Assess and identify

Help for schools to evaluate school procedures, programs and practices for high potential and gifted students.

Key action

Assess and identify the specific learning needs of all high potential, gifted and highly gifted students.

Valid and reliable assessment of student learning needs is fundamental to provide developmentally appropriate programs. It helps to identify students who require additional challenge and extension.

Assessment and identification practices

Schools should initiate and integrate procedures to assess and identify high potential and gifted students. Broader identification processes, such as diagnostic, screening and adaptive assessments, can help to identify students who may not be demonstrating their full range of potential. Tools used to assess student learning need to be as free of bias as possible. Teachers should use multiple measures to build an informed picture.

Ensure assessment and identification is:

objective – based on verifiable evidence that is impartial, unbiased and equitable
valid – accurately measures what is intended, valid measures assess the specific skill or construct such as ability or achievement
reliable – produces stable and consistent results, is carefully developed and can be implemented without bias or subjectivity that could influence the outcome.

The analysis of reliable and valid sources of information and evidence, including observation and informed teacher professional judgement, creates a detailed and more thorough picture of a student’s learning needs. In selecting students for inclusion in talent development programs, the measures should be appropriate for the domain of high potential.

School learning support and wellbeing teams, and the school counsellor/psychologist can assist with assessment and identification practices.

For stronger, equitable and comprehensive assessment, contextually appropriate methods should be chosen from a suite of effective assessment tools. Relying on a single measure can result in under-representation of some diverse and disadvantaged groups. Multiple access points to programs should be provided to enhance inclusivity.

To ensure equitable assessment and identification practices:

use valid and reliable measures as part of an initial phase that also considers individual student circumstances, such as level of English language mastery, cultural knowledge, and disability
avoid the expectation that students will perform equally well on all measures given that students are likely to display a range of strengths and weaknesses across assessments
use a variety of assessments over time.

Assessment types

Consider the options available and your own school context when making decisions about assessment methods including:

ability tests
achievement tests
adaptive tests
rating scales
performance-based assessments
dynamic assessments
growth modelling assessments.

Example assessment and identification process

On enrolment, parents complete a short questionnaire or rating scale that provides information about their child’s previous experiences across all domains of ability.
At key transition points (e.g. pre-school to primary, or primary to secondary) schools share information about students.
During key transition periods, all students complete a series of screening assessments. These should include a combination of assessments to include all domains which are appropriate to the school context such as:
- self-assessment rating scale
- Best Start Assessments
- ability test
- above-level achievement test
- writing task
- audition
- portfolio
- sport trial
- group work task.
This transition information is synthesised and shared confidentially with class teachers.
Purposeful observation of student behaviour in a range of situations and settings which will enrich teachers’ understanding of students’ learning needs.
All student information is regularly reviewed. Students whose assessment information suggests that they may require additional extension, or further learning support, are followed up individually. Where necessary, further assessment can be used to clarify student learning needs.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment provides evidence to support and inform teaching and learning through understanding student potential, growth and achievement across all domains. Formative assessment methods can help identify and avoid re-teaching already-mastered knowledge and skills. Some methods include:

Pre-assessment: at the start or in advance of the instruction, students complete a short pre-assessment that gauges their existing level of knowledge or skill. Where students indicate knowledge and mastery, they can be taught in less detail or depth, allowing greater challenge elsewhere. Methods such as curriculum compacting facilitate greater challenge and avoid repetition.
Student peer and self-assessment: students can be involved in developing success criteria which they use to reflect on their learning and that of their peers. The skills required to develop success criteria, peer and self-assessment need to be explicitly taught.
Feedback: there are a range of methods students can use to inform the teacher of their level of understanding and skill. Examples include a 'traffic light' method, thumbs up and down, scaling, exit slips, effective questioning or a survey.
Questioning: teachers can use questioning to provide information about what to do next by determining what students know before and during instruction. Effective questioning techniques can also provoke students' thinking and promote the use of open ended tasks.

Catering for diverse backgrounds and needs

There is considerable variability within high potential and gifted students. Students can be significantly advanced, some by several years or more. As a result, these students may need advanced learning opportunities that match their advanced development.

Video – Diversity – High potential and gifted education policy (2:51)

Diversity - High Potential and Gifted Education policy

Transcript of Diversity – High potential and gifted education

[Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this video may contain the images, voices and names of people who have passed away.]

[Diversity]

[music]

Voiceover

High potential and gifted students are a diverse group represented across all ages, gender, and domains of potential. These students can come from diverse socio-economic, family, language and cultural backgrounds as well as geographic locations, and they may have different health and wellbeing needs.

