Research and Practice of Acceleration for Gifted Students: Toward Policy Development.” She explained that acceleration policy is needed:

1. To ensure that it happens consistently across districts, individual students, and time;
2. To provide guidance for educational decisions about acceleration options; and
3. To ensure that it is presented as one of the basic provisions for gifted students at all stages of development.

Photo by Nicole Berro on Pexels.com

The research on academic acceleration is the strongest research and the best practice we have in gifted education. Nothing else comes close.  Both short-term and longitudinal studies consistently demonstrate the power of acceleration for gifted students; for example, in one study of students who had accelerated 38 years prior, researchers found accelerated students earned terminal degrees (e.g., Ph.D., J.D., or M.D.) at a rate substantially higher than in the general population (37-43% in the accelerated group compared to only 1% in the general population), performed at a high level in their careers, demonstrated a higher rate of patents and publications, earned higher salaries, etc.

Acceleration can be used as the catalyst for talent development in schools.  Schools should provide:

1. Advanced opportunities as early as possible in identified areas of aptitude;
2. Sustained practice of the progressive development of skills under the guidance of a coach, tutor, or mentor;
3. Competitions in the area of strength, so students can see what excellence looks like; and
4. Collaboration on expert teams for performance.

The above recommendations are consistent with those provided by the National Science Foundation (2010), which calls for more use of inquiry through project-based learning, more research preparation, and more emphasis on career development.

If we accelerate gifted students, what does that look like at each stage?  Dr. VanTassel-Baska recommends using acceleration as the first intervention, then providing enrichment and other services. By using acceleration as the first intervention, we are starting with the evidence-based provision. Higher levels of functioning demand that we raise the level of curricular challenge; this ensures a good match with the student’s readiness for learning.  In short, gifted students who are ready for more advanced curriculum need acceleration.

Acceleration is flexible. It can be provided in different ways, from content acceleration to grade skipping (20 different types of acceleration are listed in A Nation Empowered). Acceleration can be provided at different times during a student’s development, it can be provided for a group or individually, and the types of acceleration can be used alone or in combination.

Content acceleration options at all stages of development should be a core for acceleration policy.  Policymakers and practitioners should consider utilizing existing practices. For example, if an option for testing out of high school courses is available for students who have difficulties, this option should be made available for gifted students as well.

Both research and effective practice demonstrate the power of acceleration with high-ability learners. Acceleration is the first and most important differentiation tool for instruction for gifted students and needs to be acknowledged as such. Our gifted programs would be far more effective if strong acceleration policies were enacted.

We thank Dr. VanTassel-Baska for presenting this important talk.

Developing Academic Acceleration Policies

The publication, Developing Academic Acceleration Policies: Whole Grade, Early Entrance, and Single Subject is available online. This publication, a project of the Belin-Blank Center and the National Association for Gifted Children, was published in 2018.

Developing Academic Acceleration Policies uses current research and practical considerations of school-based issues to guide decision-making. It includes recommended elements of whole-grade acceleration policies, early entrance to kindergarten or first grade policies, and subject-acceleration policies. Each section includes a checklist of items to consider while developing those specific policies. The information provided is supported by recent research.  Lists of resources are also included.  Download your copy of the publication from the Acceleration Institute website.

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

Additional Notes from the Belin-Blank Center

• See the 2-volume book, A Nation Empowered (nationempowered.org), which provides the latest information on research and practice in acceleration.
• The Acceleration Institute (accelerationinstitute.org) contains many resources for making decisions about acceleration and
  implementing acceleration policies.
•  The Integrated Acceleration System is a useful tool for making decisions about a grade skip. Other forms of acceleration will be included soon.

IOAPA Spring enrollment is now open!

Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) registration for Spring 2023 classes is now open! The primary aim of this program is to provide access to Iowa students who would otherwise be unable to find these courses offered in their school district. In addition to courses that run for the full academic year, IOAPA also provides free access to asynchronous, one-semester, advanced courses for Iowa students in 6th grade and above. These courses can be perfect options for students needing more advanced coursework during the school year or who would like to add an additional AP course to their transcript. Additionally, AP exam scholarships are also available to eligible IOAPA students taking spring semester courses.

On our website, you can find a wealth of information, including our course catalog, important dates, registration, and information about getting started, along with support materials designed to help you and your students make decisions about course selections.

