Dunlap Accelerated Placement
As Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 aims to "empower all students to achieve their individual potential," some exceptional learners may require a more challenging learning environment. to ensure appropriate placement and student success, the District has a policy for evaluating and recommending accelerated placement, in accordance with the Accelerated Placement Act (Public Act 100-0421).
Parents/guardians/caregivers and teachers should note that in addition to academic ability, a student's motivation and social-emotional maturity are equally important factors when it comes to accelerated placement. Please speak to your child's building principal first before completing a referral if any of the following situations are present:
- The student has a sibling in the same grade level to which the student may be accelerated;
- The student is sufficiently challenged by the curriculum at his or her current grade level;
- the student would be significantly less emotionally mature than typical students at the grade level to which he or she may be accelerated; or
- The student responds negatively to parent(s)/guardian(s) about the possibility of acceleration.
Accelerated Placement forms are due each year by April 1 for the next academic year's placement. Mid-year acceleration is unlikely but may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
What is "Acclerated Placement"?
As defined by the Accelerated Placement Act, "'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 that is usually reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than the student." Accelerated Placement options in Dunlap CUSD #323 include early entrance to kindergarten and first grade, individual subject-level acceleration, and whole-grade acceleration. Acceleration is not limited to those who may have been identified as gifted or talented, not does such identification guarantee accelerated placement.
Early Kindergarten Entrance refers to the practice of a student who will not yet be five years of age by September 1 demonstrating the emotional maturity and academic readiness in order to be successful in kindergarten.
Early First-Grade Entrance refers to the practice of a student entering first grade before natural matriculation due to showing the social-emotional maturity and academic readiness in order to be successful in first grade.
Subject-Level Acceleration refers to the practice of assigning a student to specific content/coursework one grade level higher than is typically provided, given the student's age and/or current grade level, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in a specific content/subject area.
Whole-Grade Acceleration refers to the practice of assigning a student to one higher grade level than he or she would be assigned base don age and/or entry into the Kindergarten through Twlefth Grade Education System (Elementary and Secondary) for the purpose of providing access to challenging learning opportunities
Early Entrance to Kindergarten or First Grade
More information and the application form for Early Entrance Screening can be found here.
Referral Procedures for Acceleration Consideration
Any student residing in the district may eb referred by a teacher, administrator, guidance counselor, school psychologist, or a parent or legal guardian to the building principal for evaluation for potential accelerated placement. A student may refer him or herself through a district staff member who has a history and understanding of the student's academic needs, and the principal or designee shall obtain written permission from the student's legal parent(s) or guardian(s) in order to conduct Accelerated Placement Evaluation.
Please complete "Academic Acceleration Referral & Permission Form" by April 1 (or the next business day for years that April 1 is on a weekend). Completed forms can be emailed to the following individuals:
- The Building Principal where your student currently attends (or will attend for early entrance applications)
- Matt Andrews, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction & Human Resources, mandrews@dunlapcusd.net
Criteria for Acceleration
Multiple data pieces are examined for both subject and grade-level acceleration. Assessments that are part of the District's Assessment Schedule are examined first--among these assessments are STAR Reading and Math Assessments, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). Additional assessments will be selected as deemed necessary by the District evaluation team for either whole-grade or subject-level acceleration.