A Study Of Accelerated School Approach In America

Accelerated School Approach is a Comprehensive School Reform Pattern in America designed to improve the school performance of students at risk of underachievement. Its aim is to help those "students at risk" to join the main stream when they finish the compulsory education. It involves several areas' change, from the governing structure, the curriculum and instruction to the cooperation in and out of the school.This paper provides a research in three sections as follows. The first section introduces the problem of students with learning problems and shows the great damage of this phenomenon in education field. It then shows the historical background of Accelerated School approach, its development process and some achievements. The first accelerated school came into being in 1986, today through America there are over 1600 accelerated schools altogether.The second section reaches this approach fully. Accelerated schools are premised on three interrelated principles: Unity of Purpose, Empowerment Coupled with Responsibility and Building on Strengths. Accelerated school communities believe that all students are gifted and creative and share a set of values, beliefs and attitudes: equity, participation, communication and collaboration, reflection, risk taking, etc. If a school wants to turn to an accelerated school, it usually includes five stages, that is Taking Stock, Developing Vision, Setting Priorities, Creating Governance Structures and The Inquiry Process. In this section, an example of an American middle school is described vividly for further understanding of the accelerated school project. This section also tries to illustrate the accelerated school project. It shows how accelerated schools get intrinsic power to develop and the philosophy behind powerful learning provided for each child in accelerated schools. It illustrates the necessity of cooperation in and out of the school.The final part includes some revelations to the educational improvements of China.