The founder and director of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) at Johns Hopkins University discusses reasons why acceleration is a desirable educational strategy with highly gifted youth. Cases of successful radical acceleration by mathematically gifted youth illustrate the advantages to be gained by many others if the practice of…

To offset low challenge in high school courses, the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth encourages intellectually talented students to choose from seven alternative acceleration options. Also offered are four reasons for taking college credit courses in high school. (MC)

Curriculum must be adapted to match the ability and developmental stages of the academically gifted. The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Johns Hopkins University determined that curriculum flexibility, not change, is the best approach. (JOW)

This article reviews events subsequent to a 1977 Julian Stanley speech on the topic of educational non-acceleration. It describes the evolution of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, focusing on program development, student identification through talent searches, criteria for student selection, and the need for additional funding. (PB)

The study reports on a group of 25 educationally accelerated entrants to Johns Hopkins University. Findings support the ability of students who enter a highly selective college two to five years early to make good grades, win honors, and graduate promptly. (Author/CL)

This paper describes some students, especially at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, who have graduated from college 3 or more years before the usual age of 22 or older. Such early graduation is not common, but neither is it extremely rare. Some young graduates seem to have been propelled through college under parental pressure, while others have…

Describes eight innovative four-year and two-year residential college programs that allow exceptionally able high school students early entrance to college. Programs are compared in terms of admission requirements, tuition, curricula, residential components and requirements, enrichment and leadership activities, gender restriction, and grade of…

Characteristics of 292 youths (269 males and 23 females) identified by high scores (before the age of 13) on the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Mathematics as part of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) at Johns Hopkins University are reported. Several of the students have received Ph.D. degrees at very young ages. The young students…

Students, it is argued, who have used combinations of entering college early and forging ahead fast in the curriculum have led or are leading highly effective lives. Parents and educators should have less fear when attempting to accelerate a child. (MLW)

The review of the first 10 years of The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, which began in 1971, describes the program's origins in the identification and educational facilitation of specific students by individual staff members. Also described and evaluated are the fast paced precalculus, college level calculus, other mathematics classes,…

This article describes common student traits found from analysis of self-reported experiences of six radically accelerated gifted youths. It concludes that intellectual ability far above the average and student eagerness to accelerate are prerequisites for successful radical acceleration. Descriptions by two students of their accelerated programs…

A followup study of Johns Hopkins University students who began college two or more years ahead of their age group examined their academic progress, ages at graduation, majors, course loads, grades, program length, and the progress of a special group of mIl0s identified through a study of mathematically precocious youth. (MSE)

This reprint of an article on the experiences of two mathematically precocious youths is preceded by a commentary that stresses the increased zest for learning experienced by the accelerants, the benefits of better educational preparation, and the importance of parental support for acceleration. (Contains 9 references.) (CR)

Statistics are presented concerning background characteristics of 292 students who scored well on the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test at age 12 or younger. Discussed are the ratio of girls to boys, geographic distribution, verbal ability, parents' education level and occupational status, siblings, and educational…

This article reviews the literature on early admission to college and describes two high-schools-within-college institutions. It critiques a paper by Dewey G. Cornell and others (EC 601 042) on predictive measurement of socioemotional adjustment of accelerated adolescent females. The article also questions the value of social adjustment for…