Section 6:135

Instruction

Accelerated and Advanced Placement

The District provides opportunities for accelerated and advanced placement in specific grade level courses. Accelerated and advanced placement courses provide an educational setting with curriculum options usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grade levels. Accelerated and advanced placement options include but may not be limited to: (a) accelerating a student in a single subject within courses designated by the District for accelerated and advanced placement; (b) whole grade-level acceleration; and (c) early entrance to kindergarten or first grade. Participation in accelerated and advanced courses is open to all students who demonstrate high ability, meet eligibility criteria, and may benefit from accelerated placement. It is not limited to students who have been formally identified as gifted and talented. All students are screened for potential placement in accelerated or advanced courses. Eligibility to participate in the District’s accelerated and advanced placement courses shall not be conditioned upon the protected classifications identified in School Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities, or any factor other than the student’s identification as an accelerated learner.

The Superintendent or designee shall implement an accelerated placement process that includes:

1. Decision-making processes that are fair, equitable, and involve multiple individuals, e.g. District administrators, teachers, and school support personnel, and a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s);
2. Notification processes that notify a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) of a decision affecting a student’s participation in the APP;
3. Assessment processes that include multiple valid and reliable indicators; and
4. The automatic enrollment, in the following school term, of a student into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework offered by the high school if the student meets or exceeds State standards in English language arts, mathematics, or science on a State assessment administered under 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5, as follows:
   1. A student who meets or exceeds State standards in English language arts shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in English, social studies, humanities, or related subjects.
   2. A student who meets or exceeds State standards in mathematics shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in mathematics.
   3. A student who meets or exceeds State standards in science shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in science.

The district will post and update regularly the placement processes and criteria.

LEGAL REFERENCE	105 ILCS 5/14A. 23 Illinois Admin. Code Part 227, Gifted Education
CROSS REFERENCE	Section 6:10 (Educational Philosophy and Objectives) Section 6:130 (Program for the Gifted) Section 7:10 (Equal Educational Opportunities) Section 7:50 (School Admissions and Student Transfers To and From Non-District Schools)
ADOPTED	September 2018
REVIEW HISTORY	2021, 2022, June 2023