Toolbox of Strategies to Meet the Needs of Highly Able

Learners

Based on the research & teachings of Carol Ann Tomlinson and Joseph S.

Renzulli

What is……

• A 3-step process that:– Assesses what a student knows about material

to be studied and what the student still needs to master (Pre-assessment)

– Plans for learning what is not known and excuses students from what is known (That’s you)

– Plans for “freed-up” time to be spent in enriched or accelerated study???? (This is Us)

• And the answer is….

Curriculum CompactingOBJECTIVES to be MASTERED

CONTENT to be COVERED

How many apples would be left if you bought 12 and then

ate 2 of them?

I wonder if the Mars spacecraft crashed

because the engineers forgot to

convert acceleration data from pounds of force into Newton’s?

Definition

• Brief and to the point; concise

• To press or join firmly together: a kitchen device that compacted the trash.

• To make by pressing or joining together; compose.

• To consolidate; combine

• Dense• Solid• Packed in• Packed together• Compressed• Condensed• Squashed• Squeezed together

Synonyms

Compacting

What do you think was the purpose behind the invention of the trash

compactor??

Curricular Compacting

Curriculum Compacting is…

• A procedure used to streamline the grade level curriculum for high potential students to provide time for more challenging and interesting work.

• An instructional technique that is specifically designed to make appropriate curricular adjustments for students in any curricular area and at any grade level.

Goals that educators strive to achieve through compacting the curriculum:

• Create a challenging learning environment, guarantee proficiency in basic curriculum, and buy time for enrichment and acceleration

• Avoid wasting time and risking loss of motivation in teaching material that the students have already mastered

• Provide curriculum that is adapted to the learning needs, rates, and interests of students

• “Streamline" and modify the grade level curriculum by eliminating material that students have previously learned

Definition

The process of:

identifying learning objectives

pre-testing students for prior mastery of these objectives

eliminating needless teaching practice if mastery can be documented.

Dr. Sally Reis

Description

A 3-step process implemented by the teacher for one or more students who have mastered portions of the essential curriculum:– Pre-assess what a student knows about

content/skills to be studied– Modify learning activities so that the student only

receives direct instruction about what he/she does not already know

– Provide alternate learning activities that offer acceleration or meaningful & challenging enrichment

Adapted from Tomlinson & Renzulli

Recommended Use

• Curriculum Compacting should be used for students who have demonstrated mastery on pre-assessment(s) prior to whole group instruction.

• Curriculum Compacting should be used to allow the student choice in use of time “bought” through previous mastery of content skills

Adapted from Tomlinson & Renzulli

Teacher Implementation Guidelines

• Explain the process & its benefits to students and parents

• Document pre-assessment• Compact for part or all of a unit of

study• Provide written plans and timelines

for study (see Learning Contracts slide)

Adapted from Tomlinson & Renzulli

Learning Contracts

Agreements between students & teachers that grant certain

freedoms & choices about completing tasks yet require the students to meet certain

specifications

Used to manage flexible groups based on the results of pre-

assessment(s). Enable the teacher to provide direct instruction to one group

while individuals in small groups work independently

Match skill & content to readiness, interest, and learning profile of

student

Allow student choice in portions of contract related to process or product

Establish clear & challenging criteria for success

Provide clear directions & behavioral expectations in writing!!Adapted from Tomlinson & Renzulli

To Make This Easier

Renzulli suggests…..

Use “The

Compactor”

Oops!! Wrong Compactor

TWO VERSIONS OF CURRICULUM COMPACTING

Allowing the core curriculum to be covered without unnecessary repetition and repetitive drilling.

Basic Skill Compacting Spelling, Math, Grammar, Applied

Academics

Easy to implement because pre-testing is less difficult and mastery

can be efficiently documented.

