Thinking of accelerating a Year 12 subject? Here’s what to consider

Jae Yup Jung, UNSW

As term three rolls around, students in Years 9, 10 and 11 are starting to plan their subject pathways for their senior years.

Some students may be considering acceleration in one or more Year 12 subjects. This means placing them into classes with older peers to allow them to study above their year level. These students are likely to be among the most capable in their year group. They also tend to learn quickly and are highly motivated to learn.

The purpose of acceleration is to match the educational needs of these students with an appropriate level and pace of learning.

So how can students ensure it’s the right decision for them?

How subject acceleration works

In Australia, the decision to allow a student to accelerate (including in Year 12 subjects) is typically left to individual schools. However, it’s still expected schools will carefully consult with the student in question, teachers and parents as well as education specialists and psychologists. Schools should also consider the student’s abilities, grades and social and emotional maturity.

The NSW Education Standards Authority actually specifies the subjects for which Stage 6 (Year 11 and 12) acceleration is permitted. Some of these include advanced maths and English, the sciences, and subjects in the social sciences. Outside NSW, the subjects students can accelerate appear to differ from school to school.

While recent public data is not readily available, on average, more than 800 students at fully selective high schools in NSW accelerated subjects each year from 2018 to 2020.

Benefits of accelerating

Students are likely well aware of the practical benefits Year 12 subject acceleration can offer.

Completing one or more Year 12 subjects in Year 11 can spread a student’s final year study load across two years. It can also give them an earlier understanding of Year 12 study demands and how assessments are run. In Victoria, accelerating an additional Year 12 subject can add an ATAR increment too.

Subject acceleration can increase student motivation and engagement as their interests and abilities are better matched. Research suggests acceleration may also lead to better career outcomes and wellbeing. For example, a 2021 longitudinal study tracked students who accelerated in the United States and found their psychological wellbeing was above average at age 50.

Outside of learning, acceleration can provide more opportunities to create friendships with students in the year level above who have similar abilities and interests. Teachers, too, may benefit from having a smaller range of abilities to accommodate in the classroom.

What to watch out for

While there are many positives to subject acceleration, not every student may be suited to it. For example, some students may face social difficulties in classes they accelerate into when developing relationships with students above their year level.

And if teachers lack familiarity with (or training on) the practice, subject acceleration may not always be successful. Also, if teachers and parents haven’t properly assessed whether students are socially and academically ready, then acceleration may not be the right choice.

Research suggests common concerns around accelerated students experiencing increased pressure, burnout or reduced confidence appear to be unfounded in both the short and long terms.

How does a student know it’s right for them?

These are some factors students and families can consider to help them make a decision. Subject acceleration is most likely to be successful if:

1. the student is strongly motivated to accelerate in the subject without any pressure from parents, peers or their school
2. the student has proved they can take on the accelerated subject based on previous assessments of ability and achievement
3. the student has the social and emotional maturity to take on the challenge of acceleration in a new learning environment
4. the school is able to provide individualised support to students such as testing for gaps in learning and then addressing these gaps with additional teacher or mentor support

If the student is still unsure, they may be able to trial a period of acceleration before making a final decision.

Jae Yup Jung, Professor, School of Education, UNSW

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Photo by Canva.