Living In Las Cruces- Spring/Summer 2008

EDUCATION

By Kelly Jameson

The truth is, guiding these children through a system where the majority of students are only meeting educational standards is challenging. In the Las Cruces Public School District, this system - Advanced Educational Services - is more of an art form.

Lori Comallie-Caplan is the AES coordinator for the LCPS district, and comes to Las Cruces after a long career as an educator, counselor, and educational diagnostic specialist. She now serves as one of the Special Education Coordinators for the district, which includes Advanced Educational Services. According to Comallie-Caplan, the purpose of AES is "to make sure our gifted learners are not left behind."

Gifted children, as defined by the district, are first referred to AES through either a parent or a teacher. The student is then accepted into the program based on their scores in one or two testing methods. One is a traditional method, used for bright, blossoming kids who appear to possess all the traits of a gifted student (ahead of the curve but need to be challenged in class). The traditional method of testing potentially gifted students includes an IQ assessment, academic achievement assessments in reading, math, and written language as well as an assessment in creativity and critical thinking.

For learners who are latent or emerging in talents, or whose socioeconomic situation factors into their ability to take a test, there is the Frasier Talent Assessment Profile, or FTAP. The biggest difference between the two (traditional versus FTAP) is that the traditional method is a "snap shot" of where that child is at that given moment in time. FTAP is a preponderance of evidence gathered about the student taking into consideration home life, class performance, and the assessments. "So we do multiple measure assessment of all four areas," notes Comallie-Caplan.

As the coordinator of 53 AES facilitators in the district, her job is one of balance; to ensure all gifted students are afforded the opportunity for optimal learning, and also ensuring that facilitators who work with the students are given every opportunity to grow and learn as well. "We were very fortunate to have been awarded the Jacob Javits grant of $1 million dollars over a period
of three years to New Mexico. Our district received approximately $20,000 per year, which allowed 20 facilitators to attend college classes in gifted education," she says. "In addition to that, 20 teachers attended the gifted institute in Albuquerque each year."

Among those facilitators is Teresa Jones, whose career with the district has spanned both 5th and 2nd grade classrooms and now finds herself at Lynn Middle School, where she nurtures the advanced educational tracks of several students between 6th and 8th grades. "There is a challenge behind teaching these students," says Jones. " It's working with students on an individual basis to meet their educational needs as stated in their IEP (Individualized Education Plan)."

Part of that individual instruction includes (but is not limited to): direct instruction, consultation, monitoring students' progress, coordinating and conducting IEPs and ensuring each general ed teacher has read and understands the IEP. Jones meets with students both one-on-one and as a group, which could be anywhere from 6 to 30 students. "As a group, the students' critical, analytical, and creative skills are addressed and developed."

One project Jones coaches her 6th grade students through is called "Future Me", where students are given the task of writing an autobiography from birth to death, noting the changes in world trends, like transportation, technology and fashion. In 7th grade, students focus on problem-based learning. This assignment (which is in addition to their general education curriculum) poses a situation to the student, from which they are to debate the pros and cons of that particular issue. Eighth grade AES students focus more on service learning, where they identify a need in the community and develop programs to support it. "One program our kids coordinated was called Pennies for Patients, where the kids helped raise money for the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society," says Jones.

The AES curriculum is in addition to classroom curriculum in all grade levels. "But it's not extra work given to the students," Jones says. "They are not expected to get all their class work done as well as their AES work. Teachers and Facilitators coordinate their time so that when we have our students, teaching them our curriculum, it is in place of what the teachers are doing in their classroom at that time."

For Jones, the gratification comes in that she's able to work in all areas of education. "I enjoy working one-on-one with the students, I also enjoy working with the teachers, offering them the necessary support required to meet my students' individual needs in their classrooms. I get the additional bonus of teaching my students both in the classroom setting and in a smaller group setting to meet their educational and social-emotional needs."

"Gifted services are sometimes misunderstood and thought of as catering to the elite. Are gifted students better than other students? Of course not," Comallie-Caplan reminds. "But they have different needs. And if those needs are not met, they will check out, either physically or emotionally. Can we afford to lose even one?"