Does Gifted Mean Self-Sufficient?

:
An Inquiry into the Needs of Code 80 Students in High School

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

PSIII Professional Inquiry Project
By: Jenna Danser
 Table of Contents

Acknowledgements p. 3

Introduction .. p. 4

What is Giftedness? p. 5

Current Legislation for Gifted Students in Canada p. 7

Project or Problem Based Learning . p. 10

Supports for Gifted Students p. 14

Professional Development for Teachers p. 17

References. p. 19

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 Acknowledgments

I want to take this opportunity to thank the students, teachers, and administrators who
supported me through my PSIII journey at St. Francis High School in Calgary, Alberta. I
have had help and support throughout my professional inquiry project from various staff
and students; they have given me insight into Code 80 that I would not have known or
understood in the way that I do now.

My professional inquiry project was inspired by Mark Shannons incredible Social Studies
20AP class. This class showed me the struggles of being in Advanced Placement, and
the lack of supports that many of these students need and require to be successful in high
school. It was clear that the anxieties are hyper-inflated in AP, and that really got me
thinking about the mental health of gifted and talented students. I had several discussions
with different diverse learning teachers who got me thinking about how to truly engage
these students in school, and not lose them in the process of teaching non-gifted students.
To me, it is apparent that these students need just as much support in the classroom as
any other student, but they tend to be thought of as being more self-sufficient. I believe
that this is a mindset that needs to be replaced by a more positive and proactive model.

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 Introduction:

When discussing a gifted and talented individual, they can usually be described
one of two ways: they are the really smart kid in class they excel in many different
subjects, and tend to pick up course content quite quickly; or, they can be described as
lazy, disengaged, and not properly completing the extra work assigned to them. In reality,
both descriptions are a fairly accurate description because gifted students can generally
take on one of two roles; it is dependent upon the teacher and administration to determine
which role is taken. The purpose of this paper is to help bring to light the pros and cons
of the current supports and strategies authorized for gifted and talented individuals. It is
by looking at the various supports that we can see a lack of essential aids for these
individuals, educators will be able to see how to best engage gifted students within the
classroom.

This document can be used to enlighten educators about the current legislation
put in place for gifted and talented students, the lack of guidance for teachers and
administrators when determining how to properly support gifted and talented students
within the classroom, and the increased correlation between anxieties, insomnia, and
gifted individuals. This document looks specifically at the key areas of support for gifted
and talented students. Discussions need to take place between gifted individuals,
teachers, administrators, and experts in the mental health field, in order to determine the
best strategies to support the dire needs of gifted students in our classrooms. They are
currently not supported in a way that allows them to succeed and excel in high school,
and we need to do a better job in highlighting which areas are of most concern at this
point in time.

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 What is Giftedness?

To completely define giftedness is not a simple task. It is not necessarily a

straightforward [definition], and without a proper definition, gifted students are truly not
given the appropriate resources in order to strive throughout school. Alberta Education
(2004) defines giftedness as being an elusive and wide-ranging concept that tends to
become apparent early in a childs life (p. 3). There are three specific characteristics that
children who are gifted portray: advanced intellectual ability, abundant creativity, and
heightened emotions and sensitivities (Alberta Education, 2004, p. 3). As a comparison,
the National Association for Gifted Children defines giftedness as Students, children, or
youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual,
creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need
services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those
capabilities. As can be seen, giftedness is a complex definition, and is often difficult to
pinpoint. The lack of a cohesive definition makes it much more difficult to support gifted
and talented individuals, which has led to insufficient support for gifted and talented
students.

Alberta Education requires that all school districts are to identify and deliver
programming for all students from grades 1 to 12, including students who are gifted and
talented (Calgary Catholic School District, 2014, p. 1). According to the Calgary Catholic
School District, Code 80 (gifted and talented), students are tested in grade 4-6 by the
Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (Calgary Catholic School District, 2014, p. 2). If students
meet the criteria, parents are given the option of coding their child as gifted and talented,
therefore schools are responsible for completing the proper documentation that will
support these students throughout school (Calgary Catholic School District, 2014, p. 2).
It is at this point in time where a Learner Support Plan (LSP) is put into place for the
student; this is done through consultation with the teachers, student, and
parents/guardians as a way to implement specific programming for students identified as
gifted (Calgary Catholic School District, 2014, p. 3). Although this plan seems reasonable,
the results of these LSPs do not support gifted students in the way they are necessarily

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intended. The wording of the LSPs are vague and they misrepresent what gifted students
truly need. The purpose of LSPs for gifted students tends to cause more harm than good,
as it is causing teachers and administrators more confusion on how to appropriately
support these students. Lack of understanding from teachers and administrators causes
great concern for gifted individuals. We are not doing these students justice at this point
in time.

