Illinois Liaison: Barbara Rebecca

Barbara Rebecca is the Technology/Gifted Director for Butler School District 53 in Oak Brook, Illinois. She began her career over twenty years ago as a junior high instructor serving gifted students in accelerated math courses for high school credit. Her continued enthusiasm for these children led her to accept a position with the gifted and talented program at River Grove School District 85.5 and, later, a district-level position at Cass School District 63. Presently, Barbara works to create, implement and evaluate instructional curriculum for the gifted/talented. In addition, she supports and encourages her students to participate in the Midwest Academic Talent Search.

More recently, her duties have included administrative duties at Brook Forest School in Oak Brook, Illinois, where she is ever cognizant of the important contributions administrators make toward the advocacy of gifted and talented children. Long an advocate of gifted children herself, she has taught in various gifted programs throughout DuPage County. In addition, she has been a presenter at various technology and gifted conferences with topics including “Innovative Lesson Plans for the Gifted,” “Differentiation: A More Effective Approach,” and “Using Technology to Design Effective Lesson Plans.” Mrs. Rebecca is an adjunct professor at National Louis University, and she feels honored to be a part of the education of the next generation of gifted and talented instructors.

For assistance in the state of Illinois, call 630-325-6888 or
e-mail brebecca@butler53.com.

Indiana Liaison: Tracy L. Cross

Tracy L. Cross is the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Gifted Studies and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Research and Assessment in the Teachers College at Ball State University.  He is founder of BSU’s Center for Gifted Studies and Talent Development and serves as editor of the Journal for the Education of the Gifted as well as former editor of the Roeper Review, Gifted Child Quarterly and the Journal of Secondary Gifted Education.  He writes a regular column on the social and emotional needs of gifted students for The Gifted Child Today and is the past president of The Association for the Gifted (TAG) of the Council for Exceptional Children.  He has authored two books, Being Gifted in School:  An Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching (with Laurence J. Coleman) and On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Children (both in their second editions).

Dr. Cross’ research has focused on the psychology (including social and emotional development) of gifted children and the relationship between research approaches and knowledge construction.  He also is quite active in evaluating special programs and schools for gifted and talented children.

For assistance in the state of Indiana, call 765-285-5452 or e-mail tcross@bsu.edu.

Michigan Liaison: Patricia Greene

Patricia Greene is recently retired after 27 years as an Education Specialist/Talent Development Coordinator with Eaton Intermediate School District in Charlotte, Michigan. She continues to do educational consulting around the state, primarily in the area of gifted education. Patricia has been personally involved with gifted education since the early ´70s as a parent, and professionally since 1980 working with local districts, consulting with families, serving on the Michigan Alliance for Gifted Education Board, the Midwest Academic Talent Search State Advisory Board, the Michigan State University Honors College GATE Advisory Board, the state HATS Off Recognition Committee, and state gifted advocacy committees.

Patricia has worked as an adjunct professor with Olivet College in educating pre-service teachers and has presented at numerous conferences regarding the identification, characteristics, differentiation and instruction of gifted children. She is one of the founders of the Cooperative Highly Accelerated Mathematics Program at Michigan State University, which provides accelerated content and fast-paced instruction to greater-Lansing-area MATS students as part of their school day.

In Michigan, the new grade-level content expectations and high school redesign initiatives bring fresh challenges and opportunities to local schools. Patricia is excited about assisting districts in looking at how these will impact the instruction of gifted students in Michigan and ways that MATS can help. She believes strongly that the MATS process, and the assessment and research information provided, can and should be used as a major tool by schools and parents to better match appropriate educational options with the learning needs of the students.

For assistance in the state of Michigan, call 517-543-7564 or e-mail greenepatr@gmail.com.

Minnesota Liaison: Bill Keilty

Dr. Bill Keilty is coordinator of Gifted Services in the Spring Lake Park Schools. As a program coordinator his work includes developing and monitoring programs geared for gifted students in kindergarten through grade 12. For the past 22 years he has served as consultant and professional development expert in school districts across Minnesota and other states. On the executive board of the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented (MEGT), Bill serves as the legislative liaison working to establish legislation in support of gifted students. He teaches graduate students pursuing certification in gifted education, as well as master and doctoral candidates at Hamline University in St. Paul.

For assistance in the state of Minnesota, call Bill Keilty's office at 763-795-6686 or e-mail bkeilt@district16.org.

Ohio Liaison: W. Thomas Southern

W. Thomas Southern is a professor and coordinator of special education programs at Miami University of Ohio in Oxford. He received his doctorate in Gifted Education from Indiana University. Dr. Southern's research interests include the social and policy implications of resistance to accelerative options in school. He co-edited with Dr. Eric Jones a collection of papers which examined the history and research support for acceleration, The Academic Acceleration of Gifted Children. He is also vice president of the Association for the Gifted, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children.

For assistance in the state of Ohio, call 513-529-6634 or e-mail southewt@muohio.edu.

Wisconsin Liaison: Paula DeGroot

Paula DeGroot is inspired intellectually by two passions: children and research.  She is the mother of three children and has worked as an analyst/designer in the information technology field for over 30 years.
 
Her vocational background served as a springboard for independent research she pursued in support of educational programming to address the needs of academically talented
students.  As the interests of her children evolved, Paula dedicated her efforts to a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular activities in the school district of Ripon and the surrounding region.

At various times throughout the past 25 years she has been the coordinator of the Odyssey of the Mind program for the Ripon school district, a member of the Ripon-based Parents and Children for Excellence committee, swim team coordinator/manager, Suzuki music parent association member, and a member of the advisory board for the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth.  Her search for programming to meet her children's academic
needs led to their participation in the Midwest Academic Talent Search and ultimate immersion in the opportunities made available as a result of that experience.

Paula feels strongly that the information gained by parents and educators as a result of students' participation in the Midwest Academic Talent Search can act as a catalyst to alternate dimensions of growth that might otherwise go unimagined and unattained.  She feels privileged to have witnessed phenomenal changes in her own children and the friends they met over the years through participation in MATS-related programs.  As a result, she remains dedicated to the premise that identification of academically able students and the availability of alternate programming can be crucial to optimizing a child's potential and, therefore, that of the world as well.

For assistance in the state of Wisconsin, call 920-748-7580 or e-mail upnorth@charter.net.