A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students

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A Nation Deceived Volumes 1 & 2

For the first time ever, a two-volume report, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, shows why America’s schools routinely avoid academic acceleration. Based on research by Dr. Nicholas Colangelo and Dr. Susan Assouline of the University of Iowa, along with Dr. Miraca Gross of the University of New South Wales in Australia, the research finally brings together the wealth of information available on acceleration.

The first volume synthesizes key findings about academic acceleration from five decades of research. The second volume showcases chapters written by 17 leading scholars are covering topics such as: entering school early, grade skipping, high school challenges, Advanced Placement courses and how adults who were accelerated in school feel about their experiences now. As the report’s authors state, “Every sentence in this volume is culled from the research of America’s leading education experts.”

A Nation Deceived supports the idea that acceleration is the most effective intervention for highly capable students. Acceleration is defined by the authors as, “An educational intervention that moves students through an educational program at a faster than usual rate. It means matching the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum with the readiness of the student.” The acceleration philosophy can be applied across academic, emotional and social categories and can be applied in the short and long term.