GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM
Learning Sciences and Educational Research

ABOUT PROJECT ELEVATE

 

What is Project ELEVATE?

Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) and The University of Central Florida, Gifted Education, College of Community Innovation and Education have a five-year, Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Student Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education.  Through this grant, the district has partnered with the UCF’s Gifted Education Program to implement Project ELEVATE and train both teacher leaders and teachers.

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Project ELEVATE: English Learner Excellence eVolving through Advanced Teacher Education

The project presents all students in target schools with alternative methods for identification of giftedness and ensures the foundation for developing excellence.

The goal of Project ELEVATE is to scale up the percentage of ELL and students who are economically disadvantaged (ED) that are identified for gifted services and infuse the curriculum for developing intercultural excellence for diverse learners. The project serves 10 Title I focus elementary schools, and if funded for the entire five-year period, will expand to 2 additional middle schools and includes control schools for the research.

Project Elevate has a four-prong approach: 1) Identification and Talent Development, 2) Gifted Service Delivery, 3) Professional Development, and 4) Family Engagement.

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What are the Project Objectives?

1: Increase the percentage of ELL and ED students in the G/T Program to better reflect the district’s overall percentage of students that comprise these groups.

2: Design and develop innovative educational methods and practices which promote diversity and cultivate talent among high-ability students in all subgroups.

3: Increase the percentage of all G/T students, including those who are classified as ELL, ED students, and those from major racial and ethnic subgroups, who meet academic proficiency targets in reading/language arts and mathematics.

4: Provide professional development experiences to teachers in the target schools related to the identification and education of gifted students from all populations, including underrepresented ELL and ED populations.

5: Ensure parents and/or other adult family members are actively involved in identification and support of high-ability students including ELL and ED.

6: Transform deficit views and misconceptions about learning ability of students who are classified as ELL, ED students, and those students from major cultural and ethnic subgroups.

 

Project Components: Levels of Support and Services

• Level 1 – Schoolwide Enrichment and Acceleration

  • ELEVATE all student services for schoolwide enrichment and acceleration that is culturally, linguistically and internationally responsive.Use of differentiated curricula and strategies in gifted education to challenge students

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• Level 2 – Talent Development

  • ELEVATE Talent Development, to include after-school program, tutors, and mentors.Includes UCF student tutors, on campus tours and experiences at the university.

  • Used for identification and observation

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• Level 3 – SEM Transition Program

  • Transition Program infusing ELLs, to include Project ELEVATE summer program.Includes links through UCF’s CPAW Project with live links to schools around the world.Provides opportunities for field testing and curriculum development.

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• Level 4 – Gifted Services

  • ELEVATING all gifted services to infuse global and international education and ELL perspectives.

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