MOUNT MAUNGANUI COLLEGE
SCHOOL POLICY
Gifted and Talented Students
Whaiâ te pono
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Success with Integrity
Rationale
Purposes
Definition
Theoretical Base
Review
Procedures and Guidelines Handbook - separate document covering Identification; Roles &
Responsibilities; Current Practice; Some Strategies and Curriculum Models; Issues &
Considerations; Professional Readings; References; and other relevant information.
Rationale
The College believes that every student at our school has the right to receive the best possible educational
opportunities in order to achieve to his or her fullest potential. We acknowledge that gifted and talented
students have special needs and characteristics which require differentiated learning programmes both
within and beyond the regular classroom. Our school accepts the responsibility to identify such students
and to provide appropriate educational opportunities to address their special needs. [NAG1, NAG 2]
Purposes
1. To ensure that gifted and talented students are accurately identified using a variety of
recommended tests and indicators.
2. To provide appropriate professional development and resources to enable staff to plan and
implement learning programmes which will challenge, enrich, and extend these students in all
areas of the curriculum.
3. To incorporate an understanding in our school and parent community of diverse cultural concepts
of giftedness e.g. Maori concepts of giftedness shown through leadership, cultural knowledge, or
service to others (awhinatanga).
4. To make equitable financial provisions within the budget, and ensure there are effective
management systems, to support the implementation and ongoing success of this policy.
5. To ensure that the College is able to demonstrate that it is endeavouring to meet the Ministry's
amendment to NAG 1(iii) as outlined below :
From Term 1, 2005 it will be mandatory for all state and state-integrated schools to demonstrate how they are
meeting the needs of their gifted and talented learners, as they are currently required to do for students who
are not achieving, who are at risk of not achieving, and who have special needs. The amendment comprises the
addition to NAG 1(iii)c of the footnote "including gifted and talented students". Ministry of Education
6. To raise awareness of the social, emotional, and environmental factors that may lead to
underachievement by gifted and talented students.
Definition
The College accepts the New Zealand Ministry of Education's definition, with the addition of the phrase
'within their age group'. (This addition recognises that gifted and talented learners often demonstrate
asynchronous development compared to their peers. [Morelock & Morrison, 1996] ).
Gifted and talented learners are those with exceptional abilities compared to most other people within
their age group. These individuals have certain learning characteristics that give them the potential to
achieve outstanding performance. They require different learning opportunities and may need emotional
and social support to realise their potential. (MOE 2003)
We are aware of the distinction that Gagné makes between the truly gifted - that is those with exceptional
natural abilities, aptitudes or intelligences, which may never be realised, and the talented - those who
demonstrate outstanding achievement in some field/s of human endeavour, possibly through sheer
dedication and self-motivation.
Specifically, our school recognises learners who may fall into either category but who have the potential
for exceptional performance in one or more areas of the curriculum, including
 specific academic aptitude
 creativity, problem-solving, and higher order thinking
 leadership and interpersonal skills
 physical and sporting ability
 visual and performing arts and music
 knowledge, understanding of and leadership in cultural traditions e.g. tikanga Māori
 technology
 fluency in language/s, not excepting English and/or Te Reo
Theoretical Base
The need for differentiated programmes is based upon our understanding of recommendations arising out
of the following research and reports:
□ Gifted and Talented Students - Meeting Their Needs in New Zealand Schools MOE 2000
□ The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in New Zealand Schools for
Providing for Gifted and Talented Students MOE research report 2004
□ Gagné's Differentiated Giftedness-Talented Model
Specific curriculum models that are being/ may be applied, such as the Autonomous Learner Model
(Betts and Kercher, 1999) and Gardner's Multiple Intelligences are referred to in the separate document
'Procedures and Guidelines'.
Review
This policy will be reviewed regularly as part of the ongoing School Review procedures, including
appropriate consultation with staff, students, parents, and the Board of Trustees.
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Last reviewed 2009.