Illinois Acceleration Act

A yellow Illinois-shaped sign stands prominently in a field of tall, swaying grass against a cloudy blue sky.

In accordance with the Illinois Acceleration Act state mandate 105 ILCS 5/14A-32, early entrance to kindergarten, early entrance to first grade, whole grade acceleration, and individual subject acceleration in math or reading has been integrated into D34 policies and procedures.

Acceleration
Early Entrance

Acceleration

Math

District 34’s math program is designed to meet the needs of its highest-performing students, with qualifying students entering a two-year accelerated math pathway in sixth grade and continuing through eighth grade. Through this process, all District 34 students are automatically screened for two years of math acceleration. Students seeking acceleration through the Illinois Acceleration Act must demonstrate a history of consistently performing as outliers among their same-age peers, with achievement equivalent to that of top-performing students three grades above their current grade level.

For students who qualify for math acceleration through the Illinois Acceleration Act, the school will determine the most appropriate way to deliver accelerated math content in grades K–5. Beginning in sixth grade, these students will transition into the Double Accelerated math pathway, joining other students who have qualified for this pathway through District 34’s math placement process. The chart below outlines the available options for delivering accelerated content.

What to Expect if Your Child Qualifies for K-5 Math Acceleration

If a student qualifies for math acceleration, the school will determine the most appropriate option for delivering the accelerated content based on the student's needs and the school's scheduling and instructional considerations. The following options outline how accelerated content may be provided to students and what each approach entails.

Kindergarten – 5th Grade	6th Grade
Option 1: Grade-Level Math with Enrichment The student will participate in grade-level math with their same-grade peers while also working on supplemental enrichment and extension activities through a paid online gifted math program that incorporates standards from the next grade level. The program will be utilized regularly throughout the class period during independent work time, providing the student with a combination of grade-level instruction and independent extension activities as appropriate based on their learning needs and readiness to move beyond grade-level content.	Transition to Double Accelerated Pathway Students accepted for single-subject math acceleration will study mathematics one grade level ahead of their same-grade peers through fifth grade. Upon entering sixth grade, they will automatically transition to the double-accelerated pathway, studying seventh- and eighth-grade standards with other students in the highest mathematics pathway.
Option 2: Independent Online Course The student completes a self-paced online math course covering the next grade level's curriculum through Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy (IVSA). Because instruction is not live, the student works independently through the online course materials and communicates with a virtual teacher through the program's email system for questions and support. This option requires the student to manage their own progress and complete coursework independently. A District staff member will support students with logistics and access to the online course.
In-Person Acceleration (Grades K, 1, 3, and 4 only) The student may attend an in-person math class with students one grade level above at their school. This option is dependent on scheduling availability and may not be possible if schedules conflict or participation would cause the student to miss essential instruction in their assigned grade level.

Kindergarten – 5th Grade

6th Grade

Option 1: Grade-Level Math with Enrichment

The student will participate in grade-level math with their same-grade peers while also working on supplemental enrichment and extension activities through a paid online gifted math program that incorporates standards from the next grade level. The program will be utilized regularly throughout the class period during independent work time, providing the student with a combination of grade-level instruction and independent extension activities as appropriate based on their learning needs and readiness to move beyond grade-level content.

Transition to Double Accelerated Pathway

Students accepted for single-subject math acceleration will study mathematics one grade level ahead of their same-grade peers through fifth grade. Upon entering sixth grade, they will automatically transition to the double-accelerated pathway, studying seventh- and eighth-grade standards with other students in the highest mathematics pathway.

Option 2: Independent Online Course

The student completes a self-paced online math course covering the next grade level's curriculum through Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy (IVSA). Because instruction is not live, the student works independently through the online course materials and communicates with a virtual teacher through the program's email system for questions and support. This option requires the student to manage their own progress and complete coursework independently. A District staff member will support students with logistics and access to the online course.

In-Person Acceleration (Grades K, 1, 3, and 4 only)

The student may attend an in-person math class with students one grade level above at their school. This option is dependent on scheduling availability and may not be possible if schedules conflict or participation would cause the student to miss essential instruction in their assigned grade level.

The school will determine the most appropriate option for delivering accelerated math content based on the student's learning needs and the school's instructional and scheduling considerations.

K-5 Process to Apply for math acceleration through the Illinois Acceleration Act:

Step 1: Apply Online

Submit an Acceleration Act request application

Step 2: Sequential Acceleration Screening Process:

How the process works: Students must meet the required criteria at each screening stage to advance to the next assessment. If a student does not meet the criteria at any stage, the screening process ends, and no additional data will be gathered or reviewed. If required data are missing, the necessary assessments will be administered before determining whether the student meets the criteria to advance. Students in 6th grade and above are identified for acceleration through our District Accelerated Math Identification Matrix.

