District Acceleration Policy

  • Academic Acceleration:

    Academic acceleration may involve whole-grade acceleration or individual subject acceleration. 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. An acceleration evaluation committee will determine whether the student will be permitted to skip a grade level (i.e., whole-grade acceleration), or take a subject at a higher grade level or skip a course in the usual and customary academic sequence (i.e., individual subject acceleration).

     

    Any student residing in the District may be referred by a staff member or a parent/guardian to the principal of his/her school for evaluation for possible accelerated placement. Students may refer themselves or a peer through a staff member who has knowledge of the referred child's abilities. Copies of referral forms for evaluation for whole-grade or individual subject acceleration will be available at each school building. The principal of each school (or his/her designee) will solicit referrals of students for evaluation for accelerated placement, and notify all staff s/he supervises of the referral process.

     

    Students referred for accelerated placement will be evaluated in a prompt manner. The building principal will schedule the evaluations. Normally, changes in a student's schedule will occur only at the start of a grading period.

     

    Before a student is evaluated for accelerated placement, the principal (or his/her designee) shall obtain written permission from the student's parent/guardian.

     

    Evaluations related to referrals that occur during the school year will ordinarily be completed and a written report issued within forty-five (45) calendar days. Evaluations related to referrals that occur at the end of a school year or during the summer will be completed and a written report issued either before the end of the school year, if possible, or within forty-five (45) calendar days of the start of the next school year.

     

    Upon referral, the student's principal (or his/her designee) shall convene an acceleration evaluation committee to determine the appropriate learning environment for the referred student. This committee shall include the following:

      A. a parent/guardian, or a representative designated by that parent/guardian

     

      B. a gifted education coordinator or gifted intervention specialist, or if neither is available, a school psychologist or guidance counselor with expertise in the appropriate use of academic acceleration may be substituted

     

      C. a principal or assistant principal from the child's current school

     

      D. a current teacher of the referred student

     

      E. a teacher at the grade level or course to which the referred student may be accelerated

     

    The acceleration evaluation committee shall be responsible for conducting a fair and thorough evaluation of the student. The acceleration evaluation committee will consider the student's own thoughts on possible accelerated placement in its deliberations. In the event that career-technical programs are considered for acceleration, a career-technical educator shall be consulted as a part of the evaluation.

     

    Students considered for whole-grade acceleration will be evaluated using an acceleration assessment process approved by the Ohio Department of Education.

     

    Students considered for individual subject acceleration will be evaluated using a variety of data sources, including measures of achievement based on State academic content standards (in subjects for which the State Board of Education has approved content standards), NWEA MAP, diagnostic data, pretest results, standardized testing, classroom grades, teacher recommendations, and consideration of the student's maturity and desire for accelerated placement.

     

    The acceleration evaluation committee shall issue a written decision on the outcome of the evaluation process to the principal and the student's parent/guardian. This notification shall include instructions for appealing the decision.

     

    Appeals must be made in writing to the Superintendent within thirty (30) calendar days of the parent/guardian receiving the committee's decision. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the appeal and notify the parent/guardian of his/her decision within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the appeal. The Superintendent or his/her designee's decision shall be final.

     

    Early Entrance Criteria:

    The District provides early admission to kindergarten and first grade for qualified students. Copies of the referral forms for evaluation for early entrance to kindergarten or first grade will be available in each school building. Any student residing in the District may be referred by an educator employed by the District, a preschool educator who knows the child, the child's parent or guardian, or a pediatrician or psychologist who knows the child. The referral shall be made to the principal of the school for evaluation for possible early admission.

     

    Before a student is evaluated for early entrance, the principal (or his/her designee) of the school to which the child may be admitted shall obtain written permission from the child's parent/guardian.

     

    Evaluations related to referrals submitted to the school principal between August 1st and April 15th, will ordinarily be completed and a written report issued within forty-five (45) calendar days of submission of the referral to the school principal. Evaluations related to referrals submitted to the school principal between April 16th and July 31st will ordinarily be completed and a written report issued within forty-five (45) days of the start of the school year.