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 Current Legislation for Gifted Students in Canada

To research the current legislation for gifted students within Canada has proven to
be quite a challenge. There are several resources that discuss the policies and legislation
surrounding gifted education in Canada; though the literature that can be found, it is dated
and poorly described (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 237). It is important to make note of
these resources to gain a better understanding of the current legislation, and determine
how to improve policies and legislation for the future to ensure gifted students are given
the proper supports throughout school.

In the article The Education of Gifted Children in Canadian Law and Ministerial
Policy, the paper discusses the status of education of gifted children in terms of the laws
and ministerial policies that every province and territory have put in place (Goguen, 1989,
p. 28). It is an in-depth report that focuses specifically on gifted and talented children in
Canada, and how education may be affected by the various pieces of legislation enacted
by each province and territory. In 1980, a colloquium on Helping the Gifted: an
Investment for the Future stated that only two provinces in Canada Ontario and
Saskatchewan have specific legislation to provide education for gifted students
(Goguen, 1989, p. 18-19). In 1980, the Ontario Education Act made school boards
responsible for providing appropriate education for all students, arguing that gifted
students have a right to special programs and special services (Goguen, 1989, p. 25).
The Ontario Ministry of Education proposed a second document in 1985 offering guidance
on planning special education programs for gifted learners, with a framework for affective
and cognitive development it is the only province or territory in Canada to have
mandated a form of education appropriate to gifted learners (Goguen, 1989, p. 26).

In a more recent 2017 document on Special Education in Ontario, the Ministry of

Education recognizes that every student is unique and that each must have opportunities
to achieve success according to his or her own interests, abilities, and goals and that
children and youth who are at risk of not succeeding are those with special education
needs (Government of Ontario, 2017, p. 2). This document was created as a way to

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support school boards effectively deliver programs and services for students with special
education needs (Government of Ontario, 2017, p. 3). A special education program for
exceptional pupils is described as an educational program that includes a plan containing
special objectives and an outline of education services that meets the needs of gifted
and talented individuals (Government of Ontario, 2017, p. A3). The categories that
describe the various exceptionalities that fall under the special education programs are
not discussed until A14, and the only mention of gifted students is under intellectual
exceptionalities. Giftedness is an unusually advanced degree of general intellectual
ability that requires specific differentiation beyond what is typically provided in the regular
school classroom (Government of Ontario, 2017, p. A16). Giftedness is only briefly
discussed within the document, and the descriptions provided are vague, simplistic, and
do not fully address the necessary supports for gifted and talented students. The issue
with this document is that all special education is lumped together and weighed equally
there are no specific programs outlined for gifted students.

As a comparison with Ontario, Alberta has specific ministry-level administrative

policy statements on gifted children (Goguen, 1989, p. 19). These are merely permissive
policies, not necessarily legislation, that ultimately allow school districts to address the
needs of gifted students on their own (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 237). The issue with
the current policies is that they enable decision-makers at the district level to determine
who, how and when special programming is offered, and the surveys used are poorly
described (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 239). In 1984, Alberta Education revised the
system of finance of special education, ensuring that two-million dollars be put towards
special education (Goguen, 1989, p. 23); though, it is not specified how much of the two-
million dollars is allocated specifically to gifted education.

There are several alarming issues that came up throughout the research
conducted. The first is that the current policies and/or legislation is severely out of date
and out of touch with what gifted students truly need from educators and the school
system. These current policies must be reviewed and revised, in the near future, if there
is any hope in making a change for the better with these students in regular, non-gifted

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classrooms. Secondly, all mandated resources for gifted students are lumped together
under special education policies, rather than identifying specific needs for specific codes.
It is unfair to argue that students with learning disabilities should be grouped together with
gifted and talented students, but this is exactly how the current legislation is discussed.
Educators, school boards, and provincial jurisdictions need to make a better effort to
support gifted students throughout school to ensure that engagement levels are
maximized, and lifelong learning is promoted.

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 Problem or Project Based Learning (PBL)

Through observation, educators can easily see that gifted and talented students
need to be challenged in the classroom in a way that increases their levels of engagement
with course content. They need to be challenged in a way that gives them more say in
their learning. Gifted students who tend to seem bored during class are in fact often bored
and disengaged from course content because they are not being challenged enough. This
can oftentimes cause frustration for teachers because there is no real outline that
provides teachers with specified ways to engage gifted students. Teachers assume that
the only way to truly engage gifted students is to give extra work. Extra work can, for
gifted individuals, mean extra anxiety, and that should be the last thing we as teachers
want for our students. Rather than giving these students extra work, students should be
given the opportunity to research and learn in a way that maximizes engagement.

