Single Subject Acceleration (SSA)
SSA is an acceleration option offered to all students who qualify. Per WCPSS and the district set guidelines, SSA participation requires testing and specific qualifying criteria.
Click the link above to access a document containing the following:
an informational slide deck about SSA (with audio clips)
Test Request Windows (set by by the county)
Testing Windows (set by the county)
a list of Frequently Asked Questions about SSA (in English and Spanish)
link to the test request Google Form (created by by the county)
Students testing in the spring of 2024 are testing for SSA placement during the 2024-25 school year.
Students who qualify will grade skip in either Math or ELA.
Students who are already SSA do not need to retest. Their current SSA services will follow them to the next grade level. Students who will be in grade 5 and who will be taking grade 6 classes will receive their instruction through an online class.
SSA instruction is provided by a 1st - 5th grade teacher or via an online module program.
Students in grade 5 who are completing the online module will work independently and not receive direct instruction from a teacher. Any student can be nominated by a parent/guardian and tested during the assigned windows.
SSA testing only occurs once a year. The county sets all testing windows and testing criteria.
SSA is not AIG. SSA is an acceleration option provided by the county and is a separate and completely different program from AIG.
Whole Grade Advancement (WGA)
WGA is an acceleration option offered to all students who qualify. Per WCPSS and the district set guidelines,WGA participation requires meeting county criteria.
WGA students consistently perform 2-3 grade levels above his or her current grade level in literacy skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and mathematics.
Performance at this higher level is demonstrated both in rote skills (reading words, fluency and math calculation) and most importantly, in academic application (reading comprehension, retelling, written language, math application and problem solving).
There is a process to follow and required portfolio components that must be met in order to participate in WGA.
Early Kindergarten Entry (EKE)
Visit the website linked below to access the most current information about EKE
Pay careful attention to the parent packet that is linked on the website. The first few pages review the timeline for EKE and the requirements.
In order for a child to be considered for Early Kindergarten Entry (EKE) a child must be 4 years old by April 16th of the current year.
Wake County Public School System considers EKE to be equivalent to Whole Grade Advancement or the skipping of a grade.
A candidate for EKE must show advanced development in intellectual, academic, social and emotional maturity in addition to an interest in learning.
A child must score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized intelligence battery administered by a licensed psychologist or licensed psychological associate in order to be considered for the EKE program.
The child must also perform at or above the 98th percentile on a standardized reading or math achievement battery. If the standardized scores do not rank at the 98th percentile or higher on the intelligence and either the reading or math achievement battery, the EKE packet will not be forwarded to the child’s base school for review and the child will not be considered a candidate for Early Kindergarten Entry.
WCPSS does not provide recommendations for psychologists or psychological associates who conduct intelligence and achievement evaluations. Your child’s pediatrician or health insurance representative may be able to recommend providers. Please ask the psychologist or psychological associate who will be working with your child to refer to the EKE Required Documents (included in this packet) to ensure that the necessary information is collected.
Parents are responsible for the cost of the evaluations.
Q: Is AIG an accelerative practice in Wake County? When my student is working on AIG activities does they address standards that are above my student's current grade level?
A: No. All AIG lessons and activities are based on the grade level the student is currently enrolled in. If a student is participating in SSA, they are still participating in activities based on their enrolled grade level that matches the EOG they will take at the end of the school year.
Q: What are the accelerative practices WCPSS offers students?
A: WCPSS offers Single Subject Acceleration (SSA), Whole Grade Advancement (WGA), and Early Kindergarten Entry (EKE)
Q: Can my student's teacher nominate my child for SSA testing?
A: No. All nominations have to come from the parents/guardians. The district approved nomination form must be used and signed by the parents/guardians and the student before we can accept it. If you need one let your teacher know and one will be sent home with your student.
Q: Does my child need to be enrolled in a Wake County school before we start the WGA process?
A: Yes.
Q: If my student participates in SSA will they have a traditional schedule?
A: No. SSA students will most likely have a nontraditional schedule at Olive Chapel Elementary. This means they may have to attend specials, lunch, and/or recess with a class that is not their homeroom. They may have a schedule that fulfills the time requirements of the county but is not smooth and easy like their homeroom schedules. SSA students may have to hop back and forth between classrooms to receive all of their instruction.
Q: What is SSA like for students in fifth grade taking 6th grade classes?
A: Students in fifth grade who are taking 6th grade classes will work completely online. They will not receive daily live instruction from a teacher at Olive Chapel. All of their instruction is through previously recorded videos from the a middle school teacher. Assignments will be completed and turned in through an online system. The middle school teacher is available for student support via email.
Q: Does an AIG student receive gifted services even if they are participating in SSA or WGA?
A: Yes, if a student is identified as AIG they receive those services in addition to their SSA or WGA services. Participating in SSA or WGA is not considered AIG services, therefore identified AIG students will receive gifted services as outlined in their Differentiated Education Plan (DEP), as an extension of grade-level standards. A student does not have to be identified in the Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program to participate in SSA or WGA.