Applying to Quest
Students who transfer into Lake Washington School District and were enrolled in a highly capable or gifted program in their previous school may apply to Quest as a transfer student. Transfer students are not automatically enrolled in the Quest-Highly Capable program. Washington state does not mandate services to students who are “gifted.” Services are not an entitlement. Space is limited and we usually have students on waiting lists for placement.

Transfer students must:

• go through the Quest application process and complete a transfer form
• meet the Quest screening and assessment criteria for admittance into the program

Space availability is always a consideration for placement in the program.

Note: Students who were tested for a highly capable program in another school district but who were not enrolled in a highly capable or gifted program in the previous district must apply and go through the Quest application process in the fall of the school year.

Eligibility: ability and achievement criteria
For transfer students who were enrolled in a highly-capable or gifted program in the previous school district, the following items will be reviewed to determine if the student meets the ability and achievement criteria for the Lake Washington School District Quest-Highly Capable program:

• Student report card of grade level performance (based on most recent report card)
• Elementary: students must exceed grade-level standards in reading/language arts and math
• Junior high: students must exceed grade-level standards in reading/language arts, social studies and science.
• Standardized achievement test
• Elementary: students must perform at the 98th percentile or higher in both total reading and total math on a current standardized achievement test, e.g., Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), for pull-out and the 99th percentile for full-time Quest
• Junior high: students must perform at the 98th percentile or higher in total reading, social studies and science on a current standardized achievement test.
• Standardized ability test
• Elementary: students must perform at the 99th percentile or higher for total composite score on a standardized ability test (e.g., Cognitive Abilities Test: Cog AT) one level above the student’s grade level to qualify for the full-time program. Students must perform at the 98th percentile or higher to qualify for the enrichment pull-out program.
• Junior high: students must perform at the 99th percentile or higher for total composite score on a standardized ability test one level above the student’s grade level.
• Creativity test
• Students must perform at the 80th percentile or higher on Renzulli Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics for Superior Students as rated by a classroom teacher.

Letters of recommendation are not considered in the review.

Selection process
The Quest office will notify the parent(s) of the student’s eligibility status after reviewing the applicant’s file. If the student is not eligible, he/she can apply and go through the district identification process in the fall. Applications will be available online.