Trigram: A Gifted Program Model All Students Can Enjoy

Rural Special Education Quarterly, Winter 2004 by Coon, Patricia

Abstract

When developing a gifted program model, it is beneficial for gifted students, as well as the rest of the school population, to consider an inclusionary program that involves all learners through different levels of delivery. The Trigram program has a three-prong delivery mode that has proven to be very successful among students, teachers, and parents. The program's uniqueness is not only that it is based on many of the best models for gifted education, but that it services all students, including students from general and special education throughout the course of the school year. Gifted students respond well to this program configuration, and they are more accepted and respected by their peers in that every student has a chance to participate. With the oftentimes restricted access to diverse enrichment activities in rural communities, this model serves as an efficient means of extending and expanding limited resources.

The jury is still out un whether or not students should be homogeneously or heterogenously grouped. Both camps argue vigorously on each side, and students are caught in the middle. Research supports both types of grouping, and students have been found to benefit from a variety of such options (Braddock, 1990). Rural schools, which often have only one teacher of the gifted for an entire county, also face the dilemma of how to best serve this population. Trigram is a gifted program that began in a mixed rural/suburban middle school that integrates some of the best models that have been developed and utilized in the field of gifted education. It services gifted, regular, and students with special needs who can benefit from the inclusionary practices of gifted education.

In recent years, certain beliefs and assumptions have guided the most recent curriculum theory in gifted education. Theorists contend that all learners should be provided with curriculum opportunities that allow gifted students to attain optimum levels of learning. Since gifted learners have different learning needs compared with typical learners, curriculum must be adapted or designed to accommodate these needs. The needs of gifted learners cut across cognitive, affective, social, and aesthetic areas of curriculum experiences. Critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, emotional/social development, and appreciation of beauty are some of the skills of emphasis through a confluent approach that allows both accelerated and enriched learning. Meaningful curriculum experiences for gifted learners need to be carefully planned, written down, implemented, and evaluated in order to maximize potential effect (Gallagher & Gallagher, 1994; Maker & Nielson, 1996; Passow, 1982; Van Tassel-Baska, 2000).

Trigram, a program that services gifted, above average achievers, and the rest of the school population, embodies these key beliefs and assumptions that each learner is an individual. Through content area acceleration and enrichment option levels synthesized into a program that meets the needs of the entire student population, every student can become the most able learner through three different levels of delivery.

Level One: Extended Studies

The program for identified gifted students is based upon several models of gifted education. The Triad Model (Renzulli, 1997) is the most obvious, because it involves students who are academically and creatively talented, and also task committed in varying levels of exploratory activities. However, other models are integrated throughout the overall program. In Level One, or Extended Studies Program (ESP), students identified as gifted participate in the program through a pull out system during one period a week from Band, Art, or Physical Education. This causes the least amount of disruption or consequences in the classes and receives support from teachers as well. In ESP, students participate in a monthly rotation through independent research, a community problem-solving group project, creative drama or philosophy, and choice day.

The independent project is a long-term, in-depth study based upon Treffinger's model (1986) that promotes a child-centered experience. It includes choosing the topic, monthly research, outline, bibliography, rough draft, and conferencing with the teacher as to the final product of an oral, written, and visual component that is choice-based and tailored to the child's needs. The student receives a grade for content and format as well as feedback from the teacher and peers. Sometimes, the presentation is given to another audience, such as health class, an academic class, or the local community. Becoming experts in a field gives students a feeling of confidence and prepares them for research at the high school and college level.

The Community Problem-Solving project (or CmPS) is a facet of Future Problem-Solving, created by E. Paul Torrance to foster creativity and futuristic forecasting. The students choose a community problem to address in detail, such as working with the homeless shelter and assume roles (chair, co-chair, treasurer, etc.) in the group, write monthly goals, develop a mini-grant for the project, and work in the community on their project. As a final product, they decide to either participate in the CmPS state competition and/or display their booklet, report, and visual (poster and scrapbook) in the school library. The students enjoy becoming involved in their community through donations of their time and talents.