She enjoys teaching science most and is always alert to student needs, especially in science. J., the classroom teacher, generally has between 22 and 25 fourth grade students in a class that reflects the school’s demographics. The school typically scores in the 90% range on the state assessments. Otherwise, the students remain with their grade level group for other subjects, including science. Approximately 12% of the students are identified as academically talented and receive accelerated instruction in reading, language, and/or mathematics in a pullout program for grades 3-4.

Twelve percent of the students are low-income. The demographics are 66.0% White, 4.4% Black, 6.7% Hispanic, 13.5% Asian, with the remainder multiracial. Park West Elementary School in a suburb of a major metropolitan city has a population of about 450 students in grades preK-4.

It is not meant to imply that students fit solely into one demographic subgroup, but rather it is intended to illustrate practical strategies to engage all students in the NGSS. Finally, the vignette is intended to illustrate specific contexts. Performance expectations will be realized by utilizing coherent connections among disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts within the NGSS. Second, science instruction should take into account that student understanding builds over time and that some topics or ideas require extended revisiting through the course of a year. Neither does it indicate that the performance expectations should be taught one at a time. It should not be viewed as showing all instruction necessary to prepare students to fully understand these performance expectations. First, for the purpose of illustration only, the vignette is focused on a limited number of performance expectations. While the vignette presents real classroom experiences of NGSS implementation with diverse student groups, some considerations should be kept in mind. Vignette: Constructing Arguments About the Interaction of Structure and Function in Plants and Animals The vignette below highlights effective strategies that promote learning life science for gifted and talented students in an inclusive elementary science classroom. Effective strategies include (1) fast pacing, (2) different levels of challenge (including differentiation of content), (3) opportunities for self-direction, and (4) strategic grouping. Although the NGSS provide academic rigor for all students, teachers can employ strategies to ensure that gifted and talented students receive instruction that meets their unique needs as science learners. The lack of national data – at best, limited national data – on science achievement of gifted and talented students makes it even more difficult to address their achievement. These services, furthermore, are uneven across states or even districts within the same state because there is no federal mandate.

For non-dominant student groups, precise figures are further complicated as states typically rely on only one measure, resulting in fewer students receiving gifted and talented education services. Emotional outbursts or periods of withdrawal in gifted students may be due to their highly sensitive nature.Case Study 7: Gifted and Talented Students and the Next Generation Science Standards AbstractĪ precise figure for the number of gifted and talented students in the United States is not available due to the variation in identification processes from state to state.Overbearing behavior also may stem from gifted students’ desire for control in their lives, as well as their traits of independence and nonconformity.Bossiness in group work could be an indicator of younger students practicing their leadership abilities to find the most effective leadership style.Poor group work gifted students may prefer to work alone because of feelings that their ideas will be misunderstood or unappreciated by the group.These feelings can lead to unfinished work, procrastination, or underachievement. Sensitivity to the attitudes and perceptions of others may cause gifted students to fall into the perfectionism trap or to fear failure.Gifted children may question the appropriateness of classroom activities for their needs but will work diligently on topics of high interest. Poor class work by gifted students is often a sign of disinterest in the subject matter.They have unfinished work, which may be the result of varied interests and the inability to narrow down a topic.

Sample case study gifted student