New York
Acceleration Policies
Is there a state acceleration policy?
Acceleration policies are typically determined at the local (school or
district) level. Contact a school representative or visit your school
district's website to determine if there is a written policy on academic
acceleration.
Although many states have gifted and talented legislation, acceleration often
is not explicitly discussed in that legislation. However, is worthwhile to
consider your state’s gifted legislation because acceleration may be allowed
implicitly.
Is there Gifted Legislation?
Local districts have discretion over the implementation of
talented and gifted programming. Definition
of Giftedness
However, screening for gifted students is mandated
at the state level.
State Gifted Website
New York
Department of Education Gifted Website
For information on gifted policies in all 50 states, see:
Acceleration Practices
Grade Acceleration
Is early entrance to kindergarten allowed?
New York law does not provide for early entrance to
kindergarten: Ҥ3202.
Public schools free to resident pupils; tuition from nonresident pupils.
1. A person over five and under twenty-one years of age who has not received a
high school diploma is entitled to attend the public schools maintained in the
district in which such person resides without the payment of tuition...Nothing
herein contained shall, however, require a board of education to admit a child
who becomes five years of age after the school year has commenced unless his
birthday occurs on or before the first of December."
Early High School Graduation
New York has general New
York State Graduation Requirements, but the state also allows alternative
ways of fulfilling graduation requirements, including credit by
examination. As long as all fulfillments are required, early
graduation from high school is permitted.
Dual Enrollment
Cornell University
Summer College allows sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school to
earn college credit by taking classes during the summer.
Information about programs that allow early
entrance to college can be found at earlyentrance.org.
To learn more about state dual enrollment
policies, please see NAGC's 2008-2009
State of the States in Gifted Education Report. For more specific (but
slightly older) information on dual enrollment policies by state, please see
the U.S. Department of Education's Update
to State Dual Enrollment Policies.
Subject acceleration
Decisions about subject acceleration are almost always made at the local
level. Contact a school representative or visit your school district's website
to determine if there is a policy on subject (content area) acceleration. At
the secondary level, many schools offer Advanced
Placement coursework, a form of content acceleration. There is more
variability in practice at the elementary level.
Educational Opportunities
Primary and secondary educational opportunities
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement classes, including those
related to social studies, are offered in New York.
Eighth graders are also allowed subject-matter acceleration in social
studies, among other
subjects, for high school graduation credit.
State Association for the Gifted
Advocacy for Gifted and
Talented Education in New York State (AGATE-NY)
