Section 227.5  Definitions

"Accelerated placement" means the placement of a child in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than the child. (Section 14A-17 of the School Code)  Accelerated placement includes, but is not limited to, early entrance to kindergarten or first grade, single subject acceleration and grade acceleration.  Accelerated placement is not limited to those children who have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is open to all children who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement. (Section 14A-32 of the School Code)

"Early entrance to kindergarten" means the admission of a student to kindergarten who:

is assessed for and meets the admitting school district's readiness standards to attend school and will not yet be 5 years old by September 1 of that school year; and

will not yet be 5 years old by September 1 of that year, or, for school districts operating on a year-round basis, will not yet be 5 years old within 30 days after the commencement of that school term.  (Section 10-20.12 of the School Code)

"Early entrance to first grade" is the admission of a student to first grade who is assessed for and meets the admitting school district's readiness standards to attend school.  Such a student may, but is not required to, have attended a nonpublic preschool and continued his or her education at that school through kindergarten and been taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher.  Students who are younger than 6 upon starting first grade but who were admitted early to kindergarten do not need to be reevaluated prior to admission to first grade.

"Individual subject acceleration" means the practice of assigning a student to a specific content area at a higher instructional level than is typical given the student's grade for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas.

"Multiple persons" as used in Section 14A-32(a)(2) of the School Code includes, but is not limited to, the student's parent or guardian, current teachers, district gifted coordinator or gifted education specialist, guidance counselor, principal, and school psychologist.

"Multiple referrers" as used in Section 14A-32(b)(2) of the School Code includes, but is not limited to, the student's parents or guardian, current teachers, district gifted coordinator or gifted education specialist, guidance counselor, principal, and school psychologist.  Multiple referrers does not mean more than one person has to refer the student to begin the assessment process.

"School Code" means 105 ILCS 5.

"Whole grade acceleration" means the practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typical given the student's age on a full-time basis for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

(Source:  Added at 43 Ill. Reg. 7255, effective June 7, 2019; expedited correction at 43 Ill. Reg. 14934, effective June 7, 2019)