Does skipping a grade help gifted students, or harm them?

As the No Child Left Behind Act forces schools to focus resources on underachieving students, some teachers and parents say schools are leaving their gifted kids behind. Limited funding means enrichment programs for gifted students have been scaled back or eliminated altogether. Advocates for the gifted contend that the education system is neglecting the needs of these students, and that, in the face of this neglect, grade advancement is the best way to alleviate the problem. A report [2] by the University of Iowa argues that skipping a grade has a positive effect on students who are feeling bored and unchallenged at their prescribed grade level. But opponents believe that sending young kids into higher grades may harm them socially, and that all students benefit from interacting with classmates of varying abilities and talents. They emphasize that mentoring, special assignments, and single-subject acceleration are preferable to wholesale advancement into higher grades. Is skipping grades the best solution for exceptional kids? Tell us what you think!