Grand Forks Public Schools
Acceleration Policy/Procedure
The Grand Forks Public School District is committed to fostering the continuous educational and personal growth of its students. Student progress shall be continually evaluated based on state and local achievement standards, course content standards, and education goals and objectives as established by administration and the teaching staff.
We understand that gifted students come from all socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds and may also be served on Individualized Education Plans or Individualized Learning Plans, and believe that they must be engaged in challenges within the classroom.
Grand Forks Public Schools offers a range of services to help meet the needs of gifted students, and are listed sequentially below:
Tier 1 Interventions include in-class enrichment, a differentiated curriculum and Level 4 resources in the areas of math and language arts provided by the classroom teacher.
Tier 2 Interventions involve the process of subject acceleration in the area of expertise guided by the classroom teacher and enrichment services coordinator. This link outlines the procedure for subject acceleration:
Tier 3 Interventions involve the process of grade acceleration. Because whole-grade acceleration is complex, careful consideration must be made to ensure the student has a successful experience. Established guidelines are needed to help parents and educators make appropriate decisions about grade acceleration. The district’s gifted services coordinator will assemble a team consisting of the classroom teacher, receiving teacher, principal, school psychologist, special education teacher and parents to move forward with this process if Tiers 1 and 2 are not sufficient for growth, and will implement the Iowa Acceleration Scale to guide the decision about acceleration.
Grade Acceleration Procedure
Students will be tested by a school psychologist and a member of the special ed team.
- Ability Test - (IQ)
- Aptitude Test - Woodcock Johnson
Students must score 90% or higher in all six areas to demonstrate mastery AND score at least 130 or higher on the IQ test to continue the grade acceleration process.