Elementary Single-Subject Acceleration

There are two avenues for the identification of students for elementary single-subject acceleration.

Proactive District Identification

Each February, District 112 automatically reviews existing data for all students in Grades 2-5. Students who meet the initial eligibility criteria for single-subject acceleration are identified through this proactive review.

Families of identified students are contacted directly by District 112 and invited to formally apply for further acceleration screening.

Parent/Guardian Request

Parents or guardians may also request that their child be considered for single-subject acceleration.

Requests must be submitted by February 1.

Submit a Parent/Guardian Request for Acceleration

Upon review of the request and relevant student data, District 112 will contact the family directly. Families will either:

• Receive a formal application to proceed with further acceleration screening if the student qualifies; or
• Be notified that the student does not currently meet the initial academic requirements for further screening toward single-subject acceleration.

Initial candidacy for elementary single-subject acceleration is based on NWEA MAP performance.

Families will receive notification from the District in February if their student is identified as an initial candidate for single-subject acceleration for the following school year.

The MAP cut scores used for initial identification are listed below.

Math MAP Cut Scores

Reading MAP Cut Scores

Note: Spring MAP scores for the current academic year are not available at the time of the initial identification process. Spring MAP scores from the previous academic year are used.

Students whose families apply for acceleration and who meet the initial academic requirements participate in additional screening.

To ensure a holistic and accurate view of student readiness, District 112 uses multiple valid and reliable measures, including:

• Cognitive Aptitude: CogAT assessment
• Curriculum-Based Measures: Specific performance tasks and benchmarks in math or English Language Arts
• Growth and Achievement: NWEA MAP assessments
• Social-Emotional Screening: Evaluation of the student's readiness for the transition to a higher-grade cohort

Following initial candidacy and application, students must meet the District's additional criteria for elementary single-subject acceleration.

• Cognitive Aptitude - Students must score in the 95th percentile nationally on a cognitive aptitude test.
• Curriculum-Based Measure - Students must score at least 90% on a math or English Language Arts curriculum-based measure of the grade they would skip to demonstrate readiness for acceleration.
• NWEA MAP - Students must score at the 99th percentile on at least two of the last three NWEA MAP tests of the grade they would skip to be considered for further testing.
• Social-Emotional Readiness - Students must score within the TYPICAL, age-appropriate social-emotional skills range on the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) to demonstrate social-emotional readiness for acceleration.

Final eligibility determinations are shared with families prior to the conclusion of the current school year.

For students who meet the single-subject acceleration criteria, families are given the final choice to accept or decline the accelerated placement before summer break begins.

Due to developmental considerations, acceleration for students currently enrolled in kindergarten and first grade is reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the request of individual families.

The process mirrors the District's single-subject acceleration process, including the timeline and assessment process.

Families are encouraged to review the Acceleration Frequently Asked Questions for additional information about eligibility, assessment, scheduling and other considerations related to acceleration.

View the Acceleration Frequently Asked Questions

For questions about elementary single-subject acceleration, please contact the Teaching and Learning Department.