What Should I Know About Acceleration?
What is acceleration? Acceleration entails studying material earlier, or at a faster pace, than most students. There are a variety of ways schools apply acceleration. They include:
- Early Admittance to School: Students are admitted to kindergarten at a younger age than usual.
- Subject Specific Acceleration: Students study one or more subjects at a grade level higher than their homeroom class.
- Grade Skipping: Students move past a grade (for example from grade four to grade six).
- Collapse Three Years Into Two: Three years are collapsed into two (for example, a group of accelerated students might complete three years of middle school in two years).
- Advanced Placement: High school courses are taken for college credit.
- Dual Enrollment: Students enroll in college courses while still in high school.
Reprinted with the permission of the National Association for Gifted Children -- a non-profit association of teachers and parents that publishes educational materials, including the magazine "Parenting for High Potential." There are two major reasons for accelerating students.
- Students are accelerated in order to provide them with a learning environment in which others are working at a similar academic level.
- Students are accelerated in order to streamline and shorten their course of study by one or more years. This enables accelerated students to move on from high school to further academic endeavors, internships, employment, or other life experiences sooner than they would have otherwise.
What are some factors to think about when considering acceleration?
The decision to accelerate should take into account the student's academic, physical and social maturity. In general, the following guidelines should apply:
- The student should be performing several grades above age level. When grade skipping is being considered, performance should be advanced in several subject areas.
- The student should be socially and emotionally mature, able to adjust to new settings, and more mature peers.
- In considering grade skipping, the student's size should be considered only to the extent that competitive sports may be viewed as important.
- The student should be eager to move forward in school. He or she may be bored and unchallenged with the current curriculum and school setting.
Reprinted with the permission of the National Association for Gifted Children -- a non-profit association of teachers and parents that publishes educational materials, including the magazine "Parenting for High Potential."
Research studies about acceleration show a positive impact on academic achievement. Accelerated students do as well or better than equally bright students who are not accelerated. Of course, this does not guarantee success in every instance, and more research is needed on the social and emotional effects of acceleration. However, at this point the odds appear in favor of acceleration if the factors noted above are considered.
What about the students' social lives?
If a child is socially as well as academically mature, he or she should have little difficulty finding a social peer group among older students. Participation in clubs, sports, or other groups that fit the child's interests can enhance opportunities for a wide variety of friendships.
If my child is accelerated, can I then cease my concern about his or her schooling?
No, definitely not. Bright students have a wide variety of needs that change over time. A change of grade level will save time, but guarantees little else without an appropriately differentiated curriculum. Parents should advocate for a challenging and appropriate curriculum to ensure students' needs are met thoughout their school experience.
Reprinted with the permission of the National Association for Gifted Children -- a non-profit association of teachers and parents that publishes educational materials, including the magazine "Parenting for High Potential."
