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S4.8.2 Grade-Skipping, Subject Acceleration, and Early Entrance to Kindergarten: Developing Academic Acceleration Policies

Decades of research indicate that acceleration is a successful and necessary educational option for gifted students. Unfortunately, it is not implemented systematically in schools. Acceleration policies are essential so decisions are applied consistently and fairly, and acceleration is considered for all students who need it. Making decisions about students entering kindergarten early, skipping a grade, or advancing in a specific subject area can be difficult, and a poor recommendation can be hard to reverse. Administrators and other decision-makers may be cautious because they have not had the opportunity to learn about the robust research or successful acceleration policies and practices in other schools or states. The goal is to have a clear, written, accessible acceleration policy, so eligible students will have opportunities matching their academic needs. Presenters will explain the characteristics of a well-thought-out acceleration policy (including whole grade and single subject acceleration and early entrance to kindergarten), provide examples from the state and local level, and assist the audience in considering important factors for evaluating their local acceleration policies and practices. A team of experts from the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted, the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center, and individuals with decades of experience in developing and implementing policies for gifted students developed the 2009 publication, Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy. The new publication, launched at the National Association for Gifted Children convention in November 2018, is Developing Academic Acceleration Policies: Whole Grade, Early Entrance, and Single Subject. The purpose of this session is to assist policymakers and others in developing comprehensive, fair acceleration policies for academically talented students based on current research and tools for making academic acceleration decisions. Participants will be given a hard copy of the Developing Academic Acceleration Policies document. Presenters will guide discussion about how to use the document, with a focus on whole-grade acceleration, subject acceleration, and early entrance to kindergarten, and their application in international settings. This presentation will be conducted as a workshop, with opportunities for audience interaction.

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