Acceleration

Definitions

Whole Grade Accerleration

The practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typical given the student's age on a full-time basis 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 on a full-time basis at the beginning of the year.
*After completing the fall semmester 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.

Individual Subject Acceleration

The practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typical given the student's age for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subjects.

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 the typical age at which students are admitted to kindergarten 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 he will not reach his 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 spending only five semesters in high school by accumulating credits on an accelerated basis thorugh "dual-credit" coursework taken while in middle school and by satisfying some high school graduation requirements by completing "educational options" rather than traditional courses. The student then enrolls in college as a full-time student at age 16.