Belin-Blank Center Biennial Report: 2015-2016

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The Biennial Report of the Belin-Blank Center [2014–2016]

1

2 –3

Bold

Creative

4–7

Innovative

8 –11

Dedicated

12 – 17

Engaged

I am honored to be back at the University of Iowa College of Education, a world-class institution with a strong tradition of academic excellence. With our goal to prepare world-class leaders, scholars, and innovators who inspire positive change, I am thrilled to have the Belin-Blank Center as part of the College guiding and empowering young people to fulfill their highest potential. As leaders in the fields of gifted education and talent development, the research, programming, and outreach offered by the Center enhance the vibrant culture in the College of Education. Thank you for your commitment to education, and I look forward to working with all of you in the coming year.

Daniel Clay, Dean, College of Education, University of Iowa

DIrECtor’s mEssagE [verb] Two letters that represent our purpose for existing, our raison d’être. We strive to empower the worldwide gifted education community of gifted and talented students and their families and educators. To accomplish this mission, the Center’s faculty and administrative, clerical, and student staff collaboratively focus on academic talent development, creativity, innovation, and engagement. [noun] The symbol for the element beryllium, the qualities of which capture the unique character of this vibrant organization and the superb professionals responsible for our programs, services, and research. Beryllium, a lighter-thanaluminum and stronger-than-steel metal, has distinctive qualities that foster modern technology from aerospace to medicine. The amazing qualities of the Belin-Blank Center professionals mirror those found in this magical metal.

The strength of the Belin-Blank Center emanates from our commitment to collaboration. These collaborative efforts produce outstanding educator and student programs, clinical services, outreach to schools, and an extensive research agenda. The 2014-2016 report reveals the many ways in which the team of professionals continues to elevate the organization to the next level.

Susan Assouline, Director Myron and Jacqueline N. Blank Endowed Chair in Gifted Education

BELIN-BLANK CENTER BY THE NUMBERS: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 – AUGUST 31, 2016

30%

increase in administrative expertise

7,199

students served from grades 2 through 16

26

states and territories, and

11

countries represented

270

individual clinic clients

$11,111,000

raised in endowments and grants

1

Belin Bold

“I know a lot of people think you have to be a Doogie Howser, a genius since the age of six, to enter college early. But I was just a junior in high school who ran out of classes I wanted to take. I was at the right maturity level, the right academic level, to move on to college. It’s been an amazing experience. The classes I’m taking are difficult but so much more interesting than anything I’d be taking in high school right now, and I’ve made so many new friends. I have no regrets.”

HANNAH DOBROSKI, ENtErED UNIvErsIty oNE yEar Early

the Bucksbaum Early Entrance academy he Belin-Blank Center has been supporting early-entrance to the University of Iowa for high-ability students since 1999. But the program—previously called the National Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering—was reinvigorated in 2016, thanks to a $10 million gift from Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan and Patrick Scanlan. The Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy is named in memory of Mary’s parents, Melva and Martin.

“This fantastic gift has allowed us to completely redesign our early entrance program. We now recruit students who are younger and from a broader geographic area. We also provide scholarships to students, something that makes the Academy a possibility for low-income and out-of-state students,” says Jan Warren, the Center’s Assistant Director for Student Services.

JAN WARREN

Academy students continue to live in Daum Residence Hall, the Honors Living Learning Community. This year, students will attend several “salons” where they will discuss important issues with university and community representatives over dinner. “The Academy will help the students make sense of their college experience,” Warren says. “It’s an opportunity to stretch them academically, socially, and emotionally.”

The students also will be taking field trips to Des Moines and Chicago, meeting weekly for one-on-one discussions with a graduate assistant, and attending recreational activities with upperclass students. They are all members of the University Honors Program, which provides further support for them as they take university classes.

DAvID GOULD

“The ideas, passion, and excitement have always been here, but the gift from Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan and her husband, Patrick Scanlan, allows us to provide meaningful events, innovative experiences, and essential scholarships,” Warren says. “It’s allowing us to reach down to younger students, with the majority of our students now coming in after tenth grade. The Academy is intended to provide structure and support for these students, leading to happy, well-adjusted, passionate individuals, who can say their college years were the best years of their lives.”

