Children sometimes move up a grade in elementary school after transferring from one school system to another, where there are great differences between the school systems in what is being taught or the rate at which it is being taught. Or children may be skipped because their mental abilities significantly exceed the expectations of the current grade level. The school system along with parents must carefully consider the needs of the child before opting for grade-based acceleration.
The Wake County Public School System of North Carolina and Ann Lupkowski Shoplik identify factors to consider in deciding whether to advance a child. Review state and national test scores to determine the areas in which the child exceeds the typical child at the current grade level. Examine past years of educational performance to see if the child has consistently performed beyond peer levels. Consider other options along with grade skipping. A child can perhaps take advanced classes outside of the regular class or be part of a pull-out program for advanced students. If funding is not a concern for the parents, a special instructor or tutor can work with the student on more advanced topics to provide new challenges. Parents should also determine if the child has the emotional strength and maturity to succeed in a new environment with older children.
According to Jay Mathews, author of "Why Grade-Skipping Should Be Back in Fashion," students in acceleration programs are more emotionally mature than parents or teachers might believe. Further, students that do not move up a grade when needed may require extra instruction (enrichment), which requires more school funding than a grade-skipping policy. Grade skipping may increase a student's self-esteem and personal drive as a result of having advanced status and having to meet the challenges of new, more difficult material.
Students who are accelerated may be labeled by other students. Bullying and name-calling can exacerbate a situation in which a student has been separated from peers due to lower or higher intelligence. A second worry of teachers and parents is slower physical development of the child versus mental development. Such differences may cause undue stress to the child during an already emotional time. Grade skipping moves the child from a familiar set of peers to an entirely new set of peers, which can cause frustration for the student.