Appendix E
Identification of Accelerated Learners
Recommended guidelines for identification of accelerated learners
Elementary
The percentiles represent the range students should score to be considered for various tiers of service
Measure
AIMSweb
DE Assessment
BRIGANCE
Early Screening
Profile
Formative
&Summative
Assessments
K-PREP/Stanford
10
MAP
Stanford 10
PCIS Appendix E
Area
K-5
Reading and Math
K-5
Reading, Math,
4th-Science
5th- Social Studies
Kindergarten
Language &
Communication
Cognitive & General
Knowledge
Reading & Math
Self Help-Motor Skills
Pre-School
Cognitive
K-5
Tier II Acceleration
80% - 94%
Tier III Acceleration
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
95% - 99%
3rd Reading & Math
4th Reading, Math,
Science
th
5 Reading, Math,
Social Studies, OnDemand Writing
K-5 Math, Reading,
Language
3-5 Science
K-2
Certain schools
participate
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
88-100
05/13/13
Middle School
The percentiles represent the range students should score to be considered for various tiers of service
Measure
AIMSweb
DE Assessment
EPAS
K-PREP/Stanford
10
MAZE
M-Comp
R-CBM
Area
– 8th
Reading and Math
th
6 -Language and Math
7th-Science
8th-Social Studies
8th grade
Tier II Acceleration
80% - 94%
Tier III Acceleration
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
See chart*
below
See chart*
Below
6th-Reading, Math, Writing
7th-Reading, Math,
Science
8th-Reading, Math,
Social Studies
6th- 8th
Reading Comprehension
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
6th – 8th
Math Calculations
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
6th – 8th Reading Fluency
80% - 94%
95% - 99%
6th
High School
The percentiles represent the range students should score to be considered for various tiers of service
Measure
DE Assessment
EPAS
MAP
PSAT **
SAT
Scholastic
Assessment Test
Area
English I:
College Readiness: Math,
Science, and English
See below chart *
Tier II Acceleration
80% - 94%
Tier III Acceleration
95% - 99%
See below chart *
See below chart *
9th – 12th
Math/Reading
29-33
29-33
10th – 11th
89% - 95%
96% - 99%
Spring – 11th
Fall – 12th
Recommend for 10th & 11th
1820-1970
1980-2400
**PSAT-Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test: This is an aptitude assessment testing reasoning and
verbal abilities. Recommended for students striving for National Merit Semifinalist/10 th grade
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
*EPAS Recommended Acceleration Chart: Tier II and Tier III Acceleration
English
EXPLORE
Tier II
Tier III
80% - 94% 95% - 99%
20 - 23
24 - 25
PLAN
ACT
Tier II
80% - 94%
26 - 29
Tier III
95% - 99%
30 - 32
Tier II
80% - 94%
29 - 33
Tier III
95% - 99%
34 - 36
Math
20 - 23
24 - 25
26 - 29
30 - 32
29 - 33
34 - 36
Reading
20 - 23
24 - 25
26 - 29
30 - 32
29 - 33
34 - 36
Science
20 - 23
24 - 25
26 - 29
30 - 32
29 - 33
34 - 36
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
Accelerated Academic Systems
Accelerated learning focuses on individual student goals to help address learning needs or to
enable students to pursue skill development more rapidly and at higher levels. Accelerated
learning includes interventions that are data-based to address individual learning needs.
Interventions may focus on efforts to help students progress toward target standards or may
focus on more complex content/skills delivered at a more rapid pace.
Tier I
All grade levels: scoring
<79%
Tier II Acceleration
All grade levels: Scoring 80%
- 94%
Tier III Acceleration
All grade levels: Scoring
95% - 99%

All students receive
core instruction that is
researched and
standards-based with
clear objectives and
have multiple avenues
to show mastery of
content, skills, and
learning.

All students who meet
above grade-level
benchmarks early or
quickly receive focused
and targeted
enhancement of
differentiated instruction
for individuals and/or
small groups.

A Student with high
abilities and others
exceeding advanced
expectations receive
intensive individually
designed curriculum
with increased depth
and complexity from
age-level peers.

Assessment data results
are used to shape future
instructional decisions.

Assessment data results
are used to shape future
instructional decisions.


Instructional pacing,
depth, and complexity
are varied with general
education or core
teacher providing
differentiated instruction.

Ensure continuous
progress, remove
academic ceilings and
align with the area(s) of
clustered group
instruction based on
interests, needs and
abilities
Students in Tier III
Acceleration are highly
gifted students whose
needs are not being
met in Tier 1 and Tier
2.

