Proposed Academic Acceleration Policy

Patty Costis, PhD

Gifted Education Services
City Public Schools
August 2, 2017

Introduction

The mission of City Public Schools (CPS) is in part, to help all students “maximize their
academic potential.” Evidence of the accomplishment of our mission manifests in “courageous
advocacy for all students, data-driven personalized learning, and access to rigorous and
rewarding college and career readiness opportunities” (CPS, 2016). The appropriate use of
academic acceleration supports the mission of CPS by offering qualified students the
opportunity to learn at a level and pace commensurate with his or her demonstrated ability.

Appropriate use of accelerated learning opportunities also directly supports many of City Public
Schools’ Instructional Goals and Objectives (1A) via implementation of:

1. Programs in K-3 that emphasize developmentally appropriate learning to enhance

success

6. Early identification of gifted students and enrollment of such students in appropriately

differentiated instructional programs

7. Educational alternatives for students whose needs are not met in programs prescribed
elsewhere in the Standards of Learning

16. A program of student services for grades kindergarten through grade 12 that shall be
designed to aid students in their educational, social, and career development

17. The collection and analysis of data and the use of the results to evaluate and make
decisions about the instructional program

Although the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) does not explicitly mandate the
implementation of academic acceleration, The Virginia Board of Education notes:

Our schools will lead the nation in rigor and quality, and our students will excel in
postsecondary education and/or in the global workplace. Building on the success of the
Standards of Learning (SOL) program, more rigorous and relevant expectations will
continue to be implemented that meet or exceed national and international benchmarks
for college and career readiness.

Appropriate use of accelerated learning opportunities supports compliance with requirements in

Virginia Administrative Code 8VAC20-40-60 which requires school districts to include:

A description of the school division's program of differentiated curriculum and instruction

demonstrating accelerated and advanced content; and policies and procedures that
 allow access to programs of study and advanced courses at a pace and sequence
commensurate with their learning needs.

Because education policy applies to all students in grades K-12, appropriate use of accelerated
learning opportunities for very young children supports compliance with Virginia Administrative
code 22.1-199:

(C.)…children whose fifth birthday occurs between October 1 and December 31 of the
school year may be enrolled in kindergarten after an appropriate readiness evaluation
has demonstrated that attendance in these programs will educationally benefit such
children.

The Virginia Department of Education currently offers the following accelerated learning
opportunities to qualified students:

 Advanced-studies diploma
 The Early College Scholars program
 Waiver of the 140-clock-hour requirement for standard and verified credits
 College credit via Advanced Placement courses
 College credit via International Baccalaureate programs
 Online college courses through Virtual Virginia
 Partnerships between school districts and community colleges to promote dual
enrollment

Research has shown academic acceleration to be a beneficial, cost-effective protocol for

providing appropriately rigorous, standards-based instruction for students who are academically
prepared to learn content above their current grade level. In addition, acceleration has a positive
impact on students’ motivation and social-emotional health.

Definitions

Whole-Grade Acceleration: The full-time assignment of a student to one grade level higher
than is typical given the student’s chronological age for the purpose of providing access to
appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

Examples:

• After completing the first grade year, a student is placed in a third grade classroom (rather
than a second grade classroom) on a full-time basis at the beginning of the next school year.

• After completing the fall semester of the fifth grade year, a student is placed in the sixth grade
at the start of the second semester of the same school year.

Subject-area Acceleration: The assignment of a student to one grade level higher than is
typical, given the student’s chronological age for the purpose of providing access to
appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas.

Examples:
• A third grade student performing above grade level in reading and math goes to a fourth grade
teacher every morning for instruction in these subjects and returns to the third grade classroom
for instruction in other subject areas.

• A musically gifted sixth grade student is enrolled in a high school instrumental music course
and returns to the sixth grade classroom for instruction in other subject areas.

Early Admission to Kindergarten: The practice of admitting a student to kindergarten who has
not yet reached his or her fifth birthday on or before September 30 of the school year for the
purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

Example:

• A child who can read independently and is socially similar to typical five year-olds is admitted
to kindergarten, although the student will not reach his or her fifth birthday until the end of the
school year.

Early High School Graduation: The practice of facilitating completion of the high school
program in fewer than four years for the purpose of providing earlier than typical access to post-
secondary educational opportunities.