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OUR PARTNERS

University of Iowa Honors Program

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BY THE NUMBERS

185

Number of early entrant students since 1999

$50,270

in scholarship funds in the inaugural year of the Bucksbaum Early Entrance academy (2016)

2

Creative

“I took two classes. One was Magical Potions, where we made slime out of corn starch— color-changing slime, glowing slime, magnetic slime—in a laboratory. The other was LEGO® Robotics where we built robots out of LEGOs. We made one with a controller and played baseball with it. Then we made one with a color sensor, where they were sumo wrestlers trying to push each other out of a black circle. I liked both classes, but I really liked the LEGO robots.”

TYLER LIEBERMAN, 9, Iowa CIty, Iowa: BElIN-BlaNk sUmmEr Blast ClassEs

summer Programs ow to spend the summer? How about taking a week or two and choosing from almost forty classes where you’ll learn, have some fun, and make new friends?

Hundreds of students in second grade through high school say “yes” to that offer and enroll in Belin-Blank Center summer classes.

OUR PARTNERS

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Among the offerings this past summer: Lights, Cameras, STEM Action, which teaches junior high students about time-lapse videos, math and science.

Painting in the Jurassic, an art class that harkens back to the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. A Time Machine class that teaches social studies by having students build a time machine and travel back in time. A class about mathematics through the ages that ties math to the humanities. A popular new class in debate. And the continuing popular class in leadership.

ASHLEE vAN FLEET

University of Iowa m.C. ginsberg objects of art UI Department of Computer science LORI IHRIG

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BY THE NUMBERS

$373,501 scholarships awarded to summer program students in 2015 & 2016

JAN WARREN

1,515

Number of students attending Center summer Programs in 2015 & 2016

JOSH JACOBS

In addition, middle school students embraced a class in Advanced 3-D Design that began in 2015 as a public-private partnership between the Center and the M.C. Ginsberg Objects of Art store adjacent to the University of Iowa campus. Mark Ginsberg donated his space, time, and expertise, and teachers in industrial tech, engineering, and art and design “showed the intersection of science, research, design, art, and entrepreneurship,” says Joshua Jacobs, the Center’s Administrator for Technology. “You can see the enthusiasm on students’ faces, in their work.”

Another new class, Robot Theater, designed by Dr. Denise Szecsei from the UI Department of Computer Science, also combines art and science. The first class in 2015 had elementary students writing a play, designing a stage backdrop, programming robots, and putting on a play. In 2016, middle school students learned about writing screenplays from a theater instructor in the morning and about programming robots in the afternoon.

“We’re using the classes to work against some misconceptions about computer science,” says Dr. Lori Ihrig, the Center’s Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction who is in charge of summer programming. “Girls might be interested in learning about computer programming, but by high school they may perceive they do not have the same depth of experience with technology as boys and feel like they don’t belong.”

3

Creative

“Everything I do in the classroom or at home, I try to see as an artist. I think art can change my life in the future. I would encourage all students in middle school and high school to do more art and submit their work to the competition because you never know if it’s a masterpiece! It will give you confidence.”

THIERRY HABINSHUTI, sENIor, DEs moINEs CHrIstIaN sCHool, NatIvE of rwaNDa: 2016 sCHolastIC golD kEy awarD, graNt wooD lEgaCy PrIzE

sElf PortraIt

scholastic art & writing Program he Belin-Blank Center is proud to be one of the affiliates facilitating the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which recognize exceptional artistic talent in high school students. The Center is responsible for the state of Iowa and the eight other Midwest states. You’ll recognize the names of some previous national award winners—Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Lena Dunham, and Ken Burns.

JAN WARREN

When the Center took on the Scholastic program in 2008, staff adjudicated 326 pieces of art and writing. This past spring, Center judges adjudicated 9,233 pieces of art and writing—in multiple categories including fashion, photography, poetry, and memoir, to name a few. The Gold Key winners were forwarded to the national competition. This year, eight Iowa students were honored at Carnegie Hall for winning National Gold or National Silver Awards. Jan Warren, who oversees the annual competition, was also honored in New York City with the 2016 Gold Key for Excellence in the Field. The award goes to one Scholastic affiliate—out of more than a hundred nationwide—that demonstrates extraordinary dedication to creative young people.

In 2016, the Center also started a blog (Freehand) for young artists and writers and forged partnerships for this year’s competition. The Center also partnered with the Scholastic Awards Summer Scholarship program that provides lowincome students who are National Gold Medal winners with scholarships to attend a residential summer program for free. “This year, we sponsored more students than any other single organization in the country,” Warren notes.

