RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:

In recognition that students of exceptional potential may benefit from acceleration, administration will establish District procedures which take into consideration the whole child and that are consistent with best practices.

RULE:

A. GENERAL PROVISIONS:

    1. The following items are critical to successful whole-grade acceleration: academic

        ability, aptitude, achievement, developmental factors/interpersonal skills, attitude and

        support.

    2. Oversight is provided by District Advanced Learning Program (ALP) staff and   

        implementation of the acceleration process and decision rests with the school    

        administration.

B. PROCEDURES:
    1. Request:

       A formal written request for consideration of acceleration can be initiated by a

       parent/guardian, teacher, counselor, school administrator, or District ALP staff, utilizing

       the approved form entitled Request for Consideration of Acceleration obtained from the

       school.

    2. Review of Data:

        a. The school gathers data and the student’s current Principal or the current Principal’s

            administrative designee reviews appropriate student data required by the Request

            for Consideration of Acceleration.

        b. The decision to proceed with further evaluation shall be made by the student’s

            current Principal.
    3. The request for acceleration is not to be pursued if the student data gathered on the
        Request for Consideration of Acceleration does not warrant it.

    4. Individual Assessment:

        If the student’s current Principal decides to proceed, the school will obtain an

        individual assessment of the student’s mental abilities, aptitude and achievement. The

        current Principal will designate a school contact person who coordinates collection of

        the remaining data required by the Iowa Acceleration Scale. If the current Principal

        decides not to proceed, he/she should communicate, in writing, this decision to the

        parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student.

    5. Acceleration:

        a. A Committee, consisting of the student’s current Principal or administrative

            designee, an administrator from any other affected school, a current teacher of the

            student, the student’s guidance counselor, and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s),

            will review the data collected. While factors of the whole child are considered, the

            recommendation regarding acceleration are to be determined by the academic

            instructional needs of the student. If those needs can be met by current placement,

            acceleration is not recommended. District staff should be consulted if the

            recommendation includes single-subject acceleration or a change of school.   

        b. If the Committee and parents/guardians arrive at a unanimous recommendation for

            acceleration, the Committee prepares an acceleration plan for review by the

            receiving Principal. If the decision is not unanimous, the student’s placement is not

            changed.

        c. The student’s current Principal reviews the recommendation of the committee and

            makes a final, non-appealable decision regarding the acceleration. However, in the

            event that an affirmative above-grade acceleration decision would place the student

            in a grade level outside the student’s current school placement, the Principal of the

            school where the student would be placed (if an affirmative above-grade

            acceleration decision is made) will make a final, non-appealable decision regarding

            the student’s acceleration.

    6. Recordkeeping:

        Upon the conclusion of the acceleration process, results of the Consideration for

        Acceleration shall be placed in the student’s permanent record, and pages three and

        four of the Iowa Acceleration Scale Summary and Planning Record will be forwarded to

        District ALP staff.  A copy of the Iowa Accel Summary Planning Record should be given

        to the parent/guardian.

    7. Monitoring:
        School staff monitors accelerated student placement and performance in accordance

        with the plan developed by the Committee.

Adopted: 9/25/03
Reclassified an Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 5/26/05; 2/13/08