There are different ways to enhance learning for gifted students in high school.
One way to do this is through acceleration. Acceleration is to increase the rate of learning
for students who learn more quickly or have more advanced levels of understanding than
those expected for students in their grade (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 233). There
are several different forms of acceleration for gifted and talented individuals: Advanced
Placement (AP); concurrent or dual enrollment; correspondence course; credit by
examination; extracurricular programs; International Baccalaureate (IB) programs; and
mentoring (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 250-251). The problem with these specific
forms of acceleration is that not all students have access to these types of programming
in regular high schools. Also, these specific programs segregate gifted students from non-
gifted students, which does not always allow for a healthy social and emotional lifestyle
for gifted students. A better alternative is to find a way to ensure that all students are
learning at a rate that sufficiently meets the curricular outcomes of the course, but done
in a way that students are more responsible for their learning. It is proposed that Project
or Problem Based Learning (PBL) will allow all students to learn, but can specifically
focus on gifted individuals based on the problems they wish to solve.

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 Project or Problem Based Learning (PBL) is one strategy to better support gifted
students in the classroom. It can be argued that PBL is an instructional strategy that calls
for more student-centered and experiential learning as a way to foster student motivation
by allowing students to decide what they want to pursue (MacMath et al., 2017, p. 176).
Educators are intrigued by PBL because it emphasizes flexible, active, and transferable
learning and its potential for motivating students Hmelo-Silver, 2004, p. 236). PBL allows
for students to become more active learners since it situates learning in real-work
problems, and allows students to be more responsible for their own learning (Hmelo-
Silver, 2004, p. 236).

Problem-based learning can add two dimensions: (a) providing students with
experience solving ill-structured problems as an integral part of classroom activity
rather than as an independent study or resource-room experience and (b)
emphasizing the importance of an in-class cognitive apprenticeship so students
will receive systematic instruction in conceptual, strategic, and reflective reasoning
in the context of a discipline that will ultimately make them more successful in later
independent investigations (Hmelo-Silver, 2004, p. 337).

There are five main goals of Project or Problem Based Learning. These goals
are designed to help students: (1) construct extensive and flexible knowledge base; (2)
develop effective problem-solving skills; (3) develop self-directed lifelong learning skills;
(4) become effective collaborators; and (5) become intrinsically motivated to learn
(Hmelo-Silver, 2004, p. 240). The use of PBL in the classroom allows for all students to
develop and become more self-directed learners. But for gifted individuals, PBL is an
excellent way to maximize engagement and ensure that these students are challenged in
a way that will their motivate learning.

Gifted high school students tend to be highly motivated and have the cognitive
skills that allow them to be confident in tackling some complex task Students
are more motivated when they value what they are learning and when their
educational activity is implicated in personally meaningful tasks. Students are also
more motivated when they believe that the outcome of learning is under their
control (Hmelo-Silver, 2004, p. 241)

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Students tend to be more motivated to learn when it is something meaningful and/or
useful to them, therefore, it is essential to give students some wiggle room to learn what
interests them. PBL, if implemented in the appropriate way, allows for students to better
engage in course content by making connections to their everyday lives. Students need
to be given the opportunity to be more independent and freedom as a way to be in charge
of their own learning. In a regular high school classroom, it would be better to implement
PBL as an assignment or task within a unit or throughout the semester, rather than a
complete summative assessment this ensures that students are still comfortable with
writing the standardized tests they are expected to write in grade 12.

Project or Problem Based Learning can work in any type of classroom, with all
types of students. If an educator is willing to adopt the PBL mindset, they will prepare all
students not just gifted and talented students for life outside of high school. It is
important to ensure that students guide their own learning. It is possible to come up with
different assignment ideas that deal with PBL based on research and conversations with
other teachers. The following list of ideas for the four core subject areas can be used to
implement PBL into the classroom, or as a conversation starter with other teachers. When
teachers come together to discuss opportunities for project-based learning in their
classes, all students are given the opportunity and ability to grow and develop in the
classroom.

