Reasoning for Acceleration
As noted in Ohio's Academic Content Standards: 

• No individual or group should be excluded from the opportunity to learn, and all students are presumed capable of learning. Every Ohio student, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, limited English proficiency, disability, or giftedness shall have access to a challenging, standards-based curriculum. 
  
• The knowledge and skills defined in Ohio’s academic content standards are within the reach of all students. Students, however, develop at different rates. All children learn and experience success given time and opportunity, but the degree to which the standards are met and the time it takes to reach the standards will vary from student to student 
  
  
• Students who can exceed the grade-level indicators and benchmarks set forth in the standards must be afforded the opportunity and be encouraged to do so. Students who are gifted may require special services or activities in order to fully develop their intellectual, creative, artistic and academic capabilities or to excel in a specific content area. Again, the point of departure is the standards-based curriculum.

   
• All children should be provided adjustments when necessary in order to address their individual needs. Identifying and nurturing the talents of all students will enable all students to reach the standards.

Accelerated Learning Options

Students in the Licking Heights School District may accelerate their learning using one, or more, of the following options: Whole-grade acceleration, single-subject acceleration, mentoring, curriculum compacting, advanced placement courses, college credit plus courses, early entrance to kindergarten, early admission to first grade, early high school graduation, early entrance to college and independent study opportunities using learning contracts.

Formal Acceleration Process

The state of Ohio has mandated that each district adopt an acceleration policy for use with whole grade, single subject, early entrance and early graduation accelerations. The board's policy is linked below.

When a student becomes a candidate for acceleration the LCESC gifted coordinator will follow a clear process, as outlined in the Acceleration Policy, to evaluate the candidate based on standardized testing, parent input, teacher input, and student input. The opinions and data gathered to support and/or deny acceleration will be extensively reviewed by an acceleration committee that may contain the student’s principal, current teacher, prospective teacher, counselor, curriculum director, parent and/or the LCESC gifted coordinator. Upon completion of this review, the committee will offer a formal recommendation regarding the acceleration of the candidate, as noted in Ohio Administrative Code 3301-35-06.