TAG

Christine Taylor, district TAG specialist: crileytaylor@rsd7.net, 503-661-7200 extension 3252

Building TAG Coordinators

TAG Parent Night Presentation
You Know Your Child is Gifted When...

Websites:

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development
Our mission is to recognize, nurture and support profoundly intelligent young people and to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference.

Gifted Challenges
"Beyond intellect: Exploring the social and emotional aspects of giftedness." Dr. Gail Post is a licensed clinical psychologist with a practice just outside of Philadelphia in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. She started this blog to advocate, explore, and raise questions about the social and emotional aspects of giftedness.

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
Welcome to Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, the all-things-gifted site, full of resources, articles, books and links to help and support parents, teachers, and gifted children alike. Pick your path and explore them all!

The National Association for Gifted Children
NAGC's mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research. NAGC aims to support parents and families, K-12 education professionals including support service personnel, and members of the research and higher education community who work to help gifted and talented children as they strive to achieve their personal best and contribute to their communities.

ODE’s Talented and Gifted (TAG) Student Learning Resources
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has partnered with OER Commons to create a public digital library of open educational resources. These resource suggestions are for parents and teachers to explore and consider as a way to support talented and gifted students.

Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted
The OATAG Mission Statement: OATAG advocates for the needs of talented and gifted children; serves as a resource for families, educators, and communities; and provides direction for excellence in education.

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
SENG’s mission is to empower families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

Your Rainforest Mind
Paula Prober is a licensed psychotherapist and consultant in private practice in Eugene, Oregon. She specializes in counseling gifted adults and youth in Oregon and consults with parents of gifted children and with gifted adults internationally.

Books:

Gifted and Distractible by Julie F. Skolnick
A practical, research-based guide that demystifies giftedness and learning differences in order to help “twice exceptional” children thrive.

The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide by Judy Galbraith, M.A.
An updated, informative book examines the problems of gifted and talented students and explains how they can make the best use of their educational opportunities, get along better with parents and friends, and better understand themselves.

Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski
Gifted children and adults are often misunderstood. Their excitement is viewed as excessive, their high energy as hyperactivity, their persistence as nagging, their imagination as not paying attention, their passion as being disruptive, their strong emotions and sensitivity as immaturity, and their creativity and self-directedness as oppositional. This book describes these overexcitabilities, as well as strategies for dealing with children and adults who experience them.

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults by James Webb, et al 
Our brightest, most creative children and adults are often being misdiagnosed with behavioral and emotional disorders such as ADHD, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar, OCD, or Asperger's. Many receive unneeded medication and inappropriate counseling as a result. Physicians, psychologists, and counselors are unaware of characteristics of gifted children and adults that mimic pathological diagnoses. Six nationally prominent health care professionals describe ways parents and professionals can distinguish between gifted behaviors and pathological behaviors.

A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children by James Webb 
Raising a gifted child is both a joy and a challenge, yet parents of gifted children have few resources for reliable parenting information. The four authors, who have decades of professional experience with gifted children and their families, provide practical guidance in areas such as: Characteristics of gifted children; Peer relations; Sibling issues; Motivation & underachievement; Discipline issues; Intensity & stress; Depression & unhappiness; Educational planning; Parenting concerns; Finding professional help; and much, much more! 

Searching for Meaning: Idealism Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope by James Webb 
Many bright idealists find themselves disillusioned in today's world, and they may experience existential depression as they examine their lives and search for meaningfulness. This book will help such individuals to understand themselves and their struggles. It also includes helpful information and suggestions for actions that disillusioned idealists can use to better manage their feelings and thoughts in ways that will nurture their idealism and provide a sense of satisfaction and contentment. 

Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development (Essays in Social Psychology) by Carol Dweck 
This innovative text sheds light on how people work -- why they sometimes function well and, at other times, behave in ways that are self-defeating or destructive. The author presents her groundbreaking research on adaptive and maladaptive cognitive-motivational patterns and shows: 

• How these patterns originate in people's self-theories 
• Their consequences for the person -- for achievement, social relationships, and emotional well-being 
• Their consequences for society, from issues of human potential to stereotyping and intergroup relations 
• The experiences that create them

This outstanding text is a must-read for researchers in social psychology, child development, and education, and is appropriate for both graduate and senior undergraduate students in these areas. 

