Early college entry is an educational intervention that is being increasingly used in Australia. Following a review of the current Australian literature on early college entry, an overview is provided of the characteristics of, and the procedures associated with, one formal Australian early college entry program (the Early Admission for…

Acceleration is one of the best researched interventions for gifted students. The author is an advocate of acceleration. However, advocating for the thoughtful, carefully judged employment of a procedure with well researched effectiveness does not imply approval of cases where the procedure is used without sufficient thought--especially where it…

This discussion of exceptionally and profoundly gifted students suggests that these students have special needs that are often not being met. It distinguishes five levels of giftedness and identifies developmental differences in extremely gifted children. It suggests that radical acceleration is often an appropriate placement that may reverse…

This paper reviews the school histories of five extremely gifted Australian children (IQs 160-200) who had been radically accelerated. A combination of grade skipping and radical subject matter acceleration gave the children access to curricula commensurate with their abilities as well as healthier levels of social self-esteem. (Author/DB)

This article suggests that bland educational policy statements concerning education of gifted students need to be replaced by policies that directly address students' intellectual, social, and emotional needs. Research is reviewed that suggests such students thrive academically and socially in ability grouped settings and that acceleration…

Research has found that teachers' objections to accelerating gifted students are mainly based on a fear that acceleration will lead to social or emotional damage. Ironically, it is the academic and emotional maturity which characterizes intellectually gifted students, coupled with their high levels of academic achievement, which makes them such…

A 20-year longitudinal study has traced the academic, social, and emotional development of 60 young Australians with IQs of 160 and above. Significant differences have been noted in the young people's educational status and direction, life satisfaction, social relationships, and self-esteem as a function of the degree of academic acceleration…

With support from the John Templeton Foundation, the authors held a Summit on Acceleration at The University of Iowa in May 2003. They invited distinguished scholars and educators from around the country to help them formulate a national report on acceleration. This first volume of the Templeton Report on acceleration trumpets an alarm to the…

This paper examines the impact of multiple grade skipping on social adjustment and self-esteem of extremely gifted students. A survey of the literature and research in Australia and the United States on well-planned and carefully monitored radical acceleration finds no evidence that students suffered social or emotional problems; to the contrary,…