ONE-SEMESTER COURSES OFFERED

• 4 AP courses are available to high school students.
  • AP Macroeconomics
  • AP Microeconomics
  • AP Psychology
  • AP U.S. Government
• 4 advanced courses are available to middle school students. These courses are designed for high school students and made available to advanced students in grades 6-8.
  • Creative Writing
  • Psychology
  • U.S. History to the Civil War
  • CS Python Fundamentals (formerly Intro to Computer Science)

Course descriptions and syllabi for each course can be located by clicking “Learn More” on the course’s entry in our Course Catalog.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

To begin, visit our website (belinblank.org/ioapa) and review the Getting Started information. When you are ready to register, navigate back to the registration section of our website and click Register.

Students who are taking year-long courses do not need to re-enroll; they will be automatically enrolled in the spring semester of their course unless we receive notification from site staff that they would prefer to do otherwise.

If your school has already registered with us this year (i.e., if you currently have IOAPA students), then you will be automatically redirected to the appropriate step in the registration process (nominating the student; see below for details). 

Step-by-step course registration instructions are included below:

1. Register your school and assign a site coordinator and mentor. The first step is for principals to register their schools. They can do that on our website by clicking on Register. As part of this step, schools assign a site coordinator and a mentor. They can be the same person or different people; however, the mentor needs to be a certified teacher at the school. For spring semester courses, when schools have already registered during the current academic year: During spring semester registration, site coordinators are able to skip step 1, since the school is already registered for this academic year. You should still start by clicking Register on our website. You will then be redirected to step 2 (student nomination). 
2. Nominate the student(s) taking the IOAPA course(s). Completing the school registration page sends the principal an automated email with a link to nominate the student. The principal either needs to complete the nomination or forward the link to the site coordinator or mentor to complete.
3. Confirm that the student has self-enrolled in the course. Once the student has been nominated, an email will be automatically sent to the student to enroll themselves in the actual course. Be sure to have students check their junk mail folders, as automated emails sometimes get filtered there. Students should complete this process and be sure to click submit when they’re done.

After registering, be sure to complete any College Board requirements for offering AP courses:

• Register your school with the College Board.
• Complete the AP Course Audit process for Online/Distance Learning courses by the end of January in order to be able to label courses as “AP” on students’ transcripts.
• Encourage high school students to take the AP exam and order all AP exams by the College Board’s deadline. Also, as mentioned above, be on the lookout for emails about applying for our IOAPA AP exam scholarships.

Be on the lookout for information about Fall enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year during the spring semester. More information about our program, academic year courses, and important dates can be found here.

As always, please feel free to reach out to us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions or concerns.

Message from the Director: What does DEI Mean for Talent Development and Education?

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

The focus of the fall Belin-Blank Center newsletter is on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). What does a DEI focus mean for talent development and education? For decades, Professor Marcia Gentry asked that question and provided scholars and educators with viable answers. There was a collective sadness among all who knew her a few months ago, on August 31st, when she passed away.

Professor Gentry was a faculty member in the Department of Educational Studies and Director of the Gifted Education Research and Resource Center, both at Purdue University. Her work focused on talent identification and development among youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and Black, Latinx, and Native American communities. She highlighted the underrepresentation crisis in gifted and talented programs across the nation. Her research described inclusive and expanded programming for historically underserved populations, and she translated this research into best practice for educators throughout the country. Her impact is truly difficult to put into words and will last far into the future.

We at the Belin-Blank Center are committed to uplifting Professor Gentry’s work. As we revisit our mission, vision, values, and strategic plan, DEI and anti-racism are at the forefront. We already have in existence many initiatives and programs related to this value. For example, our extensive work with twice-exceptional youth through our research, clinical, and university programs; the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy that provides AP opportunities for rural youth; two federal grants serving talented underrepresented students in STEM and rural settings; professional development focused on DEI; and our extensive financial aid for families to attend student programs or visit our clinic psychologists.

But we can do more. I hope to increase school and community outreach regarding best practice in identification; assist more families in their homes and communities with twice-exceptional youth; spearhead DEI-focused funding initiatives; and consider community-based participatory research approaches to programming and research. We must face the biased and discriminatory history of the field and commit to a better future. 

Toward the end of her life, I was fortunate to have a brief text conversation with Professor Gentry through her daughter. I told Professor Gentry the impact she has had on me professionally and, more importantly, thousands of talented youth whom would have otherwise been excluded from gifted and talented programming. Her response impacted me greatly – mostly that she said Susan Assouline and I were “women committed to the cause.”

Professor Gentry, I thank you, I’ll never forget you, and I vow to be committed tirelessly to the cause.