Early Entrance & Accelerated Placement
Application for Early Entrance into Kindergarten/First Grade
Any parent/guardian may refer their child for Accelerated Placement by completing the application. Early Entrance requests will only be accepted from families who currently reside within school district boundaries. Parents/guardians will submit the Early Entrance Application to the principal of their child’s school. Requests for early entrance will only be accepted through June 1st of the school year prior to the requested entry date. All students being considered for early entrance must be toilet trained.
Early Entrance into Kindergarten
Consistent with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, the district admits some students early to kindergarten based upon an assessment of his or her readiness to attend school.
Early Entrance into 1st Grade
To be admitted early to first grade, students must meet certain readiness criteria established by the district, have previously been taught by an appropriately licensed teacher in the State of Illinois, and attended kindergarten for a full school year.
Early Entrance Assessment and Decision-Making Process
Based on a review of the information provided on the application, the Round Lake Area School District will determine if a child should participate in an evaluation for early entrance.
Assessment Process:
- District 116 completes a screening of academic skills in reading and math. The child must score proficient on mid-year curriculum-based measurement probes at the kindergarten level.
- District 116 completes an individual assessment of student intelligence. The child must score in the 85th percentile or better on intelligence as measured by an individually administered cognitive assessment. District 116 does not accept private cognitive evaluations.
- When appropriate, the district will complete a language screener to determine English proficiency for students who speak a second language or who have a second language present in the home.
Based on the completed evaluation, district 116 will make a decision regarding the appropriate grade placement.
Children who are accepted for early entrance will be enrolled on a probationary basis. The school staff will assess each child’s initial adjustment to school during the first 30 school days. If a child’s initial adjustment is not satisfactory, district 116 will require that the child enroll when the child meets the state’s enrollment age requirement for the appropriate grade level. If the child is accepted for early entrance and is not ready for the next grade, the district reserves the right to retain the child.
Continuum of Services
Identification for enrichment in district 116 schools does not align with traditional approaches or the use of a gifted class model. Identification means students have demonstrated that they are proficient with the standards in any given unit of study. District 116 utilizes a mastery-learning model of instruction. This is not a pullout service delivery model, but rather a collaboration between the classroom teacher and the Instructional Coaches to personalize and fulfill each student’s needs based upon their mastery of standards being taught. Identification also does not mean the student always needs enrichment.
Our Continuum of Enrichment Services includes:
- Classroom Differentiation
- Enrichment opportunities within the classroom
- Math Acceleration in grades four and five