Highly gifted students, who may be several years beyond their peers across the learning domains, are also part of this diversity. Furthermore, as a result of this diversity, the concept of high potential and giftedness can vary between and within cultures. For example, Aboriginal students in our schools can come from more than 70 Aboriginal nations across New South Wales.

High potential and gifted students from different language and cultural backgrounds may experience specific challenges when required to understand and operate in a newly acquired language. Some high potential and gifted students may present with disability, which can be either hidden or apparent. These students require programs that focus on their strengths whilst also making appropriate adjustments, which could include remediation and support.

Students from rural and remote contexts may need support and a different suite of options due to their isolated geographic location and the size of their school. High potential and gifted students can be at risk for a multitude of reasons and can be found in any part of the community. They may present in our schools as disengaged, withdrawn or behaviourally challenging. Research also tells us that high potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to underachieve.

The High Potential and Gifted Education Policy addresses concerning achievement gaps in our diverse populations and ensures all high potential and gifted students, irrespective of their background, circumstance or geography, are appropriately supported to reach their potential.

[music]

[Find the potential

Develop the talent

Make the difference]

We acknowledge the contribution of the following groups in developing the policy:

NSW Primary Principals’ Association
NSW Secondary Principals’ Council
The NSW Teachers Federation
The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group
The Federation of Parents and Citizens Association of NSW
The Isolated Children’s Parents Association
Gifted Learners with Disability Australia
Gifted Families Support Group
Academics and consultants from across NSW, Australia and internationally
Directors of Educational Leadership (DELs)
Principals
School leaders and teachers]

[End of transcript]

Highly gifted students

Highly gifted students, whose potential vastly exceeds that of students the same age may:

require additional support beyond that needed for high potential and gifted students
have specific learning needs that require more significant adjustments or interventions
be at greater risk of underachievement and social isolation.

Appropriate adjustments or interventions may include:

acceleration or advanced learning pathways to meet specific learning needs
the option of a specialist setting
the use of mentors
individual learning plans developed in collaboration with the student, their family and staff including the school counsellor/psychologist and relevant school staff.

Students who experience disadvantage

High potential and gifted students are represented in all communities. Those who may experience additional challenge in achieving their potential include:

Aboriginal students
students with disability
students from low socio-economic backgrounds
students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
rural and remote students
students at risk.

Sometimes students experience multiple sources of disadvantage with cumulative effect. Evidence in Australia and abroad shows that many students who experience disadvantage are not proportionally represented in high potential and gifted programs or schools. The provision of tailored support to access educational opportunities can help students overcome some of the disadvantage that they have experienced. The school's learning support team has a role to play in the allocation of support or intervention.

Aboriginal students

High potential and gifted Aboriginal students cannot be treated as a homogeneous group. Their needs may differ depending on individual circumstances. Any engagement with Aboriginal students should recognise this and ensure that individual students’ needs are considered within their personal and local context. Engaging activities that are culturally relevant, challenging and individually appropriate for these students should take place in an environment that is culturally safe.

Cultural safety can be described as an environment that is culturally, socially, emotionally and physically safe, and where there is no challenge or denial of student identity, including who they are and what they need.

Research shows that Aboriginal students achieve highly at school when:

appropriate opportunities to learn and develop their talent are provided
student growth and achievement is celebrated
high expectations of student growth and achievement are fostered within schools and the broader community.

Schools and teachers should engage with Aboriginal families and community in respectful, culturally appropriate and supportive ways. It is important for schools to work with Aboriginal people to understand and connect with local community protocols, customs and expectations. The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. can provide important insight and leadership in this area through their longstanding partnership with the Department of Education.

Some standard assessments may contain cultural biases making them inappropriate tools for identifying high potential and gifted Aboriginal students. Professional judgement and discretion are necessary when determining the appropriateness of any assessment tool, as this can impact on the assessment and identification of student abilities. Non-verbal ability tests or dynamic assessments should be considered to counteract these biases.

Opportunities for high potential and gifted Aboriginal students

A short film showcasing the capabilities and experiences of a number of high potential and gifted Aboriginal students. Filmed as a part of the Ngara Wumara Research Project aimed at improving outcomes for these students.

Opportunities for high potential and gifted Aboriginal students film

Students with disability

Under the Disability Standards for Education 2005, schools must take reasonable steps to ensure that students with disability are able to participate in courses or programs on the same basis as a student without a disability.

High potential and gifted students with disability (sometimes referred to as twice exceptional or 2e) require programs that focus on talent development and strengths while making reasonable adjustments so students are able to participate in learning experiences on the same basis as students without disability.

To be inclusive of a student’s high potential:

provide appropriate and reasonable support and adjustments to allow access to the same opportunities as other students with comparable ability
ensure similar opportunities for advanced learning and development are available as would be provided to other high potential and gifted students.

