Accelerated Learning Programs Research Articles

Continuous and Placement Assessment Results as a Predictor of Student Achievement in Primary Schools

The purpose of this study was to explore the performance of out-of-school children in speed school and accelerated learning programs as a basis for success in primary schools. This research field has received very little attention. The continuous assessment and placement test results of students at risk were not used much in the literature, which this study aims to fill. The total number of students involved in the study was 624. The study used the continuous assessment average scores and placement test scores as predictor variables. The results show that the relationship between placement test and 1st-semester score in grade four was significant, r (196) = .501, p < .001. For the Accelerated Learning Program, the placement test and 1st-semester score in grade three were significant, r (111) = .413, p<.001. As a tool to forecast primary school students' future achievement, the teacher-made continuous assessment appears to be less useful than placement tests for children who come through speed school. Students from speed school backgrounds performed better than students from formal schools; students from accelerated learning program backgrounds performed almost similarly to students from formal schools except in environmental science. The study indicated that in grade four of formal primary school, continuous assessment was found to be poorly linked with student knowledge and skills. However, the results show that both comparisons found placement examinations to be a reliable indicator of children's achievement in primary schools. It can be concluded that students who joined grades three and four of formal school through speed school and an accelerated learning program are capable of achieving minimum learning competence in the subsequent educational outcomes in elementary grades.

The Influence of Educational Recreational Kits on Participation and Attendance of Students in Emergency under Accelerated Learning Program (ALP); a Mixed Research Article conducted in Mekelle IDP Sites, Tigray

This paper analyzed the influence of provision of education recreational materials on the participation and attendance rate of internally displaced children in 8 selected internally displaced people (IDP) sites with accelerated learning programs (ALP) out of 26 sites camping in Mekelle, Tigray using mixed research type and sequential explanatory design. Sequential mixed methods sampling was used to select 8 IDP sites for quantitative conveniently and 4 IDP sites for qualitative purposefully. The data collected from secondary and primary sources have been analyzed using paired samples statistics and T tests in the quantitative part and using thematic descriptions in the qualitative part. The study revealed that the provision of educational recreational materials to children in ALPs significantly increases the participation and attendance rate of the ALP children for which the mean of the attendance rate after provision (M = 68.50) is greater than before provision (M = 59.25), and T tests t(7) = -9.839, p = .000, p < 0.05 which is also supported by the qualitative result that students, teachers and parents also assured that. As a result, the provision of educational recreational materials to ALP children has a significant influence on their participation and attendance rates. This recommends governments, philanthropists, local and international humanitarian and development agencies, and others to initiate with this intervention and conduct further study on how it meets the cognitive, psychosocial, and developmental needs of the children beyond its influence on participation and attendance rates of children attending education in emergency programs.

District Gifted Education Coordinators’ Leadership Roles and Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gifted education coordinators play critical roles in administration and supervision of gifted education and accelerated learning programs in their districts. However, these roles are ill-defined in the literature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have been called upon to support educators and administrators in a variety of ways. This exploratory study sought to investigate the experiences of district gifted education coordinators during the first year of the pandemic. Qualitative data were collected from a national sample of 11 district gifted education coordinators through semi-structured interviews. An inductive thematic analysis revealed four categories that addressed their roles during this period: (a) professional responsibilities, (b) instructional leadership, (c) program management, and (d) communication and collaboration. The overarching theme across all interviews was the rapid need to pivot and adapt to constant change to ensure equitable access to advanced instruction. Implications for administrators of gifted education programs and areas for future study are addressed.

Accelerated Learning to Reach Children Furthest Behind

Accelerated learning programs around the world are helping disadvantaged, over-age, out-of-school children and youth catch up to their more advantaged peers.

Impact of Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Targets in District Quetta

Impact of Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Targets in District Quetta

Accelerated Learning Programs for Out-of-School Girls: The Impact on Student Achievement and Traditional School Enrollment

Within the context of post-conflict DRC, we examined the impact of the Accelerated Learning Program for out-of-school girls

Gifted Educational Provisions for Gifted and Highly Able Students in Victorian Schools, Australia

This article summarizes the main educational provisions developed and implemented for gifted and highly able students in Victoria, Australia. It emphasizes the strong influence that different governments have had on policies and guidelines providing for the education of these students. Among the options offered it is possible to differentiate those based on acceleration and high ability grouping. Accelerated learning options include early entry, grade skipping, subject acceleration, Higher Educational Studies program, and International Baccalaureate. High ability grouping includes Select Entry Accelerated Learning programs, select entry high schools, specialized high schools. The identification of students’ advanced intellectual and academic needs and the implementation of effective provisions for these students are strongly related to the level of knowledge and attitude that teachers have towards gifted and highly able students. The implications of the current educational provisions are discussed to reflect and promote better guidelines and more research in the field.