SCREENING STAGE 1
Kindergarten	1st Grade	2nd - 5th Grades
AimsWeb Plus Review the two most recent results	AimsWeb Plus Review the three most recent results	NWEA MAP Review the three most recent results	NWEA MAP Review the three most recent results
CRITERIA: Math Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for the grade level three years above their own. Literacy Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for their grade level. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.	CRITERIA: Math Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for the grade level three years above their own. Literacy Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for their grade level. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.	CRITERIA: Math MAP: 95th percentile or above for the grade level three years above the student's own. Reading MAP: 95th percentile or above for their grade level. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers. Target RIT score chart	CRITERIA: Math MAP: 95th percentile or above for the grade level three years above the student's own. Reading MAP: 95th percentile or above for their grade level. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers. Target RIT score chart
Criteria met? Yes --> Move on to Screening Stage 2 No --> Stop screening process

SCREENING STAGE 1

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd - 5th Grades

AimsWeb Plus

Review the two most recent results

AimsWeb Plus

Review the three most recent results

NWEA MAP

Review the three most recent results

NWEA MAP

Review the three most recent results

CRITERIA:

Math Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for the grade level three years above their own.

Literacy Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for their grade level.

Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.

CRITERIA:

Math Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for the grade level three years above their own.

Literacy Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for their grade level.

Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.

CRITERIA:

Math MAP: 95th percentile or above for the grade level three years above the student's own.

Reading MAP: 95th percentile or above for their grade level.

Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.

Target RIT score chart

CRITERIA:

Math MAP: 95th percentile or above for the grade level three years above the student's own.

Reading MAP: 95th percentile or above for their grade level.

Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.

Target RIT score chart

Criteria met?

Yes --> Move on to Screening Stage 2

No --> Stop screening process

SCREENING STAGE 2
Kinder - 5th Grade
CogAT Review the most recent result
CRITERIA: Quantitative benchmark score must be at least the 95th percentile or SAS score must be at least the 95th percentile.
Criteria met? Yes --> Move on to Screening Stage 3 No --> Stop screening process

SCREENING STAGE 2

Kinder - 5th Grade

CogAT

Review the most recent result

CRITERIA:

Quantitative benchmark score must be at least the 95th percentile or SAS score must be at least the 95th percentile.

Criteria met?

Yes --> Move on to Screening Stage 3

No --> Stop screening process

SCREENING STAGE 3
Kinder - 5th Grade
Math Content Test To be administered at the time of the application submission. Content test covers all of the standards for the student's current grade level.
CRITERIA: 95% correct with no major skill deficiencies
Criteria met? Yes --> Move on to Step 3 No --> Stop screening process

SCREENING STAGE 3

Kinder - 5th Grade

Math Content Test

To be administered at the time of the application submission. Content test covers all of the standards for the student's current grade level.

CRITERIA:

95% correct with no major skill deficiencies

Criteria met?

Yes --> Move on to Step 3

No --> Stop screening process

For students that do not have enough historical data to consider, additional diagnostic and/or content area assessments may be added to this process to ensure consistency in achievement.

If the student has qualifying scores according to the criteria above, the application process will continue to Step 3. If the student does not qualify, parents will be notified and the process will conclude at this point.

Step 3. Parent and Teacher Surveys Administered

Feedback from parents and the student's current or most recent teacher will be collected through surveys given by the acceleration team. Feedback from tutors and outside evaluations will not be considered.

Step 4. Matrix Data Review Team Meeting

The team will consist of District 34 stakeholder administrators and teachers.
All data including parent and teacher surveys will be reviewed using a matrix that was modeled after the IOWA Acceleration Scale.

Step 5. Result shared with parent via letter sent through email.

ELA

Process to apply for ELA acceleration through the Illinois Acceleration Act:

Step 1: Apply Online

Submit an Acceleration Request Application

Step 2: Assessment Data Reviewed

The acceleration team will gather the following data. If a student is missing any of the necessary data, tests will be administered accordingly.

Assessment Data:

Grades	Test Name	Score Needed
K - 8	AimsWeb Plus The most recent two results are both reviewed.	Literacy Benchmark: Composite score of at least the 95th percentile for student's current grade level. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers.
1 - 8	NWEA The most recent three (or more) results are all reviewed.	Reading MAP: 95th percentile or above for the grade level one year above the student's own. The NWEA Learning Continuum may also be examined to ensure there are no unmastered standards from the grade level to be skipped. Outlier Verification: The student must perform in a subgroup with no same-age like minded peers. Target RIT score chart
K - 6	CogAT	SAS score must be in at least the 95th percentile.
K-8	Content Area Test* The content test covers all of the standards for the student's current grade level.	95% correct with no major skill deficiencies.

* For students that do not have enough historical data to consider, additional diagnostic and/or content area assessments may be added to this process to ensure consistency in achievement.

