What is Acceleration?
Education Qld gifted and talented framework (n.d.) depicts acceleration as the following:-
• curriculum compaction
• subject acceleration
• year advancement
Curriculum compaction
Curriculum compacting is the process where through pre-testing students can be excused from curriculum material that they already know. Additional time can be allocated for alternative learning that will suits the student's level of mastery, interests and learning preferences.
Subject acceleration
Subject acceleration occurs when a gifted student is able to take a single subject, or a range of subjects one or two years earlier. This is possible throughout the same campus by allowing the student to move to another classroom for those subjects. For those students who are in upper primary school and need to access classes from a secondary capmpus arrangements may need to be made.
advancement’, ‘accelerated progression’ and ‘grade skipping’): students progress through schooling at least one full year ahead of their age peers. Subject or year advancement is not an end in itself. An appropriately challenging curriculum is the goal.
Year advancement
Year advancement (also referred to as ‘grade advancement’, ‘accelerated progression’ and ‘grade skipping’): students progress through schooling at least one full year ahead of their age peers. Subject or year advancement is not an end in itself. An appropriately challenging curriculum is the goal.
Many factors need to be considered before acceleration can occur. These include:-
• curriculum compaction
• subject acceleration
• year advancement
Curriculum compaction
Curriculum compacting is the process where through pre-testing students can be excused from curriculum material that they already know. Additional time can be allocated for alternative learning that will suits the student's level of mastery, interests and learning preferences.
Subject acceleration
Subject acceleration occurs when a gifted student is able to take a single subject, or a range of subjects one or two years earlier. This is possible throughout the same campus by allowing the student to move to another classroom for those subjects. For those students who are in upper primary school and need to access classes from a secondary capmpus arrangements may need to be made.
advancement’, ‘accelerated progression’ and ‘grade skipping’): students progress through schooling at least one full year ahead of their age peers. Subject or year advancement is not an end in itself. An appropriately challenging curriculum is the goal.
Year advancement
Year advancement (also referred to as ‘grade advancement’, ‘accelerated progression’ and ‘grade skipping’): students progress through schooling at least one full year ahead of their age peers. Subject or year advancement is not an end in itself. An appropriately challenging curriculum is the goal.
Many factors need to be considered before acceleration can occur. These include:-
- Assessment
- Academic level
- Social and emotioanl maturity
- Students eager to advance
- Receiving teacher attitudes and perceptions
- Trial periods
- Monitoring
- Cautions ( care must be taken that expectations of students are excessive and that acceleration is not a 'miracle cure')
- Sound evidence for year advancements.
