Requirements
- Applicants for Single-Subject Acceleration must be currently enrolled in 4th-6th grade.
- Students can only apply for Single-Grade Acceleration for the school in which they are currently enrolled; the outcome of the Single-Subject Acceleration process cannot be applied to a different school to which the student may apply.
- A testing fee of $35.00 will apply to single-subject acceleration; students who qualify for Free Lunch waivers are exempt from the testing fee.
Single-Subject Acceleration Info Sheet
Steps to Apply
1
The parent/legal guardian completes and submits an online application to the Office of Access and Enrollment during the application window.
2
In order to be considered for Single-Subject Acceleration, the student must meet the following pre-qualifications (no exceptions):
- Minimum grade point average of 3.75 or better in math/and or reading, per quarter, for the past two school years.
- Performance in the “Exceeds” test category from the previous school year on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in the subject(s) in which acceleration is sought (reading and/or math).
- The student must currently be in grades 4-6.
3
If the student meets the minimum requirements in all three of the pre-qualification areas, the school will conduct a final pre-qualification assessment/questionnaire on the following school factors identified on the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS): school and academic factors and interpersonal skills. The student must achieve a minimum of 16 points out of a possible 23.
4
If the student achieves the minimum points required on the IAS, the student will be scheduled to take evaluation exams in the area of Aptitude. The evaluation will be administered at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The parent/legal guardian will receive a test ticket via email notifying them of the test date, time, and location. The student must score a minimum of 6 points out of a possible 8. Please see the Information Sheet for more information on scoring.
Even though the student may only be testing for acceleration in reading or math, they will be tested and scored in ALL areas (math, reading, language arts, and a core composite score). The student will be required to get 2 points in the subject(s) in which acceleration is sought.
5
If the student scores the minimum required points, the student’s points will be tallied from the Iowa Acceleration Scale and the Aptitude exam. Students must have a minimum final score of 22 points in order to be considered for Single-Subject Acceleration. Final approval for acceleration must be provided by the school’s Acceleration Team and principal. If approved, the parent/legal guardian will receive a letter of notification from the school along with the next steps for planning for the coming school year.