Concept Gifted education is not an elitist education because it does not address a small percentage of the scholar population but through its programs of enrichment, acceleration, pull-outs and mentoring all categories of children are promoted, and supported to develop their natural abilities and potentials.

Vision -Help gifted learners to learn and develop individual talents into potentials.

Mission - The mission of the XYZ High School is to provide Gifted and Talented program, that caters for Year 7- 12, (start the program by Year 7 and slowly integrate into other year groups. We recognize the academic and affective strengths and needs of all gifted learners, and to actively support their growth. 

Philosophy – What we believe in… Gifted and Talented students are a diverse group

with a range of strengths and needs. It is our responsibility to provide intellectual challenge and academic support for this distinct group.

Talented and gifted programming is integrated within the educational system through collaborative efforts among administrators, GT teachers, classroom teachers, support staff, parents, and community. 

Gifted learners develop skills and talents, self-direction, and  life-long learning through exploration of their passions and interests.

Clark (2002) defines giftedness as “only a label that society gives to those who have actualized their ability to an unusually high degree or give evidence that such achievement is imminent”.

Gifted students learn in a different manner and at an accelerated rate compared to their peers in the classroom and therefore require gifted programs to develop and apply their talents.

Rationale, therefore involves in providing a service for gifted students that identify their abilities and cluster them into groups or allocate differentiation in lesson for students benefit.

In regards to talent development, it is considered as a two way process:

Talent exists across all strata of humanity, and we must provide opportunities for it to surface and flourish. Just as it is unconscionable to fail to provide opportunities for talent to develop, it is equally unconscionable to ignore talent that has surfaced. We must ensure that every child has an opportunity to learn something new every day. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

First, in order to stand up for gifted, we need to do a better job of defining it. Some of you know that our convention city of Minneapolis was home to Charles Schultz.

One of his Peanuts comic strips featured someone asking Peppermint Patty whether she was gifted. She replied, “I think I’m gifted. I receive a lot of presents at Christmas!” As this example shows, there is much confusion over the term gifted. It means different things to different people.

At our school, we base our policy on the quote that encourages student’s inquisitives and provide a learning environment that is highly challenging and equally motivating for students to develop their talent.

“My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

At XYZ school, we follow the policy that caters for all students who are gifted and talented, as well as maximizing their learning outcomes in the school environment. This policy applies to all students regardless of their ethnic, cultural or socio-economic background.

Gifted underachieving and disabilities students are equally catered for with special provision, depending on funding.

XYZ School follows the NSW Department of Education and Communities decision to adopt Gagne’s (2003) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent because it is internationally recognised for its strong research base and accessibility.

This was discussed with all relevant staffs prior to coming to this decision.

Gifted Students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following domains or human ability: intellectual, creative, social and physical to a degree that places an individual in the top 10% of their age peers.

Talented Students  are those whose skills are distinctly above average in one or more areas of human performance within any domain to a degree that places an individual in the top 10% of age peers who are or have been active in that field or fields.

• Clustering- withdrawal programme of students in a stage group.• Public Speaking• Debating• Choir• School Band- Junior and Senior• Strings Group• Maths Olympiad• University of NSW competitions• Student Leadership• Sport- PSSA• Acceleration for individuals in different KLA’s• Curriculum Differentiation in classrooms.• Invitations to enrichment activities.

Parents can also consider bringing their children to holiday program s such as :

UNSW http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au/ CSIRO holiday

program    http://www.csiro.au/org/Double-Helix-events.html

NSW Gifted and Talented Association-(parents can join as a member)   http://nswagtc.org.au/

Using Differentiation by modifying the curriculum for gifted students in order to accommodate their specific needs. This may include changing the content or ability level of the material.

Acceleration, Enrichments, Grouping and Pull out programs

Compacting the curriculum The regular school material is compacted by pretesting

the student to establish which skills and content have already been mastered. Pretests can be presented on a daily basis (pupils doing the most difficult items on a worksheet first and skipping the rest if they are performed correctly), or before a week or longer unit of instructional time. When a student demonstrates an appropriate level of proficiency, further repetitive practice can be safely skipped, thus reducing boredom and freeing up time for the student to work on more challenging material. (NAGC)

Pupils are advanced to a higher-level class covering material more suited to their abilities and preparedness. This may take the form of skipping grades or completing normal curriculum in a shorter-than-normal period of time ("telescoping"). Subject acceleration (also called partial acceleration) is a flexible approach which can advance a student in one field, such as mathematics or language, without changing other studies, such as history or science. This type of acceleration is usually based upon achievement testing, rather than IQ.

(adapted from NAGC)

Rogers (1991) believes that gifted and talented students should spend the greater part of their school day with others of corresponding abilities and interests. Gifted students benefit from learning together and need to be placed with similar students in their areas of strength so that they can understand their learning differences in gifted classes.

None of the [acceleration] options has been shown to do psychosocial damage to gifted students as a group; when effects are noted, they are usually (but not invariably) in a positive direction. – Nancy M. Robinson, University of Washington

Acceleration levels the playing field of opportunity because any cost to the family or school is minimal. – A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students

No other arrangements for gifted children works as well as acceleration – James A. Kulik, The University of Michigan

Identification strategies-nomination, screening and monitoring

Choose areas to serve- subject like English, Maths, Science

Match identification to areas Use multiple criteria- Standardized tests, projects,

school grades, classroom teacher comment, parents’ comment, interest, creativity, motivation and many more elements which teachers accepts to be useful.

Identifying underserved population

Definition -Evaluation is a form of disciplined inquiry , the purpose of which is to produce information to assist in making informed value judgments about some phenomenon.

According to Carol Ann Tomlinson (1997) in her article "What It Means to Teach Gifted Learners Well, “What it takes to teach gifted learners well is actually a little common sense. It begins with the premise that each child should come to school to stretch and grow daily. It includes the expectation that the measure of progress and growth is competition with oneself rather than competition against others. It resides in the notion that educators understand key concepts, principles and skills of subject domains, and present those in ways that cause highly able students to wonder and grasp, and extend their reach. And it envisions schooling as an escalator on which students continually progress, rather than a series of stairs, with landings on which advanced learners consistently wait."