Search Database

Educational Options: Acceleration

• Guidebooks: Davidson Institute Guidebooks

  Considering Your Options: A Guidebook for Investigating Gap Year Opportunities

  This guidebook is a tool for both parents and students who are considering a gap year as an educational option. Readers will find information on gap year options for students under the age of 18, the pros and cons of taking a gap year, what colleges think of students who pursue a gap year and much more.

• Organizations: International

  Oxford Advanced Studies Program (UK)

  This program offers enthusiastic young people, from the U.S. and elsewhere, the opportunity to study and live in Oxford, home to one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated universities. Based at Oxford Tutorial College in the city center, it is an informal student-centered learning environment that offers gap year and summer options.

• Organizations: Local

  Accelerated Academics (Carlsbad, CA)

  Accelerated Academics provides an innovative approach to serving the challenges of K-12 students with unique gifts and talents. They provide consulting services, assessments, and individualized academic programming for students who have high intellectual and/or creative abilities and talents. They also provide an ideal learning situation for highly talented students who require absence from a traditional school setting in order to pursue activities, training, and events such as Performing Arts, Tennis, Equestrian, Gymnastics, Ice Skating, Golf, and Surfing.

• Organizations: National

  Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA)

  The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) was established in 2006 at The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation. The IRPA is dedicated to the study of curricular acceleration for academically talented students.

  National Center for Accelerated Schools PLUS (AS PLUS)

  Accelerated Schools Plus is a national endeavor designed to transform whole school communities – especially those set apart by high poverty, low academic performance and remediation -- to enriched environments characterized by accelerated instruction and gifted and talented teaching strategies that have been traditionally reserved for only the top 5% of students. Accelerated School Project was conceived, founded, and developed by Professor Henry M. Levin at Stanford University in 1986, to address these communities and the questions and challenges presented in the 1983 report, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (United States Department of Education, 1983).

  Untapped Potential Project

  The mission of the Untapped Potential Project (UPP) is to advance public policy that optimizes educational outcomes for children with unique abilities. Untapped Potential aims to help enroll and fund low-income students and students of color into gifted and accelerated programs, which will allow them to succeed better academically.

• Printed Materials: Books

  A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses that Hold Back America's Brightest Students

  This is the 10-year follow-up to the acceleration report titled, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students. The publication includes updated research on the long-term effects of educational acceleration, acceleration and STEM education, effects of acceleration on the social emotional lives of gifted students, acceleration practices with twice exceptional students, radical acceleration, state residential STEM schools, diverse populations and acceleration, professional development for teachers and counselors, public policy and much more. A Nation Empowered tells the story of how well we have applied what we have learned during the past 10 years, and inform educators, parents, and policy makers of current research on acceleration, how that information has been applied to educational policy throughout the nation, and how educators can use the findings to make decisions for their brightest students.

  Acceleration for Gifted Learners, K-5

  Written for K–5 teachers, this practical guide corrects misunderstandings in the field of acceleration and provides the tools necessary to effectively determine the most appropriate learning options for gifted students. Through real-life stories, well-known authors in gifted education Joan Franklin Smutny, Sally Y. Walker, and Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, dispel the common myths about acceleration and describe what it is, what forms it takes, and what it can do for gifted learners—intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
  

  Acceleration Strategies for Teaching Gifted Learners (The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education)
  

  In this concise introduction to the topic, Dr. VanTassel-Baska offers many teacher-friendly ways in which acceleration can be employed in classrooms at all levels and in all subject areas. The author offers specific strategies for identifying candidates for acceleration, programmatic approaches to employ, and teacher strategies to use for content acceleration in the classroom.
  

  Content-Based Curriculum for High Ability Learners

  The third edition of this book provides a solid introduction to curriculum development in gifted and talented education. Written by experts in the field of gifted education, this text uses cutting-edge design techniques and aligns the core content with national and state standards. In addition to a revision of the original chapters, the second edition contains new chapters on topics such as teaching research skills to gifted students, second language learning, leadership, arts curriculum, and technology.

  Counseling Gifted and Talented Children: A Guide for Teachers, Counselors, and Parents

  This book from Roberta Milgram highlights the role of regular classroom teachers and teachers of the gifted in counseling; provides teachers, counselors, and parents with information about the wide variety of approaches to enrichment and/or acceleration.