Indicator questions:• Does the student already know the skills being covered in the classroom?• Can proficiency be documented?• Can certain skills be eliminated?• Will the students be allowed (and encouraged) to master basic skills at his/her own pace)?• If skills can be mastered at a pace commensurate with a student’s ability, will the students be able to help determine what he/she will do in the time earned by displaying mastery?

Content Compacting Social Studies, Science, Literature, A.A.

Students may already know the objectives or be able to read the

material and master the objectives in a fraction of the time.

Indicator questions:• If the student already knows the content, will he/she have an opportunity to display competency of the subject or topic?• If students do not already know the content but have the ability to master the materials at their own pace, will they be given the opportunity?• If content mastery can be demonstrated, will the student have the opportunity to select the work that will be substituted?

STUDENT BEHAVIORS WHICH MAY SUGGEST THAT COMPACTING IS NECESSARY

• Consistently finishes tasks quickly

• Finishes reading assignments first

• Appears bored during instruction time

• Consistently daydreams

• Creates own puzzles, games, or diversions in class

• Brings in outside reading material

• Has consistently high performance in one or more academic areas

• Asks questions which indicate advanced familiarity with material

• Uses vocabulary and verbal expression in advance of grade level

• Expresses interest in pursuing alternative or advanced topics

Adapted from: It’s About Time by Alane Starko, Creative Learning Press

Do you know THIS student???

X

RATIONALE FOR CURRICULUM COMPACTING A checklist

Students already know much of their text’s content before “learning it”.Textbooks have been “dumbed down”The quality of textbooks has failed to improveThe needs of high-ability students often are not met in the classroomCompacting provides time for more challenging learning experiencesThe pace of instruction and practice time can be modifiedCompacting guarantees educational accountability

Adapted from Reis, S.M., Burns, D.E., & Renzulli, J.S. (1992) Curricular Compacting: The complete guide to modifying the regular curriculum for high ability students. Creative Learning Press

(1)Whose support is

needed to help you implement

your compacting plan for the

“underachieving” student(s) you

have identified?

(2) What type of assessment tools will you need to identify

the students for whom you will compact curriculum?

(3) How will you gather resources for

enrichment?

(4)What options do you have to supply these resources?

(5)What problems might you anticipate while implementing

your plan to compact curriculum?

How will you deal with them?

So…where & how do I

begin??

Simplified steps to follow when compacting the curriculum:

Define goals and outcomes Identify candidates for compacting Provide accelerated and enrichment

options

CURRICULUM COMPACTING

• A procedure used to streamline the regular curriculum for students who are capable of mastering it at a faster pace in order to:

• Eliminate the practice of asking academically able students to repeatedly study previously mastered material in order to

• Better challenge these learners and provide them with time for appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration activities while

• Ensuring mastery of the basic skills/common core curriculum

Resources• Farmer (1996). Meeting the needs of gifted students in the

regular classroom: curriculum compacting. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/farmer/gitsccmp.html

• Metagifted Education Resource Organization (1996). Curriculum compacting: what is it, how do you do it, and does it work? http://www.metagifted.org/topics/curriculum/compacting/

• Reis, S. National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (Javits Center) Curriculum compacting study. http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/At-Risk/javs2.html

• Reis, Westberg, Kulikowich & Purcell . Curriculum compacting and achievement test scores: what does the research say? http://www.nagc.org/Publications/GiftedChild/compact.html

C.A.Q.

11 of the most commonly asked questions on Curriculum Compacting

Q1. What is required before you start compacting?  

A1. To compact effectively, you must have: – A clear understanding of your curricular

objectives – Knowledge of which students have already

mastered those objectives, or are capable of mastering them in less time.

– Some background information on the compacting process, and an idea of the pretest devices and alternative activities that you plan to use.

Q2. Can classroom teachers compact curriculum without the help of “the

enrichment specialist”?  

A2. Yes! In fact, – classroom teachers bear the primary

responsibility for implementing the compacting process. But, if enrichment specialists are available, they can ease the job by procuring enrichment resources or upgrading the challenge level of the regular curricular materials.