“In high school, I was devoted to the scholastic art and writing awards. During my junior year, I earned a National silver medal in Poetry. the following year, I earned a National gold medal in Poetry and a National american voices medal. overall, I’ve won 18 regional awards in two years through the Iowa writing region at the Belin-Blank Center, but more importantly, I care deeply about the work we do at the Belin-Blank Center and the opportunities possible through scholastic.”

DAvID EHMCKE, 18, sioux City, Iowa: University of Iowa

OUR PARTNERS

Pa

scholastic art & writing awards grant wood art Colony UNEsCo City of literature UI school of art and art History

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BY THE NUMBERS

17,276 Pieces adjudicated 2015 & 2016

4

Innovative

“The problem I wanted to solve was that whenever my dad wanted to go outside, he had to bend down and lift the security bar on the patio door, and his back hurt. So I used a rope to pull up the security bar, no bending required, and then put the rope through a hook to hold it. I made a model of the invention. The judges said it was interesting and pretty creative and helpful. Next year, I’m thinking about adding a motor to it.”

KEERTHANA BALAKRISHNAN, 5tH graDE; tHIrD PlaCE, NatIoNal INvENtIoN CoNvENtIoN

Junior science and Humanities symposium

Invent Iowa

ASHLEE vAN FLEET

LORI IHRIG

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OUR PARTNERS

stEmIE Coalition 70 Iowa classroom teachers mckee, voorhees & sease, PlC

ifty-five somewhat nervous—but confident—students set up their tri-fold posters for the Invent Iowa convention in the University of Iowa Memorial Union in May 2016. They explained the gizmos, gadgets, and goods they had invented to judges. They showed inventor logs that tracked their thought processes and experiences.

Invent Iowa—the state’s original Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program—started in 1987 and has been part of the Belin-Blank Center since 1989.

Center staff reworked the curriculum in 2014–15, with the revamped competition for K–12 students returning in 2015–16. The winners of regional competitions advanced to the finals at the UI. The winners in Iowa City advanced to nationals.

“We were so excited to be able to bring back Invent Iowa after our year of re-inventing,” says Ashlee Van Fleet, administrator for curriculum and instruction. “Bringing students together from across the state to present inventions they have created is truly priceless. Students learn to take something that bugs them and develop a solution to their problem by utilizing their inventiveness and bringing the solution to life.”

BRIAN DOUGLAS

LESLIE FLYNN

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OUR PARTNERS

academy of applied science U.s. army office of Naval research U.s. air force

SHS promotes and recognizes high school students for outstanding achievement in original research and experimentation in the STEM subjects. Students present their research to University of Iowa faculty and staff over two days. The top five finalists win scholarships and an expense-paid trip to the National Symposium, where their work has a chance to win further awards. The program’s goal is to connect students and their teachers with researchers and to widen the pool of students prepared to undertake research vital to our nation.

“my JsHs project involved increasing the energy efficiency of producing cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass. It was a once-in-alifetime experience and exciting to be treated like a real researcher. I met dozens of others who shared the same scientific passion.”

MANASA PAGADALA, 16, sstP Participant and JsHs Nationals 2nd Place winner

5

“In JSHS you find mentors who will guide you and truly want to see you succeed. In SSTP I learned to understand complex research and effectively analyze results. The experience allowed me to be more comfortable in a laboratory and truly solidified that I want to do research.”

Innovative

MANASA PAGADALA, 16, sstP PartICIPaNt aND JsHs NatIoNals 2ND PlaCE wINNEr

secondary student training Program he Center’s Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP) is an impressive five-and-a-half-week summer residential program that brings more than 40 gifted high school students to the UI campus.

They conduct research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The students, who come from throughout the United States, as well as England, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and China, produce a research brief and poster. Students also participate in an arts and humanities seminar, a research seminar, a weekly calligraphy class and improv class—additions aimed at supporting students’ interdisciplinary development.

LORI IHRIG

KRISTIN FLANARY

“We love this program and know the impact it makes in the lives of some of our nation’s most gifted students,” says Dr. Lori Ihrig, the Center’s Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction. “A primary goal is to increase diversity both culturally and financially. We also implemented a pilot peer mentoring program, in partnership with the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, where we pair these highly gifted high school students with UI honors student researchers.”

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BY THE NUMBERS

93%

Increase in applications from 2015 to 2016 JAN WARREN

82

Number of students from 16 states and 8 countries, attending sstP in 2015 & 2016.

