Accelerated Placement (Policy 6:135)
The District provides an Accelerated Placement Program (APP), which advances the District’s goal of providing educational programs with opportunities for each student to develop his or her maximum potential. APP options include, but are not limited to a) accelerating a student in a single subject, b) other grade level acceleration; and c) early entrance to kindergarten or first grade. This program involves a fair and equitable decision-making process, a parent notification process, and assessment processes that include multiple valid, reliable indicators. If you have any questions, please contact the building principal.
Accelerated Track (AT) Programs for high ability learners are available to students in grades 3-8 through the Accelerated Track (AT) Program. Students in grades 3-8 are formally identified and may qualify for:
● Grades 3-4 English Language Arts and/or Mathematics
● Grades 5-8 English Language Arts and/or Mathematics
Eligibility for the AT Program in grades 3-8 is determined using: the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), writing prompts for English Language Arts and math extended response or performance tasks. The rubrics used to determine eligibility for AT English Language Arts and AT Math are posted on the District website. Once a student qualifies for the AT Program, he/she remains in the program through 8th grade, unless academic performance suggests that continued placement is inappropriate. In fairness to all students, the District does not utilize outside testing results as part of its process for qualifying students for the program. Students new to Gower must meet the qualifying criteria for the AT Program. Students enrolled prior to December 1 will be evaluated for placement during the current school year. After December 1, new students who qualify for the AT Program enter in the fall of the next school year.
AT Qualifying Rubric: Reading/Language Arts and Literature
Eligibility for the AT English Language Arts program is based on student performance on the CogAT Verbal Reasoning test, MAP RIT scores in Reading, and a classroom writing prompt.
Points are awarded based upon student test performance. A score of 10 or higher, using any combination of points, is required to qualify for AT.
AT Qualifying Rubric: Mathematics Eligibility for the AT Math program is based on student performance on the CogAT Quantitative test, the MAP RIT score in math, and a classroom extended response/performance task. A score of 10 or higher, using any combination of points, is required to qualify for AT. The AT Math program accelerates students one year. Students will complete Geometry in 8th grade. High achieving math students who do not qualify for AT Math may qualify for High Math beginning in 5th grade. This program accelerates students, resulting in completion of Algebra I in 8th grade.
AT Eligibility Appeal Process
Gower believes that AT services are important to the intellectual and emotional development of qualified students. A parent, teacher, or student may appeal an eligibility decision by contacting Director of Curriculum & Instruction Karen Hess at 630-986-5383 to initiate an appeal. The Accelerated Track (AT) Program folder below contains more detailed information.
