Teacher tools: Acceleration

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Acceleration support package (pdf 1089kb)

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Guidelines for the use of strategies to support gifted and talented students
(pdf 270kb) is a companion document to the revised Policy and implementation strategies documents. It outlines key ways to develop appropriate programs for gifted and talented students.

Refer to pages 4-8 for acceleration support.

Additional material on Acceleration is available on the Gifted and Talented Curriculum Support web site.

intranetlogo Acceleration tools for teachers

Tool	Description	How to use the tool
Acceleration guide (pdf 457 kb)	Guidelines for Accelerated Progression (revised 2000) is published by the Board of Studies NSW and includes its responsibilities in curriculum development and accreditation of students for the secondary credentials.	Accelerated progression is a matter for individual schools and school systems. Decisions about acceleration of students seeking these credentials will be made by principals within Board guidelines.
Distinction booklet (pdf 109kb)	The Higher School Certificate (HSC)Distinction Courses: An Information Booklet by the Board of Studies NSW, 2003 aims to provide an introduction to current Distinction Courses.	Distinction Courses are high-level HSC courses specifically designed to provide new study opportunities for exceptionally gifted and talented students.
Early Entry to primary schools: a provision for intellectually gifted and talented students (general) (pdf 225kb)	Overviews of the rationale and procedures relevant to Early Entry to school are supplemented here with proformas of interest to parents/caregivers.	Principals will find a comprehensive version of this document on the Principals' online forum.

Further readings include:

A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students. Co-authored by Professor Miraca Gross, this 2004 report looks at 50 years of research and debunks the perception that accelerating gifted students leaves them 'socially stunted'.
The Iowa Acceleration Scale is a tool designed to guide teachers in making important decisions regarding whether a particular student is a candidate for whole-grade acceleration. Information about the scale is available from the Davidson Institute.
The use of radical acceleration in cases of extreme intellectual precocity is an article by Miraca U.M. Gross and published by the Davidson Institute.

NSW Department of Education and Training