Whole Grade Acceleration

Overview

River Trails District 26 complies with Illinois law which specifies that, the District must provide 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.

Participation in the APP is open to all students who demonstrate high ability and will 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 conditional 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.

One APP option includes whole grade acceleration.

Requirements

District 26 has identified whole grade acceleration as appropriate for those students who are significantly advanced in multiple subject areas. To be eligible for acceleration, the student must have superior academic performance at their current grade level. Parents/guardians wishing to apply for acceleration for their child must contact their building principal and complete a Request Form to begin the process.

Process

Once a request has been submitted, the school team has approximately 60 school days to complete the evaluation. A child will remain placed according to age until a decision has been reached. A meeting will be held at the end of the assessment window to review evaluation outcomes and discuss recommendations.

Steps

  • Step One: The Acceleration Team will meet to review the request and available data. If the majority of data points are consistently at the 99th percentile or above, the child will proceed to the next level of assessment.
  • Step Two: If additional assessment is recommended by the AT, additional assessments will be given.
  • Step Three: A parent meeting is scheduled to discuss results and possible placement options. For eligible students, the school team and parents will develop a transition plan for the student.

Appeals Process

A parent or legal guardian of the referred student may appeal the decision of the Acceleration Team in writing to the Superintendent within 10 days after being notified of the committee’s decision.

In the case of appeal, the Superintendent will review and notify the parent or legal guardian who filed the appeal of his or her decision within 10 days. The Superintendent’s decision will be final. Reapplication for Whole Grade Level Acceleration will not be considered until the following school year.