Employability Skill traits Management Quotient [ESMQ] - A Conceptual Model Proposal

To remain competitive in a technology driven, fast changing, globalised business environment, and pursue sustainable development goals; Companies today are demanding a high degree of professionalism, intellectual common sense, emotional maturity, domain knowledge, competitive techno-functional competencies from the new breed of graduating students, engineers and value chain managers. Human Resource capacity enhancement and development of functional capabilities in new work related skills, per say employability skill improvement, has become a major challenge across organizations and institutions, especially from emerging and developing economies. In the context of higher education, to address these challenges, a structured, systematic and collaborative approach by strengthening Industry Academia Interface [I.A.I.] can inherently supplement professional skill development efforts of graduating students. University Industry Collaboration or I.A.I. is emerging as a key growth area in the context of academic value addition and value integration that would inadvertently supplement conventional classroom learning of traditional education formats. A mutually integrative engagement model for I.A.I. is illustrated as Collaborative Engagement for Organizational Development and Employability (CODE) in this paper. Thereupon to infuse a fresh perspective across various competitive skills desired by the employers, in the categories of hard and soft skills, with a blend of basic and advanced life skill traits; various subset elements of graduate employability are grouped to develop a graphical perspective of an Employability Skill Traits Management Quotient (ESMQ). This paper contains the concept proposal, structure, synthesis and theoretical analysis of the ESMQ model, from various organizational frames of references. It is believed that the proposed ESMQ Model would assist in designing varying levels of training interventions, through Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) that would distinctly enhance the overall employability of graduating students; consequently making them ready for speedy absorption in Businesses and Industry.

Effects of Dual-Credit Enrollment and Early College High School on Utah Public Education

This study considers the effects of Dual-Credit Enrollment (DCE) and Early College High School (ECHS) programs on the Utah’s 2008 and 2009 public high graduation cohorts via an examination of the Utah Data Alliance longitudinal public education dataset. The study assesses high school graduation rates, dual course credits earned, higher education enrollment, time-to-completion, and graduation outcomes with a focus towards how these accelerated learning programs effect the student household and state, specifically, and public education finance, generally. As participation in dual-credit programs is voluntary and by self-selection, the study employs Propensity Score Matching method (PMS) as a quasi-experimental design methodology in an effort to limit the endogeneity bias present in such non-experimental data. Although PMS offers many advantages, its strength as an estimator is dependent on the existence of complete and quality matching variables. To assure accurate model specifications given the available data, Receiving Operator Characteristic (ROC) Analysis is applied to variations on the PMS models. Estimated outcomes reflect positive effects for the examined student populations differentiated by program participation, with the strongest outcomes arising from ECHS participation. The economic effects of accumulating higher education course credits and decreases in higher education time-to-completion may yield the most interesting outcomes, enjoy the strongest causal claims, and result in measurable household and state level savings. These outcomes may also reveal potential weakness in the structure of higher education course and major programming, and the difficulty presented as high school students make higher education decisions.

Vicarious Resilience: An Exploration of Teachers and Children’s Resilience in Highly Challenging Social Contexts

This study explores the formulation of vicarious resilience as a useful concept in the middle school age school educational arena. It addresses the question of how teachers who work with learners who experienced dislocation and adversity are affected by the children’s stories of resilience. It focuses on the teachers’ interpretations of their learners’ stories, and how they make sense of the impact these stories have had on their lives. Twenty-one teachers who work in accelerated learning programs in Cali, Colombia, were interviewed about their perceptions of their learners’ overcoming of adversity. Data were analyzed through the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology to describe the themes that speak about the effects of witnessing how learners coped constructively with adversity. These themes are discussed to advance the concept of vicarious resilience and how it can contribute to sustaining and empowering teachers dealing with challenging children and trauma.