Example:

• An advanced student is granted a diploma after completing five semesters in high school.
Verified credits were accumulated on an accelerated basis by taking high school courses while
in middle school and by satisfying the remaining high school graduation requirements by
completing courses via Virtual Virginia while concurrently attending traditional high school
classes. The student then enrolls in college as a full-time student at age 16.

Dual/Concurrent Enrollment: The practice of student enrollment in two different levels of

academic study for the purpose of providing earlier than typical access to post-secondary
educational opportunities.

Examples:

• A high school student completes college math courses via a partnership between the school
district and a local college while attending concurrently attending high school. College credit is
awarded for passing the course.

• An eighth grade student takes Algebra I, typically intended for ninth grade students, while
attending middle school. The student earns high school credit by passing the course, and its
corresponding end-of-course exam.

Credit by Examination: The practice of waiving the 140-clock-hour requirement upon a

student’s demonstration of content mastery, awarding a standard unit of credit, allowing the
student to sit for the SOL exam, and earn a verified credit for a given course.

Example:
  A ninth grade student enters a science class in September, and completes an assigned
project to demonstrate course content mastery. After being awarded a standard unit of
credit for the course, she sits for the SOL exam, passes, and earns a verified credit for
having passed the course and the SOL exam.

Legal References: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, § 22.1-253.13:1.D

Current CPS Acceleration Practices

The Acceleration Practices Survey, a needs assessment instrument, was disseminated to all
City Public Schools gifted resource teachers (GRTs). Of the 28 surveys sent, 13 were
completed, yielding a response rate of 46%, slightly higher than the average response rate
(30%-40%) for internal surveys (SurveyGizmo, 2016). The Office of Academic Rigor sought to
determine which, if any acceleration strategies were utilized by GRTs, how readiness for
acceleration was measured, and perceived influence of education professionals in making
acceleration decisions.

A focus group was also assembled. Comprised of six GRTs who have participated in grade-
based acceleration, the focus group provided qualitative data regarding differences, if any in
acceleration practices between buildings and GRTs. Results of the Acceleration Practices
Survey reveal gifted students in City Public Schools are accelerated using primarily content-
based acceleration strategies (Table 1). Advance Placement (AP) courses, curriculum
compacting and self-paced instruction are the strategies that have served the greatest number
of students on average. All students in grades 10-12 meeting specific prerequisite criteria
(depending upon the course) are permitted to take AP courses. It is unclear however, by which
criteria students are permitted to participate in curriculum compacting and self-paced instruction,
and/or if advanced students who are not identified gifted are permitted access to these
strategies.

Respondents also reported the moderate use of single-subject acceleration. In this strategy,
students in elementary school attend a single subject course one grade level above their current
grade level. However, it is unclear how their needs are addressed when they reach fifth grade,
and require sixth grade class instruction in a different building.

Table 1

Acceleration Practices Survey

GRTs
Mean GRTs unfamiliar
Acceleration Strategy Grade- Content- students responding with this
based based served zero strategy
advance placement courses x 115 11
multi-grade classes x 15 7
dual enrollment x 37.3 11
curriculum compacting x 91.1 5
credit by exam x 0 12 1
distance learning x 6 11
early K/1 entrance x 1.6 11
early college entrance x 0 13
early HS graduation x 0 12
extra-curricular activities x 44.7 4
International baccalaureate courses x 40 11
self-paced instruction x 99.7 7
single-subject acceleration x 74.9 4 1
telescoped curriculum x 29 9 2
whole-grade acceleration x 14.5 7
Note. n=13

The focus group was made up of six gifted resource teachers (GRTs). Two GRTs serve high
school students, three serve elementary students, and one serves elementary and middle
school students. The group discussed their use of grade-based acceleration, particularly dual
enrollment, early entrance to kindergarten, and whole grade acceleration, or grade-skipping.

Five of the six GRTs have successfully grade-accelerated at least one student. The GRT who
was unsuccessful shared that the building administrator and classroom teacher were not in
favor of the acceleration because it involved the student changing buildings, moving from
elementary to middle school. All members of the focus group encountered resistance from
building personnel when incorporating grade-based acceleration. All members cited resistance
based on myths associated with the social and emotional effects of grade-based acceleration.
Three GRTs reported being turned down without having the opportunity to present evidence of
readiness.

