ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the research confirms acceleration as an empirically effective intervention for high-ability students with positive academic, social, and psychological short-term and long-term outcomes. Academic acceleration is an educational intervention that results in "progress through an educational program at rates faster or at ages younger than conventional". The research support for academic acceleration as an effective intervention for highly able students stands in stark contrast to the actual implementation of acceleration in schools. Subject-based acceleration provides students with higher level content, skills, or understandings in advance of typical age or grade level instruction in that content or subject. Grade-based acceleration strategies typically shorten the number of years a student spends in the K-12 system. The positive recollections about acceleration from adults are good indicators that the long-term social effects of acceleration are beneficial to the individual and correspond to positive life circumstances.
