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Elementary Highly Capable Program Services

The application for highly capable services is now closed.
The highly capable in-person testing window closes on December 17. Online students who met the screening criteria will receive an email the first week of January with assessment information for January exams.
All of the data will be reviewed by the Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee and families will be notified of eligibility via email in mid-February.
Video: LWSD Accelerated Programs
Overview
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) offers three different programs for highly capable students in grades one through five. Students who qualify for highly capable services maintain gifted designation through middle and high school.
Full-time Quest Highly Capable Services
The Full-time Quest program provides our most highly capable students the opportunity to engage in rigorous, challenging, integrated, and enriched curriculum with their academic peers. The program is designed to meet the needs of students who have been identified as having exceptional cognitive and academic ability by accelerating and enriching the district curriculum. Students are enrolled in a self-contained classroom all day, five days a week. Full-time Quest classes are multi-aged with a 2nd/3rd grade or 4th/5th grade grouping of students. The learning pace is faster than in the regular education program; students are expected to perform work that exceeds grade level standards by at least one grade level. In addition to the accelerated district curriculum, the Full-time Quest program emphasizes advanced academic thinking skills and strategies, strong communication and collaboration skills, and an increased awareness of local and global citizenship.
Overview
- Students in grades 2-5 attend a self-contained classroom five days per week with highly capable peers
- Students are assigned to multi-grade classrooms
- 2nd/3rd are combined and 4th/5th are combined
- Students are provided services at identified elementary schools based on neighborhood school boundaries
- Assigned elementary school becomes student's primary school
- Services begin at the start of the school year
- FTQ students are automatically placed in Middle School Quest
Emphasis
- Integrated curriculum
- Structure and content based on learning characteristics of gifted students
- Application of higher-level thinking skills
- Acceleration of math and reading
- Differentiation of grade level science, social studies and writing
- Advanced academic thinking skills and strategies, strong communication and collaboration skills
- Curriculum based on Common Core and NAGC (National Association of Gifted Children) standards
2021-22 Full-time Quest programs are located at:
- Alcott Elementary, Redmond
- Bell Elementary, Kirkland
- Blackwell Elementary, Sammamish
- Clara Barton Elementary, Redmond
- Einstein Elementary, Redmond
- Ella Baker Elementary, Redmond
- McAuliffe Elementary, Sammamish
- Redmond Elementary, Redmond
- Rosa Parks Elementary, Redmond
- Smith Elementary, Sammamish
- Thoreau Elementary, Kirkland
The district assigns a student to attend a Full-time Quest school based on his/her home address. School assignment is subject to change. For more information about Full-time Quest placement, view the Elementary FTQ School Assignment Chart.
District transportation is available for elementary students from the neighborhood home school to and from the FTQ school site. Parents/guardians are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the neighborhood home school. For more information, view the Full-time Quest bus schedules.
For additional information, email quest@lwsd.org.
Pull-out Quest Highly Capable Services
The Pull-out Quest program provides highly capable students the opportunity to engage in challenging, integrated, and enriched project-based learning with their academic peers. The program is designed to meet the needs of students who have been identified as having exceptional cognitive and academic ability by enriching their elementary curriculum. Students attend their home school four days a week and the Pull-out classroom one day a week.
The Pull-out program focuses on project-based learning with an emphasis on integrated social studies and science themes. Projects focus on literacy and math, using higher level thinking skills, in-depth learning, collaboration and cooperation, and presentation skills.
Overview
- Students in grades 2-5 attend a full-day enrichment class once per week and attend their neighborhood school four days per week
- Pull-Out Quest school assignments are based on neighborhood school assignment
- Students remain in POQ through 5th grade unless qualifying for another level of service (FTQ)
- POQ students interested in Middle School Quest must apply and qualify during their 5th grade year
- Services typically begin mid-September
- Transportation available from neighborhood school to POQ site
Emphasis
- Enrichment (not replacement)
- Structure and content are based on learning characteristics of gifted students
- Thematic based content units
- Higher level thinking skills (creative and critical thinking)
- Developing resilient and independent work habits
- Enrichment units based on NAGC (National Association of Gifted Children) standards
Pull-out Quest programs are located at:
- McAuliffe Elementary, Sammamish
- Thoreau Elementary, Kirkland
- Wilder Elementary, Woodinville
- Dickinson Elementary, Redmond
- Rosa Parks Elementary, Redmond
The district assigns a student to attend a Pull-out Quest school based on his/her home school. School assignment is subject to change. For more information on Quest school placement, view the Elementary Quest School Assignment Chart.
