WHAT IS ACCELERATION?__
One of the primary goals of The Iowa Alternative Schools Project (IASP) is to assist alternative school
educators in providing challenging educational opportunities for academically high-ability students.
Whether the term has been used or not, acceleration options may very well already be in place at
alternative schools/programs around Iowa. Acceleration can be defined as “an educational
intervention that moves students through an educational program at a faster than usual rate or
younger than typical age” (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004). Though long known, the IASP
recently documented the fact that students of all academic ability levels turn to alternative schools in
order to complete their high school education. Our project team asks that alternative school
educators complete the following checklist in an effort to continue the dialogue of how best to serve
their high-ability students. And in the words of Ray Morley, the Iowa Department of Education’s
Consultant for Alternative Education, this acceleration instrument “can become a springboard and
constant reference for planning and program improvement.” In the following pages you will find
these sections:
 How Should the Acceleration Checklist Be Used?
 What Are the Goals of the Acceleration Checklist?
 Acceleration Checklist
 What Resources Are Needed for Acceleration?
 What Are the Follow-Up Uses of the Acceleration Checklist?
 What Are Some Additional Acceleration Resources?
We thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this instrument and for always serving
truly exceptional students.
THE PROJECT TEAM:
Rosanne Malek, Project Director and Consultant for Gifted and Talented Education, Iowa Dept. of Education
Ray Morley, Project Advisor and Consultant for Alternative Education, Iowa Dept. of Education
Nicholas Colangelo, Project Advisor and Director, Belin-Blank Center, U. of Iowa
David Rogers, Project Manager for Iowa Alternative Schools Project, Belin-Blank Center, U. of Iowa
Erin Fitzharris, Graduate Assistant for The Iowa Alternative Schools Project, Belin-Blank Center, U. of Iowa
HOW SHOULD
THE
ACCELERATION CHECKLIST BE USED?
_
The acceleration checklist is intended to be completed by educational professionals in regard to their
school community. After reading over the types of acceleration and accompanying descriptions, the
following three steps should be completed:
1. First, each acceleration type should be marked as either currently in place or not currently in
place at your school.
2. Then, a consensus should be reached concerning whether this acceleration option would be
effective if offered to students.
3. Finally, ideas should be generated as to how to implement those acceleration types seen as
potentially effective but not currently offered.
WHAT ARE
THE
GOALS
OF THE
ACCELERATION CHECKLIST?_
 To make those in the field of alternative education aware of the fifteen types of acceleration
they can offer their students.
 To assist schools in opening a discussion of the options they can offer their gifted and
talented students in order to ensure that these students are getting all they can out of their
educational experiences.
 To help schools identify those acceleration options which, if added to the curriculum, would
be the most beneficial to the larger school community.
ACCELERATION CHECKLIST__
Type of acceleration
and brief description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Currently in
place?
Would it be
effective?
Yes
Yes
No
No
If this type of acceleration is not currently in
place but would be effective, how could it be
implemented?
Grade-Skipping – advance one
grade level ahead of age peers
Continuous Progress – match
pacing of content to student’s rate
of learning
Self-Paced Instruction – student
sets his/her own pace of learning
Subject-Matter Acceleration/
Partial Acceleration – student
accelerates in one or more content
areas
Combined Classes – academic
interaction between students of
different grade levels
Curriculum Compacting –
focusing on advanced content and
enrichment activities
Telescoping Curriculum –
increasing pace of instruction to
result in advanced grade placement
Mentoring – tutor provides
advanced instruction
Extracurricular Programs –
courses completed outside of
school for credit
Correspondence Courses –
student completes courses by mail,
ICN, Internet or TV
Early Graduation – completes HS
in 3 ½ years or less
Concurrent/Dual Enrollment –
taking a course at one level while
also receiving credit for that course
at a higher level
Advanced Placement – course
and AP exam taken with the
possibility of gaining college credit
Credit by Examination – earning
advanced credit by showing
mastery of subject matter
Early Entrance into College –
being awarded advanced level of
instruction at least one year ahead
of time
Southern, W. T., & Jones, E. D. (2004). Types of Acceleration: Dimensions and Issues. In N. Colangelo, S. G. Assouline, M. U. M. Gross (Eds.), A Nation
Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students: Volume II (pp. 5-12). Iowa City, IA: The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center
for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
*Checklist has been adapted from Southern & Jones’ original list of acceleration to match the types of acceleration most applicable at the high school level and for
alternative school students
WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDED
Type of acceleration
and brief description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Student
Teacher
FOR
School
ACCELERATION?__
District
Financial
Cost
Travel
Facilities
Grade-Skipping – advance one
grade level ahead of age peers
Continuous Progress – match
pacing of content to student’s rate
of learning
Self-Paced Instruction – student
sets his/her own pace of learning
Subject-Matter Acceleration/
Partial Acceleration – student
accelerates in one or more content
areas
Combined Classes – academic
interaction between students of
different grade levels
Curriculum Compacting –
focusing on advanced content and
enrichment activities
Telescoping Curriculum –
increasing pace of instruction to
result in advanced grade placement
Mentoring – tutor provides
advanced instruction
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None*
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
None
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None*
None
Extracurricular Programs –
courses completed outside of
school for credit
Correspondence Courses –
student completes courses by mail,
ICN, Internet or TV
Early Graduation – completes HS
in 3 ½ years or less
Concurrent/Dual Enrollment –
taking a course at one level while
also receiving credit for that course
at a higher level
Advanced Placement – course
and AP exam taken with the
possibility of gaining college credit
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None*
Possible
travel
required
Possible
travel
required
Possible
travel
required
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None*
Possible
travel
required
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None**
None
Credit by Examination – earning
advanced credit by showing
mastery of subject matter
Early Entrance into College –
being awarded advanced level of
instruction at least one year ahead
of time
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
Possible
ravel to
exam
location
None
Travel to
college
required
None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None**
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness None
Willingness Willingness Willingness Willingness Possible
additional
resources
and tuition
costs
None
Access to
ICN room
or Internet
None
None
* While not necessary, additional resources may be desirable
** Currently online AP classes are available at no financial cost through the Iowa Online AP Academy (www.iowaapacademy.org)
_
WHAT ARE
THE
FOLLOW-UP USES
OF THE
A C C E L E R A T I O N C H E C K L I S T ? __
1. For schools that already have some acceleration options, the checklist could be used to
expand the current acceleration opportunities available to students.
