Enhancing Education for Exceptionally Able Students: Best Practices in Post-Primary Schools

1. Developing Provision for Exceptionally Able Students in Post-primary Schools - Examples of Practice from the Equality of Challenge Initiative: Introduction ILSA Conference, Sept. 2009 Dr. Tom Daly, Assistant National Coordinator, SESS

2. www.sess.ie

3. ‘Equality of Challenge’

4. ‘Equality of Challenge’ - Focus • Aims to pilot a model of good practice … • Explore how general principles of can be applied in the Irish context… • Provide a framework and deliverables which can be generalised … • Inclusionary principles…

5. Policy and Strategy Pillars • Inspectorate’s post-primary guidelines on the Inclusion of students with Special Educational Needs. • NCCA’s draft guidelines for teachers of Exceptionally Able Students

7. People Development • Knowledge and principles about EA • Teaching strategies • System Development • Identification, planning and monitoring • On-going professional learning • Knowledge and Principles specific to EA • SESS • ICEPE • NCCA ‘Guidelines’ • Methodological Knowledge • SESS • Other CPD agencies • Practice-based CPD • School Policy and Systems • Identification • Planning • Monitoring • Practice-based CPD • Sharing practice • Peer mentoring • Distributed leadership Equality of Challenge Approach Framework Coordination, Leadership and Management Principal ( + SEN team, school planning process, etc); SESS

8. Learning and Teaching Environment

9. ‘Examples of Practice …’ • Pauline Burke – English Teacher, Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee, Co. Kerry • (Focus on mainstream differentiation strategies) • Jean Johnston – SEN Coordinator, Schull Community College, Co. Cork • (Focus on testing, Dual Exceptionality, and the role of the SEN system in the school)

10. Contact Tom Daly Assistant National Coordinator, SESS 087 2186754