The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in ...

• These learners should have opportunity to begin school-based experiences based on readinessand to exit based on proficiency.• Provision for advanced placement should be based on individual student demonstration ofcapacity, readiness, and motivation.Unlike enrichment, acceleration is not viewed as a preferred approach to provision in New Zealand(Townsend, 1996). It seems that the reported lack of its use in New Zealand schools is based uponreservations primarily associated with its perceived negative effects upon students’ social andemotional development (Moltzen, 2000a). There is also a reported misunderstanding of accelerationamongst New Zealand educators, whereby it is most commonly thought of as grade or class skippingonly, demonstrating little awareness of its various shapes and forms (Easter & Moltzen, 1997;Moltzen, 2000a; Townsend, 1996). The lack of understanding may be proliferated by amisinterpretation of acceleration as often portrayed by the media who feature gifted and talentedstudents who have been radically accelerated. Southern et al. (1993) describe ‘radical acceleration’ asthe most obvious form of acceleration. It includes skipping more than two levels of schooling, enteringhigher levels of education more than two years early, or extremely rapid instructional pace, such ascompleting high school level algebra in three intensive weeks.Though there is research evidence which explains and refutes each of these misunderstandings ofacceleration, as Easter and Moltzen (1997) report there is a discrepancy in New Zealand between whatthe research says and what the majority of educators and parents believe to be true. Moltzen (1995)suggests that the research related to acceleration is simply not widely available or understood by NewZealand educators. The lack of pre-service and in-service education, specific to gifted and talented(Working Party on Gifted Education, 2001), would no doubt contribute to the discrepancy betweentheory and practice reported by Easter and Moltzen.Another possible reason for its lack of use in New Zealand schools may be the assumptions uponwhich acceleration is based. Acceleration is premised on the supposition that the curriculum hasclearly defined levels tied to an average pace of instruction and rate of mastery, and though thecurriculum itself is perceived as appropriate for gifted and talented students, its delivery is viewed tobe in conflict with their natural abilities (Southern et al., 1993). It rests upon the assumption that giftedand talented students, by their very nature, are capable of rapid progress in learning (Southern et al.,1993). The perceived flexibility of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education,2000) when placed alongside the belief that New Zealand teachers are ‘well-heeled’ inindividualisation of instruction (Moltzen, 2000a) may negate some of these assumptions.The use of acceleration seems to vary with countries. Some countries such as Spain and Denmark donot use acceleration at all; others allow it in special circumstances (Freeman, 1998). In Austriaprogrammes are almost exclusively enrichment programmes since the school legislation contains alowest-age clause for every school grade (Schwizer, 1994). In Britain, it is possible to acceleratewithin the school and to provide part-time acceleration through higher education institutions. Highachieving students’ results are available for Britain but according to Freeman (1998) little is knownabout the sort of schooling and home circumstances that produce such results. In China, programmesfor gifted students are provided by purposeful acceleration rather than the addition of enrichmentfeatures or access to college-level study before passing an entrance examination. Some students skipthe primary grades and work through material independently or with a mentor (Robinson, 1992). Theprogrammes reported by Robinson show how successful an accelerative option can be for youngstudents when there is a match between academic challenge and readiness.Potential advantages and disadvantages of acceleration. The Ministry of Education (2000) citesnumerous advantages and disadvantages of acceleration, and these are reported in the national andinternational literature. The advantages include mastery of the curriculum, alleviation of behaviouralproblems and underachievement, mental stimulation, and the opportunity to interact with like minds.The Ministry of Education (2000) further reports that there is no research-based confirmation ofperceived negative social and emotional effects. Southern et al. (1993) confirm these advantages but45