This information was produced by the staff of the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (B-BC) at the University of Iowa (belinblank.org). The resources and information listed here are for informational purposes; there is no direct or implied endorsement by the B-BC. Services provided by the B-BC include programs for academically talented K-12 and college students, professional development for teachers, the Assessment and Counseling Clinic, the Acceleration Institute (accelerationinstitute.org), and graduate programs and research in gifted education.

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Iowa Acceleration Scale


Iowa Acceleration Scale Cover

The Iowa Acceleration Scale, 3rd Edition is a tool to help schools make effective decisions regarding a grade-skip.

The IAS guides a child study team (including educators, teachers, parents, and other professionals) through a discussion of the academic and social characteristics of the student.

Student Programs at the Belin-Blank Center

Above-level testing is useful for making decisions about subject acceleration. For information about taking an above-level test via a Talent Search, visit the Belin-Blank Center's Talent Search page

The IAS provides:

  • A more objective look at the student;
  • An analysis of the major factors to be considered in making a decision;
  • Guidelines for weighting the relative importance of the major factors;
  • Documentation of the student’s strengths and concerns
  • A numerical range to guide the discussion and decision of acceleration; and,
  • A standard of comparison with students who have had successful accelerations.

The IAS, 3rd Ed. can be purchased from Gifted Unlimited. The proceeds from the purchase of the IAS are fully returned to Belin-Blank Center student and teacher programs. No authors of the IAS benefit financially from sales of the book.