Learning & Educational Technologies

Beyond School: Provisions for Gifted and Talented

Students

Dr Tracy Riley

School of Curriculum & Pedagogy

Anna Meuli

Gifted Kids Programme

on behalf of the Todd Foundation

• Background to research

• Research purposes

• Research method and analysis

• Results and conclusions

• What does this mean for parents and educators?

Overview

Defining Giftedness and Talent

students with exceptional abilities in relation to their peers and across a

wide range of areas, including academics; fine and performing

arts; cultural knowledge, skills and qualities; leadership; and

creativity.

Principles Underlying Gifted & Talented Education

• Multi-categorical, inclusive definitions• Multi-method approaches to

identification – as a means to an end• Qualitatively differentiated enriched

and accelerated learning opportunities

• Continuum of approaches: all classrooms into the community

• Ongoing evaluation of effectiveness

What the Literature Says:Potential Benefits

• Relationships: sense of belonging and social development

• Enhancing interests & strengths through enrichment and acceleration

• Intellectual, creative and academic gains through rigour, depth & breadth

• Nurturing autonomy• Skills development

What the Literature Says:Potential Benefits

• Prevention of underachievement• Increased school achievement• Stronger, more positive self-image• Development of career and

educational aspirations

(Freeman, 2004; Olszewski-Kubilius, 2003; Olszewski-Kubilius & Lee, 2003; Olszewski-Kubilius & Limburg-

Weber, 1999; Rogers, 2002; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; Smutny, 2002; Steinmiller & Steinmiller, 2004).

Potential Strengths Potential Weaknesses Alleviates boredom Interaction with like-

minded peers Differentiated curricula Labels the programme, not

the student, as gifted Students, teachers and

parents enjoy the opportunities for recognition and provision

Allows other students an opportunity to shine

Lower student: teacher ratio

Highly visible with potential for positive publicity

Ease of implementation of a gifted provision (for schools)

Requires a limited number of specialist teachers (in schools)

Fragmented instruction Lack of articulation Lack of continuity, one-off Lack of substance and

rigour Disruption to school

routines Missed instruction Part-time solution May not address individual

needs Isolation from cultural peer

group Costly in terms of

personnel and resources, and for students

May be perceived as ‘the gifted programme’ leading stakeholders to limit other opportunities

Riley et al. (2004)

What the Literature Says:Potential Problems

• May weaken school-based opportunities (when the involvement of schools and teachers is minimal)

• May lack integration with school options • May not reach low-income and culturally

diverse students – and may not provide the support structures necessary for success

• May be costly: scholarships and financial support scarce

What the Literature Says:Potential Problems

• May take local programmes “off the hook” • May be dependent on schools (and media)

as “gatekeepers” • May threaten schools’ ability to retain and

serve these learners • May find programmes or services that are

not necessarily of high quality or appropriate, but well-sold – having attracted the “for profit” sector

Van Tassel-Baska (2006)

What Out of School Programmes ‘Could’ Provide

“Hypothetically, the presence … of a program … should elevate the offerings

to gifted students … through the dissemination of models that work and can be implemented in all school, the diffusion of teaching techniques found to be effective … and the sharing of

important insights about identification” (Van Tassel-Baska, 2006,pp. 9-10).

Research Purposes

1. To identify and describe current out of school provisions for gifted and talented students in New Zealand.

2. To investigate these provisions, to determine their accessibility to, and potential appropriateness for, gifted and talented students in New Zealand.

Method:Survey

• Programme Contact Details• Programme Permission for Release

on Web Site and in Final Report• Programme Purposes and Audience• Programme Details (e.g., type of

programme)• Programme Costs and Funding• Programme Benefits and Challenges

Method:Survey

Sample

• 73 out of school providers• 75.3% programmes exclusively for

gifted and talented students

The majority of the programmes provide for a wide range of abilities

with a heavy emphasis on the academic and creative.

Academic & Creative Abilities

• Inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches• Opportunities for music, science, maths,

and social science• Fewer opportunities in performing arts

(apart from music), literacy, cultural studies, and language learning

• No programmes to explicitly enhance leadership or cultural skills, abilities and qualities (as areas of giftedness)

Students of Diversity

Recognition and opportunities for:• Students from rural areas• Students from low-income situations• Underachievers• Maori studentsLack of opportunities for:• Students with physical disabilities• Students from other cultural groups

Nature of Programmes

• Focus on enrichment over acceleration• Lack of support for families, teachers and

communities• Identification reliant on schools and

teachers (97.3%)• Individual student participation (61.6%)• Catering for several age groups (80.8%),

but primary focus in on children ages 10-15

Ranking: Types of Programmes

• Withdrawal or pull-out programmes• Weekend programmes • After school programmes• Holiday programmes• Competitions • In-school support by outside agencies

(e.g., mentor or tutor)• Multiple opportunities

Programmes: Wellington Region and

National• Alpha Digital Programmes• Astronomy Online• Capital Performing Arts Orchestra• CHAMPS• CREST Royal Society of NZ• Future Problem Solving• Kids’ Conference (Raumati South

School)• Dowse & Petone Settlers Museum

Learning Programme

Programmes: Wellington Region and

National• LEARNZ Virtual Field Trips• Lion Foundation Young Enterprise

Scheme• Mathematics Achievement Challenge• MAX Programme (Uni of Auckland)• NZ Mathematics Olympiad• NZ Secondary Schools’ Choir• George Parkyn Centre One Day School

