When it comes to the success of students -- the more the merrier, right?
Sometimes it can be hard to properly pinpoint every excelling student in a bustling classroom. Don't risk holding students back from their full potential and learn how the Mankato (MN) Area Public Schools (MAPS) district has created an innovative pathway to increase opportunities and representation among underserved groups in their gifted and talented programs. Listen to Dr. Tania Lyon, Dr. Joni Lakin, and Vickie Driver share new ways to ensure you are identifying all students with exceptional abilities and how to continue to improve your G&T programs - even in a pandemic.
Originally aired in November 2020.
Get to Know Your Peers:
Dr. Tania Lyon
Dr. Tania Lyon is a Talent Development Coordinator for Mankato Area Public Schools and is President of Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented. She was the 2018 National Association for Gifted Children Coordinator of the Year, as well as the 2011 WEM Foundation Statewide Winner for Ethics in Education. She has worked as an AP English teacher, exam reader and table leader, adjunct professor in English and education, a middle and high school English language arts teacher, and creator of Mentor Network. Dr. Lyon earned a PhD in educational leadership in critical pedagogy and social justice education at University of St. Thomas.
Get to Know the Experts:
Dr. Joni Lakin
Dr. Lakin is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama and is co-author of the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) Form 8. She studies educational measurement issues related to test validity and fairness with a particular interest in the accessibility of tests for English-learner students. She also studies Science, Technology, Engineering, and Science (STEM) education and interventions that promote STEM retention along the academic journey. Dr. Lakin earned a PhD in Psychological and Quantitative Foundations at the University of Iowa and was an American Educational Research Association (AERA)-Educational Testing Service (ETS) Postdoctoral Fellow at ETS.
Victoria Driver, M.B.A, M.Ed.
Victoria Driver is the Product Marketing Director for K-12 assessments at Riverside Insights. She has over 15 years of experience working with Riverside Insights assessments including the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) and the Iowa Assessments™. Ms. Driver works closely with our university-based assessment authors and often co-presents with them at national conferences and events. She holds a master’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Chicago and Educational Measurement from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to her tenure at Riverside Insights, Ms. Driver worked for several years in publishing at Reed Elsevier and as a marketing consultant at Market Facts, Sorkin-Enenstein Research Service, and Creative and Response Research.Victoria Driver, M.B.A., M.Ed.
Victoria Driver is the Product Marketing Director for K-12 assessments at Riverside Insights. She has over 15 years of experience working with Riverside Insights assessments including the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) and the Iowa Assessments™. Ms. Driver works closely with our university-based assessment authors and often co-presents with them at national conferences and events. She holds a master’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Chicago and in Educational Measurement from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to her tenure at Riverside Insights, Ms. Driver worked for several years in publishing at Reed Elsevier and as a marketing consultant at Market Facts, Sorkin-Enenstein Research Service, and Creative and Response Research.