Step 3. Parent and Teacher Surveys Administered

Feedback from parents and the student's current or most recent teacher will be collected through surveys given by the acceleration team. Feedback from tutors and outside evaluations will not be considered.

Step 4. Matrix Data Review Team Meeting

The team will consist of District 34 stakeholder administrators and teachers.
All data including parent and teacher surveys will be reviewed using a matrix that was modeled after the IOWA Acceleration Scale.

Step 5. Result shared with parent via letter sent through email.

Whole-Grade

Early Entrance

In accordance with Illinois law, children must turn five years old on or before September 1 of their kindergarten year to enroll. District 34 follows this requirement. In limited circumstances, however, the District may consider early entrance for children who demonstrate exceptionally advanced development when compared to same-age peers.

Early entrance is considered a form of whole-grade acceleration and is intended only for students who show significantly advanced intellectual ability as well as strong social-emotional readiness. The District is responsible for determining eligibility for early entrance and conducts all required evaluations as part of a comprehensive review process.

Choosing to enroll a child early is an important decision that can influence both academic progress and social development throughout a student’s school experience. While some children may display advanced academic skills at a young age, research indicates that early academic performance alone does not necessarily predict long-term achievement.

Children who enter school younger than their classmates may experience differences in physical maturity, emotional development, and social adjustment. As students move through the grade levels, being among the youngest in the class can sometimes present challenges in peer relationships and participation in age-based extracurricular activities. These factors are carefully considered during the review process.

To be eligible for early entrance consideration, a child must demonstrate exceptional strengths across multiple areas, including cognitive ability, academic readiness, functional skills, and social-emotional development. District 34 follows a structured evaluation process that may include record review, standardized assessments, and additional measures. Historically, only a small number of applicants meet the established criteria for early kindergarten placement.

Resources:

Help yourself become familiar with the wonderful advantages of a child attending a preschool program before kindergarten. This one-page document shows what a great opportunity preschool can be for your child.
What questions should you ask when deciding whether or not to accelerate your child?

Kindergarten
First Grade

Kindergarten

Steps for Consideration for Early Entrance to Kindergarten:

1. If your child has a birthday between September 2nd-October 15th, they are eligible to be considered for Early Entrance. Birthdays behind October 15th are not eligible for Early Entrance. Submit Early Entrance to Kindergarten Application. The application is also available in Spanish. This form must be submitted by April 15th to be considered in the process.

2. Child’s current teacher (if applicable) should complete the Teacher Feedback Form. The teacher feedback form is also available in Spanish and Korean. The parent submitting the form should pass this form along to the child's teacher.

3. Gifted Coordinator will conduct initial data review and will contact parents to schedule testing for May. A $200 testing fee will be applied and will be collected prior to testing.

4. The child will complete the following assessments with an Early Entrance Team at the District Office.

DAY 1: Screener of AIMSWeb Reading and Math Benchmark Assessments (30 minutes)
DAY 2: Cognitive Ability Test (CogAT) and Dial-4 Kindergarten Readiness Screener (1 hour)

5. Data review of the child's scores on the Kindergarten Early Entrance Matrix.

6. Results shared with parents via student performance report and letter through email.

7. If granted, the Gifted Coordinator will notify the school about the student's acceleration where the school will reach out to the parent to complete registration.

First Grade

To be considered for early entrance to First Grade according to the policies of District 34 and the State of Illinois, children must meet the following criteria. The child:

attended a non-public preschool and will complete kindergarten at that same facility.
was taught by an appropriately certified kindergarten teacher.

Steps for Consideration for Early Entrance to First Grade:

1. If criteria above is met, submit Early Entrance to First Grade Application. The application is also available in Spanish and Korean.

3. Gifted Coordinator will conduct initial data review and will contact parents to schedule testing for May.

4. The child will complete the following assessments with an Early Entrance Team at the District Office for a two-hour period in May. Assessments include:

AIMSWeb Reading and Math Benchmark Assessments
Cognitive Ability Test (CogAT)
Oral Reading Fluency Measures
Written Words Prompt

5. Data Review of the child's scores on the First Grade Early Entrance Matrix.

Measure	Point Determination
	2 points	1 point	O points
AimsWeb Literacy Composite	75% and above	74-30%	<29%
AimsWeb Math Composite	75% and above	74-30%	<29%
CogAT	75% and above	74-30%	<29%
Oral Reading Fluency Fall First Grade Passages	75% and above	74-30%	<29%
Written Words Prompt	75% and above	74-30%	<29%

Matrix Points Earned	Screening Results
6+	Student is a strong candidate; early entrance will be offered
5	Student is a good candidate; early entrance will be offered
<5	Early Entrance will not be offered

6. Results shared with parents via student performance report and letter through email.

7. If granted, the Gifted Coordinator will notify the school about the student's acceleration where the school will reach out to the parent to complete registration.