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The Chicago Board of Training unanimously accepted a coverage Thursday that district officers say will increase who can develop into eligible to skip a grade or entry accelerated coursework.
The coverage will go into impact this upcoming faculty 12 months and can assist decide accelerated studying assignments for teenagers within the 2026-27 faculty 12 months. Chicago Public Colleges officers mentioned the change is supposed to increase accelerated coursework or alternatives to extra college students, noting that the majority who at present develop into eligible stay on the town’s North Facet.
Beneath the brand new coverage, college students in grades 4-6 may be eligible to skip a grade or take accelerated math and studying if their scores on state checks fall among the many prime 10% of their grade at their faculties. Beforehand, college students needed to rating “exceeding” on state checks to qualify, a rating that roughly 4% of fourth and sixth graders and a couple of% of fifth graders attained final 12 months, in keeping with state knowledge.
Whereas board members didn’t talk about the change at Thursday’s assembly, elected board member Jennifer Custer and appointed board member Debby Pope each praised the modifications at a gathering earlier this month to assessment Thursday’s agenda.
The modifications may even remove exterior testing charges. College students who develop into eligible nonetheless want to satisfy a slew of different necessities, together with attaining a sure GPA, scoring excessive on district exams, and passing extra assessments, so as to be accepted to skip a grade or take accelerated math or studying.
District officers estimate that the modifications will increase eligibility to 1,500 extra college students. CPS didn’t instantly say what number of youngsters had been eligible to skip a grade or take an accelerated topic final faculty 12 months; in keeping with WBEZ, roughly 80 college students did so in 2022 and 2023.
The coverage modifications would additionally restrict “double acceleration,” when mother and father apply for early entrance to kindergarten and a seat at a selective enrollment faculty, which already supplies accelerated coursework. Now mother and father must select both a kind of choices.
Reema Amin is a reporter protecting Chicago Public Colleges. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
