Marty Crouser, 5th Grade Teacher and TAG Coordinator

Hello Families;

The TAG process is open and there have been some changes.

Marty Crouser 5th Grade Teacher and TAG Coordinator

Spring Afterschool TAG classes through Saturday Academy

We will be offering Saturday Academy classes again this spring for TAG students.  Classes are limited to 12 students, per Saturday Academy's request. Students will be selected via lottery if more than 12 students register by the deadline (3/20). Parents will make payment directly via the Saturday Academy website.  Partial scholarships may be available.

To register, send an email by next Friday, March 20, to Emily Gumper at emilygumper@gmail.com with the following information:

-Child’s Name, Grade, and Teacher
-Parent's Name

-Student’s After School plan following class completion (YMCA, parent pickup, home independently)

-Financial Assistance needed?

CLASSES OFFERED

Grades 4-5: Creative Engineering

Toys are a great way to learn about science, engineering and the design process. Students will explore the creative thinking and problem-solving techniques needed to bring 

their ingenious ideas for toys and games to reality. They will brainstorm innovative solutions and learn about basic engineering as they delve into the mechanics of simple machines.

Dates: Tuesdays, April 7—June 2 (no class 05/19)
Times: 2:20—3:50 PM
Cost: $150

Grades 2-3: Math Trek

Thinking and problem-solving skills will be challenged in this exploration of number systems from around the world. Students will begin with Roman Numerals then move on to Chinese numerals while learning to use an abacus. The journey continues with Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Rosetta Stone. Students will investigate Babylonian numerals and the 60-based number system. The trek ends with Indian numerals and the Invention of zero. 

Dates: Tuesdays, April 7—June 2
Times: 2:20—3:50 PM

Cost: $160

ADVOCATE FOR TAG AT PPS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, FEB. 3!!

Please see the following information circulated by a parent on the TAG parent advisory council:  

RARE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO HELP YOUR CHILD
In a week, on Tuesday, February 3rd, PPS’s Talented And Gifted parent Advisory Council (TAGAC) is presenting its plan for improving TAG services to the PPS School Board. 

This proposal was approved by TAGAC last June (http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/tag/TAGAC_2013-14_report_and_recommendations.pdf); it is comprehensive:

1. Provide equity by requiring placement of all Elementary and Middle School Students in Appropriate Level Math and Reading Classes; one grade level advancement should be provided at each elementary and middle school. 
2.      Reform Screening for Single Subject Advancement; the SSA process should only be necessary for multi-grade advancements. 
3.      Use Flexible Grouping to Narrow Range of Achievement Levels for Math and Reading in heterogeneous classrooms. 
4.      Repurpose School TAG Budgets. 
5.      Expand ACCESS Academy. 
6.      Post expanded TAG Statistics on the PPS Website. 

If you feel current services are inadequate, and you want the School Board to realize that more than ‘just a few’ parents feel this way, you need to come to the School Board Meeting on 2/3. After introductions, we plan to ask all TAG parents in the audience to stand €“ it will make a powerful statement if that room is full.
If you want to bring signs, we suggest “Strong Schools Need Strong TAG Services” .

The School Board Meeting will be at the school district's Blanchard Education Service Center, 501 N. Dixon Street, Portland, Oregon, 97227. We encourage people to be there by 7pm.

Please also fill out the PPS Successful Schools Survey. It is available online at http://www.oregonskitchentable.org,in print in school offices, and can be downloaded. More information and directions go tohttp://www.pps.k12.or.us/about-us/10281.htm. 

If your child is TAG, please be sure to indicate that on the survey; TAGAC was successful in lobbying for a TAG box so that results can be looked at for this specific population and compared to those of non-TAG parents. There are several questions that would show how you feel about the "TAG services" your child is getting. So please think carefully about the answers to the following questions:

4. promotes academic success for all students.
6. challenges my child/children academically. 
11. makes learning enjoyable for my child/children. 
12. welcomes input and suggestions from parents 
27. My child’s teachers effectively support my child’s learning needs. 
38. harassment or bullying of students? (if happening from good grades, being a nerd, smart, etc)
47. motivates students to learn. 
48. has a supportive learning environment for my child.

If these mirror results from the 2012 TAG parent survey (http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/TAG_Survey_Letter_2012.13.pdf), the message will be very strong. Please also consider advocating for improved TAG services, even noting the TAGAC recommendations, on Question #60.

We have the School Board’s ear very briefly I hope you take advantage of this opportunity.

