As a refereed journal, the aim of APEX is to disseminate essays, research reports and critical comments in the broad field of gifted and talented children.

Volume 14 Number 1 2004.

Looking Ahead: Research to Inform Practice in the Education of Gifted and Talented Students in New Zealand - In 2003, the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned a team of researchers from Massey University to conduct an empirical research study examining the extent, nature and effectiveness of identification and provisions for gifted and talented students (Riley, Bevan-Brown, Bicknell, Carroll-Lind & Kearney, 2004). The study was the first comprehensive, Ministry-funded research of its kind, and developed out of acknowledgement of a somewhat limited research base in New Zealand (Ministry of Education Working Party on Gifted Education, 2001). But it was driven by the need to identify strengths and gaps in provision (Ministry of Education, 2002), so that future directions in gifted and talented education may be informed by both theory and practice relevant to New Zealand. more... Tracy Riley

Conversations with Accelerated and Non-Accelerated Gifted Students - Although there is a great deal known about giftedness in children, little of it comes directly from the gifted children themselves. This paper presents an account of what a group of preadolescent children said about themselves as gifted people in a school setting. Their reflections about life and school were examined as a function of whether they had been accelerated at school or not. The conversations provide instructive insights for teachers and parents into the intellectual, social and emotional worlds of gifted youngsters. more...    Alison Kirby - University of Auckland and Michael Townsend - University of Auckland

New Zealand’s gifted and talented education policy - Since the early 1990s, education policy in New Zealand has shifted from a focus on school administration and management, to developing a system which focuses on all students achieving positive outcomes as a result of their education. The focus on student outcomes is reflected clearly in New Zealand’s national curriculum, which articulates expectations of student achievement which are not ‘locked’ to age or year of schooling. Thus, the policy is flexible enough for teachers to be able to differentiate their teaching and learning programmes. Significant, large scale material support for teachers to do this, however, was not provided by the government in the early 1990s. ‘Market forces’ was the preferred mechanism for schools to meet professional development and student support needs. Towards the end op the decade, the Ministry of Education had taken a more active role in supporting schools, rather than purely setting policy direction. more... Emily McDonough and Justine Rutherford

Twice Exceptional: Teaching Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities in the Regular Classroom - Gifted students who have difficulties with reading, handwriting, spelling, mathematics or organisation, often appear to be doubly disadvantaged during their school years. The learning problems are usually physical, cognitive or behavioural in nature, and can cause students to become frustrated as teachers try to remediate the weaknesses, allowing few opportunities for their talents to surface. This can leave a child feeling confused, isolated and sometimes at risk. Writers have often described gifted students with learning disabilities (GLD) as a paradox in terms, because of the discrepancies between these students' strengths and weaknesses. An astute teacher will often accurately identify the discrepancy between one area and another, but not know what to do about it. There are however educational interventions to meet the needs of GLD students that can be implemented by the regular classroom teacher. A case study of one student identified as having 'dyspraxia' is used as an illustration. more... Janet Bourne and