The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids by Sally Yahnke Walker, Ph.D. 
What does it mean to be “gifted”? What’s good—and not so good—about being identified as gifted? How can parents make sure their gifted children get the learning opportunities they need? How can parents cope with the unique challenges gifted kids present? Every parent of a gifted child has questions like these. You’ll discover encouraging, practical tips for living with your gifted child—and handling the endless questions, high energy, and too-smart mouth that often go along with giftedness. You’ll find out how to keep from raising a “nerd,” how to prevent perfectionism, and when to get help. And you’ll learn how to advocate for your child’s education at school and in your state. 

You Know Your Child is Gifted When…A Beginner’s Guide to Life on the Bright Side by Judy Galbraith, M.A. 
You know your child is gifted when…your three-year-old programs your VCR. Or your five-year-old gives you permission to use the dictionary during Scrabble. Or your eight-year-old solves your computer problems. 

Parenting a gifted child can be a mixed blessing. It helps to know what to look for, what to expect, and what other parents have experienced. This light-hearted introduction to life with a gifted child is a great place to start. 

Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth by Paula Prober 
Do you long to drive a Ferrari at top speed on the open road, but find yourself always stuck on the freeway during rush hour? Do you wonder how you can feel like “not enough” and “too much” at the same time? Like the rain forest, are you sometimes intense, multilayered, colorful, creative, overwhelming, highly sensitive, complex, and/or idealistic? And, like the rain forest, have you met too many chainsaws? Enter Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed., who understands the diversity and complexity of minds like yours. In "Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Youths and Adults," Paula explores the challenges faced by gifted adults of all ages. Through case studies and extensive research, Paula will help you tap into your inner creativity, find peace, and discover the limitless potential that comes with your Rainforest Mind. 

Check out the list of recommended books on perfectionism from the Davidson Institute. 

What is the assessment?
The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is a brief, nonverbal measure of general intellectual ability that is helpful in identifying students who have the potential for advanced achievement in school. The test has no verbal content, it consists of geometric shapes that are universal, and its directions are pictorial with minimal verbal instructions. This makes it accessible to a wide variety of students including those with limited educational experiences and those who come from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, or linguistic backgrounds.

Testing is in an online format and takes approximately 45 minutes to administer. The test consists of 48 multiple choice questions in pictorial form. Generally, all students in a class take the test at the same time.

When is my child being tested?
All second graders are tested during September or October.

How can I support my child?
The NNAT is a test of general ability and children are not expected to study or prepare for the test the way they would for an achievement test, such as math or reading. You can help your student prepare by making sure they get adequate rest, eat a good breakfast, and encourage them to try their best. It is important that your child attend school on test day.

How will these scores be used?
NNAT scores are one piece of data used in a portfolio to determine eligibility for TAG services in the area of intellectual ability. This portfolio must also include supporting behavioral, learning, and performance information provided by teachers and parents. You will be contacted if additional information is requested regarding your student.

Additional Information and Opting Out:
If you do not want your child to be tested, please notify your child’s teacher.

If you have any questions, please contact your school’s TAG coordinator or Christine Taylor, district TAG specialist, at 503-661-7200, extension 3252, or crileytaylor@rsd7.net.

Students in grades K-12 may be referred for TAG eligibility at any time throughout the school year, though students referred after May 1 may not be evaluated until the following school year. Once a student is referred, arrangements will be made with the student's teacher and school to gather additional evidence toward eligibility and if needed, conduct testing. Multiple measures and modes of quantitative and qualitative evidence may be collected, including but not limited to:

• class, district, state, and TAG-specific assessments
• parent and teacher advocacy information through the TAG Student Survey below
• work samples
• observational inventories and checklists

Following the collection of evidence, the identification team will meet and parents and teachers will be notified of student eligibility. Eligibility decisions take into consideration a student’s background, experiences, and opportunities to learn.