Overview
The Accelerated Placement Act calls for schools to have a policy for identifying and advancing a student who needs early admission to kindergarten or first grade, single subject acceleration or grade level. Accelerated placement is the placement of a student at the instructional level that best matches the student’s needs by allowing access to a curriculum that is usually reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than the student.
Board Policy on Acceleration
Prospect Heights District 23 adopted an acceleration policy as of July 2018. The policy reads as follows:
The District provides an Accelerated Placement Program (APP). The APP advances the District’s goal of providing educational programs with opportunities for each student to develop to his or her maximum potential. The APP provides an educational setting with curriculum options usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the student participating in the APP. APP options include, but may not be limited to: (a) accelerating a student in a single subject; (b) other grade-level acceleration; and (c) early entrance to kindergarten or first grade. Participation in the APP is open to all students who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement. It is not limited to students who have been identified as gifted and talented. Eligibility to participate in the District’s APP shall not be conditioned upon the protected classifications identified in Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities, or any factor other than the student’s identification as an accelerated learner.
The Superintendent or designee shall implement an APP that includes:
1. Decision-making processes that are fair, equitable, and involve multiple individuals, e.g. District administrators, teachers, and school support personnel, and a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s);
2. Notification processes that notify a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) of a decision affecting a student’s participation in the APP; and
3. Assessment processes that include multiple valid, reliable indicators.
The Superintendent or designee shall annually notify the community, parent(s)/guardian(s), students, and school personnel about the APP, the process for referring a student for possible evaluation for accelerated placement, and the methods used to determine whether a student is eligible for accelerated placement. Notification may: (a) include varied communication methods, such as student handbooks and District or school websites; and (b) be provided in multiple languages, as appropriate.
LEGAL REF.:
105 ILCS 5/14A.
CROSS REF.: 6:10 (Educational Philosophy and Objectives), 6:130 (Program for the Gifted), 7:10 (Equal Educational Opportunities), 7:50 (School Admissions and Student Transfers To and From Non-District Schools)
Adopted: July 11, 2018
Prospect Heights School District 23
Early Entrance to Kindergarten or First Grade