Australia – Queensland: GiftED

GiftED is a private sector provider located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia..It was founded by Sue Luus who is also the principal consultant. She moved to Australia in 1990 from South Africa and in 2006 completed a MEd in gifted education at the University of New South Wales.

Services include:

• Professional development for school staff including: an overview of key concepts and theories; evaluation and review of current provision; surveying staff to identify professional development priorities; workshops for inclusion in professional development days; support for Gifted Education Mentors (GEMs).

• Identification and assessment including: establishing a multi-criteria identification processes; undertaking specific identification and assessment tasks; synthesing data and analysing results; and advice and support for parents.

• Curriculum differentiation and design, addressing design of a challenging curriculum and deploying curriculum models for gifted education. Issues covered include planning for individual needs; curriculum modification and compacting; differentiation; enrichment, extension and acceleration; grouping; thinking skills and problem-solving.

• Development and review of school policy including: alignment with state policies, collaboration within a school cluster and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. GiftED offers tailored support in meeting the provisions of the Queensland Government’s Gifted and Talented Students’ Action Plan 2008-2010.

An e-mail consultation service is provided for GEMs, G&T co-ordinators and classroom teachers.

Fees typically range between $ Australian 110-150 per hour