Board Policy
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§ 6: Instruction
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6:135 Accelerated Placement Program

6:135-AP Accelerated Placement Program Procedures

6:135-AP2 Accelerated Placement Program Procedures

The District’s Accelerated Placement Program (APP) places qualified students in an educational setting that includes curriculum usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the student, and is implemented by the Superintendent or designee. 105 ILCS 5/14A.

This administrative procedure contains seven sections as follows:

  1. Definitions
  2. Annual Notification
  3. Referral Process
  4. Evaluation Process
  5. Eligibility Determination
  6. Automatic Enrollment in Advanced High School Coursework
  7. Program Reporting, Review, and Expanded Access Plan

Definitions

Accelerated placement is the placement of a student in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the student.  Accelerated placement includes, but is not limited to, early entrance to kindergarten or first grade, accelerating a student in a single subject, and grade acceleration.

Early entrance to kindergarten is the admission to kindergarten of a student who: (a) is assessed for and meets the District’s readiness standards to attend school; and (b) will not be five years of age on or before September 1 of that school term.

Early entrance to first grade is the admission to first grade of a student who is assessed for and meets the District’s readiness standards to attend school. A student may, but is not required to, have attended a non-public preschool and continued his or her education at that school through kindergarten and been taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher. A student who is younger than six upon starting first grade but who was admitted early to kindergarten does not need to be reevaluated prior to admission to first grade.

Individual subject acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to a specific content area at a higher instructional level than is typical given the student’s grade for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas. It may be accomplished by either: (a) physically moving the student to a higher level class for instruction; or (b) using higher level curricular or study materials in the student’s current classroom.

Whole grade acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typical, given the student’s age, on a full-time basis for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.  Commonly referred to as skipping a grade, grade acceleration may be done at the beginning of or during the school term.

Annual Notification

Actor Action
Superintendent or Designee

Annually notifies the community, including community-based organizations, providers of out-of-school programs, parent(s/guardian(s), students and school personnel, about the:

1. APP;

2. Process for referring a student for possible evaluation for accelerated placement, including:

a. Steps to be taken to make a referral;

b. individual(s) to whom a referral may be submitted;

c. Deadlines by which a referral must be made; and

d. Information that must be provided in the referral. 

3.  Methods used to determine whether a student is eligible for accelerated placement. 

4. Strategies used to reach groups of students and families who have been historically underrepresented in accelerated placement programs and advanced coursework.

Provides such notification:

  1. By varied communication methods, such as student handbooks and District/school websites; and
  2. In multiple languages

Referral Process

Actor Action
Parents(s)/Guardians, Licensed Educational Professionals, Student (with written consent of a parent/guardian), or Peer (through a licensed educational professional who has knowledge of the student’s abilities).

In addition to the above-noted individuals, referrals for possible early entrance to kindergarten or first grade may also come from:  Preschool Educator, Non-public Kindergarten Teacher, Pediatrician, or Psychologist who knows the student.

The deadline for referrals is April 1st.

 Refers a student for possible evaluation for accelerated placement using the process set forth in this procedure.
Student Services Director, Building Principal or designee Within 14 school days after receiving a referral, determines whether an evaluation for accelerated placement is warranted.

To determine whether an evaluation is warranted, may review existing data about the student, utilize screening data, and conduct preliminary procedures such as observation of the student, consultation with the teacher or other individual making the request, and a conference with the student.

Provides the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notice of the referral determination.  For cases not warranting an evaluation, the process ends here.  For cases warranting an evaluation, proceed to Evaluation Process, below.

Evaluation Process

Actor Action
Student Services Director, Building Principal, or designee Convenes an Evaluation Team (consisting of District teacher(s) and school support personnel, as appropriate) having the knowledge and skills necessary to:

  1. Identify multiple valid, reliable indicators to use during the evaluation;
  2. Identify appropriate assessment instruments;
  3. Administer said assessments; and
  4. Interpret evaluation results.

