Gifted Education

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School and teacher support

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Communication

The SEAL Schools Network places a single advertisement in The Age, the Herald Sun and Education Times early in first term each year jointly advertising for Year 7 applicants for the following year. Individual SEAL schools choose in which papers they would like to be included. Each school pays a proportion of the total cost of advertising. This amount is dependent on the number of papers in which the schools advertise.

Schools also develop their own communication strategy, which may include:

  • distribution of information to local primary schools
  • advertisements in local papers
  • visits to feeder primary schools by the SEAL Coordinator and secondary students involved in the program
  • information on school website and in school newsletters.

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Ongoing professional learning support

While it may be appropriate to work with a smaller team initially, professional learning about the SEAL program needs to be conducted on a whole school basis so that all staff feel ownership of the program. Professional learning should be provided on an ongoing basis.

It is essential that before the SEAL program commences all staff members participating in the SEAL Program should have received some professional learning in:

  • the social/emotional needs of these students
  • the skills of curriculum differentiation
  • how to provide a faster paced curriculum.

Each school was provided with the Gifted Education Professional Development Package on CD-ROM during 2005. An advanced program is now available, providing extension opportunities for teachers with some background in high intellectual potential education.

More information about the Gifted Education Professional Development Package (http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education)

The Certificate of Gifted Education (COGE) is currently run in Melbourne through the University of New South Wales. This Certificate course is designed to equip educators to respond to the academic and social needs of students of high intellectual potential. Most universities accept the Certificate as quarter of a Masters Degree.

Full details of the program are available from the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre, University of New South Wales (http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au/tchr_coge.html)

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Resourcing the SEAL program within the school

A SEAL program should not be particularly expensive in the long term, especially if a full size class is timetabled. However, a SEAL Coordinator should be appointed and given appropriate coordination time. Travel and other associated costs of the quarterly meetings are met by the school. Funding for the SEAL Program comes from the Student Resource Package.

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SEAL network

The SEAL network was originally set up through the central office of the department. The network is now the vehicle for the SEAL program quality assurance process and as such requires representation from all SEAL program schools. The network meets quarterly and meeting arrangements are facilitated through the central office of the DEECD. The SEAL school members of the network determine the agenda and chair the meetings.

The network provides:

  • mutual support between SEAL Program schools
  • opportunities for sharing of resources and curriculum initiatives
  • professional development
  • peer quality assurance.

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Support from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Regions

Regional Directors determine which schools are eligible to go through to the application process in their region. Strategies will be implemented at the regional level to support these schools in this process. Following selection of new SEAL program schools, regional contact people will support the orientation process.

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Support from central office of DEECD

The central office of the department:

  • convenes quarterly SEAL network meetings
  • provides advice to Regions