Programmes: Wellington Region and

National• Philosophy for Children• The Asia Wise Competition• Gifted Kids Programme• The Great Race• The School for Young Writers• The Science Challenge• The Young NZ’ers Challenge of the Duke

of Edinburgh’s Award

Programmes: Wellington Region and

National• Tournament of the Minds• Sheilah Winn Festivals• Virtual School for the Gifted• Wellington Explorers• Wellington Youth Orchestra• Young Designers Awards• Online Journalism

Perceived Benefits for Students

• Creative development (63.9%)• Social and emotional development (62.5%)• Academic development (55.6%)• Recognition of gifts and talents (56.9%)

Least often cited: cultural development, support for families and teacher, career development, travel, and monetary awards for students

Perceptions of the “Greatest” Benefits

• Specialisation not offered by ‘school’… a way to further develop the needs of students that resources within the education system can not afford … .

which are not bound by the education system and it requirements.

• Specialised resources, settings and teachersHaving a mentor who really knows their stuff

• Opportunities to work with like-minded peers

Meeting and working with like minds has an igniting effect on all individuals involved.

Perceived Challenges for Student Participation

• Costs (69%)• Lack of awareness (57.7%)• Time (40.8%)• Accessibility for rural students, support

from schools, limited MOE funding (open-ended responses)

Criteria for participation, coaching and support, and resources were seldom identified as barriers.

Perceptions of the “Greatest” Challenges

• Funding: costs for personnel and their training/support; venue hire; travel

• Reliance on volunteers: need for high quality, specialist teachers

• Awareness of teachers and schoolsStudents need to be told of the opportunity.

• Lack of articulationGifted students are subjected to piecemeal start and stop

programmes.

Programme Costs to Students

• Financial costs to students (75.7%) range from $2 to $4,000: under $25 (39.3%) … over $200 (26.7%)

• Financial costs to schools/teams (26.7%) range from $3 to $6,000

• Only 17 programmes reported no costs for students, schools or teams

Programme Funding

• Participation costs/fees (68.1%)• Volunteerism (40%)• Charitable trusts (31.9%)• Donations (29.2%)• Corporate sponsorship (20.8%)• Ministry of Education funding for

14 programmes

Funding Needs

• Publicity (63.8%)• Staffing (53.6%)• Venue costs, maintenance, and

development (50.7%)• Student resources (44.9%)

Least frequently reported was the need for funding to support parents or develop the www

Future Directions

• Refinement/improvement of existing programme

• Expansion of programmeMore programmes, more often, for longer, and in more places! (p. 24)

• New ideas/ventures

Buyer Beware!

Out of school providers offer opportunities for differentiation – but – this might lack articulation with other provisions.

Out of school programmes should be driven by a curricular scope & sequence of programme goals and objectives.

Out of school programmes offer opportunities for enrichment, but acceleration is minimalised.

Buyer Beware!

Out of school programmes rely on teachers and schools as “gatekeepers” – but equally are stifled by the need for publicity, communication and information.

Out of school programmes lack continuity throughout a child’s education – and ‘miss’ young and older students.

Out of school providers reach out to students of diversity, but it is unclear if specific strategies are adopted to meet their needs.

Buyer Beware!

There is potential that out of school provisions become “part-time solutions to full-time problems.”

The benefits cited by out of school providers need ‘testing’ – especially as they relate to wider involvement and participation in schools and the community.

There is a danger that out of school programmes weaken school-based programmes – given the perceived lack of strength in support for parents and teachers.

Buyer Beware!

The cost factor of these programmes limits participation for some students and their families – and also limits the sheer variety of offerings.

This research did not evaluate the effectiveness of out of school provisions for gifted and talented students – but it signals the need for further research.

Future Directions

1. Support for enhancing and further developing programmes

2. Support for the development of new programmes

3. Careful decision-making regarding which current programmes to support

Enhancing and Further Developing Programmes

• Publicity and public relations• Continuity across ages• Reducing individual costs• Making programmes accessible• Funding for staffing and professional

development & support for staff• Better articulation between

programmes and with schools• Specific programmes of development

(pp. 30-32 of report)

Support for the Development of New Programmes

• Preschool and early primary school• Extending to tertiary education• Cultural abilities, skills, and qualities• Leadership• Accelerated programmes• Targeted programmes for diverse

students

Decision-making: Programmes to Support

• What areas of ability are valued and require the greatest recognition and development?

• What age groups need recognition and opportunities?

• Are there diverse groups of gifted and talented students in the greatest need of support?

• What types of programmes should be funded? • Should programmes with a ‘history’ of

provision be a priority? Or should new initiatives receive support to get off the ground?

• In the case of long-standing provisions, should there be evidence of effectiveness?

What does this mean for parents and educators?

• Develop understandings of programme aims and purposes

• Work with programmes for gifted and talented children

• Explore other opportunities in the community and school

• Support out of school providers – not just financially!

What does this mean for parents and educators?

• Develop programmes for those children who potentially miss out

• Make careful decisions about programme involvement by fully investigating what they offer your child

“An educational program that may be perfect for some children may not be

the right one for your child” (Stephens, 2000, no page given).

Conclusion

These providers work hard to ensure the needs of gifted and talented

students are met in New Zealand – and this arises from a passion for acknowledging and developing

exceptional abilities.