New Haven Independent

Posted by: Common Sense | December 8, 2009 3:43 PM

I may not be around in ten years but "Lateef" with the help of Pat Egan was introduced to the Fire Station in a positive manner. If I was a betting guy I would say Lateef is headed in the right direction and just might be a future fire officer on the NHFD. He is already well motivated looking for "harder homework: - all the ingredients necessary to climb the promotional ladder.

Posted by: streever | December 8, 2009 4:48 PM

Wow, nice work Mr Egan. I hope Lateef has all the opportunities he deserves, and am awfully glad to see others reaching out to him.

Posted by: MR | December 8, 2009 6:17 PM

What an awesome kid. I hope he continues to get whatever mentorship and support he needs--and that spot in the gifted program opens up for him!

Posted by: CT G/T Teacher | December 8, 2009 8:16 PM

Thank God someone recognized this young man's potential and suggested his mother look into New Haven's Gifted & Talented program! In this age of heighted pressure on schools to bring up the lowest scoring students, it's heartening to know that a few districts in our state (New Haven, Wallingford, and West Hartford to name just a couple) still see the importance of providing specialized services to the TOP students.

These kids like Lateef, the ones who seek out opportunities to stretch themselves and their thinking, are the ones who will be in the driver's seat as they grow up, and we surely don't want them left to slip through the cracks in our educational system. Now let's hope that the New Haven school system can truly find a way to include this student in their program in the fall and make sure he receives every support available so that he can fully realize his potential. Even gifted kids need help sometimes!!

Bravo to Mr. Egan for recognizing this boy's potential and speaking to it directly by connecting with him and his mother and by inviting Lateef into the fraternity that is the NHFD. No matter what the future brings, I guarantee that experience has made a lasting impression on that family. I wish them all the best!

Posted by: Leslie Blatteau | December 8, 2009 9:45 PM

im curious about the limits on participants in the TAG programs at truman school and other schools in new haven's neighborhoods. nhi: follow up story?

Posted by: Bauer66 | December 8, 2009 11:34 PM

Awesome story, I personally know Mr. Egan and I have never met such a warm-hearted giving person. The impact Pat has caused in Lateef’s life will be a life-changing event. I hope we are able to track Lateef’s progress and maybe one day he will be designing fire systems.

Posted by: fearless | December 9, 2009 10:56 AM

this is a very good job by this young man and Firefighter Pat Egan. Too many negative stories about kids, and adults for that matter, in todays society, so this is a good change to see a story about urban kids wanting to work harder About time.

Hats off to the young man! I have a feeling that Pat Egan's awareness and good sense indicates that he as well perhaps had someone guide him as a youngster when he wanted to achieve. So , hats off to Firefighter Pat Egan for stepping up and doing the right thing for a kid who wants to become a positive success in our town!

Posted by: Anothermother | December 9, 2009 3:57 PM

Best of luck, Lateef! I'm so glad you asked about TAG. Surely the school can find a spot for one more child, given that Lateef wasn't even in town when the testing for this year's slots was carried out. This is also the time of year to be calling the private schools to see if there are any scholarship slots for next year.

Echoing Leslie above: I'd love to see a follow-up story here on what's happening with G & T programs as part of the school reform.

The current system, while better than nothing, is absolutely bare-bones. It misses kids who are creative thinkers along axes other than the one the test is aimed at, or kids who weren't feeling great that particular day. Those who get through are then offered one hour a week of "enrichment", which mostly consists of a pre-programmed set of slightly harder material than they'd ordinarily find in class, rather than open-ended, curiosity-driven, child-led inquiry.

It's really not clear how this is meant to stretch or encourage the smartest kids, although it certainly gives them a place to vent about how easy/boring they find the other class work!

A friend who grew up in Bridgeport remembers having a day a week of TAG, in which the children designed and followed up their own projects. All other days of the week, the TAG kids worked together in reading and maths groups to push themselves and each other as hard as possible. Will NHPS be able to provide a similarly challenging and exciting program in the next couple of years?

Posted by: Remember | December 9, 2009 6:20 PM

I know nothing about New Haven's TAG program, but growing up in rural CT in a very small school we had an excellent TAG program--kids selected a sphere of interest (self-directed) and then came up with a project which we researched & worked on to fruition.

Posted by: NH Parent | December 10, 2009 12:40 PM

Great work and story y'all! Congratulations to Lateef for earning his place on the Honor Roll.

Regarding NH's pull out TAG program, Section III of the current "New Haven Public Schools Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program Guidelines" addresses "TAG IDENTIFICATION AND ELIGIBILITY" as follows:

"The Office of Guidance and Counseling administers the TAG student identification and selection process. In each year, all NHPS students in grade levels 1-7 are screened for TAG eligibility for the next academic years classes. This selection process begins in the late winter of the preceding academic year and identifies TAG candidates using a multi-criteria assessment process. This process uses results from standardized statewide student assessment tests (e.g. DRA, DRP, and CMT tests), the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, and the Teacher Perception Index. Students who screen into the program are notified in late August."

I don't have time now to type out "A. TAG Identification Grades 1-4" so I'll skip to a part relevant to 5-8th grade ID:

"B. TAG Identification Grades 5-8

Currently, the selection process for students entering grades 5-8 is initiated by identifying students scoring in the top 15% of the DRP scores from the preceding class year. The students' CMT scores (Reading, Math and Writing) are then applied, along with the Teacher Perception Index rating."

Those interested in acquiring the document from NHPS' can, among other things, read "D. Qualification of Out-of-District and Transfer-In Students."

If, by mid to late August, a parent hasn't been notified whether or not their child has screened into the TAG program they can contact Cynthia Beaver, Supervisor of Guidance/Talented and Gifted Programs*, to find out why and possibly review their child's "TAG ELIGIBILITY RANKING" and "REVIEW PROCEDURES;" ("Review shall be limited to examining any matrix scoring errors or any testing anomalies that may be present so as to render the test results unreliable.")

Don't be afraid to advocate for your child--NH's TAG classes usually start about the 3rd week of September so get right on it to potentially avoid your child missing any TAG provisions--I have heard of children who should have screened in but mysteriously didn't yet were eventually admitted through 'review.'

*Contact: Cynthia Beaver, Supervisor of Guidance/Talented and Gifted Programs, at 203-946-8982 or cynthia.beaver@new-haven.k12.ct.us

General NHPS TAG overview:
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/gifted_and_talented/2008gtdir.pdf

Posted by: Milton Woodberry | December 11, 2009 12:24 AM

Shout out to my cousin & my baby cousin! Like I said before, Verta is serious about Lateef getting his education & he's thriving. I hope this will change whatever perceptions about homelessness that people have.