Policy Guidelines
Over the past year, members of a National Work Group on Acceleration representing IRPA, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted developed a comprehensive document, Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy.
The goal of the project is to provide guidance and to encourage the systematic adoption and practice of acceleration in schools across the nation. The Guidelines document can assist schools in writing and modifying acceleration policy that is suited to local needs and adheres to research-based best practices.
Attendees of the 2009 NAGC conference in St. Louis received the short version of Guidelines in their registration materials. The short version lists policy recommendations in five key areas and includes a Checklist for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy. The full version, which includes sample language from state acceleration policies and guidance on implementing the procedures of acceleration, can be downloaded for free on this site (656 KB PDF).
We welcome your feedback
Please submit your comments on the Guidelines document, on your school’s use of the document, or on other issues related to acceleration policy development.
Would you like to share your school or district’s acceleration policy?
Appendix D of the Guidelines has sample language from state acceleration policies. If you would like to have your school’s policy available for others to view, you may submit it here. IRPA is not reviewing local policies before posting, and posting the document on our website should not be taken as an endorsement of the policy.
Questions or comments can be directed to irpa@belinblank.org.