The Cluster Grouping Handbook: A Schoolwide Model: How to Challenge Gifted Students and Improve Achievement for All »

Susan Winebrenner is a full-time consultant in staff development. She presents workshops and seminars nationally and internationally, helping educators translate educational research into classroom practice.

In today’s standards-driven era, how can teachers motivate and challenge gifted learners and ensure that all students reach their potential? This book provides a compelling answer: the Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model (SCGM). The authors explain how the model differs from grouping practices of the past, and they present a roadmap for implementing, sustaining, and evaluating schoolwide cluster grouping. Practitioners will find a wealth of teacher-tested classroom strategies along with detailed information on identifying students for clusters, gaining support from parents, and providing ongoing professional development. Special attention is directed toward empowering gifted English language learners.

Children's Literature

Written by two teachers of gifted students and based on the research of Dr. Brulles, the Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model (SCGM) is a method that INCLUDES gifted students in a classroom rather than having them isolated in a special classroom. Nationally, gifted or high achieving students have been out of favor politically due to No Child Left Behind, and the authors feel that the future of America's scientific community is impaired by our neglecting to provide the best education for this population. Clustering high achieving students within the regular classroom according to SCGM guidelines positively affects the achievement levels of all students, promotes leadership, and narrows the range of student abilities within a classroom, a plus for the teacher. The book provides all the steps for a school to take in implementing this program, including sample letters for parents, graphics, charts, and rubrics for teachers. The book makes it sound simpler than it is, as all staff in the school and parents must agree to it and commit the time and effort it takes to successfully implement the program. Attitude is a lot more difficult than behavior to change in education. The book and accompanying CD would be the workbook for each staff member as they go through the three year process of successfully learning and implementing the program. The book is well written and with a knowledgeable guide, the program is an attainable goal. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger, Ph.D.