The document discusses cluster grouping, which places students into classrooms based on their achievement levels. It does this for several reasons: it is cost effective, places students with intellectual peers, ensures teachers are trained to meet special needs, allows high achievers to emerge as leaders, and reduces the range of achievement levels teachers must teach. It defines the different achievement groupings used in cluster grouping as high achieving, above average, average, low average, and low achieving. It also clarifies that while there is a designated high achieving classroom, all teachers receive training in differentiation, and the high achieving classroom rotates among teachers every 3-4 years.

1. Spring 2012
Introducing……
Cluster Grouping 2011
Gifted 101….

2. School-wide Cluster Grouping…..
WHY
CLUSTER?
What are the
different
achievement
groupings?
The ‘HA’
Teacher has
the easiest
group of
students.
Right?

3. Why Cluster?WHY
CLUSTER?

5. One of the reasons we cluster students school wide is the
research demonstrates the following benefits :
1. The program is cost effective
2. Students are clustered with their intellectual peers.
3. Special needs students and the highest achieving students are
placed with teachers who have had training and are interested in
meeting these special needs.
4. The second group of high flyers are placed in a position to emerge
as new leaders and increase their achievement
5. Heterogeneous grouping is maintained while there is a deliberate
reduction in the range of achievement levels that each teacher
must teach.
6. Special Education, English Learners, and Gifted Education staff
can more efficiently access and service qualified students.
7. A group of ‘High Flyers’ exists in every teacher’s
classroom.

6. FIRST…. A WORD ABOUT GIFTED ….

7. Who ARE the “Gifted”?

8. Who are the Gifted?
Silverman (1993) presented a list of the interrelated intellectual and
personality characteristics of giftedness that may be found across all talent
domains:
Intellectual Characteristics
• Exceptional reasoning ability
• Intellectual curiosity
• Rapid learning rate
• Facility with abstraction
• Complex thought processes
• Vivid imagination
• Early moral concern
• Passion for learning
Personality Characteristics
• Insightfulness
• Need to understand
• Need for mental stimulation
• Perfectionism
• Need for precision/logic
• Excellent sense of humor
• Sensitivity/empathy
• Intensity

9. Research consistently shows that many gifted children and adolescents
have the capacity for intensified thinking and feeling, as well as vivid
imaginations. Whether they are gifted athletes, artists, musicians,
intellectuals, or are highly creative, they may have higher levels of
emotional development due to greater awareness and intensity of feeling.
“Being different” in ability and personality characteristics
may lead to higher expectations, jealousy, and resentment by
adults and peers.

10. What’s the big deal about being “different?”
The specific problems that may result can be external or internal.
 Difficulty with social relationships
 Refusal to do routine, repetitive assignments
 Inappropriate criticism of others
 Lack of awareness of impact on others
 Lack of sufficient challenge in schoolwork
 Depression (often manifested in boredom)
 High levels of anxiety
 Difficulty accepting criticism
 Hiding talents to fit with peers
 Nonconformity and resistance to authority
 Excessive competitiveness
 Isolation from peers
 Low frustration tolerance
 Poor study habits
 Difficulty in selecting among a diversity of interests
(Silverman, 1987)

12. What are the different
achievement groupings in
Cluster Grouping?
What are the
different
achievement
groupings?

13. ClusterGrouping…. High Achieving (HA):
 These students are great at math and reading when
compared to age peers.
 May be gifted instead of bright on on “ Bright vs. Gifted”
document
 Above-Average Achieving (AA):
 These students are great at math or reading, or the are
PRETTY good at math and reading.
 These students have traits under the bright instead of the
gifted range on “Bright vs. Gifted” document
Continued……

14. ClusterGrouping….
 Average Achieving (A):
 These students achieve in the middle when compared to
others in their grade level.
 Their achievement might be “on grade level” in many
schools
 Low-Average Achieving (LA):
 These students may struggle with math or reading or be
slightly behind their peers.
 With some extra support, here and there, it appears that
they ARE NOT at GREAT risk of failing
 Low Achieving (L):
 Face risk of failing
 Longer they attend a certain school , the more behind they
appear

15. The HA teacher is the BEST
teacher at the grade level.
Right?

16. No.
You MIGHT be an HA teacher…!
• 85% of the elementary teachers in our
district have received specific training in
differentiation, not just the designated HA
teacher at the grade level.
• Differentiation is NOT a ‘gifted education’
concept. Differentiation occurs in ALL
classrooms.
• Differentiation simply means adjusting
instruction based on students needs.
• As the instructional range is reduced, all
teachers are better able to differentiate for
their students.
• The HA group classroom should be ‘rotated’
every 3-4 years, so each teacher receives
the training, support and experience of
working with this group of students.

17. What’s Your Message?
Kris Happe
Gifted Education
Osseo Area Schools
happek@district279.org
612-598-8571