     

    Children referred for early entrance will be evaluated in a prompt manner. The principal of the school to which the child may be admitted shall convene an acceleration evaluation committee to determine whether early entrance is appropriate for that child. The acceleration evaluation committee shall include the following:

     

    A.

    a parent/legal guardian or a representative designated by the parent/guardian

       
     

    B.

    a gifted education coordinator or gifted education specialist, or, if neither is available, a school psychologist or a guidance counselor with expertise in the appropriate use of academic acceleration.

       
     

    C.

    the principal or assistant principal of the school to which the child may be admitted

       
     

    D.

    a teacher at the grade level to which the student may be admitted

    The acceleration evaluation committee shall be responsible for conducting a fair and thorough evaluation of the student. The acceleration evaluation committee will also consider the student's own thoughts on possible accelerated placement in its deliberations.

     

    Children considered for early entrance shall be evaluated using an acceleration assessment process approved by the Ohio Department of Education.

     

    A meeting will be conducted with the parent/guardian following the evaluation to inform him/her of the committee's decision and, if appropriate, to discuss the results of the evaluation and the nature of the kindergarten or first grade program.

     

    The parent/guardian will be provided with a written summary of the outcome of the evaluation process. This notification shall include instructions for appealing the outcome of the evaluation process.

     

    Appeals must be made in writing to the Superintendent within thirty (30) calendar days of the parent/guardian receiving the results of the evaluation. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the appeal and notify the parent/guardian of his/her decision within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the appeal. The Superintendent or his/her designee's decision will be final.

     

    If a child is recommended for early entrance, the acceleration evaluation committee will develop a written acceleration plan for that child. The plan will specify:

     

    A.

    placement of the child in the accelerated setting;

       
     

    B.

    strategies to support successful early entrance; and

       
     

    C.

    an appropriate transition period for accelerated students.

    A school staff member will be assigned to oversee the implementation of the acceleration plan and to monitor the child's adjustment to the early entrance.

     

    At any time during the transition period, a parent/guardian of the child may request in writing that the child be withdrawn from the accelerated placement. In such cases, the principal shall remove the child without repercussions.

     

    Also, at any time during the transition period, a parent/guardian may request in writing an alternative accelerated placement. In such cases, the principal shall direct the acceleration evaluation committee to consider other placement options and to issue a decision within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the request. If the student will be placed in a different setting from that initially recommended, the acceleration plan shall be revised accordingly, and a new transition period shall be specified.

     

    At the end of the transition period, the accelerated placement shall become permanent. The child's records shall be modified accordingly, and the acceleration plan shall become part of the student's permanent record to facilitate continuous progress through the curriculum.

     

    Written Acceleration Plans (WAPs):

    If the student is recommended for whole-grade or individual subject acceleration, the acceleration evaluation committee will develop a written acceleration plan. The parent/guardian shall be provided with a copy of the plan. The plan shall specify:

      A. placement of the student in an accelerated setting;

     

      B. strategies to support a successful transition to the accelerated setting;

     

      C. requirements and procedures for earning high school credit prior to entering high school (if applicable); and,

     

      D. an appropriate transition period for accelerated students.

     

    A school staff member will be assigned to oversee implementation of the acceleration plan and to monitor the adjustment of the student to the accelerated setting.

     

    At any time during the transition period, a parent/guardian of the student may request in writing that the student be withdrawn from accelerated placement. In such cases the principal shall remove the student from the accelerated placement without repercussions.

     

    At any time during the transition period, a parent/guardian may request in writing an alternative accelerated placement. In such cases, the principal shall direct the evaluation committee to consider other accelerative options and to issue a decision within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the request. If the student will be placed in a different accelerated setting from that initially recommended, the student's acceleration plan shall be revised accordingly, and a new transition period shall be specified.

     

    At the end of the transition period, the accelerated placement shall become permanent. The student's record shall be modified accordingly, and the acceleration implementation plan shall become part of the student's permanent record to facilitate continuous progress through the curriculum.