General questions about Quest

Can you tell me about the Quest program?
 Lake Washington School District provides a continuum of services to meet the learning needs of students residing in our district. Quest offers two elementary program options for highly-capable students in first through sixth grade, which will change to second through fifth grade in the fall of 2012. One of the programs provides additional enrichment through pull-out services. The second is a self-contained, full-time placement that provides an accelerated curriculum in literacy and math. Both programs serve students who:

• demonstrate reasoning ability well above their chronological grade level
• perform well above their chronological grade level in reading and math achievement on standardized tests
• demonstrate the creative characteristics of highly capable students

How do I know if my student is a good candidate for the elementary Quest program?
 As the Quest program serves some of the most highly capable students in the district, only about 2.9% of all students in first through sixth grade (second through fifth in 2012-2013) are enrolled in the elementary full-time program and about 2.6% in the enrichment pull-out program. This means that only about one student in a classroom of 30 qualifies for Quest. One way to explore if this program would be a good fit for your student is to discuss your student’s academic abilities and performance with their teacher(s). Aside from high academic performance, here are some typical intellectual characteristics of gifted children:

• unusually large vocabulary for their age
• ability to read earlier than most children, often before entering school
• greater comprehension of the subtleties of language
• longer attention span, persistence and intense concentration
• ability to learn basic skills more quickly and with less practice
• wide range of interests
• highly developed curiosity and a limitless supply of questions
• interest in experimenting and doing things differently
• tendency to put ideas together in ways that are unusual and not obvious (divergent thinking)
• ability to retain a great deal of information
• unusual sense of humor

Why are you no longer testing kindergarten students?
Most school districts in the area do not measure kindergarten students for highly capable programs and we will no longer do so either. Cognitive measures of ability are not well developed for students in Kindergarten. We have had a difficult time determining which students are “highly capable” students and which students are simply more knowledgeable about subjects measured by the test.

When is the application period?
The application period for the next school year's program is held in the fall/early winter of each school year, and is open to students in first through seventh grade applying for the Quest program. There is an open application period for students currently enrolled in LWSD schools and for students not enrolled in LWSD schools, but who reside within the district. Students currently in Quest enrichment pull-out will need to apply if they wish to be considered for full-time Quest. This application will not negatively impact their continuing status in enrichment.

How do I get an application?
The Quest application must be submitted online. Any printed documents must be sent to the Quest office.

Can out-of-district students apply?
No. Applications are only accepted from students who reside within Lake Washington School District boundaries. To reside in the district means that the student lives at an address within the school district.

We don’t live in Lake Washington School District, but we are thinking of moving. Can we apply?
No. Applications are only accepted from students who currently reside in the district.

Will there be an information meeting for parents?
Quest parent information night for both elementary and middle school Quest programs will be held in the fall. All other information about Quest is available on the school district website. Printed information is available in schools and at the Quest office.

Can we observe Quest classrooms?
School tours for students who have qualified for Quest can be scheduled during times that are pre-determined by the school office.

How can I talk with parents of students in the program?
The Gifted Education Advisory Council (GEAC) is a good source of information about the Quest program, especially from the perspective of parents. Aside from regular meetings, GEAC has a parent representative at each Quest school.

How do I get more specific information about Quest?
Information about the Quest program is available on the school district website. There are also printed materials in the schools and at the Quest office.

Questions about prerequisites for testing

Are there any screening requirements for testing?
Yes. Screening requirements vary by grade level, so read the application materials very carefully. All applicants must meet the screening requirements to be assessed for the Quest program.

Can my child still take the assessments for Quest without report card grades and standardized test scores?
No. Report card grades are part of the application screening process. Private school students should submit scores for the standardized tests administered at the private school. If the school does not give report cards, teachers should fill in the information on the application form. All application materials must be submitted by the deadline.

Does everyone who completes an application and turns it in along with report card grades get assessed?
No, not necessarily. The application will be reviewed based on the screening criteria to determine if your child will be scheduled for assessment.

My child is in a private school. What should we do?
The Quest office reviews academic performance on your student's most recent report card. Complete the private school application, which asks for report card information. You can also pick up this form at the Quest office. Please note that we are seeking recent report card progress. Letters of recommendation from your student’s teacher(s) are not reviewed or considered in the application process.

Questions about the testing process

When are the assessments for Quest?
Assessments will be given to all student applicants who meet the screening criteria. The schedule for the first round of assessment, the Cognitive Abilities Test (Cog AT test), are announced in early fall. Testing dates for the second round of assessment, the ITBS and Renzulli Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics for Superior Students are also determined and announced in the fall.

How and when will I know if my child is scheduled for assessment?
If your child meets the screening criteria and is scheduled for assessment, you will receive an email or letter with the date, time and place of assessment. Applicants who do not meet the criteria will also receive notification.

What if my child is sick and cannot take the test on the scheduled date?
One make-up date only will be scheduled for each Quest test. The district sets the date for that make-up test. Students who are not feeling well on the date of the original test are requested to test on the make-up date. Appeals will not be considered for illness. Please email quest@lwsd.org if your child is going to miss a scheduled test.

Will there be alternative days for testing?
The Quest office sets a testing schedule but can work to accommodate students who miss the regular testing dates due to illness or family emergencies.

When will we know the results of testing?

You will be notified by email of all test results. The purpose of Quest testing is to assess students for program eligibility only. Thus, aside from percentile results, we are not able to provide you with detailed assessment analysis.

I had my child privately tested. Can I submit these results with the application?
No. The district does not accept private testing results in place of the Quest identification process. All students must go through the district’s identification process to be eligible for Quest programs.

What if my child doesn’t get into the program?
Quest assessment criteria are applied equitably to all applicants. Appeals to assessment determinations will be scheduled and addressed by an appeals review team after application screening, after round I and after round II. Appeals are considered based on specific criteria related to the testing conditions, or to a misapplication of miscalculation of the score. The decision of the appeal review team is final and may not be challenged.

Placements are also made on a space available basis and information is not available until all testing and enrollment projections have been completed. Students who do not qualify for the program are encouraged to apply in a future year, if appropriate. No student should feel badly for not qualifying. Parents can help by encouraging a positive student attitude toward testing and by not putting undue stress on students to be accepted into the program. Almost all students who apply to Quest are bright, do well in school and will continue to do well, whether or not they get into Quest.

My child has been on the wait list all year. What happens next year?
Families of students on the wait list will be called to see if they wish to accept a pre-placement in the program for the following year, pending space availability. Students may only stay on the wait list for one year and then must reapply and retest.