TAG Organizational Meeting Tuesday, December 9th

There will be a TAG organizational meeting on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:15 in the library (prior to the 7 pm PTA meeting).  We will be discussing goals for the remainder of this year and looking ahead to next year.   Please email me at emilygumper@gmail.com with particular issues or concerns you would like to discuss.

Challenge Hour is under way!

Challenge Hour is now under way for second through fifth graders.  This session will continue through the week before winter break.  Parents should be receiving weekly summaries from the parent leaders for each grade level.  Please contact the parent volunteers, myself (emilygumper@gmail.com), or Marty Crouser (mcrouser@pps.net) with questions.

Single Subject Advancement in PPS: Survey

A PPS parent who is on the Talented and Gifted Parent Advisory Council (TAGAC) is conducting a survey about parent experiences with PPS's policy and procedure for advancing students beyond their current grade level in certain subjects in appropriate cases.  Please see below:

Hello everyone!

I am a Portland Public School (PPS) parent who is also on PPS's Talented And Gifted parent Advisory Council (TAGAC). I've included a survey below soliciting input on how Single Subject Advancement (SSA) is done in PPS proper.

 If you are at PPS and have considered SSA for your child, I would appreciate it if you could share your story by sending it to my email address:

 nandjmom4@gmail.com

FEEDBACK PLEASE: PPS SINGLE SUBJECT ADVANCEMENT SURVEY:

Portland Public School's (PPS's) Talented And Gifted parent Advisory Council (TAGAC) is
 working to improve TAG services for PPS students.

As you may be aware, TAGAC recently passed "A Recommended Framework for Improved TAG Services in PPS (for details, go to 

http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/tag/recommendations-v11.pdf

Members like myself are currently advocating for PPS to implement those Measures. Please distribute this document to anyone who may be interested.

Measure 2 of the proposal requests that PPS improve the process used when parents request that their child be evaluated for Single Subject Advancement (SSA).

 Measure 1 suggests that teachers and principals use a similar process at the beginning of every school year to evaluate every elementary and middle school student's current level and put them in a math class at that level. It requests that every school support at least one grade of acceleration without having to transport a child to another school.

If you (or a PPS teacher or other PPS staff) have requested or tried to request Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) for your child in any subject, we would appreciate hearing your story. Specifically, we would like to know:

·       In what subject did you (or a teacher/staff) request that your child be evaluated for SSA? 

·       What grade was your child in? 

·       Optionally, what school was your child in at the time? (Feel free to skip this question.) 

·       Please describe why you or a teacher/staff requested SSA. What do you believe was the impact of inappropriate placement on your child. 

·       Did you request that your child be evaluated for SSA or was the evaluation initiated by a PPS teacher/staff? 

·       How long did it take from the time the request was made to the time you found out if your child would be evaluated? 

·       How was the request received? Were you encouraged or discouraged to proceed or was your request received in a neutral manner? 

·       Was your child evaluated or was the request turned down? 

·       If your request for evaluation was turned down: 
--      What reason was given? 

--      In lieu of acceleration, were any changes made in how your child was taught in this subject? 

--      Did you or do you plan to take any additional actions because of this? (Such as changing schools, changing school districts, pulling your child out for full or partial home schooling, etc.) 

·       If your request for evaluation was accepted: 
--      What tests or other evaluations did your child take? 

--      Did PPS determine that SSA was appropriate or not appropriate? 

·       If after the evaluation, SSA was deemed appropriate: 
--      How many grade levels was your child accelerated? 

--      Please describe the impact of that experience on your child. 
-- Did SSA cause any issues in subsequent classes/school years? 


·       If after the evaluation, SSA was deemed not appropriate: 

--      What reason or evaluation results were given? 

--      What do you believe was the impact of inappropriate placement on your child. 

--      In lieu of acceleration, were any changes made in how your child was taught in this subject? 

--      Did you or do you plan to take any additional actions because of this? (Such as changing schools, changing school districts, pulling your child out for full or partial home schooling, etc.) 

--      If your child currently attends ACCESS and you requested your child be evaluated for SSA before they entered ACCESS, please also answer the following two questions: 
--      If your child was turned down for SSA before entering ACCESS, was your child accelerated after entering ACCESS? If so, how many grades? 

--      If your child was accelerated before entering ACCESS, was your child accelerated any additional grades after entering ACCESS? 

 
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are working hard to make things better! Your examples will help us do that.

~ Deborah (nandjmom4@gmail.com)