Acceleration Information

Before a student can be accelerated (whether subject acceleration or grade acceleration), the School District of Wisconsin Rapids has a policy in place that must be followed in order to properly recognize the need for educational alternatives and collect evidence of unusually high academic proficiency. The process includes a formal referral (which can be done by parent, student, teacher or GATES coordinator) and evaluation (conducted by GATES coordinator) for various types of acceleration. The acceleration process and program is comprehensive, across all subjects and examined for long-term effects and options. Please understand that acceleration means matching the curriculum to a student's abilities- tailoring the "classroom" to fit the individual and unique needs. What acceleration can mean for one student, could be something completely else for another.  Some examples of forms of acceleration include (but are not limited to): Early entrance into school, grade skipping, curriculum compaction, subject acceleration, advanced placement, dual enrollment and mentorship.

Questions to Ask Yourself Regarding Your Child's Well-Being

• Is my child motivated? Will this motivate my child or possibly disengage him/her?
• Does my child want more of a challenge? 
• Does my child want to accelerate?
• Does my child have any social/emotional/psychological issues that could hinder their progress if accelerated?
• Do I know my child's preferred learning style(s)?
• Have I thought about how accelerating my child now will effect him/her later? (classes, socialization, underperformance, etc)
• Does my child have a positive attitude towards teachers? 
• What kind of support can I offer? 

It is our intention to fully educate parents and guardians of all of the aspects to consider when choosing to accelerate a child or not.  Many people can see the value in acceleration and the potential positive effects it will have on the student. However, we feel it necessary to ensure that the full spectrum of possible effects of acceleration is fully communicated, so that an educated and well-based decision can be made for the success of the student.