Sellwood Middle School - TAG Parent/Student Survey - Due 10/17/14

Trick or treat?  You be the judge.  Last week students brought an envelope containing a cover letter and Parent/Study Survey (To Assist the Teachers in Planning for Instruction).  The letter describes the process for completing the survey and requests that it be returned to Lisa M. Souther, TAG Facilitator, at Sellwood Middle School.  To my knowledge, the District calls these individuals TAG Coordinators.  I will inquire about the difference in Ms. Souther's title and ask specifically about what TAG students and their families can expect in terms of services at Sellwood Middle School.

The survey is described as a tool whose data will be used to help guide the TAG Building Plan. According to the letter, the Building Plan replaces the individual instructional Plans some elementary teachers have written in the past for TAG identified students.  This information is news to me.  To my knowledge, these Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are available upon request.  As with the title, I will conduct additional research into the requirements in this area.

The letter lacks clarity with regard to how the data gathered in the survey will be shared with individual classroom teachers and the District to inform differentiated instruction strategies that meet the needs for meeting (and exceeding) the child's rate and level of learning.

In addition to the survey, the letter requests parents "complete a form (available in the main office) to indicate you have given us input into your child's instruction via the survey and discussion of the instructional program."  This request and the form it refers to are new to me.  I will delve deeper to learn more about the origin or purpose.  I think it is important to understand the source and the context.  Is this form a tool designed by PPS to serve the TAG Office or is the form a requirement of the Oregon Office of Education? Is it intended to help TAG students and their families?

So, please do work with your Sellwood TAG student to complete and submit the form by Friday, October 17, 2014 and I will do the same.  In the meantime, I will work hard to get answers to the questions I have posed here.

I'll keep tagging!  And hope that you will too!

Brenda Ray Scott
Sellwood Middle School Parent
Former Chair and Current Member, PPS TAG Advisory Council
Board Member, OATAG (Oregon Association of Talented and Gifted)