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Educational Options: Ability Grouping

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  • Organizations: Local

    Electivity (Novato, CA)
    Electivity has helped parents and schools in the North Bay area launch a full spectrum of activities that promote new knowledge and life-long skills through enriching learning opportunities that complement the school day. Electivity's Enrichment Programs provide the opportunity for students to continue to learn new skills and discover new abilities after the school day has ended. Electivity adopts an ecosystem model where parents, schools, communities and partners collaborate closely to customize and provide the best and most affordable programs for children to explore their interests. These programs are conducted in the comfort of the children's Elementary and Middle schools as an extension of the school day.
    Washoe County School District - School Within A School (SWAS) (NV)
    The Washoe County School District's Gifted and Talented School Within a School (SWAS) program is for students in grades 3-6 who are identified as highly gifted. It is located at magnet sites within the district and provides a self-contained classroom environment, helping to meet the needs of these students in lieu of their regular classroom placement.

  • Printed Materials: Books

    A Menu of Options for Grouping Gifted Students (The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education)
    Karen B. Rogers, a leader in the field of gifted education, provides teachers with practical advice for choosing a grouping option that best fits their students and information on how to assess their grouping choices. From grouping by ability, to grouping by interest, to grouping by learning style, the use of grouping in the gifted and regular education classroom has proven to be a successful method of instruction for students. Grouping provides teachers with an effective means of providing gifted students with challenging coursework and access to advanced content, and gives students an avenue to create a peer group of other gifted students.
    A Teacher’s Guide to Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning
    Grouping learners purposefully throughout the school day based on their needs and the curriculum remains the single best way to differentiate instruction. This guide will help teachers expertly use flexible grouping and differentiation strategies to respond to students’ diverse learning needs, abilities, and interests. Included are methods for creating groups based on assessment data, planning group lessons and tiered assignments, engaging learners at all levels, supporting personalized learning, grading collaborative work, and communicating with parents about the benefits of group work and productive struggle. Digital content contains all forms from the book and a PDF presentation.
    Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century
    This book is designed to lead educators through the process of creating a thriving, student-centered, 21st-century classroom. Since its initial publication, the book’s materials have undergone rigorous testing and refinement in classrooms all over the world to deliver the best and most effective differentiation strategies.
    Differentiating Instruction for Gifted Learners
    This book allows educators and stakeholders to examine issues related to differentiating curriculum and instruction in a variety of contexts. The case studies in this resource analyze various differentiation strategies and their benefits to promote classrooms where every student belongs, every student is valued, and every student is nurtured.
    Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics
    A leading resource in the field of gifted education, this book connects the unique learning differences among gifted students to the specific teaching methods used to tailor their learning experiences. Expansive new content in the revised edition includes: A discussion of underserved learners—particularly English language learners, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and economically disadvantaged students; Updated information on learning standards, MTSS, and universal screening; New guidelines for honors courses; A focus on scholarly questioning, ethics, and empathy; A novel new strategy to increase curricular depth and complexity, and more.
    Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners
    In this one-stop resource for middle and high school teachers, Kristina J. Doubet and Jessica A. Hockett explore how to use differentiated instruction to help students be more successful learners—regardless of background, native language, learning style, motivation, or school savvy.
    Making Differentiation a Habit: How to Ensure Success in Academically Diverse Classrooms (Updated Edition)
    In this updated edition of her guide to daily differentiated instruction, Diane Heacox outlines the critical elements for success in today’s classrooms. She gives educators evidence-based differentiation strategies and user-friendly tools to optimize teaching, learning, and assessment for all students. New features include an expanded section on grading, information on connections between personalized learning and differentiation, integration of strategies with Tier I instructional interventions, scaffolding strategies, revised planning templates, and updated resources, which include digital tools and apps for assessment. Digital content includes customizable forms from the book.
    Programs and Services for Gifted Secondary Students: A Guide to Recommended Practices
    Written by Felicia A. Dixon, Ph.D., this book is designed to be a reference for service and program options for practitioners, administrators, and coordinators of gifted education programs. As such, it is a companion to the lengthier and more in-depth The Handbook of Secondary Gifted Education. The first part focuses on the gifted adolescent, including suggestions for academic, personal/social, and career exploration best practices. The second part explicates programmatic offerings available for gifted secondary students, such as AP and IB programming, distance learning, magnet and other special schools, study abroad, and early entrance to college options. The final section moves the discussion from “what is” to “what could be” for high-ability adolescents.
    Re-forming ( Reforming ) Gifted Education: How Parents and Teachers Can Match the Program to the Child
    Written by Karen Rogers, this is a research-based book that discusses acceleration of students, grouping within the school setting, and program provisions both in and outside of school. Rogers spells out and categorizes ways for schools, teachers, and parents to meet the needs of gifted children, including which students will benefit from particular instructional delivery methods and how each student need can best be addressed. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Teaching Gifted Children in Today’s Preschool to Primary Classrooms: Identifying, Nurturing, and Challenging Children Ages 4–9
    These proven, practical early childhood teaching strategies help teachers identify young gifted children, differentiate curriculum, assess and document students’ development, and build partnerships with parents. Chapters focus on early identification, curriculum compacting, social studies, language arts, math and science, cluster grouping, social-emotional development, and giftedness in diverse populations. Includes real-life scenarios and extensive annotated resources. Digital content includes customizable forms from the book.
    The Cluster Grouping Handbook: A Schoolwide Model
    The new edition offers identification and placement guidance for a wide variety of student ages and populations. It directs special attention toward empowering gifted English language learners. It shows teachers how to use the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) framework to differentiate learning tasks, and it offers new ideas for integrating technology into both professional development and student learning. A comprehensive glossary, references, and resources explain terminology and recommend assessments, books, organizations, and websites to explore.
    The Ultimate Guide to Internet Resources for Teachers of Gifted Students
    With this book, educators gain a detailed overview of how they can use the Internet to teach new information, extend students’ learning, and offer exciting opportunities for differentiation. The authors discuss the many ways in which Internet resources might be used and provide tips on connecting with experts and peers, conducting responsible research, evaluating websites and more.

