By Dr. Gayle Bentley.
As a seasoned educator, this is my favorite time of year—when we return to the classroom. Everything is fresh and new, from the bulletin boards to the sharpened pencils. Five years ago, however, the start of school looked quite different for my thirteen-year-old son, who was fresh out of middle school. He and I rode the train from south Orange County to LA’s Union Station. We crossed some narrow sidewalks and hopped on the city bus, which delivered us to our destination. Throughout the 2-hour trip, I worried whether he would be able to find the correct route on his own.
My son began his college career in the Early Entrance Program (EEP) at CSULA with 24 other bright, young students, ages 12-16. During their first year, they took classes together as a cohort and had a designated suite of rooms where they could spend time between classes. I am told snacks were consumed as chess games were won and lost. Many a movie night was enjoyed by all. My son graduated this past May with a master’s degree in computer science. Radical acceleration worked well for him. He needed to be challenged and engaged with like-minded peers who learned as quickly and deeply as he did.
Acceleration is the most researched gifted strategy for high-ability learners in the school system. When it is determined that a student must receive a more advanced curriculum in order to thrive and that they are mature enough to handle the boost, students tend to do well. There is little to no cost to the school for accelerating a student, and yet, administrators, teachers, and some parents seem hesitant to support this strategy, even when students would clearly benefit from the opportunity. It is crucial that we continue to challenge this reluctance and advocate for the needs of our highly gifted students.
During my twenty-five years as a music teacher, I was fortunate to have worked with a number of talented musicians, including one who performed with the LA Philharmonic and another who attended Julliard. Each year, my students auditioned for me, and I placed them in the appropriate performance ensemble regardless of their grade level. This process was left to my discretion, and I received no pushback from administrators or parents when I placed a young student in the most advanced ensemble. In performance ensembles, acceleration is supported, expected when necessary, and admired. As we head back to school, let’s also allow our young academic stars to shine in the environment that best suits them! Have a wonderful school year, and please see our SENG library and our featured article in this month’s newsletter for more resources on acceleration.
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Gayle Bentley holds a doctoral degree from Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. She has taught in the public schools since 1999 and currently serves as the Innovative Learning Coordinator at Community Roots Academy in Laguna Niguel, California. She is the founder of The Bentley Center, a place of resources and support for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. She is also the mother of three PG/2e sons. She serves on the boards of Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) and the California Association of the Gifted (CAG) and regularly presents at gifted and 2e conferences around the country. Her first book (written with Dr. Lin Lim), Using Picture Books to Help Little Ones Learn About Themselves, has recently been published and is available on Amazon.