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 Subjects: Possible PBL Ideas for Core Subjects:

English Language Arts Book Report:

Outline how the report should look, but give more freedom in
what book is chosen
Book Club (in smaller groups) as a form of presentation
Discussion forums (online) as a way to ensure that conversation
takes place

Math STEM*:
Allow for students to discover math outside of high school how
can this be transferred to the real-world
Connect math content to real life scenarios
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/stem-lesson-
plans/ can assist teachers in building STEM lesson plans

Sciences STEM*:
Allow for students to discover sciences outside of high school
Students to research and experiment on a topic of interest
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/stem-lesson-
plans/ can assist teachers in building STEM lesson plans

Social Studies Research Paper:

5-page term paper
Teach students the research process
Teach and guide students through the process of writing a proper
paper, including citation this could ultimately prepare students
for their endeavors in post-secondary

*STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Project-Based Learning to create interdisciplinary
activities to engage students in sciences and math www. steampoweredfamily.com

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 Supports for Gifted Students

One major concern for gifted and talented students is the lack of supports given to
these students in school. It is apparent by just talking with these students that there is a
relationship between anxiety and gifted learners. The mental health of these students has
oftentimes gone unnoticed, but the research is quite clear mental health needs to be
better addressed in schools, and we cannot forget about these students, even if they are
the so-called smart ones.

The Research:
In 2011, Harrison and Van Haneghan conducted research based on giftedness,
over-excitabilities (or intensified experiences), and the correlation to insomnia, death
anxiety, and fear of the unknown (p. 670). It is apparent within this study that the authors
identify the difference between gifted and non-gifted students based on the fact that gifted
students are often more aware and more sensitive, and their ability to understand and
perceive with depth emotionally and intellectually make them stand apart from typical
children (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p. 670). There are various areas of
overexcitabilities, including, psychomotor, intellectual, imaginational, sensual, and
emotional; although anyone, gifted or non-gifted, can experience overexcitabilities, they
tend to be more prevalent in gifted individuals (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p. 671).

The study by Harrison and Van Haneghan involved 216 middle and high school
students who were given various questionnaires and scales about death anxiety, fear of
the unknown, insomnia, and overexcitabilities (Lamont, 2012, p. 271). The hypotheses
proposed in this study was that

Gifted students would have higher levels of insomnia, fear of the unknown, death
anxiety, and overexcitabilities; and that overexcitabilities would be more strongly
related to insomnia, fear of the unknown, and death anxiety when compared with
students in the typical population (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p. 680).

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It was confirmed during this study that gifted individuals are more anxious and have higher
levels of some overexcitabilities, specifically the intellectual and imaginational
overexcitabilities as compared to regular students (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p.
688). It is clear that gifted students tend to have higher levels of anxiety than non-gifted
students, but the authors acknowledge that further research is needed (Harrison & Van
Haneghan, 2011, p. 688-9).

A separate study by Christopher and Shewmaker provides even more insight into
the relationship between perfectionism, depression, and anxiety in gifted students
(Lamont, 2012, p. 273). This study involved 240 gifted students between 7 and 11 years
of age (Lamont, 2012, p. 273). It is interesting that the participants who showed a
tendency for more socially prescribed perfectionism also showed a tendency for
characteristics of depression (Lamont, 2012, p. 273), showcasing the clear correlation
between giftedness and mental health struggles that needs to be addressed. Research
proves that gifted students tend to exhibit more fear and anxieties than their non-gifted
counterparts. (Lamont, 2012, p. 274).

Ways to Support Gifted Students:

The research proves that gifted students need just as much support in school as
non-gifted students. As teachers, we must support each and every one of our students
through the various struggles they may be dealing with. Although schools have sufficient
guidance/counselling departments, there is more that teachers can do for students as
well. There are ways that teachers can help and support gifted students in the classroom
because they interact with these students on a daily basis. The following is a list of tips
for teachers to help support gifted students in the classroom:

- Become more aware of the characteristics and needs of gifted children

- Mentors (adult or peer mentors to help reduce anxiety)
- Teach different philosophies of life
- Grouping gifted learners together to help alleviate anxieties
- Networking
- Teach problem-solving skills (Lamont, 2012, p. 275)

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Counselling gifted students about anxiety, fear, and sensitivity is an area that must be
addressed when gifted students begin to exhibit distinct characteristics, such as panic
attacks, insomnia, deep worry, and depression (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p. 691).
It is essential to explain the physiological aspects of anxiety and help gifted students
understand that the body is reacting to an unwarranted fear many times provides them
with an insight that gives them more confidence about conquering the anxiety they are
experiencing (Harrison & Van Haneghan, 2011, p. 691-2). Increased counselling and
awareness of behaviours is just one way that teachers need to be more involved in the
lives of our gifted students. Their mental health is extremely important to ensure a healthy
lifestyle.

