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Article: Acceleration: a coat of many colours.
- Article from:
- Roeper Review
- Article date:
- September 22, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Roeper School. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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There are few words that more readily bring forth debate in educational circles than the word acceleration. Much of the controversy surrounding the concept, however, can be linked to teacher beliefs and attitudes that have little or no support in educational research. Although acceleration can take several forms, many teachers and administrators associate the word with radical acceleration or multiple grade skipping. In Australia, teachers' resistance to acceleration is often expressed in terms of the so-called problem of students completing school early and not being mature enough for university life. Popularized caricatures such as the television character Doogie Howser ...