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.

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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. 

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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)

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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