Gifted and Talented Students - A Resource Guide for Teachers in Victorian Catholic Schools - Revised June 2019

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by dhado

A teacher-focused resource guide for Victorian Catholic schools on identifying, assessing, and teaching gifted and talented students. Developed by Catholic Education Melbourne with school communities, it frames giftedness within Catholic educational vision and the “Horizons of Hope” framework, emphasizing authentic response, equity of opportunity, and student wellbeing. The guide outlines models of giftedness, classroom identification, twice-exceptionality and underachievement, evidence sources, differentiated instruction, acceleration, and supporting learning approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Catholic context

Part A: Giftedness

Historical background to giftedness

Definition of giftedness

Part B: Gifted students

Identification of gifted students

Twice-exceptional students

Part C: Assessing gifted students

Assessing giftedness

Appropriate testing instruments

Part D: Learning and teaching of gifted students

Learning and teaching

Differentiating the curriculum

Part E: Differentiated instruction

Curriculum differentiation

Universal Design for Learning

Part F: Resources

Useful links

Glossary

GiftTealde&nted Students: A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR TEACHERS IN VICTORIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Cover artwork Ella Dennis, St Bernadette’s School, Ivanhoe West Acknowledgments Catholic Education Melbourne acknowledges the contribution of the Gifted Think Tank in the preparation of this guide. First published August 2013 Revised June 2019 Catholic Education Melbourne 228 Victoria Parade East Melbourne VIC 3002 © Catholic Education Melbourne 2019 Correspondence to: The Executive Director Catholic Education Melbourne PO Box 3 East Melbourne VIC 8002 T: (+61 3) 9267 0228 E: [execdirector@cem.edu.au](execdirector@cem.edu.au)[ ](execdirector@cem.edu.au)[www.cem.edu.au](www.cem.edu.au) Licensed under NEALS The NEALS agreement permits Australian schools and educational bodies to copy print and digital materials for educational use in schools free of charge. ISBN: 978-0-86407-440-9 Foreword Gifted and Talented Students: A Resource Guide for Teachers in Victorian Catholic Schools is designed to assist Catholic schools to respond authentically to the needs of gifted students. This guide has been developed by Catholic Education Melbourne in consultation with school communities across Melbourne. It aims to support schools in their collaborative pursuit of excellence and equity within the central vision of Catholic education and the‘Horizons of Hope’ framework. In order to achieve the full flourishing of each and every student, the inherent dignity of each person is respected and diversity is embraced and celebrated … Every student is entitled to enriching learning experiences across all areas of the curriculum … each individual requires educational adjustments specific to their needs (Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) 2017, pp. 8 & 5) . Gifted students need their curriculum adjusted, so that it maximises growth in their learning. The globalised availability of information provides schools with an abundance of educational outcomes. The question of which evidence to consider is important; however, some data, including Australia’s National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), indicate that our high achievers may not be achieving to their fullest potential. Catholic schools seek to provide all students with a learning environment that acknowledges and maximises their individual potential, and promotes their wellbeing and their experience of participation and inclusion. Recognising that students have varying needs, Catholic schools seek to navigate the current educational landscape to provide equity of opportunity. We embrace the challenge to find new ways of teaching and learning for our gifted students. Highly able students are acknowledged as having particular learning needs which require adjustments to their educational program. This ensures that they remain highly engaged and active learners. The aims of this resource are to support teachers in identifying, assessing and teaching gifted students, and to support schools in developing policies and procedures and planning future directions for enhancing the education of their gifted students. I commend this guide to you and trust that it will be an invaluable resource in your efforts to provide enriching learning opportunities for all your students. Jim Miles Acting Executive Director Catholic Education Melbourne Gifted and Talented Students: A Resource Guide for Teachers in Victorian Catholic Schools \ iii Contents iii Foreword 1 Introduction 2 The Catholic context 3 Part A: Giftedness 3 Historical background to giftedness 3 Definition of giftedness 4 Characteristics of gifted students 5 Models of giftedness 5 Renzulli’s model 5 Gagné’s model 7 Victorian Government inquiry into the education of gifted and talented students 7 Equity and giftedness 8 Part B: Gifted students

FAQs

What is the purpose of the guide for Victorian Catholic schools?

It supports schools in identifying, assessing, and teaching gifted students authentically, while pursuing excellence and equity aligned with the Catholic education vision and the “Horizons of Hope” framework.

How does the guide approach identification and assessment of giftedness?

It discusses classroom-based evidence sources, outlines appropriate testing instruments, and describes how evidence should be considered for identifying giftedness.

What differentiation strategies does the guide recommend for gifted students?

It covers curriculum differentiation, meaningful feedback, Universal Design for Learning, and approaches such as acceleration, including options and how differentiation works for gifted learners.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by dhado