Gifted and Talented Educational Support

"Gifted and talented students possess high potential in various areas, such as, specific academic aptitude in a subject area, creativity, talent in the visual or performing arts, natural leadership skills, a high level of measured intelligence or an outstanding performance in sport or other areas requiring motor coordination. According to UNESCO classification (ISCED) for Special Educational Need, so called SEN students, gifted and talented students belong into category defined as students with disadvantages.Most comprehensive schools in nowadays educational landscape were not able to involve gifted and talented students into their educational support system in order to empower their full potential. Gifted and talented students experienced wide range of difficulties in succeeding their studies. Project ""GATES"" aimed to overcome different national interpretations of concepts regarding gifted and talented students with special educational needs. Project focused on providing tools for teachers to deal with gifted and talented students. The aim was to develop internal guidelines, so called tool-kit for teachers in partnering schools helping them to identify, assess and provide individual curriculums for gifted and talented students. The main target group were the teachers at project schools. During the project, teachers gained new knowledge and skills of which students benefit for years to come. The second phase of the project was focused on the implementation of the tool-kit. By the end of the project each school had developed sustainable activity for gifted and talented and was therefore strengthen the quality of education they provide. During the 24-month long project period the schools' development managers and ambassadors of this project met in total of five times. Each partner hosted a project meeting in their school in order to develop and improve the tool-kit and ensure the quality of teachers training events. In total of 10 people (2 per school) formed the core group responsible of project management and implementation activities. The input for the tool-kit came from the short-term joint staff trainings, which were organized as teacher training weeks in each partner school. Five days long teacher trainings focused on sharing each partner's success in providing educational support for gifted and talented students. Partners involved outside experts to multiply the benefit of trainings provided. Combining the exchange of good practices from five schools and experts across EU through aforementioned activities helped partners to involve gifted and talented students to each partnering schools' educational support system. In order to enable teachers to develop expertize and improve their professional skills for the benefit of students, the project aimed to involve teachers in the whole project cycle: planning, team work, decision making, reflecting, sharing, implementing and disseminating results and conclusions. The tool-kit, methodologies and activities designed for gifted and talented students during project period were implemented in each schools' working plan. Trained teachers spread their experience and work on with their next students with improved skills and act as ""multiplicants"" in their schools . Partnership expected a positive ""long term"" effect from the project and the overall improvement of quality of the education provided in their school. In case of excessive success regarding the outcome of project, the partners were expecting to use the same methodology to assist teachers and provide educational support for other SEN (special educational need) students."