The composition of the team may vary depending upon the type of acceleration requested and other relevant factors.
Evaluation Team Identifies multiple valid, reliable indicators and any assessment instruments appropriate to use during the evaluation.

Prepares a written document identifying the evaluation components.  This may occur without a meeting.
Student Services Director, Building Principal, or designee Provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notification of the Evaluation Team’s conclusions regarding the evaluation components and requests parent(s)’/guardian(s)’ written consent to conduct the evaluation.
Parent/Guardian Provides written consent to conduct the evaluation.  The District may require a fee of $50 to help defray the cost of the evaluation.  Fee waivers are available.
Evaluation Team Completes the evaluation within 45 school days following the date of receipt of parent(s)’/guardian(s)’ written consent to conduct the evaluation.

Ensures the evaluation is nondiscriminatory and follows policy 7:010 Equal Educational Opportunities.

Eligibility Determination

Actor Action
Evaluation Team Convenes a meeting  with parent(s)/guardian(s) to review evaluation results and determine eligibility for the APP. Provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notice of eligibility determination.

If the student is found eligible for the APP, prepares and provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with a written plan detailing the type of acceleration the student will receive and strategies to support the student.

If the student is not found eligible for the APP, provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notice of their right to appeal the eligibility determination, within five calendar days after receiving the determination, by submitting a written request to the Superintendent.
Parent/Guardian If desired, within 14 calendar days after receiving written notice that student is not eligible for the APP, submits written appeal to the Superintendent.
Superintendent Within 14 calendar days after receiving the written appeal request, reviews the case, and provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notice of his/her decision.

The Superintendent’s decision is final.

Automatic Enrollment in Advanced High School Coursework

Actor Action
Student Services Director, Building Principal, or designee Identifies students who qualify for automatic enrollment in the “next most rigorous level of advanced coursework” (NMR) offered by the District, for the following school term, by reviewing State assessment results in English language arts, mathematics, and science.

For English language arts, the NMR includes courses in English, social studies, humanities, or related subjects.

For a student entering grade 12, the NMR in English language arts or mathematics must be a dual credit course (as defined in the Dual Credit Quality Act, 110 ILCS 27/5), an Advanced Placement course (as defined in the College and Career Success for All Students Act, 105 ILCS 302/10), or an International Baccalaureate course. The same is true for all other subjects, except that the NMR may also include an honors class, an enrichment opportunity, a gifted program, or another program offered by the District.

Provides written notice to parent(s)/guardian(s) of a qualified student of the student’s eligibility for automatic enrollment in the NMR level of advanced coursework offered by the high school that:

  1. Identifies the course(s) the student is eligible for, including the location and schedule, if known, of the course(s);
  2. Informs the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the option to instead enroll the student in alternative coursework that better aligns with the student’s postsecondary education or career goals;
  3. Identifies the alternative coursework the student is eligible for, including the location and schedule, if known, of the alternative coursework; and
  4. Requests that the parent(s)/guardian(s) notify the District within 14 calendar days of their course enrollment decision.
Parent/Guardian Provides the District with written notice of their course enrollment decision within 14 calendar days after receiving the written notice.

Program Reporting, Review, and Expanded Access Plan

Actor Action
Superintendent, Student Services Director, or designee
 Submits by July 31 each year to the Ill. State Board of Education (ISBE) through the Student Information System (SIS):

  1. Demographic information for each student participating in the APP;
  2. Student participation in the APP; and
  3. Type of APP placement.

Reviews disaggregated data on APP participation and successful completion rates to address gaps among demographic groups in accelerated placement opportunities.

Develops and, as necessary, updates a plan to expand access to the APP and to ensure the teaching capacity necessary to meet any increased demand.

Legal References:  105 ILCS 5/14A, 110 ILCS 27/5, 105 ILCS 302/10

Cross References:  7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities

Date Adopted:  November 13, 2018

Date Amended:  October 25, 2022

Date Amended:  June 20, 2023

Administrative Procedure

6:135-AP Accelerated Placement Program Procedures
District Calendar