Columbia Local Schools

Procedural Checklist for Early Entrance to Kindergarten

(Whole-Grade Acceleration)

APPLY FOR EARLY ENTRANCE TO KINDERGARTEN:

• Parents/Legal Guardians will submit this completed Application for Acceleration to the Administration Center. 

ASSESS ABILITY (COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT):

• The School Psychologist will contact parents to schedule an ODE-approved cognitive assessment.
• Student will take ODE-approved cognitive assessment administered by School Psychologist at Columbia Local Schools.

SCORE/REPORT OF COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS:

• If the student's cognitive score is 115 or higher, the acceleration process will continue with aptitude and achievement testing.  Parents will be notified by phone or email in order to schedule assessments (see next section). 
• If the student's cognitive score is below 115, the acceleration process will conclude and no acceleration will occur. Parents will be notified by letter via U.S. Mail.

ASSESS APTITUDE & ACHIEVEMENT (ACADEMIC TESTING):

• The student will be assessed at Columbia Local Schools in academics, using ODE approved assessments, with scores normed at age level (achievement) and above grade level (aptitude).  Scores will be entered into a rubric on the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS) for evaluation.

SCORE/REPORT OF APTITUDE & ACHIEVEMENT ASSESSMENTS:

•  If the student's Aptitude and Achievement rubric score on the IAS is greater or equal to 10, the acceleration process will continue (see next section.)
• If the student's Aptitude and Achievement rubric score is less than 10, the acceleration process will conclude and no acceleration will occur. 

• Surveys will be sent to the parents/legal guardians, as well as the student's preschool teacher (if applicable) in order to gather information regarding school, Academics, developmental factors, interpersonal skills, attitude and support information.
• Survey information will be added to the IAS rubric with the calculation of a grand total encompassing all of the survey information plus the Ability, Achievement and Aptitude data.

PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATION/ACCELERATION TEAM MEETING:

• Parents/Legal Guardians will be contacted to schedule the Acceleration Meeting.  During this time rubric scores will be discussed as well as the Acceleration Team's recommendation for placement.

A printable copy of this checklist can be found here.