The York County School Division

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Adult Education D.A.R.E. Gifted Education Honors Program LLLC Lab New Horizons Parent Resource Ctr. School of the Arts Special Education

York County School Division Special Programs

• Targets students' understanding and appreciation of systems of knowledge
• Provides exposure to themes, key ideas, and principles that bridge domains of knowledge
• Positions teacher as questioner who raises interpretive issues for discussion and debate
• Focuses student energies on reading, reflecting, and writing
• Incorporates aesthetic appreciation of powerful ideas in various representational forms
• Interrelates form and content
• Provides an intellectual framework that exposes students to many ideas not provided in traditional curricula
• Structures opportunities for understanding the creative as well as the intellectual process through critically analyzing creative products and being actively engaged in the creative process itself
• Provides a context for integrating cognitive and affective objectives into the curriculum
• Stresses use of Socratic method to stimulate intellectual discussion on issues or themes
     VanTassel-Baska, J. (1994). Comprehensive curriculum for gifted learners. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
  

• Grades 1-2 EXPLORATIONS
• Grade  3     ADVENTURES
• Grade  4     FRONTIERS
• Grade  5     JOURNEYS
• Grades 6-7 CHANGES/PATTERNS

Gifted Education Program Staff/Contact Information
Dr. Lucia Villa Sebastian, Ed. D..
Director of Curriculum and Student Achievement
757-898-0450
Dr. Phyllis Milne, Ed. D.
Associate Director of Curriculum and Student Achievement
757-833-2213
Sarah Haywood
Gifted Education Coordinator/Grade 3 Teacher
757-.898-0389
Vee Baggett
Grades 1 & 2 Teacher
757-898-0389
Pam Schwalenberg
Grade 4 Teacher
757-898-0389
Roberta Bockrath
Grade 5 Teacher
757-898-0389
Leeza Beazlie
Grades 6 & 7 Teacher
757-898-0389
Jodie Will, Secretary
757-898-0389

Gifted Education School Contacts
Bethel Manor Elementary
Trisha Spruiel Teacher
Coventry Elementary
Jodie Gulaskey, Teacher
Lisa Ruffieux, Assistant Principal
Dare Elementary
Kim Goodwin, Guidance Counselor
Grafton Bethel Elementary
Carol Childress, Teacher
Magruder Elementary
Adriane Bradley-Gray, Assistant Principal
Mount Vernon Elementary
Joy Eaton, Assistant Principal
Seaford Elementary
Mary Lugo, Assistant Principal
Tabb Elementary
Jennifer Goodwin, Assistant Principal
Waller Mill Elementary
Katie Gaylord , Guidance Counselor
Yorktown Elementary
Barbara Bailey, Teacher
Grafton Middle
Eyvette Jones, Guidance Counselor
Queens Lake Middle
Martha Waynick, Guidance Counselor
Tabb Middle
Kim Haskins, Assessment and Compliance Coordinator
Yorktown Middle
Bjork Jonasdottir, Guidance
Bruton High
Boo Schwartz, Guidance Director
Grafton High
Melissa Kashy, Guidance Director
Tabb High
Brad Williams, Guidance Director
York High
Michele Smith, Guidance Director

Referral/Identification of Students for Gifted Education Services
Students may be referred for consideration for placement in gifted education programs by administrators, classroom and resource teachers, guidance counselors, and other professional staff members, as well as by parents, community members, peers, and students themselves. The Gifted Education Contact in each school coordinates referrals for that school. The criteria indicated below may be used to identify students for gifted education:

