HASIP and My Child

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The High Ability Student Initiative Program (HASIP) began in 2008 as a program to provide resources for educators statewide to meet the needs of high ability learners in their classroom.  The administration of the program was housed in Washington School District until 2010 and then moved to Granite School District. Rebecca H. Odoardi, a longtime and knowledgeable leader in gifted education and an advocate for high ability children is the new director.

If your child’s teacher is participating in the program, he/she will learn new strategies to provide more appropriate learning experiences for your child. Teachers will learn to identify the high-ability student; learn to make accommodations for individual differences; and learn how to use differentiation strategies in their lessons.  As a parent, you can expect your child to learn new critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, and research skills. Teachers will spend time with coaches who will encourage and assist them as they learn these new skills.
Because high-ability students are found in every school, teachers throughout the state will be provided information on how to participate.  The ultimate goal of the program is to ensure that every child in Utah will have the opportunity to learn something new everyday.

Purpose and Goals of the Program

The High-Ability Student Initiative Program is designed to facilitate broader teacher knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, pedagogy, and the social and emotional needs of high-ability students in the state of Utah.

Goals:

  1. Provide classroom teachers with tools and strategies to meet the needs of high-ability learners.  Support HASIP’s initiative to advocate for the education of high ability learners.  Build rapport with a coach through meetings in person, and through other means.
  2. Provide professional development support to teachers through individual coaching and access to endorsement programs.  Advocate for the education of high ability learners through curricular and instructional support.
  3. Provide resources related to the needs of high-ability learners to educators and community members throughout Utah.  Serving as a coach for HASIP is an opportunity to bring differentiation for high ability learners to the forefront.
Legislation: High-Ability Student Initiative Grant

Authorizing Legislation – High-Ability Student Initiative Program.

FY 2008, Senate Bill 2, Section 23, Section 53A-17a-160 reads:
53A-17a-
(1) The High-ability Student Initiative Program is created to provide resources for educators to enhance the academic growth of high-ability students.
(2) The program shall consist of:
(a) personnel under the direction of the State Board of Education and superintendent of public instruction who shall direct and facilitate the program;
(b) a comprehensive, Internet-based resource center to provide information about high-ability students to teachers, administrators, parents, and the community;
(c) professional development and professional learning communities for teachers, including research –based tools to:
(i)  identify high-ability students;
(ii)  implement strategies to meet high-ability students’ needs;
(iii)  train and mentor teachers; and
(iv) enhance teacher collaboration and networking, including videoconferencing equipment for classroom observation and coaching;
(d) assistance for a teacher to obtain an endorsement for gifted and talented education; and
(e) an evaluation of the program.
(3)  (a) From monies appropriated for the High-ability Student Initiative Program, the  State Board of Education shall establish a grant program to encourage a licensed teacher to obtain an endorsement for gifted and talented education.
(b) The State Board of Education may award up to 250 grants in amounts of up to $2,500 each.
(c) To receive a grant, a licensed teacher shall provide matching funds in an amount equal to 1/2 the grant amount.
(4) From monies appropriated for the High-ability Student Initiative Program, the State Board of Education shall:
(a) contract with an independent, qualified evaluator, selected through a request for proposals process, to evaluate the High-ability Student Initiative Program; and
(b) provide up to 60 stipends in amounts of up to $1,500 each for teachers who participate in the evaluation.
(5) High-ability Student Initiative Program monies may not be used to supplant funds for existing programs, but may be used to augment existing programs.
(6) Participation in the High-ability Student Initiative Program shall be:
(a) voluntary for an individual teacher; and
(b) voluntary for a charter school or school district.
(7) The State Board of Education shall make an annual report during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 interims to the Education Interim Committee describing the program's impact on high-ability students

