Acceleration provides opportunities for K-8 students to move up one grade level. Students must meet the qualifications and requirements and be enrolled in a Garland ISD school to advance.

After testing, results will be collected by our Research, Assessment and Accountability Department (RAAD). These results will be sent to the home campus principal and counselor who will then contact the student’s parent/guardian with the results.

To determine whether testing and possible placement in first grade are the best options, parents, students and staff should consider: 

• the academic rigor of first grade
• the social and emotional impact on the student
• the effects of skipping a grade level on the student’s overall educational experience 

After making these considerations and if a student meets the following qualifications, then a parent/guardian may request that his/her child test for placement in first grade. 

The Kindergarten Acceleration program test is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Kindergarten students. The test is administered on the computer using the i-Ready Diagnostic assessment in both reading and mathematics.

Qualifications for testing

• The student must be 5 years of age on or before September 1
• The student must be registered for Kindergarten for the school year in Garland ISD
• Application for Kindergarten acceleration must be submitted prior to the deadline. The completed form can be emailed to cbe@garlandisd.net

Requirements to advance

• The student must score at above the target placement RIT score on the End of Year MAP Growth Achievement test in both reading & math, as determined by Garland ISD in alignment with the TEKS. Requirements to
• Advance: Student must meet or exceed the Garland ISD Kindergarten Acceleration benchmark scores: MAP Growth Reading: 163; MAP Growth Math: 167

If a child is recommended for acceleration, it will be on a probationary basis. Should the school or teacher feel it is in the best social, emotional, or academic interest of the child to be placed back in kindergarten, the parent will be contacted. 

Students may attempt to accelerate no more than two times for kindergarten.

Our acceleration tests use state-approved criterion-referenced exams developed by either the University of Texas at Austin or Texas Tech University. Students may take a Credit by Exam for acceleration purposes during any of the four testing periods.

Qualifications for testing

• The application must be submitted prior to the deadline. The completed form can be emailed to cawhitak@garlandisd.net.
  • Grades 1-5 Acceleration application (coming soon)
  • Grades 6-8 Acceleration application (coming soon)
• The student may only attempt to accelerate two times for the same grade/subject before they can no longer test.
• A student’s placement in a new grade level will only occur at the start of the school year, no matter what time the test was taken.

Requirements to advance

• The student should score at or above "late grade level" in math and reading on the i-Ready Diagnostic for the grade level they wish to skip.
• The student must score at least 80% on each of the four content areas in the criterion-referenced Credit by Exams (English/language arts, math, science, and social studies).
• Each student has two lifetime opportunities to accelerate per grade level.  There is no appeal process.
• For students in grades 4 or higher, the student must have scored at the Master's level in the prior year’s STAAR-tested subjects.

Note: For grades 6-8, there are two exams per content area, with one for each semester of coursework.