• On Grade Level: Math course aligns with the current grade of enrollment.
• Advanced: One grade level above the current grade of enrollment.
• Accelerated: Two grade levels above the current grade of enrollment. 

The D181 math course trajectory is illustrated below:

Students must maintain a high level of performance in an advanced or accelerated course as reflected in their overall trimester/quarter grades. Teachers will collaborate and work with students and parents if a student’s unit/chapter/common assessment average falls below 80%. 

If a student’s unit/chapter/common assessment average falls below 70% for any two quarters/trimesters, the student will be placed in a course that more effectively meets their learning needs. However, students may be moved out sooner as determined by the team.      

To fully qualify for an advanced or accelerated math placement, a student must qualify and either pass the Bridge pre-assessment with an 85% or greater OR successfully complete Summer Bridge and pass the Bridge post-test with an 85% or greater. 

The advanced and accelerated process and criteria are outlined in the infographics and charts linked below (27-28 criteria pending BOE approval in November, 2026)

• Math Placement Criteria Tables for 26-27 Placement 
• Math Placement Criteria Infographics for 26-27 Placement

Parents who wish to externally appeal their child’s placement are given the opportunity in May once placement qualifications have been shared with families. Final decisions lie with the D181 appeals committee, and no further appeals will be accepted. 

Process to apply for advancement beyond the D181 Math Course Trajectory:

For students and families who are interested in exploring advancement beyond the D181 accelerated math course trajectory, students must demonstrate a history of consistent performance at a level equivalent to top achievers three grades above their current grade of enrollment for outlier consideration and four grades above their current grade of enrollment for double outlier consideration. 

Progression options:

D181 Accelerated trajectory (two grades above) > Outlier placement (three grades above)

OR

Outlier placement (three grades above) > Double outlier placement (four grades above)

Feedback from tutors, outside evaluators, or outside coursework will not be considered in this process. Fifth grade is the final year to apply for this type of advancement. Students are not permitted to skip math courses beyond 8CC Pre-Algebra.  Courses must be taken in sequence and concurrent enrollment in multiple math courses is not permitted. Summer Bridge is not a part of the outlier consideration process. 

STEP 1: PARENT APPLICATION

To apply for advancement beyond the D181 accelerated math course trajectory for the following school year, a request must be submitted to the D181 Department of Learning via this form prior to Spring Break. 

STEP 2: HISTORICAL DATA ANALYSIS

The following data will be gathered and analyzed by the Director of Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation by the end of the Spring MAP assessment window:

If the student does not qualify based on the assessments above, parents will be notified by the end of the school year, and the student will remain in their current math course trajectory. 

STEP 3: ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND SURVEYS

If the student has qualifying scores according to the assessments above, the outlier consideration process will continue.  The following assessments and scales will be administered during May/June:

Math End of Course Assessment	The math end of course assessment covers standards addressed in the course the student is seeking to skip over in pursuit of an outlier placement. Students must score at least 90% on this assessment, with no major standard deficiencies.
ADAM: Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment of Mathematics	The overall ADAM score, along with scores on each of the subtests must demonstrate readiness for the requested course, with no major standard deficiencies.
IAAT	For students seeking an Algebra I placement: 96th percentile or greater, which aligns to stanine 9 of 9.
GRS: Gifted Rating Scale	Scores of “High Probability” or “Very High Probability” from previous and/or current teachers.

 

STEP 4: DATA REVIEW AND RESULTS

The Department of Learning will review the evidence and make a final determination of math placement by the end of June. Results will be shared with families via email. Appeals to this process will not be accepted. 

The math trajectory for approved outlier students is illustrated below:

Students who have completed Algebra 1 H in 6th grade with an A average of all 4 quarters and who have completed Geometry H in 7th grade with an A average of all 4 quarters will be placed in Algebra 2/Trig H The quarter averages will be calculated for each of the two courses separately.  The 8 quarters will not be averaged together.  An average below A in either course constitutes placement in Integrated Alg/Geo H. 

District 181 offers multiple trajectories for middle school ELA and Social Studies placement. Starting in sixth grade, students qualify for placements in the following trajectories: 

• ELA: On-level English Language Arts 
• A-ELA: Advanced English Language Arts
• SS: On-level Social Studies
• ACE: Affective Cognitive Enrichment (Advanced Social Studies)

The ELA and SS course placement process and criteria are outlined in the infographics and charts linked below (27-28 criteria pending BOE approval in November, 2026)

• Language Arts and Social Studies Criteria Tables for 26-27 Placement 
• Language Arts Placement Criteria Infographics for 26-27 Placement
• Social Studies Placement Criteria Infographics for 26-27 Placement

Parents who wish to externally appeal their child’s placement are given the opportunity in May once placement qualifications have been shared with families. Final decisions lie with the D181 appeals committee, and no further appeals will be accepted.

✅ Students must maintain a high level of performance in an advanced or accelerated course as reflected in their overall quarter/trimester grade.

✅ Teachers will collaborate and work with students and parents if a student’s chapter/unit and common assessment average falls below 80%.

✅ If a student’s chapter/unit and common assessment average falls below 70% for two quarters/trimesters, the student will be placed in a course that more effectively meets their learning needs. 

✅ Student placement may be adjusted sooner as determined by the team.

Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/10-20.12) specifies that a child must be five years old on or before September 1st of their kindergarten year or six years old on or before September 1st of their first-grade year in order to be age-eligible for enrollment

Per Board Policy 6.135, CCSD 181 provides and Accelerated Placement Program that outlines the following options for early entrance to kindergarten or first grade:

• KDG: Students with birthdays that fall between September 2 and October 15 of the year of entrance and will be five prior to or on October 15
• FIRST GRADE: Students with birthdays that fall between September 2 and December 31 of the year of entrance and will be six prior to or on December 31.

