The Acceleration Talk is copyrighted © 2014 by the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA), a part of The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (Belin-Blank Center) at The University of Iowa. All rights are reserved. Permission is granted to others to use the Acceleration Talk for educational purposes only. Any educational use of the Acceleration Talk, although free, must include acknowledgement of the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration at the Belin-Blank Center and the many professionals who contributed to this presentation, including Drs. Susan Assouline, Nicholas Colangelo, David Lohman, Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Maureen Marron. The Acceleration Talk may not be changed in any way, nor may derivate works be produced without express written permission. No commercial permission is granted without a separate written license from The University of Iowa Research Foundation.

Academic Acceleration Presentation offered through the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) at the University of Iowa’s Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

“Acceleration is one of the most Acceleration Talk “Acceleration is one of the most curious phenomena in the field of education. I can think of no other issue in which there is such a gulf between what research has revealed and what most practitioners believe. The research on acceleration is so uniformly positive, the benefits of appropriate acceleration so unequivocal, that it is difficult to see how an educator could oppose it.” James H. Borland, Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University Planning and Implementing Programs for the Gifted, 1989 (p. 185)

Acceleration Talk What is acceleration?

Acceleration Talk “Progress through an educational program at rates faster or at ages younger than conventional.” Pressey, 1949 “… allowing a student to move through traditional educational organizations more rapidly, based on readiness and motivation.” National Association for Gifted Children Position Paper, Sept. 2004 www.nagc.org

Acceleration Talk Why accelerate?

Acceleration Talk • It’s a matter of equity: All students have the right to learn. • Acceleration is a successful, low-cost intervention. Accelerated students do well in the academic and social-emotional domains. • See the evidence at www.accelerationinstitute.org

Myths about acceleration Acceleration Talk Myths about acceleration

• However, the evidence is clear that acceleration works. Acceleration Talk • Myths about acceleration are discussed and refuted in A Nation Deceived (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004) and A Nation Empowered (Assouline, Colangelo, & VanTassel-Baska, 2015) • Why does there continue to be such resistance to acceleration? - Some personal beliefs run counter to the research evidence - Teachers are not aware of the research - Colleges of Education do not teach about it - There are concerns about the social-emotional development of accelerated students - Popular opinion that acceleration is somehow ‘bad’ for students and that ‘gifted students will make it on their own’ without such an intervention. • However, the evidence is clear that acceleration works.

Acceleration Talk Forms of acceleration

• 18 forms of acceleration identified in Acceleration Talk • 18 forms of acceleration identified in A Nation Deceived and A Nation Empowered • Those 18 forms fall into one of two broad categories Subject-based acceleration- students typically remain with peers of same age and grade (Southern & Jones, 2004) Grade-based acceleration (“grade skipping”)- students do not remain with same-age peers. Appropriate for the most highly talented students (Rogers, 2004; 2015) © 2007 IRPA

Subject-based acceleration Acceleration Talk Subject-based acceleration

Acceleration Talk Provides student advanced content, skills, and understandings before expected age or grade level. Forms include: • Single-subject acceleration • Compacted curriculum • Distance learning • Talent search programs • Independent study/Mentoring • AP courses

Grade-based acceleration Acceleration Talk Grade-based acceleration

Acceleration Talk Shortens the number of years a student remains in the K-12 school system Forms include: • Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade • Grade skipping • Multi-grade classrooms • Grade telescoping (2 years in one) • Early entrance to college

Acceleration Talk Grade skipping works! “Not only was academic achievement more positive for the grade skipped learners, but also their social adjustment and academic self-esteem were more positive.” Karen B. Rogers University of St Thomas (Minnesota)

Acceleration Talk The Iowa Acceleration Scale (3rd Edition) Authors: Susan Assouline, Ph.D. Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Ph.D. Jonathan Lipscomb, B.A. Leslie Forstadt, B.A.

Acceleration Talk • Instrument to help schools make effective decisions regarding a grade-skip • The IAS and manual (3rd edition) are available from Great Potential Press (www.giftedbooks.com) • Training courses are available through the Belin-Blank Center (www.belinblank.org)

Acceleration Talk The main purpose of the IAS is to guide educators through a discussion of the academic and social characteristics of the student. A secondary purpose is to help educators avoid the danger of making a decision based upon selected biased recall of past events.

