Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program

What is a Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program?

Acceleration refers to speeding up the delivery of content to match the learning needs of the student. A student advances more quickly than age peers in subject areas or through year levels. With less time required on core subject work, additional areas of study not usually included may also be undertaken such as ethics and philosophy. Such acceleration underpins the SEAL program.

While each SEAL program school adapts the program to suit its specific local needs, there are strong commonalities across participating schools, and all programs.

A SEAL Program operates within a regular secondary school. The program

• Provides a faster paced curriculum with less repetition
• Supports greater study of highly abstract, complex and in-depth concepts
• Supports students to develop complex, high level investigative, problem solving and creative thinking skills
• Fosters a learning environment where these students are challenged by their intellectual peers and develop more realistic levels of self-esteem. Some students enter the SEAL program with an inflated self-esteem which has developed over time where they have always been "the brightest" in the class. Involvement in a SEAL program exposes them to other students of similar ability.

Secondary schools offering a SEAL program select students of high intellectual potential who are capable of working at a significantly faster pace than their peers. Work in core subjects is accelerated for these students and they are provided with opportunities for in-depth study. The students complete Years 7 to 10 in three years. This gives them an extended range of options for their final years of schooling. Some students complete VCE and leave school after 5 years and may choose to enter tertiary study, however many remain at school for a sixth year completing an extended program. This extended program may include:

• VCE Extension subjects (studying 1 or more first year university subjects while still at school)
• Additional VCE units enabling greater breadth of learning
• Extra curricula activities

Curriculum Considerations

When planning learning and teaching experiences teachers should:

• Implement programs that are consistent with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, the Principles of Learning and Teaching and Assessment and Reporting Guidelines. (Refer page 9 Effective school programs for web links)
• Eliminate repetition
• Limit practice of already mastered skills
• Step up the pace of learning
• Ensure higher order thinking is an integral process in student learning
• Make provision for in-depth study
• Be culturally inclusive, and affirm students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds
• Include provision for the continuation of appropriate ESL and other support, where required
• Ensure that accelerated pacing leaves no significant gaps in a student's knowledge and skills

Screening/Testing

Initial screening and/or confirmation of a student's high intellectual potential may have taken place in primary school. This information is useful but (with the exception of a psychologist administered IQ assessment), may not pick up on underachieving high intellectual potential students. This information may assist with the development of a short list. Assessment measures reported may include the following identification instruments/procedures:

• Individual IQ assessment
• Non verbal ability test, eg Raven's Progressive Matrices
• Scholastic aptitude test (ACER - modified)
• Grade 6 report/referral
• Student portfolio
• Argumentative writing
• Interviews (especially for students learning English as a second language).

Timelines

Each year students who wish to be part of the year 7 SEAL program will need to sit a test on March 28 from 9 - 11am and submit an application to the School by the second Friday of May.

Please download The Acceleration and Enhancement Brochure