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David Eller, 764 Live Oak, Menlo Park, 94025}
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Mr. David Eller
764 Live Oak
Menlo Park, CA  94025
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@greeting(Dear Mr. Eller:)
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	Many thanks for the Pressey article.  His conclusions about
the value of acceleration agree with my personal experience and with
my survey of M.I.T. students admitted at young ages as well as with
my prejudices.  However, I think the likelihood of widespread action
on his proposals is even less today than when he made them.  Therefore,
let me mention again the different approach I mentioned to you.

	There need to be institutions, probably privately supported,
aimed at helping the precocious live up to their potential.  I understand
that your book is aimed at the parents, and this is worthwhile in
many cases.  However, many precocious children won't have parents
interested and capable of the effforts you propose.  Therefore, additional
programs aimed directly at the children are worthwhile.

	Suppose the following advertisement appeared in Scientific
American every month.

TO SMART TEENAGERS OR YOUNGER:
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	Send $5 for a self-testing kit.  Take the tests that seem appropriate
for you after you have read the instructions.  Score the tests yourself.
If your scores are high enough for your age, write to us, and we will
tell you about how you can be officially retested to confirm the self-test
and how you can get help of various kinds in suiting your studies to
your abilities.  This help includes correspondents who can answer your
questions, scholarships to schools interested in students with your
abilities, and research opportunities.  We can also advise your parents.

	Please note two warnings:

	1. Our tests are not fully accurate, and our resources are too
limited to help even a substantial fraction of those who could benefit
from it.  Therefore, we concentrate on those who seem best to us, but
we are often wrong.  So don't be discouraged if we can't help you.

	2. Studies over fifty years show that helping capable students
accelerate is good for them and for society.  We'll include such a
study for you and your parents with our kit.  However, this opinion
is contrary to the egalitarian views of the school systems.  Therefore,
some people may consider it in your best interests that they discourage
you from exploring this opportunity.  Don't let them do so.
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	I believe that the above would draw a large response, and the
initial charge would pay for mailing out the self-testing material.  It
would have to contain instructions about calibrating the tests for
age and previous education.  The self-testing would eliminate most
of those who couldn't be served by the resources available.  The mere
idea of taking the responsibility for one's own talent would benefit
many whose only contact was the advertisement.

	Of course, some would miss the opportunity, because they
didn't get to see the ads and didn't hear of them from others.
Others would be discouraged by their parents or teachers and possible
attacks from the educational establishment.

	The main virtue of the proposal as compared to Plessey's is
that it can be implemented on a small scale without having to conquer
the educational establishment which seems to have a vested interest
in mediocrity, partly because the educationists are themselves mediocre.

	On another subject, if you think you would benefit from my
comments on the manuscript, I would be glad to read it after I return
from Europe in June.
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Sincerely,



John McCarthy
Professor of Computer Science