  Educating the Gifted: Acceleration and Enrichment

  This older book contains a series of articles on the status of both acceleration and enrichment during the last quarter of the 20th century. A variety of authors, many drawn from the early days of the talent search programs, describe the history of both models of educational service delivery, a variety of strategies for both enrichment and acceleration, and discuss early talent search findings.

  Finding Your Way through the Maze of College Prep Tests: A Guide to APs and SAT Subject Tests with Tips for Homeschoolers and Accelerated Learners

  Written by the parent of a gifted student, this book is filled with information that parents and students may find helpful when making decisions about pre-college planning and testing. The following questions are addressed. Are you a high school student trying to decide on college prep courses? Are you a parent wondering about APs and how they affect your student's high school and college plans? Are you homeschooling through high school and need resources for tackling college prep work and the details about how to register for testing? This reference will guide you through the ins and outs of AP exams and SAT Subject Tests, including answers to: Are there special rules for homeschoolers or pre-high school students?

  Gifted Children, Gifted Education: A Handbook for Teachers And Parents

  This book by Gary A. Davis Ph. D. is a no-nonsense guide to the concept of giftedness in children, and how parents can provide opportunities to cultivate their children's gifts. Chapters address how to identify gifted children, the pros and cons of educational acceleration and common problems or counseling needs among gifted children.

  Grouping and Acceleration Practices in Gifted Education

  The most influential works on acceleration and grouping practices for the gifted are gathered in this volume, which covers concerns about the effectiveness of such techniques, presents research on the optimal conditions and methods for the utilization of grouping and/or acceleration, and describes effective programmatic initiatives.

  Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS): A guide for whole-grade acceleration K-8

  The Iowa Acceleration Scale, developed and tested by Drs. Susan Assouline and Nicolas Colangelo, provides a systematic and thorough approach to considering and implementing academic acceleration for gifted and talented students in grades K-8. The accompanying manual provides background case examples and specific guidelines. Click here to read a review of this book.

  No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned Me a Master's Degree at Age 16

  This book is Alexandra Swann's personal story of her homeschooling career and her very early entrance into college via a distance learning/independent study bachelor's degree program. It espouses a philosophy of homeschooling called "accelerated academics." Alexandra and her nine siblings were all homeschooled and completed high school work by the ages of 11 or 12. Although the "gifted" word is never mentioned in this book, it is obvious that this is a very gifted girl with very gifted siblings. This book also tells the story of how a homeschooling family stuck together in good times and bad. At 16, with a master's degree in hand, Alexandra became a community college instructor.

  Parenting Gifted Children: The Authoritative Guide From the National Association for Gifted Children

  This comprehensive guide covers topics such as working with high achievers and young gifted children, acceleration, advocating for talented students, serving as role models and mentors for gifted kids, homeschooling, underachievement, twice-exceptional students and postsecondary opportunities.
  

  Radical Acceleration of Highly Gifted Children

  This annotated bibliography is by Miraca Gross and Helen van Vliet. It provides a compilation of international research on highly gifted children who graduate from high school three or more years early. This bibliography is published by the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) under a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Click here to read a review of this bibliography.

  Re-forming ( Reforming ) Gifted Education: How Parents and Teachers Can Match the Program to the Child

  Written by Karen Rogers, this is a research-based book that discusses acceleration of students, grouping within the school setting, and program provisions both in and outside of school. Rogers spells out and categorizes ways for schools, teachers, and parents to meet the needs of gifted children, including which students will benefit from particular instructional delivery methods and how each student need can best be addressed. Click here to read a review of this book.

  Science Education for Gifted Students

  Editors Susan Johnsen and James Kendrick compiled this Gifted Child Today Reader as a book that deals with acceleration and enrichment in the sciences, including instructional units on magnetic levitation, integrating science and physical education, and real-world archaeology.
  

  The Academic Acceleration of Gifted Children

  Whether to admit a student into school earlier than the mandated age or advance a student ahead of his or her chronological peers remains for educators, parents, and students alike an issue of continuing concern and debate. This book provides a major review of the history and background issues surrounding this topic, past and present research, and the state of the implementation of accelerative practices in American schools as of the date of its publication in 1991.

