Gifted Education. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. John 10.10

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1 Gifted Education I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. John Catholic schools and colleges have a responsibility to provide educational and pastoral environments that promote the dignity and respect of all students and therefore must aim to meet the individual needs of gifted students. The purpose of this policy is to articulate the expectations and responsibilities of all in the Catholic Education sector with regards to gifted students. By doing so we provide opportunities for gifted students to reach their full potential. Therefore we are committed to: put processes in place to enable identification of students who are gifted; respond to the needs of gifted students with compassion, fairness and justice, respecting the intrinsic value and entitlement of each student; create an inclusive and adaptive environment that values and respects diversity and equity; and build and sustain relationships based on Gospel values that are life-giving and empowering. DEFINITION Gifted students excel or are capable of excelling, in one or more domains such as general intelligence, specific academic studies, visual and performing arts, physical ability, creative thinking, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. It is widely accepted that 10 to 15 percent of all students are gifted, regardless of ethnicity, location, (dis)ability, gender or economic status. Giftedness in a student is commonly characterised by an advanced pace of learning, quality of thinking or capability for high standards of performance compared to students of the same age. These students may perform significantly above same age peers in some areas and below in others.

2 Although these students are capable of outstanding achievement, the learning environment is pivotal to enabling them to demonstrate and develop their abilities. Gifted students, including those who are identified as multi-exceptional, are at risk of disengaging from learning and underachieving if they are not identified and catered for appropriately. PRINCIPLES 2

3 GUIDELINES 1. Identification Identification of gifted learners should not be an end in itself but be the impetus for implementing appropriate learning programs. Catholic schools in Tasmania promote processes which: utilise information from a variety of sources, which may include parent/carer information, student self nomination, peer nomination, teacher observation, standardised assessment, psychological assessment, cumulative school history and anecdotal evidence; are inclusive, to ensure gifted students are not educationally disadvantaged on the basis of religious, racial, cultural or socio-economic background, physical or sensory disability, behaviour, perceived or actual level of achievement, geographic location or gender; are flexible and ongoing to identify potential and acknowledge achievement at any stage of a student s education; facilitate early identification; help the teacher identify a student s intellectual, creative or linguistic strengths and social and emotional needs, which will form the basis for personalised learning; inform the development of teaching and learning environments that enable the abilities of gifted students to emerge and be recognised. 3

4 2. Roles and Responsibilities Students who are gifted will have optimal opportunities to realise their potential for achievement if parents/caregivers, teachers, principals and Catholic Education Tasmania work together. The Tasmanian Catholic Education Office is responsible for: providing support to assist schools in the implementation of the policy and guidelines; providing advice and support for teachers of gifted students, with understanding of characteristics and pedagogies suited to the teaching of gifted students; allocating resources where appropriate for ongoing support of gifted students and their teachers; encouraging collaboration and sharing of resources between schools as appropriate; assisting in planning for, and enactment of, personalising learning opportunities for gifted students; providing advice and information to the wider community on matters relating to the education of gifted students; contributing at state and national levels to discussion and decision-making on issues related to the education of gifted students. Schools are responsible for: encouraging parents to communicate with the school any characteristics of their child that may indicate advanced ability and to support their child s unique educational needs; providing advice and information to the wider community on matters relating to the education of gifted students; ongoing support of gifted students and their teachers; developing and providing programs which enable the abilities of gifted students to emerge across a range of fields of endeavour; implementing strategies to identify gifted students particularly those who, for various reasons of disadvantage, may not be recognised; recognising emotional and social differences of gifted students and being aware that the emotional needs of the students should be addressed; developing gifted students understanding and appreciation of themselves; fostering an understanding and appreciation of gifted students by others. 4

