This guide details the total school cluster grouping model as an approach to student placement, staff development, and differentiation and how it uses talent-development approaches typically used in gifted education programs to improve the achievement and performance of all students. It focuses on what students can do and how to enhance their strengths, skills, and confidence using grouping and enriched instruction. It describes the model's implementation and practice in an elementary school, the theory and research supporting it, professional development from initial training to ongoing support, a simulation with case studies, how the model fits with other gifted and school-based services and programs, collaborative evaluation for program monitoring, differentiation, curriculum compacting, identifying and serving twice-exceptional students, developing resilience among high-ability learners, and student-focused differentiation meant to increase motivation and decrease teacher preparation. This edition includes new and updated information and new research. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com) The Total School Cluster Grouping Model is a specific, research-based, total-school application of cluster grouping combined with differentiation, focused on meeting the needs of students identified as gifted while also improving teaching, learning, and achievement of all students. This revised and updated second edition of Total School Cluster Grouping and Differentiation includes rationale and research followed by specific steps for developing site-specific applications that will make the important art of differentiation possible by reducing the range of achievement levels in teachers' classrooms. Materials to support staff development-including powerful simulations, evaluation, management, special populations, differentiation strategies, social and emotional needs, and recommended materials-are included. Autorid: Marcia Gentry
