Early Entrance & Acceleration

General Procedures for Early Entrance for Kindergarten and First Grade

• Parent written requests submitted to the District for consideration of early entrance to Kindergarten or Grade 1 must occur between March 1 and May 1 of the prior school year.

  • Families seeking evaluation after May 1 must enroll in an age-appropriate school program, and students will be considered in the first six weeks from the onset of that school year.

• The school district will confirm the request for consideration and notify the parents or guardians, outlining the procedures for evaluation.

• The procedures for evaluation for acceleration are based on the Iowa Acceleration Scale, 3rd Edition research. The measures take into consideration various indicators that determine student readiness for acceleration.

Grade Level & Content Acceleration Procedures (includes Early Entrance to Kindergarten and First-Grade)

General Procedures for Grade-Level Acceleration, including Early Entrance

• Parent written requests submitted to the district for consideration to grade acceleration must occur between March 1 and May 1 of the prior school year

  • Families seeking evaluation after May 1 must enroll in an age-appropriate school program, and students will be considered in the first six weeks from the onset of that school year

• The school district will confirm the request for consideration and notify the parents or guardians, outlining the procedures for evaluation

• The procedures for evaluation for acceleration are based on the Iowa Acceleration Scale, 3rd Edition research. The measures take into consideration various indicators that determine student readiness for acceleration

Baseline Criteria Level 1

• Curriculum-Based Assessment of Readiness

  • End of year for grade level above benchmark in literacy fluency and comprehension and mathematics computation and concepts

Further Evaluation Level 2

• Implement Iowa Acceleration Scale Protocol Components

• Student interview conducted by School Psychologist

• Observation of students in the age-appropriate school setting using observation inventory by trained District 96 observers to be conducted before the end of the current school year

• Parent inventory protocol must be completed

• Current Teacher inventory protocol, including learning and social-emotional indicators, must be completed by the end of the school year

• Individual assessments protocols will be completed for ability, aptitude, and achievement

  • Ability = Minimum IQ of 130 or above

  • Achievement (Grade Level Equivalent) = At or above 90th percentile

  • Aptitude (Grade Level Above) = At or above the 75th percentile

• At the completion of the various components of the Level 2 assessments, a team meeting for a comprehensive review of student qualifications for grade acceleration will occur.

  • Team Members include: School Psychologist, Classroom Teacher(s), Administration and Parents/Guardians

Content Acceleration Procedures- Mathematics Only

• Students considered for content acceleration beyond the formal programming will be identified through the Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) process

• Curriculum-based or advanced placement assessment measures are indicators used to determine readiness for acceleration

• Students will be evaluated based on the grade-level acceleration criteria

  • Implement Iowa Acceleration Scale Protocol Components

    • Student interview conducted by School Psychologist

    • Observation of students in the age-appropriate school setting using observation inventory by trained District 96 observers to be conducted before the end of the current school year

    • Parent inventory protocol must be completed

    • Current Teacher inventory protocol, including learning and social-emotional indicators must be completed by the end of the school year

    • Individual assessments protocols will be completed for ability, aptitude, and achievement

      • Ability = Minimum IQ of 130 or above

      • Achievement (Grade Level Equivalent) = At or above 90th percentile

      • Aptitude (Grade Level Above) = At or above the 75th percentile

  • At the completion of the various components of the Level 2 assessments, a team meeting will occur to comprehensively review the student qualifications for early entrance.

  • Team Members include: School Psychologist, Classroom Teacher(s), Administration and Parents/Guardians

Advanced Learning Placement Procedures & Criteria

1. All students will be considered at the formal entry points for advanced placement readiness.

2. Multiple measures will be considered to determine placement.

   1. Ability Measure (Administered in Grades 3 and 5 only)

   2. Achievement Measure

   3. Curriculum Based Measure

   4. Teacher Rating Scale (as applicable)

   5. Parent Rating Scale (as applicable)

3. While there are formal entry points* for the start of services, all students will be reviewed annually for potential placement beyond the formal entry points.

   1. Qualifying Placement Criteria

      1. Placement Qualifications Scenario 1

         1. Two or more indicators in Column A

      2. Placement Qualifications Scenario 2

         1. One indicator Column A

         2. Minimum of 4 total points on the matrix for Columns B & C

      3. Placement Qualifications Scenario 3

         1. One indicator in Column A

         2. 3 combined points from Columns B & C

         3. 1 point Parent Rating Scale + Teacher Rating Scale Combined Criteria Score 

*Formal Entry Points

Elementary: Grade 3 to 4 for ELA and Grade 4 to 5 for Math

Middle School: Grade 5 to 6 for ELA and Math

Note: This process and matrix eliminates the need for CogAT assessment at Grades 2, 4, 6 & 7

Appeals Placement Scenario

• 4 points or more on the matrix and no Column A

• Column A and 2 points or less on the matrix from Columns B and C

If you have 4 points or more on the matrix and no Column A, then the combined Winter MAP Score from current grade level and Fall MAP score for entering grade level and/or a second ability measure may be administered and considered for an appeal. The review of assessments will be based on the discrepancy in the scores not achieved for placement. Parent and teacher rating scales are to be completed as part of the appeal.

Advance Learning Continuum of Services

Riverside District 96 Advanced Learning
Continuum of Services