Acceleration
Oak Grove offers two acceleration paths for students who are ready for more challenge:
- Whole-grade acceleration — a full-time grade skip, decided through interviews with the teacher, student, and parents, plus end-of-grade exams, the BASC-3, and the Iowa Acceleration Scale.
- Individual subject acceleration — moving ahead in a single subject. In grades 4–8, this requires enrollment in the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program for that subject.
Requests are made in the spring or summer. To start, contact Alexa Dunn, Director of Teaching & Learning, at adunn@ogschool.org.
Early entrance to kindergarten or 1st grade
Children who narrowly miss the September 1 age cutoff may apply for early entrance — a form of whole-grade acceleration into kindergarten or first grade. The process includes a readiness screening, the BASC-3 (completed by a guardian and a teacher or daycare provider), and the Iowa Acceleration Scale (via the Belin-Blank Center). Academic proficiency alone does not guarantee acceptance.
Applications are typically due in early March for the following school year. Contact Alexa Dunn for the current year's timeline and application.