How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students

The Templeton National Report on Acceleration
By Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, Belin-Blank Center, The University of Iowa
Dr. Susan G. Assouline, Belin-Blank Center, The University of Iowa
Dr. Miraca U. M. Gross, GERRIC,
The University of New South Wales

America's schools routinely avoid the easiest and most effective way to help highly capable students, according to a sweeping new national report. While the popular perception is that a child who skips a grade will be socially stunted, 50 years of research shows that moving bright students ahead has strongly positive results, both academically and socially.

For the first time, this research will be available to the public in a bold new initiative to get research findings into the hands of principals, teachers and parents. Written by three experts in gifted education and sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation of Pennsylvania, the report gathers the wealth of information on acceleration into one place.

The report is scheduled to be released in Sept. 2004. It will be available free to schools, the media and parents requesting copies. In addition to print copies, the report will be available in its entirety at the Web site http://www.nationdeceived.com starting Sept. 1, 2004.

The lead authors are Dr. Nicholas Colangelo and Dr. Susan Assouline of the Belin-Blank Center at The University of Iowa, and Dr. Miraca

Gross of The University of New South Wales in Australia. In addition, nationally recognized experts on gifted education have contributed 11 chapters reviewing the major issues related to acceleration. These experts represent Bowling Green State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, Miami University of Ohio, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Connecticut, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of St. Thomas, University of Washington and Vanderbilt University.

A Nation Deceived is presented in two volumes. The first volume translates the key findings of five decades of research into straightforward, bold and succinct language. The second volume expands on these findings in the 11 chapters written by leading researchers. Topics include entering school early, grade-skipping, high school challenges, Advanced Placement courses and how adults who were accelerated in school now feel about their experiences. A complete bibliography is also provided, so readers can have the maximum amount of information on these issues.

With decades of data, the report shows that acceleration for high-ability students is a well researched topic with a remarkably consistent result: acceleration is, overall, the most effective intervention for highly capable students. This is true academically, emotionally, and socially, and it is true for both the short-term and the long-term.

Why haven't schools, teachers and parents accepted the idea of acceleration? The report considers the reasons why schools hold back America's brightest students:

"Schools are not familiar with the research on acceleration. The philosophy that children must be kept with their age peers. The belief that acceleration 'hurries' children out of childhood. The concern that acceleration could hurt students socially. Political concerns about 'equality' for all. The concern that other students will be offended if one student is accelerated."

The report shows that none of these concerns is supported by research. By distributing thousands of copies and launching a public-awareness campaign, the authors of A Nation Deceived aim to give educators and parents the knowledge, support and confidence to consider acceleration for their highly able students.

The cost of the report has been underwritten by the John Templeton Foundation. Print copies will be available in September, and the report will be available for download at a later date. In addition, www.nationdeceived.com will allow for dialogue with people across the nation. Both online and in print, A Nation Deceived plans to change the conversation about educating bright children in America.

For further information, contact Dr. Nicholas Colangelo at nick-colangelo@uiowa.edu.

600 Blank Honors Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-0454 800/336-6463

Dr. Miraca U. M. Gross, Director, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC), The University of New South Wales, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2052