A Guide for Parents Considering Acceleration
How do I know if acceleration is right for my child?
If you are considering acceleration for your child, you’ll want to discuss the following with their teacher and/or school counselor:
- Does your child frequently work well above grade level?
- Are their MAP scores consistently high in the subject area you’re considering? RISD uses 92% as a guideline for this consideration.
- What other test measure of indicators have been considered?
- What is your goal in accelerating your child?
- Is your child able to take one or more rigorous three-hour paper and pencil tests (CBEs) as part of the acceleration process?
- If your child is still very young, have you considered the risks in not yet knowing how they will develop academically and/or socially?
- For secondary students, have you considered your child’s interests, strengths, and course trajectory?
What is Credit by Examination (CBE)?
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Credit by Examination (CBE) the test RISD uses for students to show proficiency in grade-level or course content. Per state and district policy, CBEs cover all assessable standards for the subject area or course and a student must score 80% or higher to be considered proficient.
- Each CBE is a rigorous, three-hour pencil and paper test.
- Students in elementary schools may accelerate in single subjects or grade levels based on CBE results.
- Secondary students may accelerate or earn course credit towards graduation requirements.
How does the acceleration process work?
Families must first talk to their child’s Advanced Learning Teacher and/or counselor. If this conversation results in deciding it may be appropriate for your child to take a CBE, you’ll be put in contact with Sara Mooney to discuss registration details. Parents should not contact Ms. Mooney before talking with their child’s teacher and/or counselor.
- RISD pays for a first attempt if the family has talked with their child’s teacher and/or counselor then Sara Mooney. The first attempt CBE is a state-approved, in-person paper and pencil test created by the University of Texas and administered by RISD proctors.
- If a child does not score the required 80% or higher, they may make a second attempt. Second attempt CBEs are created by Texas Tech University, approved by the state, and administered online by third-party service. Families must speak to Sara Mooney for instructions on registering.
- If a family registers their child for a CBE (first or second attempt) without first speaking to their child’s teacher and/or counselor as well as Sara Mooney, RISD reserves the right to not accept the test scores and permit the child to accelerate.
What else should I consider?
Please also be aware of the following:
- A child’s academic success in their current grade or love of a topic is not a certain indicator of readiness to accelerate through the next grade.
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Elementary students:
- Elementary subjects layer on one another. It may be most appropriate to talk to your child’s teacher about differentiating within the classroom.
- If your child scores 80% or higher on a CBE and accelerates, the campus will do the best they can to accommodate the child’s unique schedule. Class times may not align perfectly.
- If your child accelerates in elementary math, you may choose if their 5th grade (LHLC) or 6th grade math class will be a zero-hour online class taught by an RISD math teacher or if they will transport your child to the feeder middle school/junior high for class each day. For acceleration in other subjects, you will choose between an online asynchronous class through Texas Tech University or transporting your child to the feeder middle school/junior high for class.
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Secondary Students:
- Secondary CBEs are made up of two rigorous three-hour pencil and paper tests on content they have not been taught. A student must score an 80% or higher on each CBE to accelerate.
- If your child accelerates, the campus will do the best they can to accommodate scheduling, particularly as students wish to enroll in specialized programs and advanced courses.
- Colleges may or may not view acceleration as an indicator of academic success and readiness. For example, if a student wants to major in engineering and accelerated in math so they wouldn’t have a math class their senior year, colleges may see it as a risk to admit an engineering student who will have gone nearly 18 months without taking a math class by the time their freshman year of college begins.