Our Mission
Through RIAGE we hope to provide a forum for the development of public awareness of the needs of the gifted and talented; to facilitate an interchange of information on the subject of the gifted and talented; to develop cooperation with community and professional organizations; and to provide an organized voice for parents, teachers, administrators, school board members and others concerned about the unmet needs of gifted and talented students.
Please Note: RIAGE is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run by volunteers. We are NOT part of the Rhode Island Department of Education and we depend on your membership contributions to continue our programs. Your membership is tax deductible.
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Higher Ed Act Title II Grants
On Facebook, Jeff Danielian writes:
Now is the time! For the first time, language has been added requiring grant applicants to specify how they will train teacher candidates to learn how to identify the needs of gifted students and to differentiate instruction to meet those needs. In addition to considering whether you might apply, also consider that this amounts to up to $35 to $40 million dollars worth of grant funding required to add a focus on our population of children.Thanks to Jane Clarenbach for all her continued efforts over the years.
HEA Title II Grants
The Teacher Quality Partnership Grants under the Higher Ed Act are now available. The grants require all teacher candidates to learn how to meet the learning needs of gifted children. http://www.nagc.org/upload edFiles/Advocacy/title%20I I%20grant%20notice%20(5-27 -09).pdf for a pdf of the notice and application from the U.S. Dept of Ed or http://edocket.access.gpo. gov/2009/E9-12180.htm for the text version.News Articles
Culture, Not Biology, Underpins Math Gender Gap
ScienceDaily (June 2, 2009) — For more than a century, the notion that females are innately less capable than males at doing mathematics, especially at the highest levels, has persisted in even the loftiest circles.Poor, Bright Suffer from R.I.’s Neglect (PDF file)
Year after year, Rhode Island lags far behind other states in supporting high-ability learners. Our state’s gifted-education policy was last revised in 1982, requires no specialized instruction for gifted students and — perhaps most telling— dedicates not a single dollar to gifted education. Teachers are not required to have any training in gifted education, and even the part-time state position focused on gifted has sat vacant for more than a year. As of the most recent state report card issued by the National Association for Gifted Children, Rhode Island ranks at the bottom in nearly all categories, earning the state the dubious label of “most in need” with regard to critical indicators of quality gifted-education. Diana Reeves, Providence Journal 6/09/08A one-size-fits-all approach to learning doesn't suit today's classrooms
It is our duty to nurture and celebrate potential in gifted and talented children, says Jane Maguire. The Guardian, 9/30/08Brightness at Risk
As students throughout the region settle into the new school year, heading back to school is a largely meaningless exercise for our highest-performing students. Sally M. Reis 09/14/08Gifted Children: How to Bring Out Their Potential
Contrary to what many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily destined for academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people. Scientific American, 9/8/08New D.C.-area private school to adopt home-schooling model
Social-studies teacher Alan M. Shusterman, 43, will launch a new private middle school next fall where teachers will help students design their own lessons and projects to help them gain 21st-century skills. "The model is inspired by the success of home-schoolers," Shusterman said. At the School for Tomorrow, as it has been dubbed, students will also set the pace of their own learning and class schedules. The Washington Post, 07/17/08Resources Run Short For Gifted Students
Being a gifted young learner should not mean you lose your right to a quality education. Del Siegle, Hartford Courant, 07/01/08Efforts to close achievement gap may hurt best students, report says
06/19/08, The intense efforts of No Child Left Behind to bring the performance of the nation’s worst students from unacceptable to adequate may be the same force stopping the movement of its brightest students from excellent to extraordinary, according to a report released Wednesday by a Washington-based educational research group. For the original report in PDF format click here.RI Now Offers a Web-Based Curriculum Linked to Statewide Standards
Rhode Island parents and teachers who want to know what the Rhode Island Department of Education considers effective instructional techniques for every student to achieve high standards, have a new resource: a Web-based archive of lesson plans, student work, and videos of effective teaching -- all aligned with the state's academic expectations for students.
Although the web site does not specifically address the needs of gifted learners, it does provide Grade Level Expectations for grades kindergarten to eight and the Grade Span Expectations for high school. These guidelines define what students should know and be able to do for curriculum, instruction, and assessment purposes. In addition, GLEs/GSEs guide local programming and curriculum development.
To visit the Rhode Island Statewide Curriculum web site click here.