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. This test is taken on the computer using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) software.

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 2025-2026 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 or above the target percentile on the EOY (end of the year) Norms for NWEA/MAP Growth Assessment in both reading and math.
• The student must meet the target RIT score in Reading and Math.

Practicing for the exam

Students can explore the test layout and question presentation by taking the MAP practice test using Google Chrome. This practice test does not include the content of the exam. Please note that student testing must know how to use a mouse, as this test is not available on a touch-screen device. To login to the MAP Practice Test:

• Username: grow
• Password: grow

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 cbe@garlandisd.net.
  • Grades 1-5 Acceleration application
  • Grades 6-8 Acceleration application
• The student may only attempt to accelerate two times for the same grade/subject before they no longer can 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 the 80th percentile in both reading and math on the end of year NWEA/MAP test for the grade level they wish to skip.
• The student must score at least 80% on each of the four content areas, criterion-referenced Credit by Exams (language arts, mathematics, science and social studies).*
• Each student has two lifetime opportunities to accelerate per grade level.  There is no appeal process.
• For students in grades 4-8, the student must have scored at the Master's level in the prior year’s STAAR testing scores.

Note: For grades 6-8, there are two tests per content. One for each semester of coursework.