5 Teachers are responsible for: developing an understanding and knowledge of the characteristics and needs of gifted students; applying appropriate methods for identification of students who are gifted; liaising with parents/caregivers regarding students abilities and needs; becoming familiar with the support available at the community, school and system level; being sensitive to issues associated with judgement about potential and performance whilst encouraging gifted students to extend themselves and undertake challenges; using evidence-based strategies to differentiate content, process, product and learning environment based on student readiness, interest and learning style; documenting and communicating relevant information on the progress of students identified as gifted to enable ongoing support. 3. Acceleration The term acceleration encompasses a range of strategies and options to enable gifted students to progress at a faster pace, consistent with their ability. Appropriate acceleration, based on student needs, is recognised in research as having positive academic, social and emotional outcomes for gifted students. Acceleration options may include: subject specific acceleration clustering gifted students when deciding class allocations grade telescoping (utilising information from above level testing) curriculum compacting (utilising informative pre-testing) early entry withdrawal of targeted groups mentoring ability grouping for gifted students within the class independent study in advanced subject matter dual enrolment in secondary school and college or primary and secondary schools; early enrolment in tertiary extension programs whole grade advancement 4. Early Entry Catholic Education Tasmania recognises there is a small group of gifted children who may benefit from special consideration with regards to starting age for Kindergarten, due to their very superior intellectual abilities. 5

6 Early entry is only one strategy for supporting the learning and social emotional needs of gifted students. Other strategies may be more appropriate for individual children. Gifted children will be considered eligible for Early Entry if the following criteria are met: the child must be aged at least 3 years and 6 months on or before January 1 of the year in which Early Entry is requested; the child must be assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence WPSSI (Australian norms) and be approved for Early Entry by the Tasmanian Early Entry Committee (Refer DoE policy). The process for parents to apply for Early Entry into Catholic Schools includes: enrolling child in the school before the end of Term One in year prior to entry to ensure a place; obtaining testing by registered psychologist (WPPSI); collecting evidence of child s ability eg. childcare reference, video, photos, work samples; sending Early Entry Application to the TCEO representative on the Cross-Sectoral Placement Committee by required date. 5. Assessment and Reporting Teaching and learning programs need to include formative assessment strategies to pre-assess knowledge, skills and understandings central to a unit or topic and then purposefully modify activities to eliminate repetition for those who already demonstrate mastery. In order for gifted students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding, different forms of assessment may need to be provided. This is particularly true for gifted students who also have a learning disability or difficulty. The reporting of achievement for gifted students should be aligned to the appropriate year level achievement standard. For the most, this will be the age appropriate achievement standard. Students can only be assessed at a standard beyond the age appropriate standard if they have engaged in the full learning entitlement (knowledge, skills and understandings) of the higher achievement standard. Gifted students will receive a grading against the appropriate achievement standard based on assessment evidence. It should not be assumed that a gifted student will be an A. An IEP/PLP may provide additional information on learning goals and learning opportunities for gifted students. A narrative response addressing student progress in achieving these goals may be included as part of the reporting process. 6

7 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Identification of Gifted students information for schools and teachers 7

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9 Appendix 2: Characteristics of Gifted Students TABLE 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTED STUDENTS GERRIC CHARACTERISTICS POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOURS SOME CLASSROOM NEEDS RESULTANT POSITIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOURS heightened levels of curiosity and a wide variety of interests takes on too many projects; poor participant in group tasks; asks questions at inappropriate times; is easily diverted from the task; does not follow through on projects exposure to a variety of subjects; opportunity to pursue individual interests; learning centres; individual educational programs; provision of open-ended tasks and creative and critical thinking exercises; contacts with experts asks questions; investigates ideas; pays close attention and remembers things in great detail has a long attention span dislikes interruptions and disruptive routines long-term projects; individual education programs learns to complete tasks ability to handle abstract ideas questions others ideas and may be seen as disrespectful multidisciplinary units of work; thematic-based-work eg. change; social issues; global issues etc; higher levels of problem solving is able to make generalisations and test their validity; is aware of the consequences of their choices flexibility in thinking may be seen as disrespectful of authority; can be disruptive exposure to creative and critical thinking exercises is able to solve problems using a wide range of strategies alert and subtle sense of humour may use humour at others expense opportunities to examine humour in positive and negative situations uses humorous speech; tells funny stories; understands adult humour superior vocabulary and verbal ability may be bossy and influence other students foreign language studies; vocabulary building exercises; keen to participate in classroom discussions; peer leader; able to conduct adult conversations advanced reading ability neglects other work and responsibilities; voids interaction with peers individualised and advanced reading program reads widely; has advanced vocabulary and comprehension; is able to understand complex and abstract relationships fast learner finishes quickly and becomes disruptive; showing off move beyond core curriculum; curriculum compacting; acceleration learns the core content and skills quickly excellent retention of knowledge attempts to control class presentation of materials from memory; general knowledge exercises/completions accurate recall of facts, details and events 9 GAT Unit Curriculum K-12