  The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things to Do Between High School and College

  The newly updated second edition is the go-to book for anyone considering a year to recharge, to follow a passion, to become immersed in another culture, or to find their love of learning again. It includes everything a student, parent, or guidance counselor would want to know about the gap year, including what a gap year is, what it is not, and how it can have a positive impact on a young life. Whether it means spending a year on a sailing vessel, coaching sports and teaching in an impoverished area, or following a passion in the arts or academics, this invaluable guide will help students evaluate their interests, plan for, and fund their gap year. Click here to read a review of this book.

  You're Gonna Miss the Prom: A True Life Account and Guide Book for Gifted Kids

  This book is a guide for gifted kids who accelerate, home school or enter a college program. One author skipped high school and entered college at age 13, graduating at 16. This book details the process she took, the social questions and answers on entering early college, how to research laws and generally how to prepare to accelerate.

• Printed Materials: Online Documents

  Acceleration for Gifted Students

  This background paper by Margaret DeLacy was created for the Portland Public School District Talented and Gifted Advisory Committee. The article includes discussion of acceleration and enrichment, research concerning the effects of acceleration, the academic effects of acceleration, book references and more.

  Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy

  Compiled by members of a National Work Group on Acceleration representing the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted, this document is meant to provide guidance and to encourage the systematic adoption and practice of acceleration in schools across the nation. The Guidelines document can assist schools in writing and modifying acceleration policy that is suited to local needs and adheres to research-based best practices.

• Printed Materials: Periodicals/Reports & Studies

  A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students

  Some of America's brightest gifted students are held back and left behind, according to The Templeton National Report on Acceleration. This easy-to-read, user-friendly report explains why many schools, parents and teachers have not yet come to terms with acceleration - despite overwhelming evidence in its favor. Teachers and parents are presented information on early-entrance, grade skipping, the AP program and early college. Comments are accepted; this report can be downloaded online.

  Acceleration for gifted students: A background paper created for the Portland Public School District

  This article, written by a parent as a background paper for a school district advisory committee, provides a look at acceleration vs. enrichment. Includes research on acceleration, the benefits and effects, appropriateness, and ability grouping as an enhancement or alternative. It addresses the concerns acceleration raises, including academic and non-academic issues.

  Blue Valley Parent Advocates for Gifted Education (BVPAGE) - Results of Acceleration Surveys

  This survey was created and conducted by the Blue Valley Parent Advocates for Gifted Education (BVPAGE), a parent support group in Johnson County, Kansas. The survey was conducted from July 2016 through January 1, 2017 and consisted mostly of respondents from the Blue Valley school district. The intention was to gather information, experiences, considerations, advantages, and disadvantages of whole grade or single subject acceleration. Chose TO Accelerate Responses by Question; Chose TO Accelerate Responses by Individual; Chose NOT TO Accelerate Responses by Question; Chose NOT TO Accelerate Responses by Individual; Presentation Notes.

• Schools & Programs: College Affiliated

  Accelerated Mathematics Studies (AMS) Stream - Brock University (Ontario, Canada)

  The Accelerated Mathematics Studies (AMS) stream is a personalized program for exceptional students at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. This mathematics stream provides advanced students with the opportunity to complete a degree in mathematics in just three years.

  Center for Distance and Independent Study (CDIS) - University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)

  Find gifted online courses for Middle and High School. Courses include both faculty- and computer-evaluated lessons. The University of Missouri-Columbia High School provides an accredited diploma program for students with a need for an alternative to traditional high school. There is also a Dual Enrollment program allowing qualified high school students to enroll in university-level courses offered through CDIS while paying only 50 percent of the normal University of Missouri educational fees.
  

  Center for Talent Development (CTD) - Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)

  The Center for Talent Development (CTD), housed at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, is an accredited learning center and research facility serving gifted students, their families and educators for nearly 30 years. Some of their programs include: the Midwest Talent Search, summer programs for pre-K through grade 12, Saturday enrichment programs for pre-K through grade 9, an Accelerated Weekend Experience (AWE), Gifted Learning Links for K through grade 12, a Civic Education Program for grades 7 through 12, scholarship programs for underrepresented students, and educator and parent programs.

  College of DuPage Talent Search Program (Glen Ellyn, IL)

  The College of DuPage offers gifted students in grades 3 - 12 the opportunity to take courses in math, science, information technology, problem solving, literature, language and writing. Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, this talent search admits students who score in the 95th percentile or higher on a qualifying standardized test.
  

