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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER W e dn es da y, N ov em be r 2 4, 2 01 0 1 0 By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Gifted students at the Halton District School Board will no longer have to wait until Grade 5 to get an education at their learning level. In the final meeting of the current term of the board, trustees voted to implement the primary gift- ed placement program in all four municipalities, which will begin with Grades 1 and 2 next school year. The current senior kindergarteners and Grade 1 will be screened for next year. Implementation was approved in a close 6-5 vote. At the beginning of this school year, the school board implemented a Grade 1 and 2 pilot project for gifted students in Burlingtons C. R. Beaudoin Public School. In all other municipalities, the gifted pro- gram starts in Grade 5. Currently 3.3 per cent of the schools population is in the gifted program. Though the motion passed at the Nov. 17 meeting, several trustees voiced concerns. Oakville trustee Philippa Ellis asked staff why trustees should approve self-contained classes for gift- ed students when there has been a decrease in class- rooms for other special needs students. Another trustee, Burlingtons Mary-Elizabeth Dilly asked why trustees were asked to approve this motion when the pilot project is only two months old. A staff report, prepared by Superintendent of Education David Boag, stated it is too soon in the pilot to deter- mine its effectiveness. However, it also points out that the students have adjusted to their new classrooms. Of the 42 students accepted to the pilot project, 39 of them entered the two self-contained classrooms. Burlington trustee Peggy Russell, who voted in favour of the motion, worried about the backlog for the screening process. The assessment is a multi-step process that starts with a teacher nomination, a par- ent checklist, a school resource team recommenda- tion and then a formal assessment by a psychoeduca- tional consultant. Im ecstatic about this program going through, she said. However, she is concerned about the backlog. She proposed additional hiring of consultants to help reduce the assessment backlog. Boag said the board already has two vacancies at the position and another one coming up soon. Boag said the board has not been able to fill the vacancies for some time. Russell replied the school board will have to go to an outside contracting source to speed up the assess- ments. However, Boag replied, The issue we are facing is not just us. Its in the industry. He said the agencies that the school board would use for this process are already exhausted and on wait lists themselves. Burlington trustee Jennifer Hlusko, who also approved the motion, said there has been a problem in the past with using outside agencies for screening. She said the screening process would speed up for about three to four months, but eventually become bogged down by increased requests. Then the money and time for the contracts would run out and the board would again be at a disadvantage with the new requests. A delegate to the board, Oakville resident Lesley Dalgarno, said the program was wonderful news for the community. However, she worried about the recent reductions in programming for other special needs children. She said special needs classrooms lost an educational assistant and class sizes were reduced, which limited the self-contained option for people. Why is one group of identified students being given priority over another group? she asked in her report. It seems especially odd that kindergarten children are eligible for assessment for giftedness, but not for learning disabilities or other exceptionalities. She asked the trustees, Do you believe in the dif- ferential classroom for some, but not for all? She also asked trustees, before they made their decision, to consider the mixed messages they are sending to parents of special needs students as the school board expands one self-contained program while reducing others to levels that are not meeting the needs of the students. Milton trustee Donna Danielli said, This is a real struggle for me. I see the benefits of this in Burlington and I want this in my community. However, she said it took a significant amount of time to do the assessment for the pilot project. She said the staff report says its too early to evaluate its effectiveness. She worried about approving a four- year commitment so quickly. According to the report the full implementation of the program will cost around $800,000 annually and the board will not receive additional funding for it. Danielli wondered where the money would come from, saying money is like a pie, if you increase one slice, you decrease another. The Director of Education David Euale, Were not getting another slice from anybody. There is no doubt something will have to be reduced for this to happen. However, Russell said gifted students have a great need and intervention costs go up for them, as they get older. Hlusko said the boards Special Education Advisory Committees biggest complaint is that the gifted children are often the easiest for teachers to ignore because they are the ones who already know how to read and write. She said these students make up the highest group for suicide rate. Its important to give our children and their par- ents choice, said Oakville trustee Kathryn Bateman- Olmstead. I believe this is exceptionally important for this group of children. The program will start with Grades 1 and 2 and when those students age the school board will roll out further grades. Public school board wants earlier start for gifted programs It is important to give our children and their parents choice. I believe this is exceptionally important for this group of children. Oakville trustee Kathryn Bateman-Olmstead Eight Trustpoints set Kitchen Tune-Up apart. We guarantee our estimates - guarantee our work - arrive on time - clean work areas daily - return messages within 24 hours - strive for harmony with your daily routine - tell you what were going to do before we do it - listen carefully, tell it straight and keep our promises. kitchentuneup.com Every Kitchen Tune-Up franchise is locally owned and operated. 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