A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Audience Approved by JDRP/PEP for gifted and talented students, grades 4-6; field-tested in grades 2-8. This enrichment program in language arts is designed to enrich the education of intellectually and creatively gifted students, as well as students in the regular classroom, special education, Chapter I, multicultural, and "at-risk" students. A curriculum manual that encompasses all phases of the program operation will be provided to each participant.

Description Special enrichment activities are provided for students in grades 2-8 with exceptionally high ability in the areas of language arts. Original students were grouped in enrichment classes of 15 or fewer students per section. Later it was discovered that this can also be accomplished within a regular classroom setting with provisions for flexibility in student outcomes and expectations for varying student ability levels. Project Success Enrichment (PSE) presents educators with a complete, comprehensive curriculum that includes sequential activities--moving students from simple to complex concepts, and instructs teachers in a way that they can make immediate use of the program. Because PSE is very flexible, it can be used at any grade level, with students of all learning styles, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.

Lessons are presented in a hierarchical sequence from skill awareness through skill acquisition, skill mastery, skill application, to skill transfer. At the skill application level, elaboration, originality, divergent thinking, and problem solving are emphasized. Cooperative learning approaches, such as hands-on activities, shared decision making, active participation, and questioning techniques are demonstrated and experienced throughout the program of activities. Self-management and social skills are also stressed, along with a process-oriented approach to the content.

The language arts curriculum includes: (1) Imagery (similes, metaphors, and personification); (2) Vocabulary (descriptive adjectives and work expansion); (3) Sentences (order, types); (4) Literature (Newbery Award winners, literary analysis); and (5) Format (organization, editing, theme). Upon mastery of these topics, learners study in-depth, various types of poetry and short story writing and transfer their literary knowledge to a variety of integrated projects. Both oral and written communication skills are stressed through various teaching strategies. This developmentally sequential language curriculum is embodied in six packets (four to six years of instruction): introductory, short story, poetry, drafting and editing, literary analysis (classics, Newbery Award winners), and projects and evaluation.

Evidence of Effectiveness The portfolio assessment/product evaluation measures the students' growth in language and is evaluated by the comparison of pre and post student samples collected throughout the year and selected by teachers to be rated by a panel of experts (professional writers or artists and/or English, language, or visual arts teachers).

Project Success Enrichment is a statistically proven program in reading, writing, and literary analysis. It requires students to use higher level thinking rather than engaging in a fill-in-the-blanks type of learning. Project Success Enrichment meets National Goal for Education 3 because it assists students in learning to use their minds and further their achievement in the areas of language arts and visual art, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our modern economy.

Requirements Implementation requirements include: identification of instructors; instructors and principal participate in a two-day Level I inservice; acquisition of curriculum; instruction; possible one- or two-day Level II and Level III follow-up; and posttesting. (These requirements vary depending upon the model program adopted.)

Costs Training expenses involve negotiating an honorarium, which varies from $250-$500 per day, travel, and per diem costs for one trainer. Adopters purchase a training manual and curriculum unit per participant, which ranges from $75-$180, depending upon the resources available.

Services Visitors are welcome at any of our demonstration sites by appointment. Project staff are available for awareness and training sessions, and for follow-up and evaluation services. Project brochures, videotapes, and secondary awareness materials are available upon request.

Contact

Carolyn Gaab-Bronson, Project Success Enrichment, Creative Child Concepts, P.O. Box 22447, Seattle, WA 98122-0447. (206) 325-5418.

Developmental Funding: ESEA Title III and IV-C.
JDRP No. 83-6 (3/4/83)
Recertified (5/11/89)

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[Success Enrichment/Art, Project (PSE/Art)]