A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America's Brightest Students is a follow-up to the 2004 report A Nation Deceived. A Nation Empowered is a national, research-based report on utilizing academic acceleration for advanced learners published by the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa. This report supplies the evidence that no other educational intervention works as well as acceleration for gifted students. It provides parents, educators, administrators, and policymakers with the research on acceleration and the tools to advocate for their brightest students.