questions asked - where to from here?

From the ask the expert panel it is suggested to :

1. ask schools what they do to extend the top 10% of students and how they differentiate for them
2. ask if/how they identify their gifted students
3. ask what percentage of staff are trained in gifted education
4. ask to see their action plan for gifted students

Not sure if we are allowed to mention  school names so will avoid for now but here are the responses to these types of questions when asked at a Parent advisory group meeting of our Middle school principal last year and based on parents experiences at the school at both middle and senior levels.

1.The Academic Achievers classes (middle school only) are designed  to extend students but are for high achievers, not gifted kids. Gifted students who under perform can and are taken out of these classes, Thereby removing them from their peers and lowering academic expectations further.

2. The school cannot cater for gifted students as there aren't enough of them ( school population a few thousand and a P- 12! ) and it isn't worth their while, "there would only be 6 l" -from the middle school principal (note there were six of us present with gifted kids, in both middle and senior meetings, that night!)

3. I have been told by the schools deputy principal that the curriculum cannot be differentiated because it's set by EQ.

4. We have asked what qualifications  the gifted ed  support teacher has and we can't get a straight answer. We suspect that only her and the deputy have GEM training and none of the actual teaching staff have any quals in gifted ed. but no one is saying anything.

5. They seem to rely heavily on the NAPLAN to assess potential although students do have to sit an ACER test to get into these AA classes. The guidance officer at the school ( a psych too!) discounted my psych's report given that a. my childs school results  did not indiacate he was gifted ( in other words, if he was gifted he'd be performing) and b. the test was out of date.

6. When we asked about the schools policy for gifted ed the Middle school  principal said there was a district one only ( he wasn't even aware that the school was writing one at the time ). The policy has not been diseminated through to the school community as far as I'm aware.

In short they want high achievers not gifted kids. And certainly not gifted underachievers or those with other issues! They seem oblivious to the EQ Action Plan for Gifted and Talented Students 2008-2010.

What I want to know is

1. where can I find details on what the GEM training involves? I have searched the EQ site. How comprehensive is it?

2. Is it adequate for a college of a few thousand students to have  one or two GEM trained staff who are not in the classrooms? what would be the ideal training for teaching staff? the GERRIC COGE? HOw do we  help  the school understand that what they are doing is grossly inadequate and is failing some of  their (potentially)  best students

3. How do we find out what action the school is taking on the EQ ACtion Plan when no one wants to talk about this except the parents?

How do we help the school move forward on gifted ed?

frustrated parent. Irina