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OUR PARTNERS

Iowa Center for research by Undergraduates 47 faculty mentors from these University of Iowa departments have worked with sstP students: anatomy and Cell Biology Biochemistry Biology Cardiology Center for Computer-aided Design, research Engineering Center for Disabilities and Development Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Chemistry Civil and Environmental Engineering Computer science Engineering geographical and sustainability sciences genetics and Neurobiology Health and Human Physiology Internal medicine mechanical Engineering microbiology Neurology Neuroscience Nursing obstetrics obstetrics and gynecology occupational and Environmental Health ophthalmology oral Pathology, radiology, medicine orthopedics and rehabilitation otolaryngology Pharmacology Pharmacy Physics and astronomy Psychiatry Psychology

6

Innovative

“We’re a small school. We only have about seventy-eight students in a graduating class.

So in a lot of cases, these students are the big fish in a small pond, and they’re not that sure how they’re going to do when they move into a larger environment. The students really enjoy the freedom they have to work at their own pace.”

DONNA BOHLMANN, talENtED aND gIftED CoorDINator, EDDyvIllE-BlakEsBUrg-frEmoNt (Iowa) HIgH sCHool

stEm Excellence & leadership n 2014, the Belin-Blank Center received a $500,000 Talent Development Award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to implement an afterschool math and science enrichment program—STEM Excellence and Leadership—for rural students in sixth through eighth grade and their math and science teachers. Eleven rural Iowa school districts are partnering in the initiative, which includes activities that looks like students are at play— except they’re also learning the math and science principles behind, say, bubbles or geocaching.

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OUR PARTNERS

Jack kent Cooke foundation state of Iowa middle schools: adel, Desoto, and minburn atlantic Cardinal Chariton Davis County Eddyville-Blakesburgfremont fort Dodge graettinger-terril mount Pleasant spencer starmont

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BY THE NUMBERS

309

Number of rural Iowa students participating in 2015 & 2016

LORI IHRIG

DUHITA MAHATMYA

KRISTIN FLANARY

The goals of the program are two-fold: 1) Discover high-ability, rural students through above-level testing and provide them with extracurricular programs to nurture that ability; and 2) Prepare teachers to deliver math and science curriculum to high-ability students. An effort is being made, too, to expand the discovery of high-potential, low-income students. To assist in those goals, Dr. Duhita Mahatmya joined the center and the College of Education as an Assistant Research Scientist in 2016. She is looking at the impact of Belin-Blank programs on student achievement and aspirations.

“We have standardized test scores—the numbers—and we’ve also led focus groups with teachers and conducted open-ended interviews with parents, teachers and students to get a more holistic picture of what is happening in the programs,” Dr. Mahatmya says. “We want to see what their experience has been—in terms of academic and social benefits—and how we can improve programming. I see my job as supporting faculty members at the center to see their ideas come alive.”

Based on Dr. Mahatmya’s collaborative research efforts, the center applied for a National Science Foundation grant to fund STEM enrichment opportunities for high-potential, rural students. These collaborations are forming the basis for research papers and presentations at professional symposia.

It is all designed to prepare students and teachers for opportunities through the Iowa Online AP Academy.

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“The AP class is a lot more in-depth than any high school work. It covers a lot more material, and I get more out of it. I have a feeling now of what college classes will be like so I can hit the ground running and go right into my college classes and know what I want to take. I feel much better about college. These classes have helped me.”

Innovative

CLAIRE JAGER, 17, IoaPa stUDENt, EDDyvIllE-BlakEsBUrg-frEmoNt (Iowa) HIgH sCHool

Iowa online aP academy

KRISTIN FLANARY

Pa

OUR PARTNERS

state of Iowa allocation to University of Iowa

edicated to the proposition that geography shouldn’t dictate opportunity, the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) offers advanced coursework, primarily to high-ability, rural Iowa students who do not have access to such challenging classes at their school. The classes are offered at no cost to students and are taught by licensed teachers. The Center’s infrastructure and expertise have been key in serving the 503 students from 115 school districts across Iowa.

Academy students have fourteen AP classes to choose from, including science, math, history, psychology, and, new to the 2015-16 academic year, computer science. IOAPA Administrator Kristin Flanary says the two AP computer science classes delve into programming and coding.

“Multiple studies show computer science is a very necessary 21st century skill, and that’s where the jobs will be,” Flanary notes. “We’re excited to help with that.”