Participant Teacher Expectations

  1. Lesson delivery: Participants will prepare lessons and/or activities, and/or class periods, which show growth from endorsement courses through USU.  As an example of the participant teacher’s  "best Gifted/Talented practice implementation, the participant teacher will video one lesson near the end of the course."  This lesson/activity/period may be video recorded by the teacher or coach; the participant teacher should involve the coach as needed.  The video will be submitted to the HASIP Staff for evaluation purposes.
  2. Coaching conversations: Teachers will participate in at least two coaching conversations and one endorsement-focused conversations related to their lesson delivery each month.  The participant teachers may ask the coach to review video of a lesson, and engage in a reflective conversation related to the lesson. Coaching conversations will take place in person, by email, over the phone, or any other method agreed upon.  The endorsement-focused conversation will take place at the teacher's school site or by Wimba, if an in-person visit isn’t possible.
  3. G/T endorsement courses: Participant teachers will enroll in an online endorsement class through the High-Ability Student Initiative Program through Utah State University.  Participating teachers pay ONLY the university recording fee and for any required texts.  The program pays the tuition costs and loans technology equipment for use as long as they are in the program.
University Endorsement Classes

Each teacher in the High-Ability Student Initiative Program is required to complete his or her Gifted and Talented Endorsement in two years.  The Endorsement Classes are based on the new Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education, which were developed the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted and Talented and were approved by NCATE in 2006.  These standards provide the foundation for the knowledge and skills the teachers learn in the program.

USU Gifted Endorsement Course Overview

TEAL 6420: Education of Gifted and Talented Learners; Credits: 2

Provides multiple cultural and historical perspectives on giftedness and talent. Explores characteristics of gifted individuals, with emphasis on identifying needs. Provides general overview of possible services for gifted learners. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6430.

TEAL 6430: Practicum—Individual Case Study; Credits: 1
Practicum experience in association with TEAL/SCED 6420. Requires intensive supervised study of gifts and talents of individual child of student’s choice. Graded Pass/Fail only. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6420.
TEAL 6450: Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted and Talented Learners; Credits: 2
Explores social and emotional needs of gifted and talented learners (e.g., asynchrony, perfectionisms, underachievement), as well as appropriate educational responses to those needs. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6455.
TEAL 6455: Practicum—Gifted Social and Emotional Needs Application;
Credits: 1
Requires application of appropriate educational responses to social and emotional needs of gifted learners.  Grade Pass/Fail only. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6450.
TEAL 6460: Assessment in Gifted Education; Credits: 2
Provides introduction to identifying students as gifted, creative, and talented.  Presents strategies for preassessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment with gifted level learners.  Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6470.
TEAL 6470 Practicum—Gifted Assessment Applications; Credits: 1
Requires application of strategies for preassessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment with gifted level learners in classroom settings.  Graded Pass/Fail only. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6460.
TEAL 6480 Methods and Materials in Gifted Education; Credits: 2
Explores curriculum and instructional models in gifted education, with special attention to the development of instructional materials for use with students. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6490.
TEAL 6490 Practicum—Gifted Strategies Applications; Credits: 1
Curriculum and instructional models and materials used in gifted education are applied to classroom settings. Graded Pass/Fail only. Must be taken concurrently with TEAL 6480.

Credit Requirements:

  • A total of 16 credits are required to obtain G/T license endorsement.
  • There are 11 required credits in the G/T Endorsement Program (see courses above).
  • There are 5 additional credits required, which may be fulfilled through a variety of
Options for 5 Additional Credits (other options are available in addition to those listed below):
  • Any departmental content class at 5000 or 6000 level.
  • Education classes that include content in the title (i.e., “Literacy in [content area]”).
  • Any strategy or methods class:
  • G/T class: Multiple Talent Approach to Thinking (2 credits)
  • Cooperative Learning o ESL methods classes
  • CORE Academy (must take for credit)
  • GT or Differentiated Instruction conferences where graduate credit is earned.
  • Southern Utah Gifted Seminar
  • UAGC Annual Conference
  • Intermountain Conference on the Gifted and Talented