Q3. What should I tell my students about compacting?  

A3. Compacting should be explained in simple terms to all students. – Among the points you should touch

upon are pretests, the fact that some students may already know the material being tested, and that exciting learning activities exist for students who have already mastered the material.

– You should also spell out, in advance, the rules regarding behavior while students are doing alternative work. Two such rules may include working as quietly as possible, and not interrupting the teacher while he or she instructs the rest of the class.

Q4. What are the least difficult subject areas to compact?

A4. Usually, skill areas with highly sequential curricular organization, such as spelling, mathematics and grammar, are the least difficult to compact. Once you're familiar with the process, you may compact any subject area. Teachers have even reported wonderful results in art and music.

Q5. If I teach process writing or the "whole language" approach, is

compacting is unnecessary?

A5. No! With process writing, youngsters who master the writing objectives for their grade level shouldn't just move up another difficulty notch, as is often the case. Instead, they should be allowed to pursue enrichment assignments or projects of their choice.

• The same holds true for the whole language approach. If students show mastery of the learning objectives, simply replacing time with grade level trade books, for example, may not be the best option. The alternatives presented must be challenging, and keyed to students' interests.

Q6. Is it better to compact by time period (every marking period, for instance) or by instructional unit?

A6. Compacting by instructional unit is best. A "unit" generally refers to an instructional period that revolves around a theme, chronological time period, or a set of academic objectives.

For example, to compact a sixth grade unit on Johnny Tremaine, the teacher would modify the curriculum for students who have either read the novel, or who could read and master the learning objectives more quickly than their classmates.

At the elementary level, teachers frequently compact a basic skills unit of instruction, such as the teaching of long division.

Q7. Do you recommend compacting an entire semester, leaving the last

two months free for student self-selected projects, or compacting 2 1/2

days a week, leaving the rest of the time for alternative work?

A7. Most teachers prefer to compact two or three days a week, and set aside one or two days or short blocks of time for enrichment assignments. When you compact a semester, it demands tremendous time and energy to plan a full two months of enrichment options.

Q8. If I compact for my high ability students, and let them leave the

class for alternative activities, won't the quality of my classroom

discussions suffer?

A8. Many teachers have expressed this concern, which is merited to some degree. However, we must also remember that less able students are sometimes intimidated by the presence of brighter students, and, consequently, don't contribute to the discussions.

To resolve the problem, teachers might try some classroom discussion sessions with the gifted students, and some without them; if the discussions succeed better with the advanced students, then it makes sense to include them.

Q9. How do I grade when I compact curriculum?

A9. Many teachers have expressed this concern, which is merited to some degree. You should grade on the regular curriculum which has been compacted. In our opinion, grades should reflect mastery of content and not time spent in a subject area.

When you do substitute independent study, it should not be graded. Some qualitative, holistic evaluation of the work done would be preferred.

Note: If you find that students are not using their time for alternative study wisely, you should talk over the problem with them. You might reiterate the concept of compacting, and explain what the next step would be if behavior doesn't change (such as a parent meeting). Compacting represents a radical educational departure for most students, and it takes time for them to adjust

Q10. Is there a way to physically reorganize my classroom space to

make compacting easier?

A10. Many teachers have expressed this concern, which is merited to some degree. You should grade on the regular curriculum which has been compacted. In our opinion, grades should reflect mastery of content and not time spent in a subject area.

When you do substitute independent study, it should not be graded. Some qualitative, holistic evaluation of the work done would be preferred.

Note: If you find that students are not using their time for alternative study wisely, you should talk over the problem with them. You might reiterate the concept of compacting, and explain what the next step would be if behavior doesn't change (such as a parent meeting). Compacting represents a radical educational departure for most students, and it takes time for them to adjust

Q11. What advice do teachers who have successfully used

compacting give to other teachers?

A11. Answer