Programming

Service delivery focuses on engaging teachers, support staff and related/clinical providers in joint problem solving and accountability through a school-based special education services. Stakeholder collaboration, driven by the case manager, is the foundation of an effective integrated system, resulting in more seamless service delivery for students with disabilities.

 

Bricolage provides exceptional students a continuum of educational options to support student access to and success within the general education curriculum. At the elementary and middle school levels, special educators focus on supporting students’ learning styles and apply learning strengths to overcome learning weaknesses. Instruction will address academic, behavioral, social, and vocational skills throughout their instructional day. 

 

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are serviced in the following continuum of support:

 

 

 

 

The gifted/talented program at Bricolage is aligned to both Louisiana Department of Education policy and the national standards for gifted developed by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) (see attached).  Bricolage policies for identifying and serving culturally diverse gifted learners, meeting affective needs of the gifted, and serving talented students also align to the NAGC Position Statements

 

Talented in the areas of Visual Art (TAV), Theater (TAT), and Music (TAM) are provided by contracted certified talented educators in their respective areas.  Our academic gifted services are provided by a full time gifted teacher.

 

Bricolage performs individual screenings for talented in music, visual art, theater, and academically gifted services when students are referred by parents, by staff, or when warranted based upon Student Assistance Team evaluation. Teachers have pre-screen instruments available that help determine whether to refer a student.  Teachers also receive periodic professional development on giftedness. 

 

In line with our broader work toward equitable education for all, Bricolage conducts grade-wide screening for academically gifted with every student one time, typically in late second or early third grade.  We utilize two group-appropriate instruments, the NNAT-2 and the CoGat 7 Screening Form. The NNAT-2 screener is completely picture based, requiring no written or spoken language, which avoids discrimination against students who have had limited opportunities to learn information or acquire verbal skills.  The CoGat 7 Screening Form is recognized for best estimating general reasoning ability without culture and linguistic bias. In the past two years, Bricolage has administered over 160 screenings as part of this group screening process. As recommended by the NAGC and the publishers of the instruments, Bricolage practices local norming when examining screener data. After screening, it may be determined (in conjunction with a student’s caregivers) that a student should be referred for a comprehensive gifted evaluation, in compliance with Bulletin 1508. These evaluations are administered by specially trained and licensed professionals. 

 

All caregivers can receive information regarding gifted and talented services from the fall open house, their child’s teacher, or by reaching out directly to special education staff. 

 

Caregivers of identified gifted and talented children receive information through quarterly progress reports, teacher emails, and letters home (see attached sample). In addition, Bricolage maintains a resource library and offers access to Parenting for High Potential, a quarterly resource for caregivers published by the NAGC (see attached sample).  

 

Students that receive services for talented in art, talented in theater, and talented in music receive weekly pull-out services in addition to their regular co-curricular classes.  Students that receive services for academically gifted receive four forms of support: differentiation with materials and groupings via their classroom teacher; additional classroom materials such as enrichment math and reading selection support via their gifted teacher; options for self-selected challenges and a logic curriculum; and weekly, pull out, grade level enrichment with a group of like-minded peers.  Weekly pull-out units challenge gifted students at the edge of their ability utilizing inquiry and project-based formats. Students receive appropriate social/emotional support, responsive to demonstrated need, as an essential component of gifted services.