Frequent progress
monitoring provides
data that drives
customized strategies
to ensure the needs of
these students are
met.

Ensure continuous
progress, remove
academic ceilings and
align with the area(s)
based on interests,
needs and abilities
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
Key Strategies for Differentiated Instruction
Tier I
All grade levels: <79%
Differentiated Instruction
 Choice Boards
 Curriculum Compacting
 Extensions
 Flexible
tasks/Assessments
 Grouping strategies:
o Cluster Grouping
o Cooperative
Grouping
o Cross Grade
Groups
o Flexible Skills
Groups
o Full-time Ability
Grouping
o Regrouping by
achievement for
subject instruction
o Within class
performance
grouping
 Higher Order Thinking
Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Orbital Study
 Pre-assessment
 Scaffolding
 Tiered Assignments
PCIS Appendix E
Tier II Acceleration
All grade levels: Scoring 80% 94%
Differentiated Instruction
 Advanced Placement
 Dual Credit
 Flexible
tasks/Assessments
 Grouping strategies:
o Cluster Grouping
o Cooperative
Grouping
o Cross Grade
Groups
o Flexible Skills
Groups
o Full-time Ability
Grouping
o Regrouping by
achievement for
subject instruction
o Within class
performance
grouping
Note: Accelerated
students perform
significantly higher when
the majority of their time in
academic core is spent in
true peer interactions.
 Curriculum Compacting
 Honors/Advanced or PreAP Courses
 Independent Study
 Specialized Focus STEM
Curriculum Example:
Pre-Engineering &
Project Lead the Way
(PLTW)
 Subject-Matter
Acceleration
 Partial Acceleration
 Pre-assessment
 Tiered Assignments
Tier III Acceleration
All grade levels: Scoring
95% - 99%
Differentiated Instruction
 Advanced
Placement
 Grouping Strategies
 Dual Credit
 Early Entrance into
Middle Grade
Level Acceleration
School, High
School, or
Postsecondary
 Flexible
tasks/Assessments
 Independent Study
 Mentorships
 Pre-assessment
 Problem-based
learning
 Seminars
 Specialized Focus
STEM Curriculum
Example: PreEngineering &
Project Lead the
Way (PLTW)
 Symposiums
 Tiered Assignments
05/13/13
Types of Service Delivery Options of Key Strategies for Differentiated instruction
1. Acceleration: A strategy that differentiates the timing of content study by allowing
students who are ready to work on tasks that may be ahead of grade level.
2. Acceleration by Grade:
A student is considered to have grade skipped if he or she is given a grade-level
placement ahead of chronological-age peers. Grade-skipping may be done at the
beginning or during the school year.
3. Authentic Assessment: The use of learning tasks and products that have real-world
connections which allow students to exhibit their true knowledge of a subject matter.
4. Advanced/Honors Placement: The student participates in accelerated content of more
challenging material for purpose of receiving higher level of content, process and product.
5. Advanced Placement (AP):
The student participates in a course (traditionally in high school) that will confer college
credit upon successful completion of a qualifying score based upon AP College Board
examination.
6. Benchmark: The establishment of a cut score on a test or learning activity used to assess
students’ academic growth.
7. Concurrent/Dual Enrollment:
The student takes a course at one level and receives credit for a parallel course at a
higher level (e.g., taking algebra at the middle school level and receiving credit at both the
middle school and the high school level or taking a high school algebra course and
receiving credit for a university course upon successful completion).
8. Curriculum Compacting:
The student's instruction entails reduced amounts of introductory activities, drill, and
practice. Instructional experiences may also be based on relatively fewer instructional
objectives compared to the general curriculum. Curriculum compacting takes place after
pre-assessing student abilities. The time gained may be used for more advanced content
instruction or to participate in enrichment activities.
9. Early Admission to First Grade:
This practice can result from either the skipping of kindergarten, or from accelerating a
student from kindergarten in what would be the student's first year of school.
10. Early Entrance into Middle School, High School, or Postsecondary:
The student completes two or more majors in a total of five years and/or earns an
advanced degree along with or in lieu of a bachelors degree. Example: WKU Carol
Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
11. Extensions: Offer relevant extensions on specific topics to deepen student knowledge
and application. An option for learners who need additional challenges.
12. Flexible Assessments: Offer different assessment options that allow students to
demonstrate their mastery of new concepts, content, and skills.
13. Flexible Tasks: Allowing students to structure their own projects and investigations
according to their strengths and interests
14. Grouping Strategies:
a. Cluster grouping: A student included in a group of four or more accelerated
students placed in an instructional setting for purpose of receiving a differentiated
educational experience matched to the student’s need and abilities.
b. Cooperative learning groups: Like or mixed ability groups for the purpose of
developing peer interaction skills and cooperation.
c. Cross-graded or age grouping: Grouping by achievement level in a subject area
rather than by grade or age level.
d. Flexible skills grouping: Students are matched to skills by virtue of readiness, not
