Gifted Education is a shared responsibility between the school, home and parish. Gagné’s defines giftedness as the possession of natural abilities at levels significantly beyond what might be expected for one’s age; that is, giftedness is outstanding potential that may or may not yet be evident in outstanding performance. Gagné defines talent as the achievement or performance of one or more systematically developed skills at a level significantly beyond what might be expected for one’s age.

At Mary Immaculate students undertake the ACER General Abilities Test which provides an estimate of a students general reasoning ability. This testing assists teachers to identify Gifted students and to better cater for their needs within the classroom. Teachers may devise specific Individual Plans for students who have been formally assessed as Gifted. This may include:

• Differentiation within the classroom
• Opportunities for growth outside the classroom
• A variety of grouping strategies
• Acceleration by subject or grade
• Modified reporting procedures