The focus group also discussed criteria by which they based their decision to accelerate
students. Standardized tests such as the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the Iowa Test of
Educational Development (ITED) were considered, along with grades, Mock SOL tests and
STAR Reading and STAR Math scores. In addition, the GRTs sought the input of the current
teacher, receiving teacher, parents, the building administrator, the school counselor, department
chair, and/or another GRT. However, there was no consensus on which criteria or which
personnel are used in the decision-making process.
Acceleration practices in City Public Schools are conducted using widely varying site-based
criteria, and rely largely on the approval of administrators who may or may not be trained in the
area of academic acceleration. The current policy proposal for assessment and appropriate use
of accelerated learning opportunities utilizes researched-based assessments, and incorporates
the expertise of a team of trained specialists for decision-making and implementation. Further,
the proposed policy will better meet the academic, and social-emotional needs of all advanced
learners in City Public Schools and help them to reach their full potential.

Table 2

Current CPS Policy Regarding Acceleration

Current Policy
IKEB - ACCELERATION
“…flexibility in placing certain students in
programs or subjects normally considered
above their grade level.”
IHA - GROUPING FOR INSTRUCTION
“…recognizes the different educational needs
of students and endorses the use of flexible
assignment of students for instruction.”
JEB - ENTRANCE AGE/ADMISSION OF
PERSONS NOT OF SCHOOL AGE
“An individual who… is beyond school
age…may, at the discretion of the School
Board, be admitted into the division schools.”
LEB - ADVANCED/ALTERNATIVE COURSES
FOR CREDIT
“Students and their parents shall be notified of
the availability…”
Analysis
The details of this policy section allow for
subject acceleration for eighth grade students,
and the protocol for doing so is general
enough to allow for a named procedure. (This
could be combined with the proposed policy
section addressing dual enrollment.)
Subject acceleration for elementary and high
school students is not addressed, and whole-
grade acceleration is not addressed at all.
Details of this policy section allow for the
grouping of students for “maximum
instructional benefit.” However, grouping is not
acceleration. Further, the criteria by which
students should be considered for grouping
are not research-based (e.g. availability of
space, equating educational and achievement
levels). Whole grade acceleration is not
addressed at all.
This policy section opens the door for early
entrance to kindergarten, but stops short of
mandating a standard protocol for qualifying
entrants. The Board’s discretion is not
specified. Entrance directly to first grade
(skipping Kindergarten) is not addressed.
Dual enrollment is directly addressed for high
school students wishing to take community
college certification courses. However, dual
enrollment is not addressed for high school
students wishing to enroll in college and
perhaps transfer to a 4-year institution upon
high school graduation.
Although AP and IB credits are directly
addressed as acceleration options and family
notification is specifically mandated, early high
school graduation, and early entrance college
programs are not addressed. Additionally,

IGA - BASIC INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
“At all levels, provisions shall be made for a
wide range of individual differences in student
abilities and learning rate…”
parent notification of these opportunities is not
addressed.
This is a catch-all provision allowing the school
board to institute any program it deems
necessary for the educational benefit of the
city’s students. Although this policy does not
address any acceleration strategy directly, it
carries with it the legal standing to implement
the proposed acceleration policy.

Purpose

The purpose of the CPS Acceleration Policy is to improve academic achievement for all
students by:

 Providing a variety of opportunities for advanced academic content for all qualified
students
 Utilizing a standard, research-driven protocol for making acceleration decisions
 Building school-family partnerships via a team approach to making acceleration
decisions
 Incorporating analysis of district data to locate possible candidates for acceleration

Facilitating ongoing professional development and the use of best practices in acceleration
strategies

Research Summary

Academic acceleration and its effects have been studied extensively both in the United States
and around the world, perhaps more than any other topic in the field of education (VanTassel-
Baska, 2016). In a landmark report “A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s
Brightest Students,” stated that overall, acceleration is the most effective intervention for
advanced learners and provides long-term academic and social-emotional benefits (Colangelo,
Assouline, & Gross, eds., 2004). In a follow-up report, “A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps
the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students,” recent research reveals that
accelerated students reached the highest levels of post-secondary education; earned more
patents, achieved higher performance levels in their careers; and wrote books at radically higher
rates than their non-accelerated counterparts (Assouline, Colangelo, VanTassel-Baska, &
Lupkowski-Shoplik, 2015).

