Academic acceleration involves moving a student through the traditional educational organization more quickly and includes such practices as whole grade acceleration, single-subject acceleration, early entrance to kindergarten, and early high school graduation for advanced learners. Academic acceleration occurs when a student is not only doing the caliber of work necessary to be promoted to the next grade or enrolled in the next course in the academic sequence, but also demonstrates the ability to do the caliber of work required of students in that next grade level/subject/course. Acceleration of a student should be based on the premise that each student shall be placed in his/her best environment for learning. Therefore, the acceleration of each student in the district will be determined individually.

A parent or legal guardian, teacher, school administrator, or professional staff member may refer a student for an acceleration evaluation. A student may refer himself or herself or a peer through a district staff member. A formal request by the child’s parent or legal guardian must be submitted in writing to the principal of the school that the child is currently attending in order to start the evaluation process. Evaluations of a referred student shall be scheduled at the building principal’s discretion.

When an acceleration referral is made, an acceleration evaluation committee will be formed to review and recommend steps in acceleration. The acceleration evaluation committee may include but is not limited to the following individuals: gifted coordinator or gifted intervention specialist, school psychologist or school counselor, teacher at the grade level to which the student may be accelerated, principal, parent or legal guardian, and current classroom teacher (with exception of students referred for possible early admission to kindergarten).