Digging Deeper, Flying Higher

Abstract

While celebrating the achievements in Gifted Education in New Zealand over the last 15 years, this presentation/paper also challenges participants to examine the progress made and build on this success in order to “fly higher” in the future. It briefly examines researchbased issues and promising practices in: initial teacher education; professional learning and development; school and early childhood provisions for gifted learners; parental, family, whanau and gifted learner involvement and; Maori and multicultural matters. The presentation/paper ends with a challenge to consider wider social issues and their relevance to gifted education both in New Zealand and globally. Celebrating the achievements in gifted education in New Zealand Gifted education in NZ has much to celebrate. Notable landmarks have included the establishment in 1997 of the first National Advisory Committee for Gifted Education. This Committee has been disestablished and reestablished a number of times due to changes in the Government and Ministry of Education personnel. However its purpose has remained unchanged and this is to advise the Minister of Education on matters concerning gifted and talented education. Over the years this group has recommended many valuable initiatives in gifted education including the publication of Gifted and Talented students: Meeting their needs in NZ schools (2000), the gifted “bible” that has influenced provisions in many NZ schools. The combined experience and expertise of present Advisory Committee members is impressive so we can rest assured that the Minister and Ministry are continuing to receive well-informed advice. Another landmark has been the establishment in 2001 of a National Working Party on Gifted Education. Their recommendations led to: our first national policy on gifted education; the National Administration Guidelines (NAG) change which requires all schools to show they are identifying and providing for gifted and talented students; and the establishment of 38 innovative Talent Development Initiatives over the 2003-2008 period. Also deserving celebration is the establishment of giftednz - New Zealand's first national professional community in gifted and talented education whose brief includes improving the teaching and learning of gifted and talented learners through networking, sharing best practices, advocating for diverse needs, making links with international and national organisations, providing a shared voice to Government and other groups and, of course, running this present national conference. (http://www.giftednz.org.nz/goals.html) Over the last 15 years we have seen an increase in research in the gifted area. Of particular note is the government funded national investigation of gifted education which resulted in the publication in 2004 of The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in