Reviews of the literature on acceleration have been published with great regularity since 1962.
Each review has noted the overall positive effects of acceleration at all stages of the student’s
life. The latest longitudinal study of high school outcomes for early accelerants showed
accelerated students markedly outperformed their non-accelerated counterparts on PSAT and
SAT math components, as well as on the ACT composite scores (McClarty, 2015). Further,
McClarty (2015) found accelerated students held more prestigious jobs, earned more, and had
a faster rate of productivity than their non-accelerated counterparts.
The most-often cited reason for resisting the use of academic acceleration is concern for the
social-emotional well-being of the student. Meta-analyses of the literature on the social
emotional results from studies on acceleration reveal accelerated students and non-accelerated
students are equally socially adjusted. In other words, accelerated students are just as socially
adjusted as their non-accelerated counterparts. Further, the results were the same regardless of
gender or type of acceleration; and in comparisons of age peers and grade level peers (Kulik,
2004; Steenburgen-Hu & Moon, 2011).

Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the academic benefit and neutral social emotional
concerns of academic acceleration, this intervention is inconsistently used in City Public
Schools. Researchers have found acceleration, when used appropriately, to be the most
effective strategy for meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of gifted students
(Assouline et al, 2015; Gross, 2006; Kulik, 2004; McClarty, 2015; Neihart, 2007; Neihart, Pfeiffer
& Cross, 2015).

The authors of A Nation Empowered (Assouline et al, 2015) found barriers to the appropriate
and extensive use of acceleration by school districts include, but are not limited to:

 Lack of awareness of the benefits of acceleration

 Incorrect belief that acceleration is socially and emotionally harmful to students
 Lack of policy to facilitate appropriate use of acceleration strategies

In order to facilitate the successful use of acceleration strategies, planning, support, and follow-
up protocols must be in place to monitor and assist the student before, during and after
placement.

This policy supports the use of research-based criteria for identifying students for accelerated
placement (Assouline, Colangelo, Lupkowski-Shoplik, Forstadt, & Lipscomb, 2009), and reflects
procedures shown to help ensure the success of students in accelerated settings (Southern and
Jones, 2005). In addition, program evaluation procedures seek feedback from administrators
and practitioners in the use of the protocols.

References

Assouline, S. G., Colangelo, N., Lupkowski-Shoplik, A., Forstadt, L., & Lipscomb, J. (2009).
Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual: A Guide for Whole-Grade Acceleration K-8 (3rd ed.).
Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc.

Assouline, S. G., Colangelo, N., VanTassel-Baska, J., & Lupkowski-Shoplik, A. (2015). A nation
empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students. Iowa City,
IA: Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent
Development.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold
back America's brightest students. The Templeton National Report on Acceleration. (Vol.
II). Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent
Development (NJ1).
Cross, T. L. (2005). The social and emotional lives of gifted kids. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Gross, M. U. M. (2006). Exceptionally gifted children: Long-term outcomes of academic

acceleration and non-acceleration. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29, 404-429. doi:
10.4219/jeg-2006-247

Hollingworth, L. S. (1942). Children above IQ 180: Their origin and development. New York:
World Books.

Kulik, J.A. (2004). Meta-analytic studies of acceleration. In N. Colangelo, S.G. Assouline &
M.U.M. Gross (Eds.) A nation deceived: How schools hold back America’s brightest students.
(Vol. II, pp. 13-22). Iowa City, University of Iowa, The Connie Belin and Jaqueline N. Blank
International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

McClarty, K.L. (2015). Life in the fast lane: effects of early grade acceleration on high school
and college outcomes. Gifted Child Quarterly, 59, 3-13.

Neihart, M. (2007). The socioaffective impact of acceleration and ability grouping:

Recommendations for best practice. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51, 330-341. doi:
10.1177/0016986207306319

Neihart, M., Pfeiffer, S., & Cross, T. (2015). The social and emotional development of gifted
children: What do we know?. Sourcebooks, Inc.

Southern, W.T. and Jones, E. (2005.) Acceleration Policy Study. Columbus, OH: Ohio
Department of Education.