Administering the program, she adds, is rewarding. “It’s a valuable service, and it enriches the lives of students in rural areas. I have personal sympathy for it, too. I grew up in central Texas in a very small town in an agricultural area. I would have loved to have had something like this.”

aP teacher training Institute orking hand-in-hand with the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) is the Belin-Blank Center’s AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI). Those acronyms may look a bit complicated, but the purpose of the Institute is straightforward: to train teachers of AP classes.

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BY THE NUMBERS

123

Number of grants to Iowa teachers attending aPttI in 2015 & 2016

503

Number of IoaPa students served in 2014-15 and 2015-16

12,416

Number of IoaPa semester enrollments completed since 2001

The College Board, which administers the Advanced Placement programs and tests for high school students, offers AP summer institutes to teachers. Belin-Blank offers the only summer institute in Iowa and this past summer celebrated its 25th anniversary offering the advanced training. It’s a place where AP teachers can do a deep dive into their subject matter, learning how best to teach an AP class and challenge high-ability students. The one-week, on-campus workshops, taught by College Boardapproved instructors, carry optional graduate credit hours or Iowa Licensure Renewal Units.

In addition, scholarships are available for those wishing to earn credit.

“We are pleased that the Center can offer an automatic 50 percent tuition scholarship from Professional Development funds for teachers attending APTTI,” says Program Administrator Kristin Flanary.

8

Dedicated

“Having given my students above-level, paper-and-pen tests from a large testing company, I was delighted at the ease and efficiency of the I-Excel online platform. My students resoundingly preferred not only the computer-based format but also the more reasonable testing time. Most importantly, the eighth-grade questions are superbly designed to be appropriately challenging for fourth graders and to give me the data and insights I need to plan for our advanced learners.”

ANNE FLICK, gIftED sPECIalIst, CINCINNatI, oH

I-EXCEl, BEsts ne of the key services offered by the Belin-Blank Center is above-level testing and assessment—the tests that identify high-ability students and that also show what those students are ready to learn.

The Belin-Blank Center began offering the new I-Excel online assessment to high-ability fourth through sixth graders in April 2016. It is designed to be challenging, with questions in science, math, reading, and English typically given to eighth or ninth graders. The test can be taken anytime in the classroom, without students traveling to a central site. I-Excel is primarily for students who have scored in the 95th percentile, or above, of the Iowa Assessments and similar grade-level tests.

EMILY LADENDORF

OUR PARTNERS

Pa

ANN SHOPLIK

aCt college testing company

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BY THE NUMBERS

1,634

BEsts Participants in 2015

2,016

BEsts Participants in 2016

BRIAN DOUGLAS

“They won’t get the kinds of scores they’re used to—although some students do score remarkably well on above-level tests, often outscoring students much older than they are—but they’ll get something much more valuable: real feedback about the kind and level of challenge they need,” says Emily Ladendorf, Belin-Blank administrator for technology and public relations.

I-Excel is the latest entry in the suite of testing options offered through the Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search, or BESTS. The options include math-specific assessments as well as the ACT college-entrance exam for seventh through ninth graders. Students with outstanding scores on abovelevel tests are recognized at an annual Recognition Ceremony at the University of Iowa, and they automatically qualify for Belin-Blank programs. The tests are extremely popular with students, with a 95 percent approval rating, showing again that it’s affirming—and fun—to be recognized for something you’re good at.

9

Dedicated

“I have learned so much in a short amount of time at the Center’s summer Chautauqua Professional Development Program. Throughout my experiences with the center, I have gained new knowledge, resources, and valuable information that has helped me be a better consultant, teacher, and proponent for gifted and advanced learners. I never hesitate to contact the Center if I need sound, quality expertise on any subject in gifted education.”

KELLY BAzAN, gIftED EDUCatIoN CoNsUltaNt, DEs moINEs PUBlIC sCHools

Professional Development ften, it’s a classroom teacher who spots the high-ability child, who finds ways to challenge a gifted learner. A teacher can be a gifted child’s best advocate.

The Belin-Blank Center, in collaboration with the UI College of Education, has provided professional development opportunities for teachers since 1980. This past summer, the Center hosted the 36th annual Belin-Blank Fellowship Program, an intensive one-week residential program that provides an overview of the nature and needs of gifted and talented learners. Educators from Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington State attended. As a bonus, the teachers are able to observe high-ability students in the Belin-Blank summer programs.

