The ACT Policy on Gifted and Talented Students

The Australian Capital Territory Department of Education and Community Services published its first School Policy for Gifted and Talented Students in May 1998 with accompanying Guidelines.

1 Purpose

The policy aims to cater for some members of our learning communities who have gifts and talents that must be acknowledged and catered for in order for the learning outcomes of these students to be optimised.

2 Definition

"Giftedness" refers to a student's outstanding ability in one or more domains (eg. intellectual, creative, socio-emotional or sensorimotor) and "talent" refers to outstanding performance in one or more fields within these domains (eg. writing, mathematics, science and technology, sculpture, athletics, languages). That is, talent emerges from giftedness as a consequence of the student'' learning experiences.

3 Policy Statement

The department acknowledges that some members of our learning communities have gifts and talents that must be catered for in order for the learning outcomes of these students to be optimised.

4 Policy Responsibilities

1. Central Office
   • will be accountable for the implementation of this policy and the outcomes of schooling for gifted and talented students in ACT government schools.
   • will provide staff development and networking opportunities for principals, teachers and other appropriate school personnel in the education of gifted and talented students.
2. Directors (Schools)
   • in consultation with principals, have the final responsibility for deciding when early entry to primary school is appropriate to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of gifted and talented students.
   • in consultation with principals, have final responsibility for movement of gifted and talented students between sectors eg. preschool to primary school, primary to high school, etc.
3. The Director (Children's Services) has the responsibility for deciding when early entry to preschool is appropriate to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of students who demonstrate potential gifts and talents.
4. School Principals
   • should identify these gifted and talented students so they can provide a range of learning opportunities.
   • should provide a variety of teaching strategies that will meet the needs of gifted and talented students.
   • will be responsible for deciding when any form of accelerated progression is appropriate to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of individual gifted and talented students in Years K-12. Principals will recognise the rights of those with parental responsibilities/ guardians to be fully informed and participate in all decisions relating to their child's education.
   • encourage cluster schools to promote diverse gifted and talented student program initiatives where possible.
5. Guidelines Separate guidelines to support the Gifted and Talented Students Policy are attached. These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the policy. Extra copies are available from Studies Section.

Guidelines to Support Gifted and Talented Policy

Definition (of gifted and talented students)

'Giftedness is conceptualised as outstanding ability in one or more aptitude domains and "talent" as exceptional performance in one or more domain related fields' (Gagne, 1985).

This definition reflects the distinction between ability and performance by acknowledging the importance of innate ability while also recognising the significant influence environment, personality and other factors have on the development of ability.

Giftedness refers to a student's outstanding ability in one or more domains (eg. intellectual, creative, socio-emotional or sensorimotor). Talent refers to outstanding performance in one or more fields within these domains (eg. mathematics, science and technology, astronomy, sculpture, athletics, languages): that is, talent emerges from giftedness as a consequence of the student's learning experiences.

Schools have the responsibility to recognise ability and develop that ability by implementing programs to meet the educational needs of gifted and talented students.

[A diagram of Gagne's model should appear here.]

Implementation Strategies

Schools will develop methods for the identification of their gifted and talented students, and inform all members of the school community of the processes involved.

A wide range of identification methods are needed to ensure that all gifted students are identified. Gifted students may be difficult to identify. They may be:

• students from non-English speaking backgrounds
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students
• students disadvantaged by gender
• socioeconomically disadvantaged students
• students with physical and/or sensory disabilities
• students with specific learning difficulties
• students with behavioural problems

The identification process must:

• be school wide
• be systematic
• be dynamic and ongoing
• be justifiable
• provide for early identification
• ensure that identification of students from disadvantaged and minority populations is not overlooked
• ensure that as many areas as possible of giftedness and talent are identified
• provide opportunities for the gifted students to emerge.

The school should recognise that certain factors may inhibit the expression of giftedness or talents.

• Students may actively disguise their giftedness and talents to seek peer acceptance and thereby avoid identification.
• Students may actively disguise their giftedness and talents to avoid appearing different.
• Students may lack motivation to achieve in routine school-oriented tasks.
• Students belonging to those groups identified may need intervention programs to enable their giftedness to be realised as a talent.

In addition, teachers should use appropriate teaching and learning strategies to encourage high achievement, originality, problem solving, higher order thinking skills and creativity.

