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OCDSB Gifted Programming Options
Option A: regular classroom with indirect support from the Learning Support Teacher and
other school staff members
Option B: fully self-contained classroom (deadline usually April)
Tiered Interventions: 
These are used to support the individual needs of the gifted learner. There are a variety of interventions that may be appropriate depending of the learner. Although not an exhaustive list, below are examples of possible interventions
School Based Support (Tiered Intervention) MAY include but are not limited to:

  • Classroom Teacher

  • Learning Support Teacher

  • Learning Resource Teacher

  • Principal/Vice Principal

  • Educational Assistant

  • Early Childhood Educator

  • ESL Teacher

  • Multi-Disciplinary Team (Psychologist, Speech/Language Pathologist, Social Worker, etc.)

  • Parent(s)/guardian(s)

 

Tier One Interventions

Classroom based supports (Tier One Interventions) for students with Giftedness in the regular classroom MAY include but are not limited to:

  • Identification of strengths and needs

  • Classroom observation and tracking

  • Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

  • Classroom assessments

  • Differentiation of instruction, environment and/or assessment (e.g. ability grouping, visual supports, use of assistive technology)

 

Tier Two Interventions

School based supports for students with Giftedness MAY include but are not limited to:

In-School Team Meeting Referral

  • Targeted, precise specific instruction to adhere to need (e.g. Critical and Creative thinking tasks)

  • Development of Individual Education Plan (IEP)

  • Educational Assessment (e.g. WIAT III)

  • Specific differentiated supports in place for areas of strength and need (e.g. tasks based on increased depth and breadth, social skills building activities, leadership opportunities, organizational skill building)

  • Continued parent/guardian consultation

  • Consultation with other departments (i.e. Curriculum Services, Business and Learning Technologies, Facilities and Planning)

 

Tier Three Interventions

Other school based supports for students with Giftedness MAY include but are not limited to:

  • Cognitive Assessment (e.g. CCAT , WISC-IV/V)

  • Counseling (social emotional support as needed)

  • Continued development of IEP

  • Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

  • Multi-Disciplinary Meeting/ Updated action plan (e.g. type of assessments used; use of technology; SEA application; further opportunities to work with other gifted/highly talented learners; student-centered project based learning opportunities; intensive school-based support strategies; specialized program class referral)

 

Students may be Identified with an exceptionality of Giftedness and not placed into a Gifted Program specialized program class. In these cases the student would receive in-class support in the regular class setting.

Additional Interventions: 

Life Skills/Executive Functioning Support:

  • Organization

  • Time management

  • Test taking strategies

  • Communication

  • Leadership

  • Team building

  • Community of character

  • Suggest outside of school supports

  • Working memory

Social/Emotional Support:

  • Providing opportunities within the classroom to dialogue with like-minded students

  • Advocating for critical thinking clubs/activities such as chess, computers, public speaking, etc.

  • Providing some structured ideas for unstructured time

  • First/then (high structure, sequential steps

  • Social stories

  • Providing opportunities for dialogue around areas of need

  • Provide strategies to deal with stress and anxiety

  • Open dialogue with parents

  • Refer to social worker or psychologist

Academic Support:

  • Curriculum compacting

  • Seek opportunities to build critical thinking skills

  • Seek opportunities to build creative thinking skills

  • Open questions

  • Provide for a variety of assessment options

  • Provide choice

  • Draw on cross-curricular links

  • Draw on student interest

  • Provide project and/or inquiry-based learning opportunities

  • Variety of individual, small group and large group opportunities

  • Focus on depth and breadth of learning

Other Support:

  • Use assessments to support programming (CCAT, WIAT-III, CAT4)

  • Refer to a psychologist for further interventions

  • Refer to social worker for further interventions

  • Hold Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings to discuss student needs and next steps

  • Confer with LSC

  • Learning Support Teacher may provide feedback/support

  • Confer with parents and student

  • Develop/Review IEP

  • Computer options (SEA, training/support as needed)

  • Seek opportunities to build creative thinking skills

  • Open questions

  • Provide for a variety of assessment options

  • Provide choice

  • Draw on cross-curricular links

  • Draw on student interest

  • Provide project and/or inquiry-based learning opportunities

  • Variety of individual, small group and large group opportunities

  • Focus on depth and breadth of learning

Source: OCDSB, n.d.

The Unwrapped Gift

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