The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in ...

There are some suggestions that IEPs are most useful for students who are highly gifted. For example,Heacox (2002) suggests that for some extremely gifted learners where compacting or advancingassignments have not proven adequate in meeting their needs, IEPs are most useful. Heacox suggeststhat these plans should delineate which learning goals have already been met, which still need to beaddressed, and how the student will work her way through the school curriculum at an appropriatepace and at a sufficient depth. The key to the success of these plans is personalisation and the studentbeing involved in their development.Silverman (1995) concurs, advocating the use of IEPs for highly gifted and talented students, statingthat “individualization is a fundamental principle for serving this population” (p. 228). She outlines theadvantages of IEPs for highly gifted students as assurance of collaboration amongst staff and theprovision of the assessment of the student’s strengths and needs. According to Silverman, the student,parents, teachers, school counsellor, psychologist, support personnel, and school administrators shouldall be involved in collaboratively planning the IEP.A National PerspectiveWhile there is a small amount of New Zealand literature supporting the use of some form of individualplanning for gifted and talented learners, there is even less empirical evidence as to the extent of itsuse. What little research there is suggests that it is a tool that is not in common usage. Keen (personalcommunication, October 13, 2003) reports that apart from one or two exceptions, it is not a practicethat is common in New Zealand schools for meeting the needs of gifted and talented learners.However, a number of researchers working in the field of gifted and talented education in NewZealand make recommendations for the use of some form of individual planning. For example, Holden(1996) suggests that IEPs provide a system of coordination, where all the people involved insupporting the young gifted and talented learner can come together and work in partnership. Similarly,Cathcart (1994) suggests that an IEP may be useful when grouping of gifted students is not possible,for example in a small rural school. Cathcart (1994) points out that IEPs for gifted and talentedstudents should:• Ensure that the student is taught independent learning skills;• Provide adequate and regular one-on-one time with the students and their teacher;• Ensure that the student has access to appropriate resources;• Create a working situation (i.e., will not be distracted by others but will not be isolated fromthem either);• Help the student to develop clear objectives, appropriate time frames, and relevant evaluationcriteria;• Keep parents informed and involved; and• Negotiate funding from appropriate school budgets.Taylor (2001) has developed an ‘individual profile’ and recommends its use for gifted and talentedstudents. The profile includes information about an individual’s general learning characteristics,multiple intelligences, specific abilities, interests, task commitment, and creativity as derived from theidentification process, which is also documented. Using this information, the form also includes astatement of the student’s learning needs and suggested provisions (what, when, and where) formeeting those. Taylor recommends that the use of an individual profile is particularly relevant if:• The student requires a variety of different learning environments;• The student is underachieving or has unusual learning styles; or• The student’s parents are dissatisfied with the school’s provisions and require more detailedinformation and explanation.73