Education and Training Committee Inquiry into the education of gifted and talented students ORDERED TO BE PRINTED June 2012 by Authority Victorian Government Printer Parliamentary paper No.108 Session 2010–2012 Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee Inquiry into the education of gifted and talented students This report is also available at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc Printed on 100% recycled paper ISBN 978-0-9871154-0-9 ISBN 978-0-9871154-1-6 Electronic ii Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................... iii List of figures and tables .................................................................................................. xiii List of case studies.......................................................................................................... xiiiv Committee membership ................................................................................................... xvii Functions of the Committee ............................................................................................. xix Terms of reference............................................................................................................. xix Chair’s foreword ................................................................................................................ xxi Executive summary ......................................................................................................... xxiii List of recommendations ................................................................................................ xxix Glossary......................................................................................................................... xxxvii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 An introduction to gifted and talented students ............................................................ 3 1.1.1 What are giftedness and talent? .................................................................... 3 Defining giftedness and talent .................................................................. 3 How does a gift become a talent? ............................................................ 3 1.1.2 What do gifted students look like? ................................................................. 4 Characteristics of gifted students ............................................................... 4 Domains and levels of giftedness .............................................................. 5 Underachieving gifted students.................................................................. 6 1.1.3 How many gifted students are there in Victoria? ........................................... 6 1.2 The context for this Inquiry........................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 The policy context.......................................................................................... 7 State policy................................................................................................. 7 National policy............................................................................................ 7 1.2.2 How do Victorian students compare? ............................................................ 8 1.2.3 Gifted education in a competitive marketplace .............................................. 9 1.2.4 What other work has been done in this area? ............................................. 10 1.3 The scope of this Inquiry ............................................................................................ 11 1.4 The Inquiry process.................................................................................................... 12 1.5 Outline of this report................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2: An introduction to giftedness and gifted education in Victoria................... 15 2.1 Concepts of giftedness and talent.............................................................................. 16 2.1.1 Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent .............................. 16 2.1.2 Tannenbaum’s Star Model........................................................................... 17 iii Inquiry into the education of gifted and talented students 2.1.3 Renzulli’s Three-Ring Conception ............................................................... 19 2.1.4 Columbus Group definition .......................................................................... 20 2.1.5 Other models of giftedness and talent ......................................................... 20 2.2 Victoria’s curriculum frameworks and pathways ........................................................ 20 2.2.1 Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework .................... 21 2.2.2 Victorian Essential Learning Standards....................................................... 21 2.2.3 Senior secondary certificates....................................................................... 22 Victorian Certificate of Education ............................................................. 22 Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning .................................................. 22 Vocational Education and Training .......................................................... 23 2.3 Current programs and provisions for gifted and talented students in Victoria............ 23 2.3.1 Early childhood education............................................................................ 24 2.3.2 Primary school education ............................................................................ 25 2.3.3 Secondary school education........................................................................ 26 Selective entry schools ............................................................................ 27 Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program ............................................ 27 Specialist schools..................................................................................... 28 Other secondary school programs and provisions................................... 29 2.3.4 Gifted education in independent and Catholic schools................................ 30 2.3.5 Distance education ...................................................................................... 31 2.3.6 Competitions................................................................................................ 32 Tournament of Minds ............................................................................... 32 Australian Mathematics Competition and Maths and Informatics Olympiads ................................................................................................ 32 Australian Science Olympiads and Rio Tinto Big Science Challenge...... 33 2.3.7 Private programs......................................................................................... 33 2.3.8 University-run programs.............................................................................. 34 2.3.9 School specialisation ................................................................................... 35 2.3.10 International Baccalaureate ......................................................................... 35 2.3.11 Home schooling........................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3: A framework for educating gifted students in Victoria................................. 37 3.1 A foundation for gifted education in Victoria—Terminology and definitions ............... 38 3.1.1 What should gifted and talented children be called? ................................... 38 3.1.2 How should gifted and talented students be defined? ................................. 40 3.2 Are special gifted programs and provisions needed? ................................................ 42 3.2.1 The special educational needs of gifted students........................................ 42 How gifted students learn......................................................................... 42 Benefits of links with like minds................................................................ 43 iv Contents 3.2.2 Equity of access to education ...................................................................... 44 3.2.3 The impact of not catering for gifted students.............................................. 45 Impact on students................................................................................... 45 Impact on the public education system .................................................... 49 Impact on society ..................................................................................... 50 3.2.4 The need for gifted programs and provisions—The Committee’s view ....... 51 3.3 Are current programs and provisions meeting the needs of gifted students in Victoria? ..................................................................................................................... 51 3.3.1 Do gifted students currently have equitable access education in Victoria? . 53 3.3.2 The scope of current programs and provisions............................................ 55 3.3.3 The quality of current programs and provisions........................................... 56 3.3.4 What are the outcomes of current programs and provisions? ..................... 58 3.3.5 Are current programs and provisions