  Early Experience Program - University of Denver (CO)

  This program is designed for students in grades 10-12 of exceptional maturity and academic ability. Eligible students take regular University of Denver courses for undergraduate college credit. The program is offered during the regular school year and summer quarter. The cost is 50 percent of the normal tuition per credit hour.
  

  Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy - Arizona State University (Glendale, AZ)
  

  The goal of this school is to embody a highly challenging and hands-on learning environment. In non-traditional fashion, exceptional adolescents integrate technology and advanced methods into their learning culture to achieve exponential growth.

  Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) - Mary Baldwin College (Staunton, VA)

  Located in Stauton, Virginia on the campus of Mary Baldwin College, this unique all-girl school offers an opportunity for bright and accomplished young women to complete college during their high school years while living in a fully supervised residence hall.
  Prospective students can apply from their eighth-grade year and on. Students are accepted based on giftedness, consistent academic achievement and personal maturity.

  Robinson Center for Young Scholars at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA)

  The University of Washington is home to an internationally unique and renowned resource for gifted students, the Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars. For more than 25 years, the Robinson Center has been the gateway through which some of the brightest young scholars in Washington state enter the University of Washington and/or participate in academically accelerated summer courses. The Early Entrance Program and UW Academy are the Robinson Center’s early university entrance programs. The Robinson Center also offers summer academic programs for students finishing the 5th-10th grade, as well as a Saturday Enrichment Program during the school year and the Robinson Center Online Program.

  Russell Sage College - Early College Program (Troy, NY)

  Located in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy tri-city area, this college is exclusively for women providing students the opportunity to combine undergraduate and graduate study in accelerated bachelor's/master's degree sequences. Launched in Fall 2003 for talented high school juniors considering college enrollment instead of their senior year, the program also serves homeschooled students who may be advanced in their study and ready to move on to college regardless of their age.
  

  Sacramento State Academic Talent Search (CA)

  Academic Talent Search (ATS) is sponsored by California State University Sacramento and is designed for high achieving students currently enrolled in sixth through ninth grade. The benefits of ATS include: providing students with an opportunity to accelerate their learning in traditional subjects like mathematics and to experience new topics which are not always available in regular schools; the ATS teaching staff includes University faculty, community college professors, high school instructors and industry professionals; through ATS, students have the opportunity to experience a collegiate environment.

  The High School at Moorpark College (Moorpark, CA)

  Located near Los Angeles, this college offers a unique opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to have a non-traditional experience by enrolling in college level courses while taking high school required classes.

  The Scholars Academy (Conway, SC)

  Located on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, the Scholars Academy welcomes all interested rising ninth graders to apply for admission into its program. Once enrolled, Scholars Academy students take a combination of rigorous high school and college courses. During the first two years, the students focus on completing most of the requirements for high school graduation, taking several college and Advanced Placement courses. During their junior and senior years, the students take a combination of college and Advanced Placement courses, preparing them for their chosen field of study after high school graduation. The Scholars Academy is a part of Horry County Public Schools.

  University at Buffalo (UB) - Advanced College Credit Program (Buffalo, NY)

  Exceptional high school students looking to get a head start and earn college credits while completing their high school requirements may be eligible for UB’s Advanced College Credit Program. Qualified students can register for regular full-credit day or evening courses held throughout the academic year and over the winter or summer. Typically, students accepted into the program enroll in freshman-level courses requiring a high level of preparation in high school coursework. Courses may be taken on campus or online, and credits are transferrable to both public and private colleges and universities.

  University of Missouri Center for Distance & Independent Study's MU High School (Columbia, MO)

  The mission of the University of Missouri High School is to provide distance learning courses, through a variety of delivery methods, that will complement traditional high school curricula and provide an accredited diploma program for independent learners of all ages seeking an alternative to traditional high school attendance.

• Schools & Programs: Independent

  Journeys School: Gifted and Talented/Malone Scholars Program (Jackson, WY)

  Journeys School identifies gifted and talented students using such standardized tests as CTP 4 of the ERB, PSAT, SAT and SCAT, as well as assesses student performance through their portfolio of work (including art, written pieces, performance documentation and other projects). Outstanding student performance is then identified by a committee of teachers and an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) is developed.

