About

Gifted Curriculum & Consulting

offers consulting services and professional development in gifted education to school districts and other groups.

Lenore Cortina, Ed.D.

cortinagiftedcc@gmail.com

908-399-5510

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Consultant/Owner June 2014 - Present

Gifted Curriculum and Consulting

Consult with school districts to evaluate, design and develop all aspects of gifted programming including identification processes, program and service options, curriculum design and development, and evaluation procedures.
Deliver professional development to educators, administrators, and counselors in all aspects of gifted education including; identification, characteristics and needs of gifted learners, low-prep/high impact differentiation strategies, curriculum modification, social and emotional needs of gifted learners, and collaborating to support gifted learners.
Develop professional development curriculum for educators in gifted education.
Deliver on-demand virtual professional development seminars for educators and administrators.

Author/Curriculum Developer January 2018 - Present

Author of chapter book series for gifted K-2 learners. The focus of the Dragonflier Kids books is on social-emotional issues faced by gifted learners, integrated with interesting and challenging academic content.
Develop curriculum units to accompany the chapter books. Each curriculum unit is focused on an academic topic, a social-emotional issue, and introduces a type of research. The units include educative materials to enhance professional learning in the area of gifted education for those implementing the unit.
Math challenge simulations for gifted learners in grades K-2.
Professional learning videos and materials for teachers in the area of gifted education.

Faculty Coordinator - Gifted Education Certificate Program September 2013 – June 2019

Assistant Professor of Teaching - Retired

Graduate School of Education

Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey

Recruit and support faculty for the Gifted Education Certificate Program
Manage the coordination of program curriculum to maintain consistency, relevance, and rigor
Develop courses in gifted education for the Graduate School of Education
Teaching responsibilities for undergraduate and graduate gifted education courses
Professional learning for district administrators and teachers
Co-coordinate the annual Rutgers Gifted Education Conference

Director/Owner June 2010 – October 2013

Ingenuity Academic Talent Center, LLC, Flemington, New Jersey

Founded a private supplemental gifted education center and managed a small staff of instructors to teach after-school, holiday and summer courses for academically gifted students in Pre-K through grade 8
Provided professional learning opportunities for administrators and teachers related to differentiation of instruction/curriculum and gifted education
Consulted with schools to evaluate and develop programs, services, identification processes, and appropriately modified curriculum and instruction for gifted students
Facilitated a county-wide gifted education consortium for educators and administrators
Developed an original curriculum framework that integrates advanced content across disciplines with critical and creative thinking skill development and opportunities for students to develop affective skills such as risk-taking, perseverance, intellectual curiosity and motivation

Supervisor of Instruction September 2007 – August 2009

Delaware Township School, Sergeantsville, New Jersey

Observed and evaluated teachers including formal observations and summative evaluations
Planned and implemented professional development opportunities for faculty including language arts literacy, concept-based integrated curriculum, differentiated instruction, curriculum mapping, assessment practices
Collaborated with teachers to develop and implement concept-based curriculum-units and lessons
Provided ongoing, job-embedded support for K-8 teachers in curriculum implementation and the development of effective differentiated instructional practices and strategies
Facilitated/supervised the development of district language arts, math and social studies curricula
Created a teacher resource library and leveled book rooms
Designed and implemented the Non-tenured Academy program for novice and new teachers and mentors
Designed and implemented the Technology Academy- Monthly in-district technology workshops
Administrative representative on the Local Professional Development Committee to develop district professional development plan and mentoring plan

Teacher of the Gifted and Talented K-8 September 2004 – August 2009

Delaware Township School, Sergeantsville, New Jersey

Designed and implemented K-8 gifted and talented program including development of program identification process, goals, program evaluation, student assessment protocols, and curriculum for gifted program K-8, and math enrichment K-4
Coordinated school-wide enrichment opportunities for all students. School-wide enrichment opportunities created for Delaware Township School include the school literary journal, clubs and competitions, special topic career weeks and enrichment speaker workshops
Developed a collaboration and consultation gifted program model to work with teachers to support differentiated lesson design and instruction in the classroom for all students
Professional development workshops for teachers to promote and support differentiation and best practices
Presented parent workshops addressing needs of gifted learners