As teachers, we have the opportunity to counsel gifted students in various ways.

We can be that person that they can come to for anything, but we can also teach these
students specific skills that will benefit from long-term. Gifted and talented students in
high school often have a difficult time staying organized and managing their time wisely.
Being disorganized can cause more stress and anxiety for these students. Time
management is an important skill to learn in high school, and teachers have the ability to
share with students the keys to success. It would be essential to sit down with gifted
students and help plan, week by week, ways to ensure they are using their time wisely
and staying on top of school work, as well as, maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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 Professional Development for Teachers

It is apparent that in the current state of education, gifted students and other
special populations may be sorely neglected unless all teachers are aware of their needs
and have the skills to plan for them effectively (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2005,
p. 212). There is a disconnect between the perceived needs of gifted students, and the
actual needs that they require. It is easy to assume that gifted individuals are self-
sufficient and able to support themselves. But evidence clearly states that these students
need our attention just as much as any other student in the classroom. Increased
professional development for teachers and administrators is absolutely essential to
provide gifted students with the best possible chance at being successful in the
classroom. As teachers, we need to be given legitimate support aids, resources,
finances that would allow for gifted students to be addressed in the regular classroom.
More resources must be researched and created to ensure that teachers and
administrators are on the right track to support the needs of gifted students in high school.
Educators can use these resources, but also need to be taught the specific needs of gifted
students, as they differ greatly from other forms of special education. This is a change in
thinking, and is not always easy to do. There are different types of professional
development days throughout the year that are mandatory for teachers, and are a good
way to better educate teachers and administrators about current issues that schools are
facing. School boards should consider incorporating a PD Day/session on how to better
engage gifted and talented students in the classroom.

The professional development would need to include workshops on the various

needs of these students, how increase the mental health awareness of these students,
and could even incorporate Project or Problem Based Learning strategies to allow for
gifted students to grow and develop in the classroom. There are challenges that come
along with successful implementation of PBL in the classroom. The teacher does not
necessarily stand at the front of the room and lecture anymore; they are not the sole
expert in the subject matter. Rather, they become a facilitator, whos role is critical in
ensuring that PBL functions effectively (Gallagher, 1997, p. 244). The PBL facilitator (a)

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guides the development of higher-order thinking skills by encouraging students to justify
their thinking and (b) externalizes self-reflection by directing appropriate questions to
individuals (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 245). This is a very different process and
requires teachers and administrators to overcome hurdles. Specifically, there are several
challenges related to Project-Based Learning implementation into the classroom; teacher
beliefs, teacher practice, and context (MacMath, et al., 2017, p. 177). To successfully
teach PBL and ensure that gifted students are engaged in the process, teachers may
require specific training or workshop. It is not an easy task to encourage teachers and
administrators to engage in the commitment to be a strong facilitator, but skillful
implementation is essentially what makes PBL really work (Gallagher, 1997, p. 356).

Another important part of the professional development process surrounding gifted

education is to begin a discussion about mental health supports in the school. This is not
just a resource for gifted students, but rather, will benefit all students suffering from
different mental health issues. As discussed previously in this paper, there is a clear
correlation between gifted students and anxieties, therefore, it is essential that teachers
are more aware of the possible issues gifted students could face. Supports need to be
put in place to address the problems right away to allow for success in the classroom.

Ultimately, teachers must be given the opportunity to grow and develop as well.
The best way to do this is to utilize professional development days, and teach educators
about the changes in research when it comes to gifted students. We cannot allow for
these students to become forgotten in our classrooms just because they are bright
individuals. Growth, change, and advanced levels of gifted student achievement can only
occur when educators and leaders acknowledge the barriers and take the necessary
steps toward minimizing them (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2005, p. 215). Teachers
must take an active role in their jobs to grow and develop as well.

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References

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Handbook for Parents of Children Who are Gifted and Talented. Edmonton, AB:
Alberta Learning, 2004.

Alberta Learning. Teaching Students Who Are Gifted and Talented. Book 7 of the
Programming for Students with Special Needs series. Edmonton, AB: Alberta
Learning, 2000.

Calgary Catholic School District. (2014). IHBB: Gifted Education. Retrieved from
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B1.pdf

Gallagher, S. A. (1997). Problem-Based Learning: Where Did It Come From, What

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Goguen, L. (1989). The Education of Gifted Children in Canadian Law and Ministerial
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Harrison, G. E., & Van Haneghan, J. P. (2011). The Gifted and the Shadow of the Night:
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