Instructional supply and textbook monies are available for every teacher at your school. Special education instructional supply textbook funds will continue to be combined with supply and textbook accounts for general education. The reason for this process is to simplify textbook and supply ordering for schools, allocate funds on a per student basis, and to assure that resources follow students.

The following suggestions may help you enhance your program by purchasing appropriate materials for your students:

1. Assess student’s strengths and needs.
2. Decide what materials would best meet those needs. Focus on research-based programs for gifted. The professional development opportunities sponsored by the Gifted Resource Center provide ongoing staff development specializing in appropriate differentiated content and instructional methods for gifted students.

 

 

- Network with other teachers of the gifted

- Review materials at the Gifted Resource Center

- Communicate with the teachers from feeder schools: Vertical articulation is
important to assure continuity and lack of repetition

- Be aware of materials used by general education

- Visit district libraries

- Are the materials systematically addressing the gifted strands?

- Are the materials addressing IEP goals and objectives?

- How do the materials address state and district standards?

3. Look through publisher’s catalogues, the warehouse catalogue, or the textbook catalogue for classroom materials.
4. List materials. Include prices and the vendor on this list.

 

 

Because most of the research based materials for gifted students are not
available in the State Instructional Materials Catalog, you may need to access
30% funds. Instructional Waiver forms may needed to be filled out to move 70%
funds to 30% funds. Although the Gifted Resource Center hasn’t been successful
in the past, we will continue to try to get appropriate materials listed in the State
Instructional Materials Catalog.

5. Make at least three copies of your order. Distribute to Special Education Head Teacher, Principal or Assistant Principal. Keep one copy for yourself.
6. Speak with the Head Teacher to clarify process for accessing money.
7. To attend workshops or conferences, see your head teacher or principal about available monies.

Take a proactive approach:

• Keep a "wish" list of classroom materials on file. Add to your list as you attend workshops or learn about recommended materials. Refer to this list when money needs to be spent in a hurry.

• After attending an in-service targeting gifted students and programs like Great Books, Language Arts for High Ability Learners, College of William and Mary, Socratic Questioning, gather the order form and review the Standards Alignment Format for Gifted Services in the Gifted Curriculum Handbook. When requesting materials you will be able to articulate:

• Volunteer to be on the Textbook Adoption Committee. There is a different textbook adoption each year. The 2003/04 year will be Language Arts adoption. A common concern is that teachers of the gifted are only provided the same books as general education. The purpose of special education is to differentiate instruction and materials to meet the unique learning needs of students. All teachers of the gifted need to address standards. For those teachers of the gifted who teach a content area, the general education basal text often will not meet the advanced conceptualization needs of gifted students.

• Talk with the head teacher at your school site to find out what committee makes decisions about spending money. Try to become a member of that committee or ask if anyone may attend the meeting.