Acceleration Process

Acceleration Placement Procedure

Lyons School District 103, in compliance with the Accelerated Placement Act, believes that all students across the achievement spectrum should be challenged and supported to develop to their highest potential.  This can best be achieved by affording all students access to curricula and learning environments more commonly provided to older students. The acceleration policy describes the process that shall be used for evaluating students for possible accelerated placement in the following five ways:

• Early admission to kindergarten;
• Early admission to first grade;
• Accelerated in one or more individual subject areas;
• Promoted to a higher-grade level than their same-age peers; and
• Any additional acceleration to help a student. 

The acceleration policy shall be applied equitably and systematically to all students referred for acceleration regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gifted and talented status, twice/multiple exceptionality, English language proficiency, or socioeconomic background.

Accelerated placement is the placement of a student at the instructional level that best matches that student’s needs by allowing access to a curriculum and/or learning environment that is usually reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than the student.  

Accelerated placement is not limited to those students who have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is open to all students who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement.

How do I apply for acceleration for my student?

Any student residing in the district may be referred by a teacher, administrator, gifted education specialist, guidance counselor, school psychologist, or a parent or legal guardian of the student to the Principal for evaluation for possible accelerated placement.