 The checklist could serve to guide decisions about what additional acceleration options
would be most useful at a particular school.
 After completing the checklist, those acceleration types which were marked “No” for the
currently in place category and “Yes” in regards to projected effectiveness are good
candidates for being added to the list of a school’s acceleration options, given that they have
the greatest potential to benefit the students.
 Dialogue can now begin regarding the collaborative effort necessary to implement these new
acceleration options.
2. For schools that do not currently offer acceleration options, the checklist could be used to
guide the process of instituting acceleration opportunities for their students.
 The checklist could serve to help determine what acceleration options would be most useful
at a particular school.
 After completing the checklist, those acceleration types which were deemed likely to meet
the needs of gifted students (those marked “Yes” under “Would it be effective?”) could be
rank-ordered with those listed at the top of the list representing the acceleration options
most likely to be beneficial to the greatest number of students.
 Now that the acceleration options have been prioritized, those which are the best match to
the school and its student population can be discussed and an implementation plan can be
constructed.
3. For all schools, this checklist can serve to generate discussion and action regarding which
acceleration options might be implemented in the future.
 It can serve to educate and inform teachers and other educational professionals about all of
the acceleration types and what they involve.
 It can make schools aware of the options which are available and which can be utilized to
the benefit of the students as well as the larger school community.
What Are Some Additional Acceleration Resources?__
Publications:
 Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004). A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold
Back America’s Brightest Students: Volume I, II. Iowa City, IA: The Connie Belin &
Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, authored by Drs.
Nicholas Colangelo, Susan Assouline, and Miraca Gross, provides a great deal of
information on acceleration – describing the different types, dispelling common myths, and
outlining the challenges specific to the high school population. In addition, it provides many
resources for parents and educators as well as the three essential questions schools should
ask when considering the acceleration of a student. This report, which was endorsed by the
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is available online:
http://nationdeceived.org/.
Acceleration/Enrichment Experiences:
 The Belin-Blank Center has a variety of enrichment opportunities available to high school
students during the summertime. Information about such classes is available at the Center’s
website: http://www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/
 Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA) is a statewide program offering access
to Advanced Placement (AP) courses to all Iowa high school students with a focus on
rural/small schools. AP courses are available to students through web-based technology or
via Iowa’s fiber-optic network: http://www.iowaapacademy.org/
 The Davidson Institute for Talent Development provides resources and services for highly
exceptional students. In order to apply for some of the scholarships and programs available
through the Davidson Institute, students must meet certain qualification criteria.
Information on these criteria as well as the support services the Davidson Institute provides
is available online: http://www.ditd.org/public/.
 A number of computer-based distance education courses are available for talented students
through Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth. These include Advanced
Placement courses and distance education in the areas of math and writing. To learn more
about these courses and their eligibility requirements, visit:
http://cty.jhu.edu/cde/admissions.html
 Both Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development and Stanford University’s
Education Program for Gifted Youth offer summer programs and distance courses. More
information may be found at: http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu and at
http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/.
Newsletters/Websites/Journals:
 For information about the Belin-Blank Center and the programs it offers, the Center’s
newsletter, VISION, may be accessed at:
http://www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/pubs/vision/index.html.
 For information on gifted and talented education at both the state and national level, visit
Iowa Talented and Gifted Association’s (ITAG) website at: http://iowatag.org/ and the
National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) website at: http://www.nagc.org/.
Also on the NAGC website is information regarding their quarterly magazine for parents,
Parenting for High Potential.
 For information on students who are twice-exceptional, meaning their giftedness co-occurs
with a learning or attention difficulty, the Twice Exceptional Newsletter is available online:
www.2eNewsletter.com.
 A magazine that may be of interest to gifted students is Imagine
(www.jhu.edu/gifted/imagine), a periodical published five times a year and geared toward
the gifted population of middle and high school students.
 Information about all of the following publications is available at: www.prufrock.com:
o Journal of Secondary Gifted Education: Critical Information on Gifted Adolescents is geared
toward education professionals and how best to teach talented adolescents.
o Journal for the Education of the Gifted internationally distributes information and research
relevant to the field of gifted education.
o Gifted Child Today: The Leading Resource on Teaching and Parenting Gifted Children provides
educators and parents with useful information and resources concerning gifted
education.