Pedagogy in the Twenty-first Century: An Analysis of Accelerated Courses in Criminal Justice

In higher education today, there has been a good deal of discussion and assessment regarding the proper role of innovative pedagogy and its place alongside classroom learning. One such novel approach to teaching and learning is the increased presence of the non-traditional accelerated course. In an effort to critique accelerated learning programs, student evaluation data from traditional 16-week courses and 8-week classes was analyzed to ascertain student perceptions of these classroom structures. Accelerated courses were analyzed to determine whether such arrangements would offer students a useful learning environment while still maintaining the rigor required by a collegiate level program. Results indicate no statistically significant differences in student opinion or grade distribution between the traditional 16-week and accelerated 8-week courses.

Start With The End In Mind: Experiences Of Accelerated Course Completion By Pre-Service Teachers And Educators

In response to changes government funding and policies over the past five years, the Australian tertiary sector has entered an increasingly competitive climate. This has forced many universities to become more strategic in attracting increased numbers of PSTs. Providing accelerated learning opportunities for PSTs is viewed as one way to gain greater market share. Accelerated learning programs are one of the fastest growing transformations in Australian higher education over the past five years. There is limited research that investigates the effectiveness of accelerated programs and the ways in which PSTs experience them. This preliminary study investigates the experiences of pre-service teachers and educators, via a purpose built instrument, of an accelerated learning program in Australia. The study found that PSTs were strongly motivated by such factors as early course completion and greater study plan flexibility. This study contributes to the emerging field of accelerated learning design in the tertiary sector.

Blending at Small Colleges: Challenges and Solutions

The implementation of blended accelerated learning programs or courses requires a systematic approach, not just the addition of new technologies. Small colleges face challenges when they move toward blended learning because of already-constrained resources. In this article, we will survey issues faced by small colleges in moving to blended learning, document a case on how a small private college (student enrollment less than 3,000) implemented a blended accelerated learning program, and recommendations for small colleges looking to move toward a similar direction.

Effective Teaching in Accelerated Learning Programs

According to Wlodkowski (2003), programs are one of the fastest growing transformations in higher education (p. 5). The Center for the Study of Accelerated Learning at Regis University has documented at least 250 colleges or universities that offer accelerated programs for working adults. By definition, accelerated programs are structured to enable students to take courses and earn credits in a shorter period of time, versus a traditional 16-week semester. Thus, how one teaches adults in an accelerated program must differ from how one teaches in a traditional semester format. The purpose of this article is to review the current research and theory on accelerated and to offer practical suggestions as to how educators in accelerated programs can provide an effective experience. In the early 1960s, a Bulgarian psychiatrist named Georgi Lozanov taught English to 60 students using a variety of non-traditional teaching techniques, including the use of music, meditation, and a variety of visual and auditory techniques. Referring to his teaching approach as suggestopedia, Lozanov was interested in students' ability to recall past experiences and to utilize both left-brain and right-brain abilities. For Lozanov, suggestopedia was not just a method of faster, but rather in a more holistic way by employing a multi-sensory, brain-compatible teaching and methodology (McKeon, 1995, pp. 64-65). In the 1970s, corporate training specialists in the United States adopted his ideas, and developed what is known today as learning (McKeon, 1995). It is a way of saving time and money on training, while at the same time realizing more positive results (Zemke, 1995). These same accelerated teaching methods can be used in higher education, particularly with adult students in accelerated degree completion and graduate programs. The Amazing Brain Accelerated theory is built on the findings of recent research on the structure and processes of the human brain and seeks to access all aspects of the tripartite structure of the brain. The brain stem, or reptilian brain, controls the basic bodily functions, such as heart rate and breathing. The limbic system or mammalian brain controls the emotions, desires, sexual appetites, and long-term memory The neocortex or thinking brain handles the higher cognitive such as seeing, hearing, thinking, and talking (Rose & Nicholl, 1997). These different brains are interlinked and serve as clearing houses for specialized functions (Meier, 2000, p. 35) in the brain's overall operation. The key to effective accelerated is to use the whole brain in the process. The reptilian brain connects to automatic bodily and thus utilizes the physical body in the process. The limbic brain is the center for the emotional dimensions of learning, and the neocortex helps create meaning and value out of information learned. Brain research indicates that involves body and mind. The body and brain interact in two distinct ways. First, the vast systems of nerves throughout the body keep the brain appraised of what is happening in the body at any moment. Second, the hypothalamus (a part of the reptilian brain) sends chemical messages through the blood stream that are experienced as a variety of emotions, ranging from exhilaration to depression (Zull, 2002). Maxfield (1990) suggests that consciousness (and by extension thinking and learning) is active throughout the body and not restricted to the brain, causing attitudes, beliefs, and expectations to be lodged in the body. Learners must be aware of physical feelings and reactions that can either enhance or inhibit learning. He thus proposes a holistic paradigm that incorporates both rational and non-rational types of learning, as well as the use of various mind-body techniques such as biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, and relaxation training. …

Assessment in accelerated learning programs: A practical guide

AbstractAssessment can be used to improve student learning in accelerated programs.

