In a survey study, we investigated teacher attitudes toward acceleration and accelerated students in the Netherlands. Teachers ( N = 334) from 31 secondary schools gave their opinion about gifted education and acceleration, and evaluated statements about accelerated students. Most teachers considered a special approach for gifted students advisable and acceleration a useful intervention. Teachers' opinions about accelerated students' social competence, school motivation and achievement, emotional problems, and isolation were qualified by the quantity and quality of prior experience with accelerated students and by their opinion on acceleration in gifted education. In a subsequent intervention study, we examined whether specific information on acceleration and giftedness changes teachers' attitudes toward accelerated students. Teachers who attended the information meeting and received written information expressed more positive opinions about accelerated students' social competence and school achievement and motivation and less negative opinions about emotional problems after intervention. Implications for gifted child education are discussed.

High intelligence may be associated with positive (adaptive, desired) outcomes, but may also come with disadvantages.To contribute empirically to the debate concerning whether a trade-off in IQ scores exists in relation to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related problems, suggesting that high intelligence - like low intelligence - increases the risk of ADHD.Curves of the relation between IQ score and ADHD problems were fitted to questionnaire data (parent, teacher, self-report} in a population-based study of 2221 children and adolescents aged 10-12 years. Externalising and internalising problems were included for comparison purposes.Higher IQ score was most strongly related to fewer attention problems, with more rater discrepancy in the high average IQ range. Attention problems - but only minimally hyperactivity/impulsivity problems - predicted functional impairment at school, also in the higher IQ range.Attention problems in highly intelligent children are exceptional and affect school performance; they are therefore a reason for clinical concern.

This study examined the self-concept and social status of accelerated and nonaccelerated students in their first 2 years of secondary school in the Netherlands. In 357 students from 18 secondary schools, we measured self-concept, sociometric status, and behavior reputations at three times. Accelerated students had more positive self-concepts concerning school in general and mathematics than nonaccelerated students, but a less positive social self-concept. In girls but not in boys, the difference in social self-concept of accelerated and nonaccelerated students was no longer present at the end of the 2nd year. Accelerated students had a lower social status than nonaccelerants and were considered to be less cooperative, humorous, helpful, leading, and social. peer ratings were more negative for accelerated boys than for accelerated girls. Implications for the education of accelerated students, including the social emotional development of accelerated students in their 1st years of secondary school, are discussed. Putting the Research to Use: In this study, we found that accelerated students have a more positive academic self-concept than their nonaccelerated classmates. We also found, however, indications that accelerated students, especially boys, in their first two years in secondary school (Grades 7 and 8 in the U.S. secondary educational system), have a more negative social status than their classmates. Many empirical studies and practitioners' experiences with gifted students point at the benefits of acceleration and the negative consequences of not accelerating a child. So, to abolish acceleration is not a realistic option. We should, however, take into account that accelerated students might have a more negative social status than their classmates. Knowledgeable teachers, with a positive attitude toward accelerated students, should be alert about possible prejudices of classmates and should aim for an accepting, tolerating climate in the classroom.

In this study, dynamic testing principles were applied to examine progression of analogy problem solving, the roles that cognitive flexibility and metacognition play in children's progression as well as training benefits, and instructional needs of 7-to 8-year-old gifted and average-ability children. Utilizing a pretest training posttest control group design, participants were split in four subgroups: gifted dynamic testing (n = 22), gifted unguided practice (n = 23), averageability dynamic testing (n = 31), and average-ability unguided practice (n = 37). Results revealed that dynamic testing led to more advanced progression than unguided practice, and that gifted and average-ability children showed equivalent progression lines and instructional needs. For children in both ability categories, cognitive flexibility was not found to be related to progression in analogy problem solving or training benefits. In addition, metacognition was revealed to be associated with training benefits. Implications for educational practice were provided in the discussion.