Giftedness
Policy
There is no current Victorian policy on the education of gifted and talented students. All other Australian states and territories have developed a policy on the education of these students
There is also no national policy on the education of gifted and talented students. This is despite the fact that a Senate committee recommended a national gifted education strategy in 2001.
(Parliament of Victoria, Education and Training Committee, 2012)
There is also no national policy on the education of gifted and talented students. This is despite the fact that a Senate committee recommended a national gifted education strategy in 2001.
(Parliament of Victoria, Education and Training Committee, 2012)
About
Giftedness can be broadly defined as having exceptional talent or skill in one or more developmental areas. For a child to be identified as being gifted a combination of developmental observations and an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test performed by a psychologist are usually needed. Generally, giftedness is defined by an IQ of 130 or above. Psychologists will also test the child in a range of activities across the child’s development to determine the areas of the child’s giftedness (Australian Government, 2009).
Giftedness is identified using:
1. Parents’ observations
2. Teacher/carer observations
3. Checklists
4. IQ tests.
However it is important to realise that ‘giftedness’ is a construct and is not directly measurable. What this means is that the instruments used to assess giftedness and to identify gifted persons attempt to measure the behaviours and characteristics which we associate with the construct.Different communities may view giftedness differently, reflecting their cultural values. While characteristics of giftedness may be consistent across cultures the way these characteristics are manifested and valued may vary significantly.
(Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2012)
Implications and prevalence
While it is not possible to precisely calculate the number of gifted students in Victoria, the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented, a national association representing the interests of gifted children, estimated that there are approximately 400 000 gifted children in schools across Australia.Other submissions suggested Victoria-specific figures ranging from 23 067 to 35 000, based on a presumption that 5% of the student population is gifted (Parliament of Victoria, Education and Training Committee, 2012).
Current programs for gifted and talented students in Victoria
There are numerous Victorian secondary schools with current programs and provisions for gifted and talented students.The major government school initiatives at this level are selective entry schools, the Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program and specialist schools.
Giftedness is identified using:
1. Parents’ observations
2. Teacher/carer observations
3. Checklists
4. IQ tests.
However it is important to realise that ‘giftedness’ is a construct and is not directly measurable. What this means is that the instruments used to assess giftedness and to identify gifted persons attempt to measure the behaviours and characteristics which we associate with the construct.Different communities may view giftedness differently, reflecting their cultural values. While characteristics of giftedness may be consistent across cultures the way these characteristics are manifested and valued may vary significantly.
(Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2012)
Implications and prevalence
While it is not possible to precisely calculate the number of gifted students in Victoria, the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented, a national association representing the interests of gifted children, estimated that there are approximately 400 000 gifted children in schools across Australia.Other submissions suggested Victoria-specific figures ranging from 23 067 to 35 000, based on a presumption that 5% of the student population is gifted (Parliament of Victoria, Education and Training Committee, 2012).
Current programs for gifted and talented students in Victoria
There are numerous Victorian secondary schools with current programs and provisions for gifted and talented students.The major government school initiatives at this level are selective entry schools, the Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program and specialist schools.
Schools with Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program
(Parliament of Victoria, Education and Training Committee, 2012)
Open ended tasks:
Website details for Gifted and Talented Children's Associations:
South Australia: www.gtcasa.asn.au
Western Australia: www.gatcawa.org
New South Wales: nswagtc.org.au
Queensland: www.qagtc.org.au
Victoria: www.vagtc.asn.au
Northern Territory: www.ntaegt.org.au
Tasmania: www.tasgifted.com
Australian Capital Territory: www.actgifted.net.au
Additional School/Personal Resources and Support Networks:
http://www.vagtc.asn.au/for-parents/links
http://www.australiangiftedsupport.com
http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/diversity/Pages/gifted.aspx
http://australiangiftedsupport.com/gpage13.html
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc/article/1341 links to the following PDF http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/etc/Past_Inquiries/EGTS_Inquiry/Final_Report/Gifted_and_Talented_Final_Report.pdf
http://www.learningplace.com.au/default_suborg.asp?orgid=23&suborgid=158
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/giftedandtalented/detcms/portal/
http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/specificareas/gifted.html (provides links to resources)
http://students.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/selage/pub/readings/giftedlt/GiftedEducationInquirySubmission.pdf
- Department of Education - teaching strategies and activities:
- How to Make Lab Activities More Open Ended:
Website details for Gifted and Talented Children's Associations:
South Australia: www.gtcasa.asn.au
Western Australia: www.gatcawa.org
New South Wales: nswagtc.org.au
Queensland: www.qagtc.org.au
Victoria: www.vagtc.asn.au
Northern Territory: www.ntaegt.org.au
Tasmania: www.tasgifted.com
Australian Capital Territory: www.actgifted.net.au
Additional School/Personal Resources and Support Networks:
http://www.vagtc.asn.au/for-parents/links
http://www.australiangiftedsupport.com
http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/diversity/Pages/gifted.aspx
http://australiangiftedsupport.com/gpage13.html
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc/article/1341 links to the following PDF http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/etc/Past_Inquiries/EGTS_Inquiry/Final_Report/Gifted_and_Talented_Final_Report.pdf
http://www.learningplace.com.au/default_suborg.asp?orgid=23&suborgid=158
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/giftedandtalented/detcms/portal/
http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/specificareas/gifted.html (provides links to resources)
http://students.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/selage/pub/readings/giftedlt/GiftedEducationInquirySubmission.pdf