August Parent/Teacher Support Group Meeting

All students with professionally diagnosed and documented disability, including gifted students, are in some circumstances protected by Australian disability discrimination legislation. They may be entitled to adjustments to their assessment tasks so that they have an opportunity to demonstrate what they know and what they can do, on the same basis as a student without disability. Depending on the level of impairment occasioned by the disability, such students may qualify for assessment adjustments such as extra time, rest breaks, access to a computer, scribe or reader, and/or separate supervision for in-school exams, for NAPLAN, and for other State tests and exams.

With the advent of the new Queensland senior secondary system starting in 2019, what are the implications for gifted learners with disability who will be sitting the new State-imposed external exams at the end of Year 12 - the exams whose results will ‘count’ in the calculation of the student’s ATAR. 

Why have gifted and high-performing students found themselves particularly disadvantaged in other States with such a Year 12 exam system? And what must parents, teachers and allied health professionals do NOW so that gifted learners requiring disability adjustments will be ‘ready’ when the time comes?

Facilitator: Carol Barnes is an Australian-trained lawyer and an honorary Visiting Fellow (gifted education) at GERRIC within UNSW Sydney. She is national coordinator of GLD Australia, a not-for-profit online learning community focussing on gifted learners with disability (GLD). Carol is also vice-president and parent support group convenor of the QAGTC Gold Coast Branch, and a PhD candidate in Law at Bond University. Carol’s PhD focusses on Australian law relating to disability adjustments for assessment in the context of GLD students (the topic of this presentation).

There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions. The workshop will be useful for parents and teachers of gifted children at both primary and secondary levels.  Other professionals are also most welcome. Tea and coffee will be served and information will be available on gifted resources and contacts. Parent/teacher support group meetings are quite relaxed and informal. No minutes are taken, and discussions remain confidential.

Please Note: Children do NOT attend parent/teacher support group meetings.

To create an environment in which participants feel confident to discuss aspects of parenting and teaching, we request that support group meetings be ‘adults only’.  No arrangements can be made for unsupervised children.

QAGTC is a not-for-profit member-funded volunteer-based association relying on public support. The opinions expressed at this activity by guest speakers and by QAGTC volunteers are those of the individuals concerned and not necessarily of QAGTC.  QAGTC Gold Coast Branch would like to thank Trinity Lutheran College for their generosity in allowing us to use this venue for our meeting.