Related Links (pls be patient while we update links): | Overview | Top 7 | Part 1-Legislative Overview/Deferral | Part 2 - Forums | Part 3 - Draft Policy | Part 4-Overall Impression | Early K | Early 1 | Whole Grade Skip | Single Subject Grade Skip | Equity | More Thoughts and Questions | Timeline | Media links

The CPS proposed implementation could be modified in 7 easy ways suggested below to to serve more children more equitably. Use Links in the navigation at the top of this article to learn more. The purpose of the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act is to provide acceleration to the children that need it, in order to allow more gifted students to be taught to their potential.

1. Allow applications for a subject acceleration or grade skipping for grades 3-6 starting this June for the 2019 academic school year, during the same period as the kindergarten early admission evaluation timeframe.

1. Include selective enrollment programs, SEES and SEHS, in the initial implementation of the policy. The law requires the all students be allowed to access the accelerated placement evaluation process, regardless of whether or not they have been identified as gifted or admitted to any special program.

2. Allow acceleration if the child demonstrated that he or she would benefit from the accelerated placement based on a fair evaluation of multiple data points. There should be multiple pathways for demonstrating readiness for accelerated placement. The point of the law is not to require that a student hit minimum thresholds on all of the criteria considered.

3. Increase the grades for whom the skipping is allowed from 3-6 to 1-12.

4. Do not limit the number of years that can be skipped. Propose an additional set of criteria to skip additional grades.

5. Increase the number of months for early K to at least match 1st grade entry, for children turning 5 by December 31. Keep the checks to make sure the child is ready to go early, but remove the requirement that the child is gifted to attend K early.

6. Create an accountability process as part of the policy to show how CPS is evaluating equity and sharing outcomes of the evaluation with the public.

Related Links (pls be patient while we update links): | Overview | Top 7 | Part 1-Legislative Overview/Deferral | Part 2 - Forums | Part 3 - Draft Policy | Part 4-Overall Impression | Early K | Early 1 | Whole Grade Skip | Single Subject Grade Skip | Equity | More Thoughts and Questions | Timeline | Media links

Disclaimer: The above are all an opinion based on individual understanding of the information presented at a public forum. During the second forum, CPS shared verbally that the draft policy was available online to the general public, but we can’t find it so it’s based on notes taken during meeting. Please contact us if you find any error so that we can make a correction.

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