A critical theory perspective on accelerated learning

AbstractThis chapter situates accelerated learning programs, and in particular cohort‐based programs, within a critical analysis using concepts from Herbert Marcuse and Erich Fromm.

Accelerating the learning of all students: cultivating culture change in schools, classrooms, and individuals

* List of Tables and Figures * Foreword by Henry M. Levin * Foreword by Joseph S. Renzulli * Introduction * 1. The Multiple Meanings of Acceleration * Acceleration Defined * Acceleration for a Few or for All: The Social and Historical Context * Toward Acceleration for All * 2. Accelerate = Serving Gifted and Talented Students * Candidates for Acceleration: Who Is Identified? * Why Accelerate Learning for Gifted and Talented Students? * Models of Acceleration for Gifted and Talented Students * From Identification to Development of Gifts and Talents * Conclusion * 3. Accelerate = Targeting Low-Achieving Students * Remediation or Acceleration? * Who Are Low Achievers? * A Model of Acceleration for Low-Achieving Students * Programs That Accelerate Low-Achieving Students * Conclusion * 4. Accelerate = Challenging All Students * The Impetus for Acceleration of All * A Research Framework Supporting Accelerated Learning for All Students * Accelerated Learning Programs, Projects, and Educational Strategies * The Keys to Acceleration for All Students * 5. Cultivating Culture Change to Accelerate the Learning of All Students * Cultivating Acceleration * What Is Culture? * Societal Assumptions Influencing School and Classroom Culture * Cultivating Culture Change * Notes * 6. Cultivating Acceleration Within School Cultures * Basic Assumptions Shaping School Culture * Assumptions Adults Hold for Children * Assumptions Students Hold About Themselves and Their Future * Assumptions Related to Expectations for Adults (Teachers, Principals, and Parents) * Assumptions About Educational Practices That Are Considered Acceptable, * Assumptions About the Value of Change * Moving School Culture Toward Acceleration * 7. Cultivating Acceleration Within Classroom Cultures * Basic Assumptions Shaping Classroom Culture * Assumptions Shaping Expectations for Student Learning and Appropriate Behavior * Assumptions Related to Appropriate Communication and Discourse * Assumptions Related to Appropriate Adult Behavior * Assumptions Related to Appropriate Educational Practices * Moving Classroom Culture Toward Acceleration * Notes * 8. Individuals as Cultivators: Acting on Changed Assumptions Within and Beyond the School * Assumptions, Beliefs, and Actions * Responsibilities of Individuals Within Schools and Classrooms * Responsibilities of Individuals Outside of Schools * So How Do We Do This? * Notes * References * Index

Those who can, tutor: High-ability students' conceptions of fair ways to organize learning.

When conceptions of fair learning practices of high-ability students, ages 6 to 18, were compared with those from a more representative group, the high-ability students typically chose peer tutoring as fairest. This was the case even though they regularly experienced acceleration and enrichment programs. The two groups held equivalent conceptions of fair learning practices. It was not until late adolescence that students in both groups articulated a rationale for placing high-ability students in accelerated learning programs. High-ability students were also no more likely than those in the representative group to select the acceleration and enrichment practices they experience as fair

Those who can, tutor: High-ability students' conceptions of fair ways to organize learning.

When conceptions of fair learning practices of high-ability students, ages 6 to 18, were compared with those from a more representative group, the high-ability students typically chose peer tutoring as fairest. This was the case even though they regularly experienced acceleration and enrichment programs. The two groups held equivalent conceptions of fair learning practices. It was not until late adolescence that students in both groups articulated a rationale for placing high-ability students in accelerated learning programs. High-ability students were also no more likely than those in the representative group to select the acceleration and enrichment practices they experience as fair