This information was produced by the staff of the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (B-BC) at the University of Iowa (belinblank.org). The resources and information listed here are for informational purposes; there is no direct or implied endorsement by the B-BC. Services provided by the B-BC include programs for academically talented K-12 and college students, professional development for teachers, the Assessment and Counseling Clinic, the Acceleration Institute (accelerationinstitute.org), and graduate programs and research in gifted education.

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State Policies in Illinois  

Illinois does have a state acceleration policy.

Illinois state policy requires each school district to have a policy that allows for accelerated placement.

Grade-based Acceleration

Early entrance to kindergarten

No state policy; up to LEA to determine whether early entrance to kindergarten is permitted.

State policy language for early entrance to Kindergarten can be found  here.

Early entrance to 1st gradeState policy permits. State policy language for early entrance to First Grade can be found here.
Whole-grade acceleration

State poliicy permits. State policy language for Whole-grade acceleration can be found  here.


Early high school graduationThere is no specific policy regarding early high school graduation, and the Graduation Requirements outline courses that must be taken to graduate from an Illinois high school.
Early entrance to collegeShimer College offers an Early Entrant Program for students who have completed 10th or 11th grade.

Content-based Acceleration

Dual or concurrent enrollment in community college, college, or university

LEA determines whether dual enrollment in high school and college is permitted. Policy language for the Dual-Credit Quality Act  can be found here. 

Middle school students permitted dual or concurrent enrollment in high school

No state policy; up to LEA to determine. Each LEA is also responsible for determining whether students can be awarded high school graduation credit for courses taken while in middle school.
Advanced Placement®State policy permits. See the Illinois State Board of Education Advanced Placement for more information and AP resources.
Talent SearchThe Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University offers the Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) program, along with other options for summer and weekend programs for students, educators, and parents.
Credit by examination/proficiency-based promotion

LEAs determine policy. Plans for earning credit outside of regular classes should be approved in advance. See this website. for policy language.
Other forms of content-based acceleration

Typically left to LEAs to determine. If you know of state-level code, please e-mail us.

Additional Information


Illinois Department of Education
Illinois Association for Gifted Children

The information presented on this page was compiled from a variety of resources, including the State of the States in Gifted Education 2020-2021 (a report by the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted and the National Association for Gifted Children), Websites, professional literature, and personal communication. The Acceleration Institute has not verified the accuracy of this information and does not warrant its accuracy or fitness of use for any purpose. Users should verify information prior to taking any action. Furthermore, the appearance of selected programs and/or resources does not imply an endorsement or affiliation. Programs and resources are highlighted for informational purposes only.