The Center also hosts the popular Belin-Blank Chautauqua, named for the adult education movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this program, teachers spend an intense two days on campus, with readings, reflections, and discussion on gifted education topics—with some time for music on the Iowa City Ped Mall on Friday nights. Topics change each summer so the curriculum stays fresh.

LAURIE CROFT

OUR PARTNERS

Pa

Wrapping up the professional development opportunities this summer, 55 educators, administrators, and researchers gathered at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City for a two-day conference focused on A Nation Empowered, including practical applications of research-based interventions for talented students.

University of Iowa College of Education

Teacher training continues throughout the school year, with online college-credit classes offered and, for the first time this year, during the winter session. “These classes are often responsive to specific needs in the field,” says Dr. Laurie Croft.

state of wyoming

Highlighting the expertise of the Center’s administrative staff, the Center also offers Webinars on gifted education topics, which allows a group of teachers to learn together during an in-service day, and also creates DVDs for future training. This spring, Dr. Croft also started a “book study” on topics related to gifted education.

“It’s a great honor to teach the teachers of gifted students,” Dr. Croft says.

“Almost without exception, teachers of the gifted share characteristics and interests with their students. These teachers are lifelong learners who understand the joy of learning.”

Iowa talented and gifted association

Nebraska association for the gifted Indian mensa

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BY THE NUMBERS

1,730

credit hours earned in 2015 & 2016

10

Dedicated

“We had to decide whether to have our daughter, Posey, skip kindergarten and start first grade in our local public school. Her preschool director recommended testing, and the psychologist who administered the tests recommended acceleration. I did a lot of research and interviewed parents and kids. Then I discovered the Acceleration Institute and A Nation Deceived. I called the Belin-Blank Center and was put right through to Dr. Ann Shoplik. That research-based response from an expert helped me orient myself.

acceleration Institute he intent of the Acceleration Institute is to provide a practical, one-stop shop for information about academic acceleration, the best-researched, most cost-effective intervention for high-ability students. It also offers powerful stories from gifted students who were accelerated and their parents who share what a dramatic difference that decision made in their lives.

ANN SHOPLIK

OUR PARTNERS

Pa

EMILY LADENDORF

Iowa sourcemedia group–writing and publication of a Nation Empowered

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BY THE NUMBERS

3,265

copies of a Nation Empowered disseminated since april 2015

JOSH JACOBS

Dr. Ann Shoplik, a co-author of the Iowa Acceleration Scale, now heads the Institute, known until 2014 as the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration. In the past two years, the Institute’s website has been updated to be more comprehensive and user-friendly—a true public resource. “There is so much good research about acceleration that’s really positive, and the website gathers much of that in one place,” Dr. Shoplik says.

The Acceleration website (accelerationinstitute.org) offers free, downloadable copies of A Nation Empowered and its influential predecessor, A Nation Deceived. It offers an overview of state policies on acceleration and guidelines for writing an acceleration policy. It offers access to the Iowa Acceleration Scale, a guide for child study teams making decisions about acceleration, and IDEAL Solutions® for STEM Acceleration, a guide for parents and educators in understanding a child’s above-level test scores and readiness for acceleration.

The goal is to get research-based information about acceleration to parents, teachers, principals, and superintendents—the “ones making decisions for these high-ability students,” says Dr. Shoplik, “and helping them understand that doing nothing is also making a decision.”

A NATION EMPOWERED a Nation Empowered: Evidence trumps the Excuses Holding Back america’s Brightest students (2015) updates the Belin-Blank Center’s watershed work, a Nation Deceived: How schools Hold Back america’s Brightest students. a Nation Deceived (2004) was front-page news, and it remains a touchstone in gifted education to the present day. a Nation Empowered (2015) shifts the impetus from conversation to action and policy. It equips students, families, and educators with facts to refute biased excuses.

It provides practical information and shares stories about acceleration and, using existing research, provides tools to help educators make evidence-driven decisions. volume 1 portrays the determination of students, educators, and parents who strive for excellence. volume 2 reveals the evidence that trumps the excuses holding back bright students.

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Dedicated

Posey got used to the schedule and the independence required in a classroom and, after Christmas break, was at the top of her game. She had friends, she loved her teacher. And her teacher said at the end of the year that putting Posey in first grade was the best thing we could have done. I am so grateful to Ann and to the Belin-Blank Center for their support.”

