siest and most effective way to help highly capable students, according to a sweeping new national report. While the popular perception is that a child who skips a grade will be socially stunted, fifty years of research shows that moving bright students ahead has strongly positive results, both academically and socially.

For the first time, this research will be available to the public in a bold new initiative to get research findings into the hands of principals, teachers, and parents. Written by three experts in gifted education and sponsored by the Sir John Templeton Foundation of Pennsylvania, the report gathers the wealth of information on acceleration into one place.

The report is scheduled to be released in September 2004. It will be available free to schools, the media, and parents requesting copies. In addition to print copies, the report will be available in its entirety at the Website nationdeceived.com starting September 1, 2004.

The lead authors are Dr. Nicholas Colangelo and Dr. Susan Assouline of the Belin-Blank Center at The University of Iowa, and Dr. Miraca Gross of The University of New South Wales in Australia. In addition, nationally recognized experts on gifted education have contributed eleven chapters reviewing the major issues related to acceleration. These experts represent the following universities: Bowling Green State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, Miami University of Ohio, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Connecticut, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of St. Thomas, University of Washington, and Vanderbilt University.

A Nation Deceived is presented in two volumes. The first volume translates the key findings of five decades of research into straightforward, bold and succinct language. The second volume expands on these findings in the 11 chapters written by leading researchers. Topics include entering school early, grade-skipping, high-school challenges, Advanced Placement courses, and how adults who were accelerated in school now feel about their experiences. A complete bibliography is also provided, so readers can have the maximum amount of information on these issues.

With decades of data, the report shows that acceleration for high-ability students is a well researched topic with a remarkably consistent result: acceleration is, overall, the most effective intervention for highly capable students. This is true academically, emotionally, and socially, and it is true for both the short-term and the long-term.

Why haven't schools, teachers, and parents accepted the idea of acceleration? The report considers the reasons why schools hold back America's brightest students:

Schools are not familiar with the research on acceleration.

The philosophy that children must be kept with their age peers.

The belief that acceleration "hurries" children out of childhood.

The concern that acceleration could hurt students socially.

Political concerns about "equality" for all.

The concern that other students will be offended if one student is accelerated.

The report shows that none of these concerns is supported by research. By distributing thousands of copies and launching a public-awareness campaign, the authors of A Nation Deceived aim to give educators and parents the knowledge, support, and confidence to consider acceleration for their highly able students.

The cost of the report has been underwritten by the Sir John Templeton Foundation. Print copies will be available in September 2004, and the report will be available for download at a later date. In addition, the Website nationdeceived.com (available September 1, 2004) will allow for dialogue with people across the nation. Both online and in print, A Nation Deceived plans to change the conversation about educating bright children in America.

For further information, contact Dr. Nicholas Colangelo at nick-colangelo@uiowa.edu.

Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, Myron & Jacqueline Blank Professor of Gifted Education and Director, Belin-Blank Center, The University of Iowa

Dr. Susan G. Assouline, Associate Director, Belin-Blank Center, The University of Iowa

The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (Belin-Blank Center)

600 Blank Honors Center

The University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 52242-0454

1-800-336-6463

Dr. Miraca U. M. Gross, Director, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC), The University of New South Wales

UNSW Sydney

New South Wales

Australia, 2052

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