Advantages of Using the IAS A more objective look at the student An analysis of the major factors to be considered in making a decision Guidelines for weighting the relative importance of the major factors Documentation of the student’s strengths and concerns A numerical range to guide the discussion and decision of acceleration A standard of comparison with students who have had successful accelerations

The IAS Form Sections: General Information Critical Items School History Assessment of Ability, Aptitude, and Achievement School and Academic Factors Developmental Factors Interpersonal Skills Attitude and Support

Acceleration Works: The Evidence Acceleration has long-term beneficial effects, both academic and social. Accelerated students are more challenged and therefore more engaged in school. Accelerated students tend to be more ambitious, earning graduate degrees at higher rates. Academically talented students who enter school early do very well compared to their older classmates. As a group, academically talented students who enter college early perform very well academically and socially. Looking back, an overwhelming majority of accelerated students say acceleration was the right decision for them.

The Evidence is Clear, Consistent, and Current We expect 1 year of academic growth in a student for each year of school. The research on academic acceleration consistently shows additional academic growth over that one year. For example: 4 months of additional growth for single subject acceleration 6 months of additional growth for grade-skipping 7 months of additional growth for computer on-line courses 1.5 years of additional growth for Saturday classes on a university campus These data were reported in a chapter by Karen Rogers in A Nation Empowered (2015). She analyzed recent research studies on academic acceleration that included over 50,000 subject-based accelerated students and over 2,800 grade-based accelerated students and their comparison groups.

Acceleration and enrichment Acceleration Talk Acceleration and enrichment

• Enrichment is not the same thing as acceleration Acceleration Talk • Enrichment is not the same thing as acceleration • Interactive process between acceleration and enrichment See Schiever & Maker (2003), Handbook of Gifted Education (3rd ed.), Chapter 12 • Program goals for enrichment programs: Add depth and breadth to the regular classroom (resource room, special interest clubs, weekend classes, summer programs) Enrichment programs do not necessarily strive to move a student through the curriculum more quickly

Acceleration Talk • If enrichment does not include a faster pace and higher level of work, it is not effective • Putting gifted kids together has minimum academic benefit • Even differentiated curriculum, which produces some academic benefit, does not yield the same results as acceleration.

Acceleration Talk Advocacy

Acceleration Talk • Know the research • Consider types of acceleration • Assess personal attitudes & system policies • Build an effective relationship with your colleagues who teach high ability students • Build an effective relationship with parents of high ability students • Make decisions objectively

Use the Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy Recommendations for components of an acceleration policy Support schools in creating a comprehensive, research-based acceleration policy Checklist for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy http://accelerationinstitute.org/Resources/Policy_Guidelines/

Acceleration Talk What can you do?

Acceleration Talk Use the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration at the Belin-Blank Center as a resource for research and advocacy (www.accelerationinstitute.org) Download free copies of A Nation Deceived (www.nationdeceived.org) and A Nation Empowered (available in 2015; www.nationempowered.org) Learn about IDEAL Solutions for STEM Acceleration www.idealsolutionsmath.com Become familiar with other organizations and websites concerned with giftedness, for example, National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) www.nagc.org The Davidson Institute for Talent Development www.ditd.org Hoagie’s Gifted Education Page www.hoagiesgifted.org State talented and gifted organizations

Thank you. Academic Acceleration The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development The University of Iowa College of Education Thank you. Academic Acceleration Presentation offered through the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) at the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education

The Acceleration Talk is copyrighted © 2014 by the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA), a part of The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (Belin-Blank Center) at The University of Iowa. All rights are reserved. Permission is granted to others to use the Acceleration Talk for educational purposes only. Any educational use of the Acceleration Talk, although free, must include acknowledgement of the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration at the Belin-Blank Center and the many professionals who contributed to this presentation, including Drs. Susan Assouline, Nicholas Colangelo, David Lohman, Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Maureen Marron. The Acceleration Talk may not be changed in any way, nor may derivate works be produced without express written permission. No commercial permission is granted without a separate written license from The University of Iowa Research Foundation.