ACCELERATION

RESEARCH FINDING:

Advancing  gifted  students  at a faster pace  results  in  their 
achieving more than similarly gifted students who are taught at a 
normal rate.

COMMENT:

Advocates  of  accelerating the education of gifted and  talented 
students believe that this practice furnishes the extra challenge 
these  students need to realize their  full  potential.   Critics 
believe acceleration may result in emotional and social stress if 
a child is unable to get along with older students.   Some,  con-
cerned about those who remain behind,  characterize  acceleration 
as unfair or undemocratic.


Research  evidence generally supports acceleration.   When  abler 
students are moved ahead in school,  they typically learn more in 
less  time  than  students of the same age and  ability  who  are 
taught  at the conventional rate.   Accelerated students score  a 
full  grade level or more higher on achievement tests than  their 
conventionally placed schoolmates.   Some may score several years 
ahead of their schoolmates.

Acceleration  does  not damage students' attitudes  about  school 
subjects.  Nor do accelerated students necessarily become drudges 
or  bookworms;  they ordinarily continue to participate in extra-
curricular  activities.   Such  students often become  more  sure 
about their occupational goals.  Accelerated students perform  as 
well  as talented but older students in the same grade.   Despite 
being  younger,  accelerated students are able to  capitalize  on 
their  abilities  and achieve beyond the level available to  them 
had they remained in the lower grade. 


Cohn,  S.  J.,  George,  W. C., and Stanley, J. C. (Eds). (l979).  
"Educational  Acceleration  of  Intellectually  Talented  Youths:  
Prolonged Discussion by a Varied Group of Professionals."  In  W. 
C.  George,  S. J. Cohn, and J. E. Stanley (Eds.),  Educating the 
Gifted:   Acceleration and Enrichment, (pp. l83-238).  Baltimore:  
Johns Hopkins University Press.

Getzels, J. W., and Dillon, J. T. (l973).  "The Nature of Gifted-
ness  and  the Education of the Gifted."  In  R.  M.  W.  Travers 
(Ed.),  Second Handbook of Research on Teaching,  (pp.  689-73l).  
Chicago:  Rand McNally.

Goldberg,   M.   (l958).   "Recent  Research  on  the  Talented."  
Teachers' College Record, Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. l50-l63.

Gowan,  J.,  and Demos, G. D. (l964).  The Education and Guidance 
of the Ablest.  Springfield, IL:  Charles C. Thomas.

Kulik, J. A., and Kulik, C. C. (l984).  "Synthesis of Research on 
Effects  of  Accelerated Instruction."   Educational  Leadership, 
Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 84-89.