Academic Acceleration pertains to the various educational and instructional strategies that educators use to advance the learning progress of students who are struggling academically or who have fallen behind—i.e., strategies that help these students catch up to their peers, perform at an expected level for their age and grade, or meet required learning standards. Academic acceleration is often considered to be an alternative to some forms of remediation that may be designed to deliver less academic content to students at a slower pace. Critics of the “less and slower” forms of remediation tend to argue that the practice is insufficient and ineffective, since students will not only keep falling further behind their peers with each passing year, but they may never catch up or meet expected learning standards before completing their education, which may also place them at a greater risk of dropping out.
To accelerate learning acquisition and progress, schools and educators may employ a wide variety educational techniques, supplemental programs, and academic support, which may be provided during the school day and during regular class periods, or outside of the regular school day and school year.
Academic acceleration may also entail instruction in practical academic skills—such as planning, organization, self-control, and study techniques—as well as other forms of support that students may need to succeed academically.
The term acceleration may also pertain to the strategy of exposing groups or populations of students to higher-level content and more challenging assignments earlier in their education.