Study Guide
Field 083: Gifted Education
Test Design and Framework
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The test design below describes general assessment information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.
Test Design
*Does not include 15-minute C B T tutorial
Test Framework
| subareas | range of competencies | approximate percentage of test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| selected-response | |||
| roman numeral 1 | foundations of gifted education | 0001–0002 | 17 percent |
| roman numeral 2 | assessment and instructional planning | 0003–0004 | 21 percent |
| roman numeral 3 | learning environments and instruction | 0005–0007 | 30 percent |
| roman numeral 4 | professional practice and collaboration | 0008–0009 | 17 percent |
| this cell intentionally left blank | 85 percent | ||
| subareas | range of competencies | approximate percentage of test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| constructed-response | |||
| roman numeral 3 | Learning Environments and Instruction | 0005–0007 | 15 percent |
Subarea roman numeral 1–Foundations of Gifted Education
Competency 0001–Apply knowledge of the historical, legal, and philosophical foundations of the field of gifted education.
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- Apply knowledge of the historical foundations of gifted and talented education, including points of view and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds to the field of gifted and talented education.
- Apply knowledge of key philosophies, theories, models, and research that support gifted and talented education and influence professional practice, including theories and research models that form the basis of curriculum development and instructional practice for students with gifts and talents.
- Apply knowledge of relevant local, state/provincial, and federal laws and policies related to gifted and talented education.
- Demonstrate knowledge of issues in the conceptions, definitions, and identification of students with gifts and talents, including students from diverse backgrounds.
- Apply knowledge of key issues and trends in the field of gifted education (e.g., diversity; program options; continuum of services; relationships between gifted, special, and general education; appropriately differentiated instruction).
Competency 0002–Apply knowledge of the development and characteristics of students who are gifted and talented, including factors that affect development and learning.
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- Apply knowledge of the cognitive, academic, creative, and affective characteristics and learning needs of students with gifts and talents in various domains (e.g., intellectual, academic, creative, leadership, artistic), including students from diverse backgrounds, students who are twice exceptional, and students who are exceptionally gifted.
- Apply knowledge of advanced developmental milestones of students with gifts and talents from early childhood through adolescence; idiosyncratic learning patterns of students with gifts and talents, including students from diverse backgrounds; and similarities and differences between students with gifts and talents and the general population.
- Apply knowledge of factors that affect development and learning in students who are gifted and talented (e.g., effects of culture and environment; roles of families, schools, and communities; influence of different beliefs, traditions, and values across and within diverse groups; societal, cultural, and economic factors; differences in values, languages, and customs between school and home; ways in which groups are stereotyped and experience discrimination).
- Apply knowledge of the influence of social and emotional development on interpersonal relationships and learning of students with gifts and talents.
Subarea roman numeral 2–Assessment and Instructional Planning
Competency 0003–Apply knowledge of procedures for selecting, designing, and using various types of formal and informal assessments with students who are gifted and talented.
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- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, uses, and limitations of various types of formal and informal assessments in different domains that are used to identify and document the academic growth of students who are gifted and talented.
- Apply knowledge of nonbiased and equitable processes and procedures for identifying and placing students who are gifted and talented, including students from diverse backgrounds and students who are twice exceptional; and strategies for collaborating with families, community members, and professionals in the assessment of students with gifts and talents.
- Apply knowledge of how to select, design, and administer technically sound qualitative and quantitative assessments to identify and place students with gifts and talents.
- Apply knowledge of how to develop and use a variety of differentiated curriculum-based assessments and alternative assessments and technologies (e.g., performance-based assessments, portfolios) to plan instruction and delivery and to monitor progress and evaluate the learning of students with gifts and talents.
- Interpret information from formal and informal assessments in various domains.
Competency 0004–Apply knowledge of procedures for using assessment information to develop differentiated instructional plans for students who are gifted and talented.
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- Apply knowledge of how to design appropriate differentiated instructional plans for students with gifts and talents, including students from diverse backgrounds, students who are twice exceptional, and students who are exceptionally gifted.
- Apply knowledge of features that distinguish qualitatively differentiated curricula from general curricula for students with gifts and talents and knowledge of curricular emphases for students with gifts and talents in various domains (e.g., cognitive, affective, aesthetic, social, linguistic).
- Apply knowledge of how to align instructional plans for students with gifts and talents with local, state/provincial, and national curricular standards, including the Oklahoma Core Curriculum; and how to develop scope and sequence plans for students with gifts and talents.
- Select curriculum resources, strategies, and product options that respond to students' cultural, linguistic, and intellectual differences.
