by Emily Villamar-Robbins
Parent question: My elementary student is very advanced in math. I requested that my student be moved ahead a year in math because I heard that Texas requires districts to allow acceleration for students who receive GT services in grades K-12. My public school district responded that they do not allow this, and that they already meet the state “acceleration” requirement through teaching students with depth and complexity. Is this allowed?
Answer: GEFN volunteers have been asked variations of this question for many years. Fortunately, the 2024 update to the State Plan provided clarification and answers for both parents and districts. Let’s dive in.
Definition of acceleration: In 2024, the State Plan was revised to define acceleration:
“Acceleration is an academic intervention that matches the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum with the readiness and motivation of the student. It involves mastering knowledge and skills at a rate faster or at an age earlier than the norm.”
As you can see, the two key components of acceleration are the speed of mastery and the age of the student in relation to the usual age at which the curriculum is taught. The Depth and Complexity framework is a well-known set of teaching strategies that can provide meaningful opportunities to explore subjects beyond the surface level, but this framework is not intended as a substitute for students who need acceleration. If a district’s use of “depth and complexity” does not allow a student to either (1) master knowledge at skills at a rate faster than the norm, or (2) master knowledge and skills at an age earlier than the norm, then those strategies would not qualify as acceleration.
What does Texas require? State Plan Section 4.5 requires that “Opportunities are provided to accelerate in areas of student strengths (19 TAC §89.3(4)).” Section 4.6 further requires that “Flexible pacing is employed, allowing students to learn at the pace and level appropriate to their abilities and skills.” The entire State Plan applies to GT-identified students in grades K-12.
As noted in a previous blog post, the requirement for acceleration “in areas of student strength” comes directly from the Administrative Code. Because the Education Code and Administrative Code designate the State Plan to be used for compliance, the State Plan accountability standards are requirements that all Texas districts must follow. These requirements are not optional.
Definition of “areas of student strengths”: Because of continuing questions about Section 4.5, the 2024 State Plan revisions also define “Areas of Student Strength” as follows:
“Specific levels of achievement in the foundation curricular areas to include single subject acceleration in grades K-12”
TEA Guidance: In case any confusion still remains, current TEA Guidance explains that in addition to the CBE (Credit by Examination) process that includes single-subject acceleration in grades 6-12, districts must also develop a way for GT-identified students in grades K-5 to be considered for single subject acceleration:
“Subject acceleration for GT students in grades K-5: Because 19 TAC §89.3(4) is separate from the Credit by Examination statute, specifically applies to GT-identified services, and specifies acceleration in “areas of strength,” districts should develop a process for identifying GT students as candidates for single-subject acceleration in grades K-5 and facilitating acceleration in “areas of strength,” per statute.” (emphasis added)
Practical answer: In most districts, depth and complexity strategies typically do not result in acceleration and would not meet the requirements of State Plan 4.5. If a district believes that these strategies do constitute acceleration, the district should be able to demonstrate how these strategies result in the student mastering content at a higher level or faster pace than their age-grade peers, and the district should be able to show how the student will be able to continue learning at an accelerated pace and level without repeating concepts or skills in the future. Additionally, single-subject acceleration in foundational curricular areas (math, science, language arts, science) must be available as a potential intervention for which GT-identified students in all grade levels can be considered.
If a student’s data indicates that the student is able to learn a subject at a rate measurably faster than normal for their age-grade, or is ready to learn content at a higher level than normal for their age-grade, decisionmakers should look to published recommendations on single-subject acceleration to determine whether the student would be a good candidate. It is important to remember that decisions involving acceleration should be individualized, and decisionmakers should consider the student’s own feelings about acceleration in addition to relevant student data. If a district declined to consider whether a GT-identified elementary student could be eligible for single-subject acceleration, this would not follow the requirements of the State Plan.
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Reputable resources addressing single-subject acceleration policies and implementation:
Belin-Blank Center Blog, 2023: https://belinblank.wordpress.com/2023/02/02/thinking-about-subject-acceleration/
Developing Acceleration Policies, 2018:
https://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Resources/Policy_Guidelines
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This resource is provided for general information purposes, does not constitute legal advice, is not intended as and should not be interpreted as legal advice, and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.
Emily Villamar-Robbins is an attorney who advises and assists families with legal matters involving gifted education, advanced learning, acceleration, and disability needs, including Section 504 and Special Education. She can be contacted at her firm: www.fultonjeang.com/emily-villamar-robbins.
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