To be inclusive of a student’s disability:

provide the same support as to a student who requires a comparable level of adjustment
include the adjustments as part of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD).

For high potential and gifted students with disability:

follow the same procedures for disability support as outlined under Every Student, Every School and other related policies and procedures
collaborate with students, their families and additional external providers, such as medical professionals, to build learning plans that address both talent development and adjustments for disability
provide additional support addressing the complexity of both disability and high potential, including enhanced individual learning plans and regional office support through School Services teams
work collaboratively with students, families and external providers so that diagnostic and achievement information can be shared appropriately.

Students from low socio-economic backgrounds

An excellence gap – the gap in achievement between high potential and gifted students from high and low socio-economic backgrounds – can widen over a student’s educational journey. This is attributed to the cumulative effect of:

fewer opportunities to learn over time
low expectations
less total time spent in talent development
lack of financial means to access advanced learning programs and opportunities beyond school
greater reliance on schools to provide talent development opportunities.

Strategies to support high potential and gifted students from low socio-economic backgrounds can include:

targeted participation or invitation to participate in talent development programs
implementing a variety of assessment measures
interactions with tertiary and professional institutions and outreach programs
connecting students with a mentor, family and community groups
offering extra-curricular opportunities.

Students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds

Students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds may have different cultural expectations and experiences of schooling. These can impact on students in different ways.

It is important to recognise that individuals within any cultural group can experience school differently, and that not all students who identify as part of the group experience the same impact of cultural expectations on their engagement and learning.

High potential and gifted students from language backgrounds other than English may experience their own specific challenges, especially those learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D), those newly arrived or from a refugee background. These students are simultaneously learning the English language and content in English.

These students may experience frustration when:

required to understand and operate in a newly-acquired language while adapting to a new culture and school system
language barriers impede verbal-based identification measures and teacher identification
they require more time to think in their additional language.

Students at risk

Some high potential and gifted students may be described as at risk. They can be found in any part of the community. They may present as:

underachievers
having challenging behaviours and attitudes
disengaged and withdrawn
school refusers
psychologically vulnerable
questioning of authority
having low self-esteem or low resilience.

Leaders and teachers may observe indecisiveness, uncertainty, doubt or ambiguity.

Schools should develop strategies with learning support and wellbeing teams in consultation with the school counsellor/psychologist and families, where appropriate, to support the student at risk. Strategies may include co-development and monitoring of individual plans that address the source of risk and seek to empower the student.

Students in rural and remote areas

High potential and gifted students who live outside major metropolitan centres are not a homogeneous group. They may require a different suite of options for assessment and identification and curriculum provision.

When poor attendance and low engagement impact educational outcomes for rural and remote students, an achievement gap is created. This gap can adversely impact on the aspirations of high potential and gifted students in rural and remote areas, with lower university enrolments compared to those in metropolitan centres. Early assessment and identification through objective, valid and reliable methods may help alleviate this gap and assist in removing barriers to talent development.

A significant proportion of NSW schools are located outside metropolitan areas. Students attending these schools may be a significant distance from other like-minded or similar-ability peers. This can contribute to feelings of social isolation. These students may feel a need to move away from their community to access resources, educational support, work and appropriate mentors.

Options for students in rural and remote areas can include:

opportunities to access advanced learning in other locations
use of needs-based equity funding to help meet the costs of participation in targeted programs
additional support to overcome geographical isolation
schools collaborating to provide appropriate adjustments such as differentiation and interventions such as acceleration
online programs and virtual classrooms that provide more advanced learning
accessing local expertise and using the community as a resource
connecting high potential and gifted learners with like-minded peers and mentors.

Video – Rural and remote – High Potential and Gifted Education Policy (3:19)

Rural and remote - High Potential and Gifted Education policy

Transcript of Rural and remote – High Potential and Gifted Education Policy

[Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this video may contain the images, voices and names of people who have passed away.]

[Rural and remote High potential and gifted education]

[music]

Pat Cavanagh – Director, Educational Leadership, Armidale

There are some considerable challenges involved with students being able to pursue particularly those competitive or group activities in rural and remote areas.

Nicole - Student, Armidale Secondary College

Like local eisteddfods and things are good like to test me and things like. But I think going one that one step further and going to like things down in Sydney and Brisbane would be much more beneficial to me.

Pat

The travel associated sometimes involves driving long distances early in the morning or late at night with the hazards associated with that.

Deborah Nay - Principal, Armidale City Public School

Then it's the cost involved so how do you actually ensure that it's affordable for every student as well as being appropriate to the needs of the students.