Teaching and learning strategies may include:

• giving opportunities for students to initiate discussion and think creatively
• guiding students through a range of problem-solving processes
• posing open-ended questions, activities and assignments
• using group work to allow scope for leadership, cooperative decision making and student initiated perspectives
• making use of contract work, with students negotiating the contract components
• encouraging individual research
• involving community members with specific expertise as mentors
• introducing individualised or group enrichment/ extension programs
• leadership of school-wide activities.

Whole-school provisions for gifted and talented students could include:

• Grouping. This may involve bringing together gifted students of the same or different ages with others who have similar abilities, aptitudes and interests. Schools may form their own full-time or part-time classes, or join with other schools in the district, for enrichment or acceleration programs.
• Acceleration. Students who achieve curriculum outcomes more quickly than their peers may be accelerated, through curriculum compaction, content acceleration, or partial or full grade-skipping (within a sector or cross-sector).
• Gifted and Talented Workshops. These bring together the experiences of students, teachers, parents and community members.
• Mentor programs to link individual students with school or community members who have expertise in particular areas.

The curriculum for gifted students should be academically rigorous, intellectually stimulating, and sufficiently flexible to meet their educational, social and emotional needs.

Acceleration

It is recommended that:

• in cases where partial or full acceleration from primary to secondary school is being considered, close liaison between the schools must take place before the acceleration begins
• opportunities for partial or full acceleration from high school to college are essential and must be provided
• information on previously accelerated students should be shared between schools to ensure continuity.

Specific criteria to guide student placement for accelerated progression of students K - 12 (adapted from Feldhusen, J F, Proctor, T B & Black, K N, 1986)

School principals should use these guidelines in determining a student's ability for accelerated progression.

1. When a student is being considered for accelerated progression, the school should carry out a comprehensive psychological evaluation of intellectual functioning, academic skills and socio-emotional adjustment. This should be undertaken by a school counsellor or a registered psychologist.
2. Academically, the student should demonstrate levels of skill that are well above the average of the class she or he would be going into.
3. Evaluation about the student's emotional maturity must include input from the student's parents and the school counsellor or psychologist. [Note: Gifted students are sometimes rejected by their classmates. Teachers should not confuse the absence of close age peer relationships with social immaturity. Social or emotional difficulties may have been caused by inappropriately low grade placement. In such cases the problem may be alleviated by accelerated progression. Failure to advance a highly gifted student may result in poor study habits, apathy, lack of motivation, poor adjustment and under achievement.]
4. Ideally, accelerated progression should occur at natural transition points, such as the beginning of the school year. However, placement at other times may be desirable so that the student's previous teacher and the receiving teacher may more easily confer about the best way to help the student to make a smooth transition.
5. A student's physical size or physical or sensory disability should not prohibit accelerated progression.
6. The accelerated progression should be reviewed regularly. This could take place, for example, after one term by a meeting of those involved in the original decision to accelerate.

Early Entry

Early entry is a placement procedure, not an educational program. Chronological age should not determine suitability for early entry. Schools should ensure that an appropriate educational program is available if they decide on this type of student placement.

Specific criteria to guide student placement for early entry to pre-school or primary school (adapted from Feldhusen, J F, Proctor, T B & Black, K N, 1986)

Directors (Schools) or school principals should use these guidelines when determining suitability for early entry to pre-school or Kindergarten.

1. Early entry applicants should demonstrate abilities that are well above age-specific developmental norms.
2. Judgements about the student's social, emotional and intellectual maturity must include input from the student's parents on the appropriate department checklist and should include input from other sources eg. the local gifted and talented support groups, teachers, school counsellors or independent psychologists. (Note: Some gifted and talented students may have social or emotional problems because they lack a compatible intellectual peer group. Teachers must not confuse the absence of close age peer relationships with social immaturity. Early entry may alleviate such problems.)
3. Ideally, early enrolment should occur at natural entry points, such as the beginning of the school year. However, placement at other times may be desirable so that the student's previous teacher and new teacher(s) may more easily discuss the best way to help the student to make a smooth transition.
4. A student's physical size or physical or sensory disability should not prohibit early entry to school.
5. Advanced placement should be reviewed after one term by a meeting of those involved in the original placement.

Bibliography

1. Department of School Education, NSW. Policy for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, 1991.
2. Education Department of Western Australia, 1995. Teaching TAGS Talented and Gifted Students.
3. Feldhusen, J F, Proctor, T B & Black, K M, 1986, "Guidelines for grade advancement of precocious children", Roeper Review (1) 25-27.
4. Gagne, F, 1985 "Giftedness and talent: Reexamining a reexamination of the definitions", Gifted Child Quarterly, 29 (3, 103-112).

 © NSWAGTC 2007

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