Accelerated Placement

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RECOMMENDS:

That the Board rescind Board Report 22-0824-PO1 and adopt a new final Accelerated Placement policy. This policy was posted for public comment from August 15, 2022 until September 15, 2022.

PURPOSE: This policy will ensure compliance with 105 ILCS 5/14A-32 which requires the district to adopt a policy that provides students with the opportunity to participate in accelerated placements.

TEXT:

I. Applicability

This policy outlines the procedures for accelerated placements for early entrance to kindergarten, early entrance to first grade, single subject acceleration, and whole grade acceleration. If applicable, any changes to the early entrance opportunities will begin in the 2023-2024 application cycle for placement in the 2024-2025 school year, and then changes to the single subject and whole grade acceleration opportunities will begin in the 2022-2023 application cycle for placement in the 2023-2024 school year.

II. Accelerated Placement

Accelerated placement is the placement of a child in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than the student. Accelerated placement is not limited to those students who have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is open to all students who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement.

III. Consideration of Equity for Acceleration Placement

The district encourages all students who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement to apply. The district will provide a fee waiver for the screening assessment to any family who qualifies.

IV. Assessment Instruments

The district shall assess students for accelerated placement using a variety of measures that may include: (a) state assessment; (b) district assessment; (c) report cards; and (d) an acceleration scale.

• Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for Grades 3-6: The state mandated test for students in Grades 3-6 covering English language arts (ELA) and mathematics.
• Future district assessments: if the district mandates a new district-wide assessment for students in grades 2-6, this may be used as an Accelerated Placement pre-qualification.
• Report Card Grades: Grade Point Average Calculation in final grades in math, science, reading and social science.
• Iowa Acceleration Scale: The IAS is an objective guide for considering an individual child for academic acceleration. The IAS requires assessment information (test and other data) and utilizes a child-study team format to come to agreement on a series of assessment questions related to the child’s motivation, school attendance, relationships with teachers and peers, and more.
  
  • School Factors – The child-study team will evaluate the school factors to assess the student’s likelihood of success in an accelerated program.
  • Screening – An independent academic assessment billed to the parent or legal guardian unless the student qualifies for a fee waiver.

V. General Process for Accelerated Placement Applications

The general process for accelerated placements will consist of a referral, an application, an assessment, and a decision. Parents or legal guardians seeking early entrance or accelerated placements must refer their children in accordance with the requirements and deadlines specified in the Accelerated Placement Guidelines. Parents or legal guardians may also apply for accelerated placement programs at a magnet or selective enrollment school in accordance with the Accelerated Placement Guidelines.

Notification of the decision for accelerated placement will be made by the school to the parents or legal guardians in accordance with the Accelerated Placement Guidelines.

Students who qualify for early entrance and accelerated placement will receive those placements at their school along with a written transition plan to facilitate the accelerated placement. In addition, students who qualify for accelerated placement will receive a written transition plan to facilitate the accelerated placement.

VI. Criteria for Qualifying for Different Accelerated Placements

The Chicago Public Schools operates different accelerated placement options for its elementary school students at the students’ elementary school provided the students meet the criteria for qualifying:

• Early Entrance – Generally, to enroll in kindergarten and first grade, a child must satisfy the age eligibility requirements specified in Board Rule 6-2. However, parents may seek early entrance into kindergarten or first grade for children who qualify.
  

  1. Early Entrance to Kindergarten is the admission of a child to kindergarten who will not be five years old by September 1st of that school year but will reach the age five years old on or before December 31st.

     As noted in the accelerated placement guidelines, a child will qualify for early entrance to kindergarten (1) upon satisfactory evidence that the child had a full year of preschool (2) scored in the top percentile of developmental survey and (3) successful completion of the academic and cognitive test.

  2. Early Entrance to First Grade is the admission of a student to first grade who will not yet be six years old by September 1st of that school year but will reach the age of six years old on or before December 31st and who has not completed kindergarten at a public school.

