Page 33 - Superintendent Annual Report 2023-24

Course Acceleration

Acceleration refers to the practice of presenting curriculum content earlier or at a faster pace. In the District, acceleration
opportunities are provided in one or more subject areas, as well as grade-level acceleration, college courses offered in high
school, early graduation from high school, and early entrance into college. These options offer the flexibility needed to help
meet the individual needs of students.

The identification and selection of students for accelerated coursework is a school-based process. The District encourages
open access for any student interested and motivated to work toward success in an accelerated course. Schools use a variety
of methods to identify students with the potential to be successful in accelerated coursework. These methods include
teacher or counselor recommendations, grade point average (GPA) or proficiency levels, District and State assessment
results, student portfolios, and student success in prerequisite coursework.

A District-wide collaborative effort has been made to establish professional learning communities to support
teachers of accelerated courses. From monthly cadre meetings to Google Classrooms created for program-specific
training and supplemental curriculum, the District strives to support its teachers as they continue to enhance their
pedagogy of acceleration.

Accelerated Mathematics
Through course compaction, students have the opportunity to learn a year and a half worth of content in one academic
year without missing any standards. The images below show the breakdown of how mathematics content is compacted and
assessed within grades 3-8.
Elementary Acceleration Pathway Middle School Acceleration Pathway

Grade 3 Standards Instruction in Accelerated Grade 6 Standards Instruction in Accelerated
Math Grade 3 Math Grade 6
Take Grade 3 F.A.S.T. Take Grade 6 F.A.S.T.
Grade 4 Standards Grade 7 Standards

Instruction in Accelerated Instruction in Accelerated
Math Grade 7
Math Grade 4
Grade 5 Standards Take Grade 5 F.A.S.T. Grade 8 Standards Take Grade 8 F.A.S.T.

M/J Accelerated Grade 6 Algebra 1 Honors
(take Grade 6 F.A.S.T.) (take Algebra 1 E.O.C. Exam)

Accelerated Science
Middle school science acceleration provides students with the opportunity to learn a year and a half worth of content in
one academic year without missing any standards. Students receive instruction on grade 6, 7, and 8 standards during grade
6 and 7, leading to high school Physical Science Honors in grade 8.

High School Acceleration
The District continues to expand access to accelerated work to more high school students by creating opportunities for
students to access college-level work while still in high school. Obtaining credit and accelerated opportunities are more
valuable than ever as students who take accelerated courses are more likely than their peers to attend college and graduate
on time.

EDUCATE | AFFIRM | INSPIRE 33