- Apply knowledge of how to select and adapt a variety of differentiated curricula that incorporate advanced, conceptually challenging, in-depth, distinctive, and complex content.
- Apply knowledge of how to integrate academic and career awareness and guidance experiences into individualized learning plans for students with gifts and talents.
Subarea roman numeral 3–Learning Environments and Instruction
Competency 0005–Apply knowledge of strategies for creating safe, effective learning environments for students who are gifted and talented.
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- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating safe, productive, respectful learning environments for students with gifts and talents that encourage active participation in individual and group activities to enhance independence, interdependence, and positive peer relationships.
- Apply knowledge of a variety of evidence-based grouping practices for students who are gifted and talented.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for creating learning environments and intercultural experiences that allow students with gifts and talents to appreciate their own and others' language and cultural heritage.
- Apply knowledge of best practices related to motivation and behavior in creating learning environments for students who are gifted and talented, including students from diverse backgrounds, students who are twice exceptional, and students who are underachieving.
Competency 0006–Apply knowledge of strategies for fostering social, language, and communication skills in students who are gifted and talented.
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- Apply knowledge of how to design learning opportunities for students with gifts and talents that promote self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-advocacy, positive peer relationships, leadership, service learning, and lifelong learning.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for helping students with gifts and talents develop social interaction and coping skills to address personal and social issues (e.g., discrimination, stereotyping, underachievement).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the role of language and communication in talent development and the ways in which exceptionalities may hinder or facilitate such development.
- Apply knowledge of a variety of effective communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
- Apply knowledge of resources, technologies, and strategies for enhancing students' oral and written communication and learning experiences, including students who have advanced communication skills, students who are English language learners, students from diverse cultural backgrounds, and students who have disabilities that interfere with communication.
Competency 0007–Apply knowledge of a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies for students who are gifted and talented.
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- Apply knowledge of how to preassess the learning needs of students with gifts and talents in various domains and adapt, adjust, and pace instruction according to continual assessment and students' learning needs.
- Apply knowledge of how to apply pedagogical content knowledge to the instruction of students with gifts and talents, including knowledge of central concepts and methods of inquiry in the Oklahoma Core Curriculum and of how to apply higher-level thinking and metacognitive models to content areas to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents.
- Apply knowledge of how to select, adapt, and use a broad repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies and materials that differentiate instruction for students with gifts and talents, respond to students' diversity and developmental levels in various domains (e.g., intellectual, social, emotional, physical, aesthetic), and engage students from all backgrounds in challenging multicultural curricula.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for providing students with gifts and talents opportunities to explore, develop, and/or research their areas of interest and/or talent; and strategies for encouraging students with gifts and talents to develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills and to use technology effectively.
- Apply knowledge of how to use school and community resources (e.g., content specialists, mentors, institutions of higher learning, museums, special programs) to support differentiated instruction for students who are gifted and talented.
- Apply knowledge of how to use information and assistive technology to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents, including students who are twice exceptional, students who are English language learners, students who are exceptionally gifted, and students who are from underserved populations.
Subarea roman numeral 4–Professional Practice and Collaboration
Competency 0008–Apply knowledge of professional and ethical practice in the field of gifted education.
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- Apply knowledge of how to implement gifted and talented education in compliance with laws, policies, and ethical standards of practice (e.g., related to the rights of students and their parents/guardians, the rights and responsibilities of teachers, compliance with state guidelines for teacher performance, maintaining confidentiality, encouraging and modeling respect for the full range of diversity among students).
- Apply knowledge of strategies for systematically engaging in self-reflection; self-assessment of personal and professional skills and limitations, including leadership and facilitation skills; and ongoing research-supported professional development in gifted education and related fields for the purpose of identifying one's own biases, improving instruction, and guiding professional growth.
- Apply knowledge of organizations, publications, online resources, and other resources for educators of the gifted and talented.
Competency 0009–Apply knowledge of effective strategies for communicating and collaborating with students who are gifted and talented, their parents/guardians, school personnel, and community members.
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- Apply knowledge of culturally responsive behaviors and strategies for promoting effective communication and collaboration with students with gifts and talents, their parents/guardians, school personnel, district policy makers, community members, and other stakeholders outside the school setting who serve students who are gifted and talented and their families.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for responding to the concerns of students with gifts and talents and their parents/guardians.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for collaborating with students with gifts and talents, their families, general and special education teachers, other school staff members, and district policy makers to articulate a comprehensive preschool through secondary educational program for students with gifts and talents.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for advocating for the benefit of students with gifts and talents and their families and for communicating and consulting with school personnel about the characteristics and needs of students with gifts and talents, including students from diverse backgrounds.