Maria Russell - Teacher, Armidale City Public School

So under three fifths the new number we're going to work with here – 75. Awesome. I run a regional program and it's targeted towards children in rural and remote schools that don't have access to gifted programs or are often the only child within their school.

And so they don't have any peers to work with either. The program always starts with a camp we get the kids together for two days out at Thalgarrah so they can meet each other.

Matt McKenzie – Principal, Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre

To me the key structure that makes this work is... is the key involvement of mentors and those mentors with that strong passion in a particular area.

Ali - Year 6, Walcha Central School

I learned a fair bit because during the research at school and at home I found heaps of facts. In mine I probably learned a bit more about building stuff because when we had to present it. I had to deal with things to present it on.

Jen Kealey - Parent, Walcha Central School

So it just broadens their friendship groups and their learning interests.

It's just another way to spark their learning to keep them thinking that there's more beyond the walls of the classroom and the fence of their playground and what's in their little communities and towns.

Dr Denise Wood - Charles Sturt University, Bathurst Campus

There are really advantages to being in a rural community for gifted kids. And they are around, their connectedness, the being known. And that happens naturally in the community and as schools it's really important that we link into that sort of connectedness as well and help kids connect with people in their community.

Pat

I find rural and remote settings to be very, very supportive as well. You can really become part of the town in which you work.

Jen Kealey

Yeah they're just engaging gorgeous little people when we need to keep building that.

[music]

[Let's connect...

Find the potential

Develop the talent

Make the difference]

We acknowledge the contribution of the following groups in developing the policy:

NSW Primary Principals' Association
NSW Secondary Principals' Council
The NSW Teachers Federation
The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group
The Federation of Parents & Citizens Associations of NSW
The Isolated Children's Parents' Association
Gifted Learners with Disability Australia
Gifted Families Support Group
Academics and consultants from across NSW, Australia and internationally
Departmental staff
DELs
Principals
School leaders and teachers]

[End of transcript]

Signs of high potential

The following signs are indicators of natural abilities adapted from the work of Françoys Gagné (2009, 2020). High potential and giftedness manifest themselves more easily and directly in young children, or those engaging in a specific type of learning for the first time. This is because only limited systematic learning activities have begun transforming them into specific competencies within fields of talent. Gagné's adapted model assists school leaders and teacher to understand this.

It is the relative ease, speed and often early age in learning which high potential students possess or demonstrate these indicators that distinguishes them from their age peers.

Importantly, these indicators can cross multiple domains of potential. They can also be mutually exclusive, particularly for high potential students with disability, where their disability may exclude or disguise these indicators of high potential from presenting. These indicators should be understood as signposts to alert school leaders and teachers to students who may have high potential in one or more domains. They are not a checklist to be ticked or crossed.

Intellectual

Intellectual domain: verbal, numerical, logic and spatial aptitudes, abstract thinking, synthesis and evaluation, problem solving, and use of long term or working memory

Creative

Creative domain: originality and innovation that have social value in organising ideas, images, words, sound, movement and objects (including digital media)

Social-emotional

Social-emotional domain: perceptiveness, empathy, social ease, tactfulness, influence, persuasiveness, eloquence, leadership, and charisma

Physical

Physical domain: power, speed (muscular), strength, endurance, flexibility, as well as through speed (reflexes), agility, coordination, and balance.

Examples of recognising high potential across domains

School leaders and teachers can observe natural abilities across the four domains in their students through their daily activities in and outside of school. For example:

Intellectual abilities are needed for students to learn to read, speak a foreign language, or understand new mathematical concepts.
Creative abilities are used in writing a short story, composing a song, drawing a poster, coming up with a unique solution to a problem, choreographing a dance, or designing a sculpture.
Social-emotional abilities are used by students in their daily interactions with classmates, teachers, and parents.
Physical abilities may be noticed in the playground, school and community sporting opportunities, extra-curricular activities or during competitions.

Learning characteristics

High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical. This potential will develop into talent if educators recognise student potential and use evidence-based talent development to optimise their growth and achievement.

The challenge for educators is to develop a deep understanding that high potential and gifted students, in all domains, learn in ways characterised by their diverse profiles. Many characteristics cross the domains but others are more relevant to one domain than to the others.

These characteristics, listed below, may be found in all learners but are strongly evident in high potential and gifted learners. Conversely, not all high potential and gifted learners will display all of these characteristics. As a generalisation, learning characteristics can vary even further in high potential students with disability, Aboriginal students, students from diverse cultural backgrounds, rural and remote areas and students at risk. When used in combination with a range of assessment measures, learning characteristics can provide a broader picture of a students’ potential and learning needs, including those with high potential.