10 CHARACTERISTICS POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CLASSROOM BEHVIOURS SOME CLASSROOM NEEDS RESULTANT POSITIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOURS Independent discussions and group work dislikes working with others; uncooperative in group situations independent study projects; development of organisational strategies; flexible timetabling; learning centres develops research and study skills; presents and records work using multiple resources; is self-directed high level of personal responsibility and commitment frustration with personal performance self-critical; perfectionism; frustration when working with others who do not meet their expectations mentoring; develop goal setting abilities; leadership opportunities; encouragement of intellectual risk-taking is able to set realistic goals; learns self-acceptance; is tolerant of others; is an active and positive team member has strong feelings and opinions appears opinionated ; argumentative; overly sensitive exposure to other view-points; problem solving activities in the affective domain; discussion of values and morals; philosophy tolerant of other opinions and feelings; develops listening skills advanced levels of moral judgement and sense of justice isolates self from peer group; frustration when attempting reforms discussion of value systems and levels of moral development; work in the affective domain understands other value systems preference for unusual, original and creative responses asks impertinent questions; does not accept the status quo; dislikes working in groups; unorganised and absentminded; finds decision making difficult mentoring acceleration asks curious questions; is a high achiever; participates in individual study programs; sees problems as a whole; thoughts and feelings are interconnected immersion learner dislikes subject boundaries individual educational programs learns how to listen in a more focused way; synthesises material from different subjects singleminded; does not accept the status quo appears bossy, stubborn, rebellious, unmotivated, inattentive, tactless and attention-seeking; often teased by others; can become depressed as adolescents mentoring; bibliotherapy develops a sense of real self a high energy level; decreased need for sleep often difficult to live with; appears to be hyperactive; stimulus seekers; high need to explore the environment and seek new experiences; easily bored without challenge needs alternating activities requiring intellectual and creative stimulation with routine tasks Learns to use time to structure activities; learns to work individually Gross, M. U. M., MacLeod, B., Drummond, D. & Merrick, C. (2001). Gifted students in primary schools: Differentiating the curriculum. Sydney: University of New South Wales, GERRIC (Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre), pp GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 10

11 Appendix 3: Checklists for identification Merrick Primary and Secondary Teacher Nomination Form Record the name of your student. Use a highlighter to show each behaviour you observe in the classroom or playground. Name of Student: Age: Teacher: Date: Characteristic Positive Behaviours Negative Behaviours Highly curious Abstract thinker Flexible thinker Clever use of humour Superior vocabulary Advanced reading Retention of knowledge; fast learner Long attention span Independent High level of responsibility and commitment Strong feelings and opinions asks lots of questions inquisitive remembers details makes generalisations tests out ideas employs variety of strategies to work something out enjoys adult humour gets teachers jokes! heightened involvement in discussions enjoys adult-like discussions reads widely advanced vocabulary and comprehension moves beyond core content and skills quickly detailed recall of facts concentrates and focuses on an area of interest for a long period of time self-directed focused on task in research or study sets attainable goals learns to accept own limitations tolerant of peers in a group listens to others asks inappropriate questions poor group participant easily diverted from task questions others questions authority manipulates people and situations by using a variety of strategies uses humour at the expense of others may be bossy or overbearing when working with others reads constantly neglects peer interaction and work - prefers to read rushes work, then disrupts others monopolises class discussions easily distracted unless the task is an area of passion or interest reduced involvement in discussion or group work uncooperative in a group self-critical perfectionist when completing tasks sets unrealistic expectations for other group members speaks out and lacks tact 11

