The Crestline Exempted Village School District Board of Education

Acceleration Policy

The Board recognizes that all students learn and progress at different rates and that the time it takes to reach academic standards varies among students. The Board believes students should be challenged and supported to reach their full potential and that the practice of educational acceleration is used to match appropriate learning opportunities with student abilities. The goals of acceleration are to adjust the pace of instruction to the student's capabilities, provide an appropriate level of challenge by removing the barriers to accessing appropriately challenging curriculum and to reduce the time period necessary for students to complete traditional schooling.

The district uses acceleration strategics in four academic areas:

1. Whole grade acceleration: The practice of assigning a student on a full-time basis to a higher grade level than is typical, given the student's age, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.
    
2. 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 subject areas.
    
3. 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.
    
4. 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.

Referrals for students to be evaluated and assessed should be made to the building principal. Students referred and having parental permission are tested using a variety of assessments. The assessments are reviewed by an acceleration evaluation committee to determine the most appropriate and available learning environment for the students.

The committee issues a written recommendation to the building principal and the students' parents. Parents have the right to appeal the committee's recommendation to the Superintendent/designee.

The committee develops a written acceleration plan for any student who is admitted early to kindergarten, offered whole-grade acceleration or acceleration in one or more individual subjects areas. The parents of the student are provided with a copy of the written plan.