ELORY ROzNER, ParENt, EvaNstoN, IllINoIs

assessment & Counseling Clinic he Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic has been able in the past two years to expand its services to high-ability students and their families, thanks to the addition of a third licensed psychologist, Dr. Joyce Goins, who joins Dr. Alissa Doobay and Associate Professor Megan FoleyNicpon, who also is the Center’s Associate Director for Research and Clinic.

Twice-exceptional students—those of high ability but with learning or socialemotional concerns—have become an increasing focus for the clinic.

ALISSA DOOBAY

JOYCE GOINS

MEGAN FOLEYNICPON

In 2015, Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, supported by a generous private gift from Shirley Johnson, began an after-school social skills intervention group for high ability middle school students with autism. Using video modeling, students were recorded having social interactions with peers. In follow-up sessions, students would review their video looking for strengths in their interactions as well as opportunities for improvement. Dr. Foley-Nicpon then broadened this service to include elementary and middle school students attending Belin-Blank Center summer programs. Building on Dr. Foley-Nicpon’s success, Dr. Alissa Doobay was awarded the Esther Katz Rosen Grant from the American Psychological Foundation to extend this intervention to a high school population.

Dr. Doobay, the Center’s Supervisor of Psychological Services, is working with the UI College of Education and the UI Children’s Hospital to create a pre-doctoral internship program in child psychology. The goal is to have two to three interns working at the Clinic beginning in 2018. It would be the only such internship program in Iowa. “It’s an effort,” Dr. Doobay says, “to keep good psychologists in the state,” which ranks last in the nation in access to mental health services. The next step is finding financial support.

The heart of the Clinic is helping students and families with in-depth assessments and counseling. “The most satisfying part of my job,” Dr. Doobay says, “is the reactions I get from families when I’m giving them feedback. They say, ‘This is exactly what we’ve been looking for; nobody could see this talent or understand that our child was struggling.’ We’re meeting the needs of a unique population. Parents say our assessments are a ‘golden ticket’ to get the services their child needs. The families feel they’ve been heard.”

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OUR PARTNERS

Esther katz rosen fund, american Psychological foundation

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BY THE NUMBERS

270

Clinic clients in 2015 & 2016

12

Engaged

ovation award for Dr. assouline

The Iowa Women’s Foundation recognized Dr. Susan Assouline as a recipient of its 2016 Ovation Award. The award acknowledges Dr. Assouline’s “superb work” and research on academic acceleration, twice-exceptional students, and development of math talent. “She has the rare ability to link educational research with practice, more notably with the Iowa Acceleration Scale; … the I-Excel test and IDEAL Solutions online interpretation tool; and her authorship of the books, A Nation Deceived and A Nation Empowered, the most significant works on academic acceleration.” The award also mentions she was the first woman in the University of Iowa’s College of Education to receive an endowed chair and is one of only three individuals in the nation to hold such a position in gifted education.

research & Development elin-Blank Center faculty and staff support a broad research agenda generating results about gifted and talented students and their teachers.

We disseminate the findings through presentations, articles, chapters, and books.

BLANK HONORS CENTER STAIRWAY ART COLLECTION In gratitude to mary Bucksbaum scanlan, who made possible this enrichment to our lives and building. the ceramic works installed on each landing were created by artists who were faculty or are alumni of the Ceramics Department at the University of Iowa school of art and art History. belinblank.org/art

A Nation Empowered, the Center’s major publication in 2015, included chapters by several members of the faculty and staff. It was the topic of presentations in Denmark, Poland, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Ohio, and Colorado and was one of the signature sessions at the 2015 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) conference.

CLAR BALDUS

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reached hundreds of professionals and parents through

26 publications and

80 presentations that included keynotes around the globe and local parent/school groups

The long-standing, twice-exceptional research agenda has resulted in dozens of presentations and publications including case studies, descriptive studies, and empirical research. In April 2016, Dr. Foley-Nicpon presented the findings of a social-skills intervention investigation at the Inaugural American Psychological Association (APA) European-American Summit on Talent Development. This summit was a collaborative effort among APA, UC-Berkeley, Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development, and the BelinBlank Center. The Belin-Blank Center received funding from the UI Office of the Vice President for Research to offset the costs of the summit.

STEM Excellence and Leadership has initiated a comprehensive agenda focused on students and teachers in rural settings. The primary aim is to increase students’ achievements and aspirations. Results were presented at the APA summit and the American Educational Research Association convention.