12 and opinions Strong sense of justice Original and creative High energy level Immersion learner shows concern and interest considers others points of view aware of others feelings empathises with those less fortunate wants to save the world stands up for other children thought to have been poorly treated comes up with ideas out of the box sees problems as a whole connects thoughts and feelings wide variety of interests organises time well high level of individualised learning wants to know everything about a topic becomes an expert on a topic by reading widely or talking to people over-reacts to others comments and reactions confrontational argues the rules in games, eg handball frustration when others don t play exactly by rules asks older children or adults to solve issues seen as unfair unaccepting of status quo absent-minded or daydreamer asks unrelated questions disorganised often difficult to live with may appear hyperactive easily bored so seeks out new things to explore focuses on topics of interest to them, at the expense of classroom work shows off knowledge to prove others wrong Caroline Merrick, 2004 Adapted from Gross, MacLeod, Drummond & Merrick (2001), Clark (1983) and Baska (1989). Scoring the Checklist How many positive behaviours are being displayed? How many negative behaviours are being displayed? Have you highlighted behaviours in more than 5 different behaviour boxes? YES / NO Of which behaviours are you observing more: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE Conclusions: 12

13 Other checklists available: Purdue: Subject specific for secondary schools Sayler: Parent, Parent of a Young Child and Teacher checklists Betts: Upper Primary and Secondary Whitmore for Identifying Gifted UnderAchievers 13

14 Appendix 4: Early Entry Legislation Early entry into kindergarten for young children who are gifted These guidelines have been issued to give effect to the Secretary s Instruction No. 5, pursuant to Section 46 of the Education Act 1994, in relation to early entry to education before compulsory education for young children who are gifted. The instruction enables early entry to be permitted for a child who the cross-sectoral placement committee agrees has fulfilled the requirements under these guidelines. How do I know if my child is gifted? Definition: For the purpose of these guidelines the Tasmanian Education Policy Statement Education for Students who are Gifted provides the following definition: Students who are gifted are students who show advanced development or have the capacity for advanced development, in any valued area relative to their age peers, to a degree that modification of their education is necessary. The small percentage of young children who are gifted may show some of the following characteristics: intense curiosity exceptional memory early and exceptional language abilities excellent powers of observation a well developed sense of humour early reading and writing abilities which are often self-taught an early interest in mathematical concepts high motivation and long attention spans About Early Entry While all children have relative strengths and weaknesses, the Tasmanian Government recognises that there is a small group of children who are gifted and may benefit from special consideration. In response to this need, Early Entry guidelines have been developed for Tasmanian schools. Under Tasmania s Enrolment Policy for all Tasmanian schools, children begin Kindergarten if they are 4 years old by January 1. The Early Entry Guidelines for gifted students form part of this policy. Children will be considered eligible for early entry if the following criteria are met: the child must be aged at least 3 years and 6 months as of January 1 of the year in which early entry is requested the child must be assessed in the Very Superior range of cognitive function, through use of the Wechsler 14