Steenburgen-Hu, S. & Moon, S.M. (2011). The effects of acceleration on high-ability learners: A
meta-analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly, 55, 39-53.
Proposed Policy on Acceleration

In keeping with the CPS mission of maximizing student academic potential, students who
demonstrate ability, aptitude, and achievement exceeding grade-level benchmarks set forth in
the Virginia Standards of Learning must be offered the opportunity and encouraged to do so.

The School Board of the City of City acknowledges the differences in students’ educational
needs and supports the use of flexible grouping within individual schools to maximize
opportunities for learning.

All students learn, develop, and experience academic success at varying rates and to varying
degrees. The City School Board currently provides policy and programming for students who
are academically at-risk (8 VAC 20-630-20), including a provision for delaying the start of first
grade (JEA). In addition, the City School Board recognizes the need of some students to be
placed in above grade-level programs and classes (JKEB).

This policy describes the process that shall be used for evaluating students for possible
accelerated placement and identifying students who should be granted early admission to
kindergarten, accelerated in one or more individual subject areas, promoted to a higher grade
level than their same-age peers, and granted early graduation from high school.

1) Referrals and Evaluation

a) Any student residing in the district may be referred by a teacher, administrator, gifted
resource teacher, guidance counselor, school psychologist, or parent or legal guardian
of the student to the principal of his or her school for evaluation for possible accelerated
placement. A student may refer himself or herself or a peer through a district staff
member who has knowledge of the referred child’s abilities.

b) All students in grades K-12 achieving a national percentile ranking at or above the
90th percentile on a nationally norm-referenced test in one or more subject areas shall be
automatically referred for academic acceleration in those subject areas.

c) Copies of this policy and referral forms for evaluation for possible early entrance to
kindergarten, whole-grade acceleration, individual subject acceleration, and early high
school graduation shall be made available to district staff and parents at each school
building, and posted on the CPS website. Each building’s gifted resource teacher (GRT)
shall annually solicit referrals of students for evaluation for possible accelerated
placement, and ensure that all building staff are aware of procedures for referring
students for evaluation for possible accelerated placement.

d) The building’s GRT shall obtain written permission from the student’s parent(s) or
legal guardian(s) to evaluate the student for possible accelerated placement. The district
shall evaluate all students who are referred for evaluation and whose parent(s) or legal
 guardian(s) have granted permission to evaluate the student for possible accelerated
placement.

e) Children who are referred for evaluation for possible accelerated placement on or
before May 15 of the preceding school year shall be evaluated so that the child may be
placed in the accelerated placement on the first day of school. Children who are referred
for possible accelerated placement sixty or more days prior to the start of the second
semester shall be evaluated for possible accelerated placement at the start of the
second semester. In all other cases, evaluations of a referred child shall be scheduled at
the discretion of the Office of Academic Rigor and, if appropriate, placed in the
accelerated setting(s) at the time recommended by the acceleration team.

f) Pursuant to Virginia Administrative Code 22.1-199 all children whose fifth birthday
occurs between October 1 and December 31 of the school year for which admission is
requested shall be evaluated for possible early admittance if referred by an educator
within the district, a pre-school educator who knows the child, or pediatrician or
psychologist who knows the child.

g) Pursuant to Virginia Superintendent’s Memo 271-15A and HB 1675 and SB 982 a

student may waive the 140-clock-hour requirement for course completion, earn a
standard unit of credit, sit for a Standards of Learning (SOL) examination, and earn a
verified credit for a course by demonstrating mastery of course content.

h) A parent or legal guardian of the evaluated student shall be notified in writing of the
outcome of the evaluation process within 45 days of the submission of the referral to the
referred student’s GRT. This notification shall include instructions for appealing the
outcome of the evaluation process.

i) A parent or legal guardian of the referred student may appeal in writing the decision of
the acceleration team to the Office of Academic Rigor within thirty days of being notified
of the team’s decision. The Office of Academic Rigor shall review the appeal and notify
the parent or legal guardian who filed the appeal of its final decision within thirty days of
receiving the appeal. The decision of the Office of Academic Rigor shall be final.
However, the student may be referred and evaluated again at the next available
opportunity if he or she is again referred for evaluation by an individual eligible to make
referrals as described in this policy.