KINDERGARTEN EARLY ENTRANCE

At the written request of a parent or professional with knowledge of the child such as a preschool educator, a child may enter kindergarten if his/her birthday falls between September 2 and October 15 of the year of entrance and will be five prior to or on October 15. Written request must be submitted to the D181 District Office by June 30. The child will be admitted to kindergarten based on school readiness for social emotional aspects of learning, aptitude, and achievement.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Written request, early entrance application, consent to test form, birth certificate, preschool records including attendance dates and achievement, residency documents, enrollment documents

PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT NOTES
The assessments for early entrance include multiple valid and reliable indicators. To be eligible for early entrance, students must exhibit significantly above average performance for their age in math and literacy and demonstrate age-appropriate social/emotional skills.

Assessments used for early entrance:
Literacy Screener/ Reading Inventory
CogAT – Cognitive Abilities Test

In the event a new family moves into the D181 school boundary after June 30, a late request will be accepted with documentation of the move up to 30 school days prior to the first day of student attendance.

FIRST GRADE EARLY ENTRANCE CRITERIA

At the written request of a parent or professional with knowledge of the child such as a preschool or kindergarten educator, a child may enter first grade if his/her birthday falls between September 2 and December 31 of the year of entrance and will be six prior to or on December 31. Written request must be submitted to the D181 District Office by June 30. The child will be admitted to first grade based on first grade readiness for social emotional aspects of learning, aptitude and achievement.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Written request, early entrance application, consent to test form, birth certificate, kindergarten records from an accredited school with a licensed teacher including the IEIN number, residency documents, enrollment document

PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT NOTES
The assessments for early entrance include multiple valid and reliable indicators. To be eligible for early entrance, students must exhibit significantly above average performance for their age in math and literacy and demonstrate age-appropriate social/emotional skills.

Assessments used for early entrance:  
Literacy Screener/Reading Inventory
CogAT – Cognitive Abilities Test  

In the event a new family moves into the D181 school boundary after June 30, a late request will be accepted with documentation of the move up to 30 school days prior to the first day of student attendance. 

Per Board Policy 6.135, CCSD 181 provides and Accelerated Placement Program that outlines the following options for single subject or whole grade acceleration:

• Kindergarten-Second Grade Math and ELA
• Third-Fifth Grade ELA

Third-Eighth Grade Math and Sixth-Eighth Grade ELA acceleration opportunities can be found under the course-specific placement criteria tabs above.

KINDERGARTEN-SECOND GRADE MATH AND ELA SINGLE SUBJECT

At the written request of a parent or professional with knowledge of the child such as an educator, a child may be assessed for single subject enrichment. Written request must be submitted to the building principal by October 16 for students in grades 1-2 and October 30 for students enrolled in Kindergarten.

Students in kindergarten through grade two who meet the criteria for single subject enrichment will remain in their current grade-level classroom with a high level of differentiation in a workshop model. A plan will be developed in conjunction with the team which may include the building principal, classroom teacher, differentiation specialist, reading specialist, social worker, psychologist, and parents.

 

THIRD - FIFTH GRADE SINGLE SUBJECT

At the written request of a parent or professional with knowledge of the child such as an educator, a child may be assessed for single subject enrichment. Written request must be submitted to the building principal by October 16.

Students in grades three through five who meet the criteria for single subject enrichment will remain in their current grade-level classroom with a high level of differentiation in a workshop model. Reading will be differentiated during the shared reading portion of the literacy block. A plan will be developed in conjunction with the team which may include the building principal, classroom teacher, differentiation specialist, reading specialist, social worker, psychologist, and parents.

 

FIRST-EIGHTH WHOLE GRADE ACCELERATION

At the written request of a parent or professional with knowledge of the child such as an educator, a child may be assessed for whole grade acceleration and demonstrate significantly above average performance for their age in all academic areas, aptitude, and demonstrate age-appropriate social/emotional skills. The principal and Department of Learning will assemble a school acceleration team and schedule a meeting with the team including the parents of the child. The team will typically consist of the administrator, school psychologist, social worker, current and former classroom teacher, and any other staff who may have information or expertise in the acceleration decision-making process. 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Written request, whole grade level acceleration application, consent to test form, enrollment & residency documents, school records. 

Deciding whether or not to accelerate a child is always a complex decision. A research-based guidance tool was created to standardize the process. This guidance tool, known as the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS), has proven itself as a systematic and defensible way to generate recommendations and guidelines for whole-grade acceleration. The IAS was developed by Belin & Blank from the International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. The scale is used to collect information from various sources to guide decision-making about whether a student is an excellent candidate for whole grade acceleration. 

The Iowa Acceleration Scale will be used to guide the acceleration process and decision. The team will have 60 school days from the time of written consent to complete the evaluation and make a decision. If the request occurs during summer months the 60 school day timeline will begin with the first day of school. 

The school team will make a decision using the IAS information and written notice of the outcome will be provided to the parents of the child. The child must obtain a score of 60-80 on the IAS as an excellent candidate for acceleration. If the child is granted acceleration, the team will develop a plan for movement.

PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT NOTES
Only one evaluation for acceleration will be conducted within a two year period for a student.

Assessments used for whole grade acceleration:  
Literacy Screener/Reading Inventory
CogAT – Cognitive Abilities Test  
IAS – Iowa Acceleration Scale (Aptitude, Achievement, Social/Emotional)