15 Primary and Preschool Scale of Intelligence (Australian norms). The Very Superior range encompasses the top 2% of the population. Early entry to school is one strategy for meeting the intellectual, social and emotional needs of pre-school children who have been identified as gifted. Other strategies may be more appropriate for individual children. What are the steps to take if you are considering early entry for your child? We recommend that you: Make contact with the Tasmanian Association for the Gifted (TAG) who will: Help you decide whether this is an appropriate course to follow. If you decide to proceed with the application the Association will help you gather evidence of your child s giftedness. For children entering non-government schools Approach the School Principal who will: o o o Check the age requirement Advise you to make contact with the relevant officers:! Tasmanian Catholic Education Office: Ms Annie Nolan (03) Explain the process and provide you with the relevant documentation Make arrangements for a formal assessment Ms Annie Nolan Tasmanian Catholic Education Office PO Box 102 North Hobart 7002 Cross-Sectoral Placement Committee Note: *The Principal should be informed of the intention to apply for early entry by the end of Term 2 of the year prior to enrolment. This timeline is necessary to allow for the process to be completed. All applications will be forwarded to the cross-sectoral placement committee who will make the final decision around whether a child has fulfilled the requirements of these guidelines. In instances where the members oft the committee cannot agree, the application will be forwarded to the Secretary to make the final decision. 15

16 Frequently asked questions Q Who makes the decision to offer enrolment? A A Statewide cross-sectoral placement committee with representatives from all school sectors Government, Catholic and Independent. Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A Who is on the placement committee? The committee is chaired by a nominated senior officer of the Department of Education. The committee includes a parent representative (nominated by TAG), an early childhood teacher, a registered psychologist and an SEO (Extended Learning), who will act as the Executive Officer. Does this apply to all Tasmanian schools? Yes Will the formal assessment cost anything? No, if the service is provided through a Government school. Costs at Catholic or Independent schools may be negotiated at school level. What evidence will support my application? The SEOs (Extended Learning) with the Learning Services and the TAG can assist you with this task. When will I know the Committee s decision? The committee meets in November and parents will be advised in writing of the Committee s decision as soon as possible after the meeting. Contacts for further information Tasmanian Association for the Gifted: tasgifted@gmail.com Tasmanian Catholic Education Office (03)

17 Appendix 5: Useful online links The Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) at the University of NSW The Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented The Tasmanian Association for Gifted A comprehensive site for information and advice on gifted students and gifted education. National Association for Gifted Children, USA Online resources 17

18 Appendix 6: Glossary Differentiated Curriculum A curriculum that accommodates a wide range of learning styles, readiness and ability levels within a mainstream class. A differentiated curriculum is necessary for gifted students. Curriculum Compacting The process of identifying learning objectives, pre-testing students for prior mastery of these objects, and eliminating needless teaching practice if mastery can be documented. Differentiation A range of techniques that enables teachers to match learning opportunities with individual differences and abilities. Dual Enrolment Involves students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college courses. Enrichment Activities that add to, or go beyond, the existing curriculum. Extension Activities Allow students to explore areas of talent or interest in more depth, in place of repetition of mastered content. Grade Telescoping Providing instruction that entails less time than normal eg. a middle school student could complete the three years' curriculum of middle school in two years or a Kindergarten student could cover Kindergarten and Prep in one year. Telescoping is a planned strategy which results in advanced grade placement. IEP Individual Education Plan 18

19 Learning Profile Multi-exceptional Learning profile has to do with how students learn. Students vary in the amount of time they need to master a skill or learn a concept. How students learn can be shaped by environment, social organisation, physical circumstances, emotional climate and psychological factors. Gifted students with one or more learning disabilities or difficulties. Personalised Learning The tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning support to meet the needs and potential of individual learners often implemented through an IEP. Psychological Assessment Written, visual, or verbal evaluations administered to assess the cognitive and emotional functioning of children. School Structures Time-tabling, programming, using outside resources, school policies. WPPSI Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence 19

20 REFERENCES Betts, G.T. and Neihart, M. (1998). Profiles of the Gifted and Talented. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32(2), Colangelo & G.A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (3rd ed., pp ) Feldhusen, J. F. (1993). Levels of giftedness. Handout presented in Certificate of Gifted Education at the University of New South Wales Gagné, F. (2003). Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. In Colangelo, N and Davis, G(Eds), Handbook of Gifted Education (3 rd ed, PP60-74), Boston. Alyn and Bacon. Hattie. J (2008) Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement, Taylor and Francis (also available as an ebook) Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy 20