  • Schools & Programs: Independent

    Helios New School (Palo Alto, CA)
    This is a private, progressive secular school based on a constructivist model of education. The K-5 curriculum is designed specifically for gifted students. There is multi-dimensional learning, including social and emotional development, and a low student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1. Students are placed where they will be most comfortable socially and academically, not on their chronological ages.
    The Beekman School (New York, NY)
    The Beekman School seeks to provide high school students with differentiated instruction based on each student's unique interests and needs through flexibility, focus on the individual, a supportive environment, and educators who care. Also offered is a Tutoring School program that accelerates courses to match the pace of the student.
    The Dinoff School (Griffin, GA)
    The Dinoff School is a private Kindergarten through 12th-grade school for gifted students. The school places students in classroom based on their ability, confidence, needs, desires, and challenge, not by age or grade.

  • Schools & Programs: Public

    Central Academy - Des Moines Public Schools (IA)
    Listed in the top one percent of educational programs nationally, Central Academy fosters academic excellence through the challenge of a compacted curriculum and the stimulation of intensive work with the students’ intellectual peers. Students are encouraged to develop skills, maturity, and responsibility to pursue high academic achievement. Students who successfully complete the program are prepared for the competitive demands of top colleges and universities. The curriculum offers acceleration and enrichment beyond the traditional high school program and prepares students to take Advanced Placement coursework by 10th grade.
    Hosford Middle School (Portland, OR)
    From a school with state tests scores far below average five years ago, Hosford has soared to numbers far above aveage in reading, writing and math. Educators at this school sort students according to performance rather than grades in math, reading and writing, so sixth-graders may sit next to eighth while studying a short story or work out a polynomial equation.
    University Scholars Program (West Chester, PA)
    The University Scholars Program, within the PA Leadership Charter School (PALCS), offers specialized gifted education curriculum. The Program is designed to maximize the intellectual potential of gifted and motivated learners, where individual achievement is valued and supported. Only PALCS students may apply for participation in this high performance/high achieving program.

  • Websites & Other Media: For Educators

    The Differentiated Classroom: DVD Series
    These ASCD videos, based on the updated second edition of Carol Ann Tomlinson's The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, show educators practical, real-world examples from experienced K-5 and high school teachers of how to divide time, resources, and efforts to effectively instruct students of various backgrounds, readiness and skill levels, and interests.

  • Websites & Other Media: Informational

    An Analysis of the Research on Ability Grouping: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
    This research monograph analyzes the research on ability grouping for the gifted, focusing both on current research and a historical analysis. The study strongly supports the use of ability grouping for gifted populations. This study was sponsored by the federal government through the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut.
    Byrdseed
    Byrdseed is a website dedicated to understanding gifted learners with information about how to differentiate lessons, teach across content areas and appreciate gifted kids’ unique social and emotional needs. Subscribe to articles or watch videos by gifted education teacher and former gifted student, Ian Byrd.
    Exceptionally and Profoundly Gifted Students: An Underserved Population
    This article details what happens to the profoundly gifted student when schooled with age mates rather than intellectual peers. Anecdotes of individual children support Gross's findings that profoundly gifted children do not have their needs met in the regular classroom.
    Hot Topic: Does Ability Grouping Help or Hurt? A Talk with Anne Wheelock
    Author Anne Wheelock is inteviewed by Scholastic Inc. about ability grouping and reports that over half of elementary schools breakout students by ability. What are the benefits and what are the disadvantages?
    The Relationship of Grouping Practices to the Education of the Gifted and Talented Learner: Research-Based Decision Making
    This research monograph is an overview of the uses of ability grouping in education. The results support ability grouping gifted students, especially at the highest ranges of intellect and specific talents. Included is a series of guidelines for practice based upon the research.