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Engaged

“Every member of the Belin-Blank Center staff makes unique contributions to the Center’s overall programming and services. The various areas of expertise stimulate a creative and productive environment and I am grateful for their dedication and commitment.

We are inspired by the financial generosity and program support of our board members.

Furthermore, our college and university colleagues afford us multiple opportunities for collaboration.

The combination of creativity, generosity, and collaboration has resulted in the Center’s continued growth and development. Thank you.”

DR. SUSAN ASSOULINE, DIrECtor, BElIN-BlaNk CENtEr

Belin-Blank Center staff

DIRECTORS Susan Assouline, Ph.D., Director Laurie Croft, Ph.D., associate Director for Professional Development Megan Foley-Nicpon, Ph.D., associate Director for research and Clinic Brian Douglas, M.B.A., assistant Director for finance and operations Jan Warren, M.A., assistant Director for student services

David Gould, M.A., Bucksbaum academy Lori Ihrig, Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction Joshua Jacobs, A.A.S., technology Emily Ladendorf, B.A., technology and Public relations Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Ph.D., acceleration Institute Duhita Mahatmya, Ph.D., research scientist Cally Murray, M.P.A., Development (UI foundation) Ashlee van Fleet, M.A.T., Curriculum and Instruction

EMERITUS Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D., Director Emeritus

FACULTY AFFILIATES Clar Baldus, Ph.D., visual arts Leslie Flynn, Ph.D., JsHs

ADMINISTRATIvE STAFF Alissa Doobay, Ph.D., assessment and Counseling Clinic Kristin Flanary, M.A., Iowa online advanced Placement academy Joyce Goins, Ph.D., assessment and Counseling Clinic

CLERICAL STAFF Rachelle Blackwell Lori Hudson Bridget Pauley Nancy Whetstine

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“It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge the Belin-Blank Center Advisory Board for the continuing support of the center. The talents, perspectives, and insights the advisory board members bring to the table are truly awe-inspiring and allow the members to work on multiple levels. From my own experience in a university setting, I know what a difference it can make to multitasking faculty and staff when devoted advocates help mobilize resources in the pursuit of shared goals. Before the Board’s annual meetings, I find myself reflecting on how I always come away from our meetings feeling that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I look forward to these productive exchanges that advance the mission of the Belin-Blank Center and the University of Iowa as a whole.”

THOMAS BELIN, CHaIr, BElIN-BlaNk CENtEr aDvIsory BoarD; ProfEssor of BIostatIstICs & PsyCHIatry aND BIoBEHavIoral sCIENCEs, UCla fIElDINg sCHool of PUBlIC HEaltH

Belin-Blank Center Board members FOUNDERS (IN MEMORIAM) David Belin Connie Belin myron Blank Jacqueline Blank

west Des moines, Ia west Des moines, Ia Des moines, Ia Des moines, Ia

CHAIR thomas Belin

santa monica, Ca

BOARD MEMBERS Pat Ballou Barbara ross Belin laurie Belin Joanne Brown Julius Carter Nicholas Colangelo Bob Davidson Nancy Evans richard ferguson ann Hoffman Jim Hoffman alyssa levitz randi levitz Jeffrey Perry william Perry mary Bucksbaum scanlan theodore (Bob) scarborough sarvjeev sidhu shabana sidhu ann smith gregs thomopulos Paul thompson alex vacca gregory walker Jon whitmore

Urbandale, Ia New york City, Ny west Des moines, Ia west Des moines, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Incline village, Nv Cedar rapids, Ia Iowa City, Ia Cedar rapids, Ia Cedar rapids, Ia seattle, wa Iowa City, Ia white Plains, Ny white Plains, Ny woody Creek, Co Chicago, Il Cedar rapids, Ia Cedar rapids, Ia Burlingame, Ca Iowa City, Ia Denver, Co / london falls Church, va Chicago, Il Iowa City, Ia

Ex-OFFICIO MEMBERS susan assouline Barry Butler Daniel Clay Bruce Harreld lynette marshall lon moeller Dan reed tom rocklin linda snetselaar art spisak

Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia Iowa City, Ia

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

600 Blank Honors Center the University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 52242-0454 800-336-6463 319-335-6148 belinblank@uiowa.edu

PROJECT MANAGER Joshua Jacobs WRITER mary sharp DESIGN Benson & Hepker Design

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