Facilitating Grade Acceleration: Revisiting the Wisdom of John Feldhusen

Abstract

This article revisits the 1986 Feldhusen, Proctor, and Black recommendations on grade skipping. These recommendations originally appeared as 12 guidelines. In this article, the guidelines are grouped into three general categories: how to screen accelerant candidates, how to engage with the adults in the acceleration process (e.g., teachers, parents), and how to support the accelerated students. The authors then reviews the literature since the publication of Feldhusen et al.'s original article. This body of research includes grade skipping, early entrance to college, and early entrance to school and supports the three general categories. However, some findings provide nuanced changes to the guidelines. The past 25 years of research also presents some additional considerations about acceleration not considered by Feldhusen et al. These topics include gender issues, resistance to acceleration, and methodological concerns.

Keywords:

• acceleration
• early entry
• educational acceleration
• Feldhusen
• grade acceleration
• grade advancement
• grade skipping
• guidelines
• profoundly gifted
• SMPY