with the assumption that they all need the same assignment. Movement among
groups is common as students show growth in that skill.
e. Full-time ability grouping: High ability or high achievement levels are placed in a
separate group for differentiating their instruction. Ability grouping can be full or
part-time, permanent or flexible sorting.
f. Like-ability cooperative learning: Organizing groups of learners in three to four
member teams of like ability and adjusting the group task accordingly.
g. Regrouping by achievement for subject instruction: A form of grouping usually
“but not always” sorted for once a year that delivers appropriately differentiated
curriculum to students at a specific ability or achievement level.
h. Within class performance grouping: Sorting of students, topic by topic or subject
by subject, within one classroom for the provision of differentiated learning for each
group.
15. Higher Order Thinking Skills: Questioning in discussion or providing activities based on
processing that requires Bloom’s Taxonomy cognitive domain of analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, or other critical thinking skills.
16. Independent Study:
Independent study means a self-directed course or study of a selected topic of interest or
real-world issue at a deeper level. This can consist of one student or a small group of
students.
17. Mentorship:
A student is paired with a professional and/or mentor who provides advanced specialized
or advanced instruction such as an internship. Example: An advanced placement biology
student is paired with a Pulmonologist to shadow and work in a clinical setting on going
for a period of one year.
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
18. Pre-assessment: An array of pre-assessment options can guide instruction. By regularly
pre-assessing students, teachers can flexibly group students by ability and readiness
levels. Pre-assessment is also essential for compacting.
19. Problem-based learning: A student-centered instructional strategy in which students
collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Learning is driven by
challenging, open-ended problems. Students work in small, collaborative groups.
Teachers take on the role as “facilitators” of learning.
20. Project Lead the Way: Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is the leading provider of rigorous
and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education
curricular programs used in middle and high schools across the U.S. Some courses grant
college credit to Project Lead the Way Pathway to Engineering graduates from our PLTW
Certified high schools. Incoming University of Kentucky Engineering freshmen students
may earn college credit for each of the PLTW Pathway to Engineering courses [IED,
POE, DE, CIM, CEA, BE, AE] completed while enrolled in the Pulaski County School(s),
up to a maximum total of six UK College of Engineering credits.
21. Scaffolding: An educational approach in which teacher’s layer instruction with the
necessary support and guidance in order to sustain student growth. Scaffolding gives
students the context of foundation from which to understand new information. This is
fundamental in the movement to become more proficient learners.
22. Subject-Matter Acceleration/Partial Acceleration:
This practice allows students to be placed with classes with older peers for a portion of
the day (or with materials from higher grade placements) in one or more content areas.
Subject-matter acceleration or partial acceleration may be accomplished by the student
either physically moving to a higher-level class for instruction (e.g., a second-grade
student going to a fifth-grade reading group), or using higher-level curricular or study
materials.
23. Tiered/layered assignments- Varied levels of tasks to ensure that students explore
ideas and use skills at a level that builds on what they already know and encourage
growth. All students explore the same essential ideas but work at different levels of depth
and complexity. A typical lesson contains three layers; however, a lesson can contain as
many layers as needed for classroom instruction. Tiered assignments address mastery,
enrichment and challenge.
Progress Monitoring of Accelerated Learners
A system for monitoring student progress with accelerated service interventions will be
developed by each school. Methods for monitoring progress with interventions for accelerated
learners will include school-level Individual Learning Plans (ILP) and formative assessments.
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13
References:
Permission Statement
©2004 A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students.
This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3
nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people under 18.
www.DavidsonGifted.org.
Doing Differentiation, John Lester. Classroom Differentiation Strategy Flip Chart. Pieces of
Learning. Marion, IL Jan 2013
Re-forming Gifted Education, Karen B. Rogers. Grouping Strategies; Montana Office of Public
Instruction. Denise Juneau
Fall 2009; opi.mt.gov
RTI Action Network, Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman. The National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.
2011
Southern, W. & Jones, E.
Excerpt from A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students
University of Iowa College of Education Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent
Development
2004.
Additional sources: Kentucky Department of Education and 704 KAR 3:285. Programs for the
gifted and talented.
PCIS Appendix E
05/13/13