Consulting
Schools
Dr. Cortina is available to work with district administrators and educators to design and develop gifted programs and/or evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of existing gifted programs and services.
Specific program components include:
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The fairness and accuracy of the district’s identification system to insure that it is defensible to students, teachers and parents
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Compliance with current New Jersey Administrative Code and NAGC-CEC Gifted Programming Standards
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Alignment of program goals, identification procedures, and gifted services provided
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Program effectiveness and cost efficiency
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Programming decisions such as managing cluster grouping
We can assist you in making improvements to targeted areas or an entire program. We support district personnel in developing more effective and efficient programs and services for your district's academically talented students.
Professional Learning
Dr. Cortina can develop a custom professional learning plan to prepare administrators, gifted or general education teachers, and other school personnel to meet the unique academic and social emotional needs of advanced learners.
Dr. Cortina presents workshops related to all aspects of gifted education, differentiation of instruction, modification of curriculum for gifted learners and curriculum development. Workshops are tailored to meet the needs of the district. Specific areas of expertise are curriculum modification and instructional differentiation for gifted learners, cluster grouping, and primary gifted learners.
Coaching
Job-embedded curricular and instructional coaching is a highly effective and cost-efficient structure for professional learning. Dr. Cortina can work with your teachers in their classrooms to develop strategies to effectively differentiate curriculum and instruction for all students including academically talented students. Coaching may include demonstration lessons, observations, lesson modification/development for individuals and grade level teams. We can facilitate lesson study groups for small groups of teachers.
Professional Learning Communities
Dr. Cortina can provide guidance in planning professional learning communities for teachers and administrators focused on improving curriculum and instruction for academically talented students.
Curriculum
Dr. Cortina can work with districts or homeschoolers to develop curriculum that is adequately challenging for gifted learners in grades K-12.
Curriculum for gifted students should integrate important concepts with opportunities to learn and apply critical and creative thinking skills. In addition to academic skills, gifted children have unique affective needs which can be addressed through high quality curriculum.Dr. Cortina works with district personnel to evaluate, modify or design curriculum for gifted learners.
Speaking
Dr. Cortina is available to speak to groups of educators or parents on topics related to gifted education, differentiation of instruction or curriculum topics.
Call for more information about topics and speaking fees.
908-399-5510