ALP Information
You can visit the county's parent website at http://www.cobbk12.org/gifted services/index.htm for information about our gifted program, helpful website links, etc.
Spring Units
1st Grade - Stepping into Target
Stepping into Target introduces students to Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences as well as Higher Order Thinking Skills as defined by Benjamin Bloom. Through the presentation of Cinderella stories around the world as well as the Wizard of Oz, students will use their Multiple Intelligences and Higher Order Thinking Skills to answer three essential questions: 1. How do activities in the Cobb County Gifted Program support a successful and self-aware walk in life?, 2. How does literature contribute to the development of Higher Order Thinking Skills?, and 3. How can a successful knowledge of research skills help students become life-long learners?
2nd and 3rd Grades - Puzzled by the Past
Puzzled by the Past is a social studies/science-based unit introducing principles of archeology. Students will understand the integrated factors that make a culture and will learn how scientists study people and things from the past, using physical clues from artifacts to draw conclusions about culture, community, communication, religion, and traditions. The unit exposes students to practical applications of the scientific method and the related fields of study, i.e. anthropology, geology, and paleontology. Students will learn about methods used to determine the age of artifacts and will independently research a culture.
4th and 5th Grades - Castles, Keeps, and Kingdoms
Castles, Keeps, and Kingdoms is a language arts- and social studies-based unit on life in medieval times. While students learn about the history and culture of this period, they can recognize sources of language, technology, literature, and traditions in our lives today that originated from the Middle Ages. Students evaluate the feudal system and compare it to government today. Students also read about characters from classic literature, including Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Beowulf. The unit gives students the opportunity to explore a topic in depth and to use critical reading skills and research skills as they explore and conduct independent research.
Over and Above
Over and Above is any extra work your child completes and turns in that has not been assigned in class. Some examples include:
- research on the unit of study
- chain reactions
- dioramas/models
- crossword puzzles or word searches with unit vocabulary
- artifacts (photographs, clothing, sculptures)
- books on the unit of study
- class speakers.
To meet standards on the Target report card, at least three Over and Aboves need to be turned in for each nine weeks.
Over and Above can be earned in class by going beyond what is required on an assignment. For example, if a student is asked to list 10 things he/she knows about bats and he/she lists 20, then the child would earn Over and Above.
This Week
Enjoy your spring break!!!
Target Tallies
Target Tallies are a way for your child's Target teacher to inform you of the material covered in class that day. Also, tallies provide information about your child's behavior in class as well as future activities.
This link will show you an example Target Tally and give you an explanation of each area.
Tallies are sent home after every class period and are expected to be signed and returned at the next class. Students are not to call home if they forget their Target tally or binder; we are trying to encourage students to be responsible for their own materials.
Class Schedule
Interested in having lunch with your child or helping in the classroom? Click here to view your child's Target day schedule.
Appropriate Help for Your Child at Home
Even though we do not always have regular Target homework, there are situations where students are asked to complete work. These situations include students wanting to finish something at home, making up work from an absence, or needing to finish assignments where class time ran out.
Often students will ask you for help. Since it is often difficult to decide what is appropriate, we are offering some guidelines so help from you does not hinder your child’s learning.
Appropriate Help:
J Giving ideas for a presentation or project—unless listing ideas is the point of the activity
J Interpreting very difficult reading material for research (Usually a better idea is to find something on your child’s reading level, but we recognize this is not always an option.)
J Helping your child get resources/supplies (i.e. going to the public library, a bookstore, etc.)
J Teaching your child how to use a computer program (i.e. word processing, publishing, graphics, etc.)
J Teaching your child how to use a tool or teaching him/her a technique for completing something
J Supervising your child on the internet and giving him/her tips for searching relevant sites and deciding which are the most reliable
Too Much Help that Hinders Learning:
L Typing a report, story, or project for the student
L Dictating what the student writes/types
L Making, painting, coloring, building, or otherwise doing the actual project or parts of the project
L Reading and rewording research material for your child
L Doing on-line research for your child
We hope these guidelines will help you support your student and foster his/her learning and independence. As always, thank you for your support!
Important Dates
April 6-10 - Spring Break
April 21-27 - CRCT testing
May 7 - 4th and 5th grade field trip to the Renaissance Festival
May 22 - Last day of school
Continuation Criteria
In compliance with Board Policy IDDD and Georgia Rule 160-4-3-.38, Cobb County School District has established criteria for continuation of gifted eduacation services. Gifted continuation is dependent on satisfactory student performance in both core academics and the Target Program.
The following continuation criteria represent minimum requirements for students to continue to receive services:
1. The student must maintain acceptable progress, defined as:
- E and/or G in grades K-3 in the core subjects of reading, English, and mathematics, S and/or O in science and social studies.
- a minimum average of 80 in grades 4-5 in the core subjects of reading, English, mathematics, science, and social studies.
2. The student must meet a minimum of 14 out of 20 assessment indicators on the Target Progress report.
The academic performance of each gifted student is reviewed following every reporting period to determine eligibility for continued placement. A student who does not maintian satisfactory performance during any grading period will be placed on probation. The probationary period remains for the duration of the school year. The parent(s) will be invited to attend a conference to review student performance and develop an intervention plan.
A student on probation will continue to receive gifted services. If continuation criteria are not met at the end of any subsequent grading period during the school year, the student will be ineligible for gifted services. After an eighteen-week ineligibility probation period, the parent(s) or teacher may request program re-entry by completing the gifted re-entry form, available from the local school.
An exception to this policy is if during the probation period a student makes exceptional progress but the grade is still not as high as it needs to be, a meeting will be held to decide if the child can remain on probation for another nine weeks so he/she can have the opportunity to continue raising the grade.