First, Second, First-Second Looping, and Third Grade Teacher 1997 – 2004

Robert Hunter School, Flemington-Raritan School District, Flemington, New Jersey

EDUCATION

Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey

Doctor of Education K-12 School Administration

Dissertation Title: School Administrators and the Professional Learning of General Education Teachers Related to Gifted Education

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

SupervisorCertificate

University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Sixth Year Diploma in Professional Education

Educational Psychology with a concentration in Gifted and Talented Education

36 credits including all aspects of gifted education, differentiation and curriculum development

Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut

Master of Arts in Teaching

Concentration in Elementary (K-8) Education

University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bachelor of Science

Dental Hygiene Education

HONORS

New Jersey School Boards School Leader Award Recipient (for gifted and talented program development) 2008

Gifted Child Society Fellow 2007

Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award Recipient 2004

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

National Association for Gifted Children - Member

New Jersey Association for Gifted Children – Trustee Board Member

SERVICE

Hunterdon County Vocational School District Board of Education Member (2018 – present)

PRESENTATIONS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Webinars

Rutgers Gifted Education Certificate Program Webinar Series

A School Leader’s Guide to Gifted Education Programming
Creating Choice Menus
Critical Thinking Strategies for Gifted Learners
Collaborating and Consulting to Promote Gifted Education
Curriculum Compacting
Extending Grade Level Curriculum for the Gifted Classroom
Five Strategies for Differentiation of Instruction
Matching Students to Services: Identifying Gifted Students
Special Populations of Gifted Learners

Recent School District Presentations, Professional Development/Coaching and Curriculum Consulting

District Partnerships: Program Development, On-going Professional Development: Bernards Township Public Schools, Montclair Public Schools, Point Pleasant School District, Tinton Falls Public Schools, Golden Door Charter School - Jersey City, Easton-Redding-Region 9 Schools
Professional Development Delivery: Kearny Public Schools, Monroe Township Public Schools, Bayonne School District, Plumsted Public Schools, Hudson County Professional Development Consortium, Manchester Public Schools, Brick Township Public Schools, Toms River Public Schools

Conference Presentations

Gifted Identification: Five Common Mistakes to Avoid – Legal One – NJSPA – 2021
Primary Gifted Learners: Academics and Affect – SENG (Virtual) Conference - 2020
Identifying Gifted Students in New Jersey – Rutgers Gifted Education Conference 2014
Literacy Strategies for Advanced Primary Readers and Writers – Rutgers Literacy Conference 2018
Low Prep-High Impact Differentiation Strategies – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children Conference 2017
Modifying Curriculum for Advanced Learners – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children Conference 2016
Moving Forward with Gifted Education in New Jersey - Panel Discussion – Rutgers Gifted Education Conference 2015
Observation and Evaluation of Differentiation for Advanced Learners – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children 2013
Overview of Gifted Education in New Jersey – Morris Union Jointure Commission
Planning Professional Learning to Improve Gifted Education – Rutgers Gifted Education Conference 2015
Primary Gifted Learners: Affect and Academics – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children Conference 2019
Professional Leadership – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children 2016
Roundtable for Primary Educators – Rutgers Gifted Education Conference 2016
Silver in the Mine: the importance of gifted education and how to be an advocate to support gifted education in your school – Westfield Public Schools Keynote Speech
Standing Out and Fitting In: The social and emotional challenges of growing up gifted – New Jersey Consortium for Gifted Programs
Teaching Beyond the Mean: Differentiation strategies that work with advanced and struggling learners – Exceptional Children Conference, New Jersey Education Association 2016
Working Together: A Collaborative Model for Gifted Education – New Jersey Association for Gifted Children Conference 2015