2) Acceleration Team

(I) Composition

(1) The referred student’s principal (or his or her designee) shall convene an
acceleration team to determine the most appropriate available learning environment for
the referred student. The team shall be comprised of the following:
 (a) A principal or assistant principal from the referred student’s current school;

(b) A current teacher of the referred student (with the exception of students
referred for possible early admission to kindergarten);

(c) A teacher at the grade level to which the student may be accelerated (with the
exception of students referred for possible early graduation from high school);

(d) A parent or legal guardian of the referred student or a representative

designated by a parent or legal guardian of the referred student;

(e) A gifted resource teacher at the child’s current school*

(f) When applicable, a special education teacher at the referred student’s school*

(g) When applicable, the English Language instructor at the referred student’s
school

* This education professional should be trained in twice exceptionality if the

referred student is twice-exceptional

(II) Responsibilities:

(1) The acceleration team shall conduct a fair and thorough evaluation of the student.

(a) Students in grades Kindergarten through grade 8 considered for whole-grade

acceleration and early entrance to kindergarten shall be evaluated using the Iowa
Acceleration Scale or other acceleration assessment approved by the City
School Board. The team shall consider the student’s own thoughts on possible
accelerated placement in its deliberations

(b) Students considered for individual subject acceleration shall be evaluated

using measures of ability, aptitude, and achievement. Acceptable achievement
measures are those based on state academic content standards (in subjects for
which the state has approved content standards). Consideration of the student’s
maturity and desire for accelerated placement, as well as the student’s own
thoughts on possible accelerated placement will be included in the acceleration
team’s deliberations.

(c) Students referred for possible early high school graduation shall be evaluated
based on past academic performance, measures of achievement based on state
academic content standards, and successful completion of state mandated
graduation requirements. The committee shall consider the student’s own
thoughts on possible accelerated placement in its deliberations.

(2) The acceleration team shall issue a written decision to the principal and the student’s
parent or legal guardian based on the outcome of the evaluation process. If a consensus
 recommendation cannot be reached by the team, a decision regarding whether to
accelerate the student will be determined by a majority vote of the team’s membership.

(3) The acceleration team shall develop a written acceleration plan for students who will
be admitted early to kindergarten, whole-grade accelerated, or accelerated in one or
more individual subject areas. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the student shall be
provided with a copy of the written acceleration plan. The written acceleration 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 placement for early entrants
to kindergarten, grade-level accelerated students, and students accelerated in
individual content areas.

(4) The acceleration team shall develop a written acceleration plan designed to allow the
student recommended for early high school graduation to complete graduation
requirements on an accelerated basis. This may include the provision of educational
options in accordance with Virginia Code § 22.1-253.13:1.D, VSBA Policy IKF; 8 VAC
20-131-270.B as well as City Instruction Policy LEB (Advanced/Alternative Courses for
Credit)

(5) The building GRT shall ensure successful implementation of the written acceleration
plan and to monitor the adjustment of the student to the accelerated setting.

3) Accelerated Placement

a) The acceleration team shall specify a transition period of 30 calendar days for
accelerated placement for early entrants to kindergarten, grade-level accelerated
students, and students accelerated in individual subject areas.

i) At any time during the transition period, a parent or legal 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 without
repercussions from the accelerated placement.

ii) At any time during the transition period, a parent or legal guardian of the
student may request in writing an alternative accelerated placement. In such
cases, the principal shall direct the acceleration team to consider other
accelerative options and issue a decision within 10 days of receiving the request
from the parent or legal guardian. If the student will be placed in an accelerated
setting different from that initially recommended by the acceleration team, the
 student’s written acceleration plan shall be revised accordingly, and a new
transition period shall commence.

b) At the end of the transition period, the accelerated placement shall become
permanent. The student’s records 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.

c) In any subject, students will participate in all SOL testing, including end-of-course
tests, at their accelerated subject grade level. This rule applies regardless of whether or
not students are formally accelerated on Written Acceleration Plans. Appropriate credit
will be awarded commensurate with the level and type of course, including verified credit
for graduation.

Adopted on the _____ day of _____________ 2016

Signed: ____________________________________________
School Board Chair

Signed: ____________________________________________
School Board Treasurer

Note: Special thanks to the Ohio Department of Education for providing guidelines and
examples in the creation of this policy.