  Jubilee Academies (San Antonio, TX)

  After 20 years operating as a private Christian academy, Jubilee Outreach Christian Academy transitioned into an open-enrollment charter school in January 2000 as Jubilee Academic Center. In 2017, their name changed to Jubilee Academies. Jubilee serves nearly 6,000 students at 12 sites within its boundaries with students in Pre-K through 12 grades. Jubilee Academic Center is a non-profit organization authorized by the Texas State Board of Education to operate, Jubilee Academies (Jubilee), an open-enrollment Texas charter school district.

  Sunrise Learning Lab (Wesley Chapel, FL)

  The Sunrise Learning Lab Gifted Pilot Program serves highly and profoundly gifted students, ages 9-13. It provides a completely individualized, customized program, with partial scholarships available.

  The Beekman School (New York, NY)

  The Beekman School seeks to provide high school students with differentiated instruction based on each student's unique interests and needs through flexibility, focus on the individual, a supportive environment, and educators who care. Also offered is a Tutoring School program that accelerates courses to match the pace of the student.

• Schools & Programs: Math & Science Programs

  Cooperative Highly Accelerated Mathematics Program (CHAMP) (MI)

  This Michigan State University Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program is available to students in Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, and Shiawassee Intermediate School Districts in Michigan. Mathematically gifted students are able to complete the required four years of high school math in two years through CHAMP. Students meet on Thursday afternoons each week on the MSU campus.

  Georgia Academy of Arts, Mathematics, Engineering and Sciences (Cochran, GA)

  This is an exclusive 2-year Dual Enrollment residential program that allows high school students the opportunity to simultaneously earn a high school diploma from their home high school as well as a possible associate's degree from Middle Georgia State University (MGA), while experiencing dorm living and integrating within our inclusive university community on the Cochran Campus.

  University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) (Minneapolis, MN)

  UMTYMP provides a challenging alternative for Minnesota’s talented mathematics students in grades 6-12. The highly accelerated courses are specially designed to provide these students with an intense academic experience that will stimulate their mathematical interest and abilities. The program, offered through the University of Minnesota School of Mathematics Center for Educational Programs (MathCEP), is partially supported by an appropriation from the State of Minnesota. Students currently in grades 5-7 are identified and recommended by their schools as eligible for entering UMTYMP at the Algebra level. The University of Minnesota also offers an affiliated Saturday Enrichment program.

• Schools & Programs: Public

  Academy for Advanced & Creative Learning (Colorado Springs, CO)

  A K-8th grade charter school, serving
  advanced, gifted, twice-exceptional and typical learners who want to excel! AACL provides personal learning plans, advanced content, hands-on porjects, thematic units, and is tuition free with no admission requirements.

  Central Academy - Des Moines Public Schools (IA)

  Listed in the top one percent of educational programs nationally, Central Academy fosters academic excellence through the challenge of a compacted curriculum and the stimulation of intensive work with the students’ intellectual peers. Students are encouraged to develop skills, maturity, and responsibility to pursue high academic achievement. Students who successfully complete the program are prepared for the competitive demands of top colleges and universities. The curriculum offers acceleration and enrichment beyond the traditional high school program and prepares students to take Advanced Placement coursework by 10th grade.

  Digital Learning Center for the Gifted (AZ)

  Course content is based on major thematic elements found in the Arizona State Standards for seventh grade and eighth grades. By featuring thematic elements, the content encompasses multiple subjects simultaneously.

  Edison Elementary (Denver, CO)

  The Gifted and Talented Program is available for all Edison students who qualify based on potential. Identifiable characteristics, extraordinary abilities and accomplishments and/or demonstrated needs. High acheiving students may be placed in the Highly Gifted and Talented (HGT) classrooms on a space available basis as well as meeting specified criteria.

  Fruitville Elementary School (Sarasota, FL)

  The Sarasota County north area Magnet Program for Gifted Students is housed at Fruitville and provides services for eligible students in an elementary school setting while preparing them to move on to other sites for the middle school years. This program is for students enrolled in grades 1-5.
  

  Jones College Prep (Chicago, IL)

  The mission of this Chicago public high school is to help students develop themselves as leaders through a rigorous college prep program that focuses on educating the whole person.

  Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC)

  The Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC) delivers a challenging, accelerated education in mathematics, science and technology to selected students, grades 9 - 12 in Kalamazoo County. Students can apply to the program in the eighth grade, and if accepted, spend a half-day at KAMSC in intensive mathematics, sciences and/or computer courses.

  Keystone National High School

  This distance learning program is a self-paced, independent study high school. Courses can be taken by correspondence or online.

