Acceleration Options for VCE and VET (Vocational Education and Training)

As part of the Gifted and Talented Education Program, students who are excelling in their academic studies in either Year 9 or Year 10 are offered the opportunity to take up the challenge of accelerating in a VCE or VET subject. These students will be students who have shown that they are working above the level expected of their current year and so will be able to perform at the highest level. We expect students who accelerate to place within the top 16% of students of those in the year above equating to a study score of 37 or above.

Students who accelerate are expected to be able to cope with both the demands of their accelerated subject as well as maintaining a high level of achievement and attitude in their other subjects. Acceleration can have a negative impact on a student’s achievement and some students may not perform as well as they could do if studying the subject in the same year as their peers. Therefore, acceleration will only be on an invitational basis. Several sources of student data will be triangulated to ensure that we identify students who will benefit most from acceleration by meeting both the academic and social/emotional demands of their acceleration subject and the rest of their program.

Students will be offered the opportunity to accelerate if they meet the criteria below

1. Student achievement across all subjects is of a high standard. (Rubrics should show a student as exceeding the expected standard, Graded Assessments are over 85%)

2. Student aptitude as shown by their Academic Assessment Services Testing. Performing well in an accelerated subject requires students to be able to grasp knowledge/skills quickly and in more depth.

3. Student has demonstrated an excellent attitude towards their studies in all subjects. This will be based on their Semester One Reports and no concerns being raised throughout the year.

Students who meet all three criteria will be invited to accelerate. Students who meet two out of three of these criteria will be allowed to accelerate if at least half of their teachers support the application to acceleration. Students who meet only one of these criteria will not be allowed to accelerate. In addition, the student’s wellbeing will be taken into account to make sure they are able to cope emotionally with the extra pressures involved in accelerating.

Students who have been studying Year 11 Mathematics as their Year 9 Mathematics program by working in the Extension Mathematics group may be eligible to undertake Unit 1 and 2 Mathematical Methods and an additional accelerated subject. This will be an extra challenge for students, and they will need to demonstrate that they have the maturity, attitude, ability and social/emotional capability to balance their workload. Any request to do so will require support from their current teachers and students will be provided with extra support throughout Year 10 and 11. If any concerns arise regarding the student’s wellbeing or progression, he may be advised to drop one of the accelerated subjects.

All students who are currently accelerating will have their progress reviewed at the end of Semester One. They will be monitored by the progression team (Director of Learning & Development, Director of Students, VCE Coordinator). If a student is not progressing as expected in either his accelerated subject or other subjects, he will not be permitted to continue with Unit 3 and 4 in that subject.

All students who accelerate are to complete a full complement of Year 12 subjects in Year 12. The following subjects along with any additional prerequisites are listed below.

Yes – must have done Year 10 Health and Human Development with exceptional results

Yes – need to demonstrate exceptional achievement across the Year 10 program. Humanities

Graded assessments History/Geography and English significantly higher than 80% to in be Yes – need to demonstrate exceptional achievement in Year 10 Humanities and English. History

Legal Studies

Global Politics

Graded assessments History/Geography and English significantly higher than 80% to in be Yes – need to demonstrate exceptional achievement in Year 10 Humanities and English.

Graded assessments in English to be significantly higher than 80% is not offered in Languages*, English, Arts, Music or Drama

Yes – need to demonstrate exceptional achievement in Year 10 English.

Graded assessments History/Geography and English significantly higher than 80% to in be Yes – need to demonstrate exceptional achievement in Year 10 Humanities and English.

* Some students with exceptional individual circumstances may apply for acceleration in Languages, for example native speakers.

VCE: The Victorian Certificate of Education (Scored and Unscored)

The VCE is a single certificate that recognises the successful completion of Years 11 and 12. The VCE is designed to be completed over a minimum of two years and includes VCE studies and Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. The VCE provides pathways to further study at University or Technical and Further Education (TAFE) as well as to employment.

The VCE is intended by its design to cater for a wide range of abilities. The standards-based Assessment system is designed to generate a score usable for competitive tertiary entrance. This involves assessments revolving around internal testing and examinations. It should be noted that a VCE course does not have to lead to tertiary studies. A variety of pathways are available.

VCE subjects provide the opportunity for detailed study across the whole of the curriculum from Arts/Humanities to Business, Science, Mathematics and Technology as well as Languages other than English and VET subjects. The only compulsory subject in VCE is a subject within the English Learning Area. (Although De La Salle College, like many other Catholic secondary colleges, requires all VCE Students to undertake one VCE Unit of Religious Education.) Each Unit involves 50 hours of classroom instruction and up to 50 hours of self-directed learning.

Year 12 VCE assessments are conducted under the VCAA rules and include examinations. These numeric assessments (Study Scores) are the basis for the generation of an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). The ATAR is the basis for entry to most university courses and a number of TAFE courses.

At Year 12, a student may be eligible for the award of the VCE as an Unscored student. This occurs when they have submitted a range of tasks that include School-based Assessments for satisfactory completion of Units but have not been assessed for levels of achievement in the study and have not completed examinations. In these cases, the student will receive their VCE certificate, however they will not receive a study score for the subjects or an ATAR.

VCE VM: The Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major

The VCE VM is a 2-year vocational and applied learning program within the VCE for students in years 11 and 12.

The VCE VM prepares students to move into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, or directly into employment.

When students have completed the VCE VM, they will receive the Victorian Certificate of Education with the additional words ‘Vocational Major’.

Unlike other VCE studies, there are no external assessments of VCE VM Unit 3–4 sequences, and VCE VM studies do not receive a study score.

The VCE VM can be tailored to the needs and interests of students. It focuses on the application of knowledge and skills in practical settings. De La Salle College VCE VM students will study a VET Certificate and will participate in Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) or school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT).