Acceleration Policy for Garden City College
Submitted by Juliet Martin, adviser for gifted education, Teacher Support Services, Christchurch College of Education, 2002.
This is a model of an acceleration policy, that schools can use or adapt.
Notes for schools
The boxed notes contain information and background details that schools can consider when they prepare their own policy.
Rationale
There will always be students who require the challenge that only acceleration can provide, regardless of the best efforts in the regular, age-based classroom (Jones, & Southern, 1991). Positive social and emotional effects of acceleration on students is well documented and a student's social and emotional maturity is linked more to his/her mental age rather than chronological (Gross, 1994 ). Benefits of acceleration include improved motivation, confidence and scholarship, and the prevention of "lazy mental habits" (VanTassel-Baska 1986).
The National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) for the provision of education to students in New Zealand require each board of trustees, through the principal and staff, to comply with requirements which meet the learning needs of all students. The mission statement of this school embraces that intent.
For these reasons Garden City College makes acceleration available for appropriately selected students.
"Appropriate selection" requires a selection process which considers the "whole" student: social, emotional, physical, and intellectual; and the gathering of information from a number of sources, for example teachers, parents, school counsellor.
This policy acknowledges the proportions of acceleration as described by the NSW Board of Studies.
- Whole year skipping: "On a statewide basis, it is probable that only one in 200 (0.5 percent) students would be capable of acceleration in all subjects." (NSW Board of Studies, 1991)
- Single subject acceleration: "On a statewide basis it is probable that the most capable 5 percent of students could be appropriate for acceleration in one subject of special interest or expertise. Some students may be appropriate for acceleration in more than one subject, if not in all of the subjects they are studying " (NSW Board of Studies, 1991)
Acceleration should not see a student's class position dramatically tumble. For reasons of self esteem and achievement satisfaction it is important not to accelerate students who will achieve second best.
Some characteristics of acceleration candidates:
- The student's level of achievement and ability significantly surpasses same age peers.
- The student academically demonstrates levels of skill well above the average of students in the level s/he wishes to enter.
Assessment:
Accelerated students must be assessed at the level to which they have been accelerated, that is, no allowance for being younger or for having been accelerated.
- The student who is not performing well, whose behaviours in the classroom may be negative, and whose teachers suspect high ability
Refer to a checklist of gifted characteristics and/or Joanne Whitmore's checklist for gifted underachievers (1980). Psychometric testing may be necessary.
NB: There are two kinds of underachievers. Those who are underachieving through lack of challenge whose needs may be met by acceleration and those who are underachieving and have therefore gathered gaps in their learning which could make acceleration unsuccessful.
Procedure for the selection of students:
Parents may require information on acceleration to make an informed decision. A kit containing articles and the school's acceleration policy may be helpful.
Step 1:
Parents, teachers, administrators, or students may initiate an acceleration investigation.
Step 2:
The gifted programme coordinator will check the following four items:
These four items are included in the Iowa Acceleration Scale developed by Professor Nick Colangelo at the Connie Belin Centre for Gifted Education and Talent Development
- Will acceleration place the student in the same year group as a sibling?
- Does the student have a sibling in his/her present year group?
Items 1 and 2 are included in the interest of family relationships, and are irrespective of siblings attending different schools.
- Is the student's IQ less than one standard deviation above the mean?
NSW Board of Studies recommends an IQ of 130 + for a full year acceleration. This is a safeguard for the hard working high achiever who may be accelerated beyond their capability.
- Does the student reject whole-year acceleration?
Some discussion of what it will mean may need to take place so that the student is making a reasonably informed choice. However, a student must not be pressured. It may be wise for steps 3 and 4 to proceed before the student is formally approached.
If the answer to any of the above items is yes acceleration will not take place. However an investigation into the student's needs, followed by a programme designed to meet them, will take place.
If the student has not been psychometrically tested this will be arranged.
Consideration must be given to the cost of this – who will pay for it?
Proceed to step 3 for all students.
Step 3:
The coordinator of the gifted programme will assemble a portfolio of data from parents, teachers, school counsellor, the student.
This provides a bank of material which can guide discussions among all involved parties.
These could include:
- standardised tests of achievement and general ability
- multidimensional testing
- behavioural checklists
- reports from classroom teachers
- work samples and performance
- class grades
- awards/prizes
- anecdotal information
- extra curricular and out of school interests, abilities, achievements
The Iowa Acceleration Scale: An excellent guide for whole-grade acceleration K-8 provides a process to follow and includes a summary and planning sheet (available from: www.giftedbooks.com).
The next steps for students being considered for acceleration
The next steps for students not being considered for acceleration
Steps 4, 5, and 6: for students being considered for acceleration:
Step 4:
A meeting will take place with: the principal, present teacher, receiving teacher, coordinator of gifted programme or others, to assess the student's suitability for acceleration.
Step 5:
A decision-making meeting will take place with: the principal, present teacher, receiving teacher, dean, GATE coordinator (or others), and the student's parents/caregivers, and often, the student.
It may be decided to accelerate on a trial basis and review at the end of a term, with the opportunity for parties to meet after 4 weeks.
NB: accelerated students require "scaffolding" and extra support to make the change successfully; the student needs to feel supported; remember that s/he is under the microscope at this time and "issues" may not be profound but fall into the natural highs and lows of a school term; if the acceleration is reversed take care to support the student – it is not a failure.
Step 6:
If the decision of Step 5 is to accelerate the student, a meeting will be arranged with appropriate parties to discuss acceleration with the student, to invite feedback and suggestions for programme design and support. This must be recorded and referred to and built on in subsequent meetings.
It is very important that the teacher receiving the accelerated student is positive about it.
Acceleration should take place at natural transition points in the year. Where a composite class of high ability students exists, a seamless acceleration is possible.
Warning: accelerated students must be placed with the high ability students in the new class not the opposite.
Acceleration can be a more positive experience for the student if there is more than one student being accelerated at the time. However, this is not a reason for accelerating other students.
Extension in areas of the student's strengths and interests should be built into his/her programme. Also, ongoing checks should be made for any gaps in learning caused by the acceleration. These can be quickly addressed.
NB. If the decision is not to accelerate the student proceed to Step 4
Step 4: for students not being considered for acceleration:
A meeting will take place with parents/care givers, the student, the classroom teacher, the coordinator of the gifted programme (and/or other involved parties) to plan an appropriately challenging programme for the student. The student's specific gifts and interests will be considered.
Teacher assistance in developing an appropriate programme is available from Support Services at the Colleges of Education
Other acceleration options which could be considered are:
- single subject acceleration
- mentorships
- curriculum compacting
Complementary options for accelerated and non-accelerated students are:
- an extra school subject
- an integrated thematic topic
- subject by distance education
- independent study
A date to review the student's program after 6 weeks will be made, and subsequently one per term unless one of the parties calls an earlier meeting.
All decisions will be recorded and referred to and built on at subsequent meetings.
It may be appropriate to reconsider the placement of a student after 6-12 months. For highly gifted students a further acceleration may be necessary.
References
Assouline, S., Colangelo, N., Lupkowski-Shoplik, A., & Pibscomb, J. (1998). Iowa Acceleration Scale: A guide for whole-grade acceleration (K-8). Scottsdale, AZ: Gifted Psychology Press, Inc.
Benbow, C. P. (1998). Acceleration as a method for meeting the academic needs of intellectually talented children. In VanTassel-Baska, J. Excellence in Educating Gifted and Talented Learners, (3rd ed). Denver: Love Publishing Company.
Easter, A. & Moltzen, R. (1997). The academic acceleration of gifted and talented children: A review of the literature. Apex, 10 (1), 17–23.
Gallagher, J.J. (1997). Issues in the education of gifted students. In Colangelo, N. & Davis, G.A. (Eds) Handbook of Gifted Education (2nd ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon..
Gross, MU.M. (1994). To group or not to group: Is that the question? Images: Journal of Indiana Association for the Gifted, Summer, 14–20.
Gross, M.U.M. (1994). Radical acceleration. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education. Summer. 27–33.
Gross, M.U.M. (1994). Planning Defensible Programmes For Gifted and Talented Students: Rejecting The Myths, Accepting The Realities. Gifted Education Seminar Oct 4, 1994. University New South Wales.
Gross, M.U.M. (1995). Current research on the school acceleration of gifted and talented students, Monograph, 23, 3–8. NSW: Australian College of Education.
Hoekman, K. (1994). The tyranny of chronological age. Gifted, April, 17–19.
Jones, E.D. & Southern, W.T. (1991). Objections to early entrance and grade skipping. In Southern, W.T. & Jones, E.D.(Eds.) The Academic Acceleration of Gifted Children, 51–73. New York: Teachers College Press.
Kulik, J.A. & Kulik, C.C. (1992). Meta—analytic findings on grouping programs. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36:2, 73—77.
Kulik, J.A. (1992). from the executive summary of: An analysis of the research on ability grouping: Historical and contemporary perspectives, The National Research Centre on the Gifted and Talented, February, 9204, pp iii — xvii.
Kulik, J.A. (1992). from the executive summary of: An analysis of the research on ability grouping: Historical and contemporary perspectives, The National Research Centre on the Gifted and Talented, February, 9204, pp iii — xvii.