• Standardized/Norm-Referenced Ability Tests - Students who qualify for gifted education generally score between the 95th-99th percentiles on these tests. If a referred student has not taken a standardized ability test, the Division administers one.
• Standardized/Norm-Referenced Achievement Tests - Students who qualify for gifted education generally score between the 95th-99th percentiles on these tests. If a referred student has not taken a standardized ability test, the Division administers one.
• Teacher Observation Reports - Students who qualify for gifted education demonstrate to a great extent specific behaviors associated with intellectually gifted learners. For students referred for gifted education, teachers complete a Teacher Observation Report, indicating observed examples of these characteristics.
• Parent Questionnaires - Students who qualify for gifted education demonstrate to a large degree specific behaviors associated with intellectually gifted learners. For students referred for gifted education, parents report examples of these behaviors on a form provided by the Division.
• Scholastic Records - Students eligible for gifted education typically perform well on academic work that is characterized as being "above grade level."
• Other Data - It is occasionally appropriate to conduct personal interviews with students who have been referred for gifted education. Teachers may also be asked to provide illustrative examples of student work.

The Gifted Education Plan 2006-2011
In compliance with directive from the Virginia Department of Education, the York County School Division's Gifted Education Plan 2006-2011 serves as the blueprint for gifted education services. On June 9, 2006, the York County School Board approved the Plan for the Education of Gifted Students 2006-2011 which includes services available to identified gifted students in grades K-12.

• Grade K
• Kindergarten students identified as potentially gifted attend special seminars each spring during the school day at the EXTEND Center, the Division's gifted education center.
• Academic achievement grouping in mathematics is provided in each elementary school.
  Grades 1-2
  
• Students identified as potentially gifted participated in the Primary Enrichment Program (PEP) and meet weekly at the EXTEND Center with the PEP teacher who provides extended learning and enrichment opportunities for identified students.
  
• Co-curricular activities may serve as extension of the Gifted Education Program (e.g., Odyssey of the Mind, academic challenges, computer competitions, debate activities).
  
• The Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School and the Elementary Math, Science and Technology Magnet School serve students in grades 1-5 at two Division elementary schools.
  Grades 3-5
  
• Students are identified as intellectually gifted as early as the third grade. Students travel from their home school one full day each week to attend the EXTEND program located at the EXTEND Center.
  
• Academic achievement grouping in mathematics is provided in each elementary school.
  
• Co-curricular activities may serve as extension of the Gifted Education Program (e.g., Odyssey of the Mind, academic challenges, computer competitions, debate activities).
  
• The Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School and the Elementary Math, Science and Technology Magnet School serve students in grades 1-5 at two Division elementary schools.
  Grades 6-7
  
• Students who have been identified as intellectually gifted meet weekly in their home schools with the gifted education teacher who travels to each middle school to provide enriched learning opportunities.
  
• Academic achievement grouping in English and mathematics is provided in each middle school.
  
• A specific counseling program, Thinking Caps, for identified gifted students in grades 6-8 is provided in each middle school.
  
• Co-curricular activities may serve as extension of the Gifted Education Program (e.g., Odyssey of the Mind, academic challenges, computer competitions, debate activities).
• The Middle School, School of the Arts serves students in grades 6-8 at Queens Lake Middle School.
  Grades 8-12
  
• Intellectually gifted students in grades 8-12 who meet prerequisite criteria have the opportunity to participate in various advanced courses of study including: the Honors Program, the Pre-International Baccalaureate Programme, the International Baccalaureate Programme, Advanced Placement courses, the Governor's School for Science and Technology, the Summer Governor's School, and the School of the Arts. In addition, concurrent enrollment in cooperation with local colleges, seminars, and enrichment activities are available to these students.
  
• Academic achievement grouping in English and mathematics is provided in each high school.
  
• Co-curricular activities may serve as extension of the Gifted Education Program (e.g., Odyssey of the Mind, academic challenges, computer competitions, debate activities).

The Gifted Education Advisory Committee (GEAC)
The Gifted Education Advisory Committee (GEAC) is comprised of elementary, middle, and high school parents; community representatives; support services representatives; the Gifted Education Coordinator; and a school division curriculum/instruction representative. This committee serves in an advisory capacity in support of gifted education programs in the school division. The GEAC meets five times annually, and the meetings are open to the public. The committee chair is Rebecca Cho(E-mail contact )
Questions about the York County School Division gifted education services or the means by which students are identified for these programs should be directed to the Gifted Education Contact at your child's school.