     The child will qualify for early entrance to first grade upon satisfactory evidence that the child (1) attended a nonpublic preschool and continued their education at that school through kindergarten, (2) was taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher and (3) was assessed to be ready for first grade.
     
     Students who are younger than six upon starting first grade but who were admitted early entrance to kindergarten do not need to be reevaluated prior to admission to first grade.

• Acceleration – While all schools are encouraged to use accelerated reading or math groupings within a grade level, parents or legal guardians may seek subject or whole grade acceleration at a higher grade level than is typical for the age of a student. Students who demonstrate high ability are assessed for accelerated placements based on the use of multiple valid, reliable indicators.

  1. Single subject acceleration is the admission of assigning a student in 4th through 6th grade to math or reading at a higher grade level than is typical given the student’s age for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

     Students will qualify for single subject acceleration for the next grade level upon meeting the pre-qualifications, school factors, and screening:

     • Pre-qualifications:
       • In the previous year, student performs in the “Exceeds” test category on the IAR or state assessment in the subject in which acceleration is sought;
       • If a district assessment is administered, the student must perform in the 95-99 percentile for two (2) consecutive district assessment tests in the subject in which acceleration is sought; and
       • Student achieves a 4.0 grade point average, per quarter, in the subject in which acceleration is sought.
         If a student’s district assessment results are incomplete or inaccessible through no fault of the student, the Office of Access and Enrollment and Department of Advanced Learning & Special Programs may make a determination using the best available data consistent with the standards described in this Policy.
     • School factors: School personnel conduct a final assessment on school factors such as: (1) school and academic; and (2) interpersonal skills; and must score in the range designated in the accelerated placement guidelines.
     • Screening: If a student meets the prequalification criteria and school factors criteria and parents wish to pursue single subject acceleration, student will be given an achievement test and must score at least one grade level above in the subject in which acceleration is sought.

  2. Whole grade acceleration is the admission of assigning a student in 4th through 6th grade 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.

     Students will qualify for whole grade acceleration for the next grade level upon meeting the pre-qualifications, school factors, and screening:

     • Pre-qualifications:
       • In the previous year, student performs in the “Exceeds” test category on the IAR or state assessment in both reading and math;
       • If a district assessment is administered, the student must perform in the 95-99 percentile for two (2) consecutive district assessment tests in the subject in both reading and math; and
       •  Student achieves between 3.7 and 4.0 grade point average in final grades in the core areas of reading, math, science, and social studies.
         If a student’s district assessment results are incomplete or inaccessible through no fault of the student, the Office of Access and Enrollment and Department of Advanced Learning & Special Programs may make a determination using the best available data consistent with the standards described in this Policy.
     • School factors: School personnel conduct a final assessment on school factors such as: (1) school and academic; (2) developmental; (3) interpersonal skills; and (4) attitude and support, and must score in the range designated in the Accelerated Placement guidelines.
     • Screening: If a student meets the prequalification and the school factors criteria and parents wish to pursue whole grade acceleration, the student will be assessed using a battery of achievement tests and must score at least two grade levels above current grade level.

VII. Continuation of Accelerated Placement

Absent extenuating circumstances that may affect the best interest of the student, once a student is admitted into an accelerated placement, that student may remain in the accelerated placement until completion of elementary school; provided that remaining in the accelerated placement does not adversely affect the student’s social, emotional, and/or academic well-being. If the student transfers from a neighborhood or choice school to a selective enrollment elementary school, the continuation of single-subject accelerated placement is at the discretion of the selective enrollment elementary school principal.

VIII. Authorization to Issue Procedures and Guidelines

The CEO or designee is authorized to establish application procedures and requirements as necessary to effectively administer applications for accelerated placements and to establish an appeals process. The CEO or designee may also issue revised or updated procedures, rules and guidelines as necessary for effective implementation of the requirements of this policy.