  Lakewood Schools Elementary Discovery Program - (Lakewood, OH)

  Lakewood City Schools provide an exceptional program for gifted students and encourage subject acceleration as well as artistic and creative learning.

  Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts (LSMSA) (Natchitoches, LA)

  The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is a state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana's high-achieving, highly-motivated students. Students apply during either their freshman or sophomore year for the opportunity to attend the LSMSA for their final two or three years of high school. Consideration is also given to students who apply only to attend LSMSA for their senior year. As a public school, there is no tuition and only a nominal room and board fee that can be reduced or waived. Established by the Louisiana state legislature in 1982, LSMSA belongs to an expanding group of state-supported, residential high schools founded to serve the academic, artistic, and creative needs of many of the state's best students.

  Maricopa Community Colleges (AZ)

  "The Maricopa Community Colleges are decidedly distinct, serving a quarter million students annually through colleges, skill centers and multiple campuses and sites. With more than 1,000 business partnerships, charter high schools, advanced health care training, biotechnology opportunities and unique career offerings, the Maricopa Community Colleges quickly respond to the training and educational needs of our changing communities."

  Pine Crest Elementary: Center for Highly Gifted (Silver Spring, MD)

  Pine Crest is home to one of the six Centers for the Highly Gifted in Montgomery County Public Schools. Selected students from the elementary schools in the Blair, Einstein, and Kennedy Clusters attend our Center. The goal of the program is to provide exceptionally gifted and motivated 4th and 5th grade students with a full-time instructional program that is accelerated and enriched. It is designed for students who learn at a faster pace and who can handle advanced concepts of greater complexity.

• Summer Programs: MidAtlantic Region

  Virginia Governor's School Program (Newport News, VA)

  Since 1973, outstanding young people have been attending the Governor's Schools in Virginia. Governor’s Schools provide gifted students academic and visual and performing arts opportunities beyond those normally available to them. Choice from summer residential, summer regional and academic-year programs.

• Websites & Other Media: For Educators

  Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Accelerated Model Course Pathways

  This resource offers guidance to schools and districts seeking to organize NGSS performance expectations into a compressed time frame. The NGSS Accelerated Model Course Pathways are designed for high-achieving students who want or need to pursue advanced level science courses earlier in middle or high school, and at a more rapid pace. Key components of this resource are three NGSS Accelerated Model Course Maps, which outline examples for how schools and districts might reorganize NGSS performance expectations into fewer courses - without omitting any.

• Websites & Other Media: Informational

  Acceleration

  This short editorial by the then-president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children clarifies the author's position on "hurrying" (Elkind is also author of the book The Hurried Child).

  Acceleration - an Option to Consider

  This article, from the Queensland Association for Gifted and Talented Children, focues on the fact that "Acceleration is more than just grade skipping."

  Acceleration: Is moving ahead the right step?

  This article addresses the question of why acceleration is a good idea. It is brief and concise, making it a great article for parents to bring to educators during the advocacy process.

  Guidelines for Acceleration

  This is a list of guidelines for acceleration that has been designed for use by schools.

  IDEAL Solutions for STEM Acceleration

  The Inventory for Decisions about Educational Acceleration and Learning (IDEAL) Solutions for STEM Acceleration is a web-based system that provides student-centered feedback to inform decisions about academic acceleration in STEM fields. The program draws upon their expertise in the area of academic acceleration and have capitalized specifically upon the wide-ranging information available through the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA). IRPA is part of the Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

  Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) State Policy Map

  The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) is dedicated to the study of curricular acceleration for academically talented students. This is the map of the acceleration practices and policies in each of the 50 states.

  Part-Time High School

  This is one parent's account of how he accelerated his child. He discusses his strategy for facilitating radical acceleration.

  Probably the best thing I have ever done...

  This is a success story of a boy who initially had an opportunity to learn at his own pace with a mentor. After he began to excel in this area, he was able to formally accelerate within the school system.

  Project EXCITE

  Project EXCITE is a collaborative project involving Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy through its Center for Talent Development (CTD), Evanston/Skokie School District 65, and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202. Project EXCITE addresses the achievement gap existing between minority and non-minority students in the Evanston schools by providing supplemental educational opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the advanced mathematics and science courses at ETHS. EXCITE serves 130 underrepresented minority students in grades 3-8.