Transportation is available for Pull-out Quest students from the neighborhood home school to and from the Pull-out Quest school site. Parents/guardians are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the neighborhood home school. View the Pull-out Quest Bus Schedule.
For additional information on the Pull-out Quest program, email quest@lwsd.org.
K5HC Services
K5HC Services provide highly capable students in kindergarten to fifth grade school based enrichment in reading and/or math. K5HC Facilitator/Teachers meet with students in small groups for 30 minutes on a weekly basis in the student’s neighborhood school. K5HC services focus on critical thinking and reasoning, creativity, interpersonal relationships and leadership skills. K5HC Teacher/Facilitators also provide resources and strategies to the student’s classroom teacher to assist the teacher with accelerating and differentiating instruction.
Overview
- Students in grades K-5 attend small group sessions in math and/or reading once per week at their neighborhood LWSD school
- Students remain in KSHC through end of 5th grade unless they qualify for another service (POQ or FTQ}
- K5HC students interested in Middle School Quest must apply and qualify for MSQ during their 5th grade year
- Services typically begin late September/early October
Emphasis
- Enrichment (not replacement)
- Structure and content based on learning characteristics of gifted students
- Thematic content units based on reading and/or math
- Hands-on activities that encourage creative, critical and divergent thinking
- Additional activities provided for in-class and at-home enrichment
- Enrichment units based on NAGC (National Association of Gifted Children) standards
For additional information specific to K5HC, please contact K5HighlyCapable@lwsd.org.
Referral Process
Important Dates
Cognitive and academic assessments will take place between October 4, 2021 through December 17, 2021 for LWSD students attending in-person school. Assessments will occur during the school day at your child's assigned school. Private/home school students will follow the same timeline, and assessments will take place either at the assigned LWSD school or LWSD Resource Center.
- Information on assessment timelines and for students attending Online School will be updated when available.
- Updates for all applicants will be sent via email.
Students who meet the screening criteria will receive communication from the Accelerated Programs Department about next steps in the eligibility process.
Timeline for 2021-22
- September – October: Screening
Screening emails sent out to all applicants, first graders and outreach families - October – December: Cognitive and academic testing
- February: Notification of eligibility to families via email
Visit Washington Administrative Code Chapter 392-170 and Revised Code of Washington Chapter 28A.185 for information on Washington state regulations for highly capable services.
Referral process
Students are referred for Highly Capable services by parents, staff or community members by filling out an application form. To nominate your child, parents must apply for their student to be considered for highly capable services. Please contact the Accelerated Programs office at 425-936-1238 or quest@lwsd.org if you need a paper copy of the application or if you need an application in a language other than English.
Please note: Students must reside in the LWSD boundaries to apply for and participate in Highly Capable programs.
Parents of first grade students who attend Lake Washington School District schools do not need to apply for second grade Highly Capable programs in September. All LWSD first grade students take the district administered academic assessments at their home school. Students who meet the screening criteria will be invited in November to complete the online application.
Scroll to the top of this page to find the Highly Capable Programs application form during the application window.
Screening process
The district uses multiple objective criteria (K5HC Kindergarten | K5HC Math and/or K5HC Reading | Pull-out Quest | Full-time Quest | Middle School Quest grades 6-8) to identify students who are among the most highly capable. Private testing results are not accepted.
LWSD has revised the screening process beginning September 2018. All applicants will now participate in district administered academic assessments as part of the multiple objectives for screening. Report card grades will no longer be used to screen out a student from consideration.
Assessment process
Applicants who meet screening criteria will be assessed using multiple objective criteria.
Highly Capable grades 2-5 identification criteria
- Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
- Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT)
- Iowa Assessments
- FastBridge (Beginning of school year)
- Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) (grade 4)
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
- The CogAT provides a measure of a student’s learned reasoning abilities. Subtests are Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal
- It is a norm-referenced test and the national average is the 50th percentile
- Typical threshold of those students identified for services: CogAT Composite SAS between 132-160 (98-99 Age Percentile Rank)
For more information about the CogAT visit: https://www.riversideinsights.com/solutions/cogat?tab=0
Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT)
The NNAT3 is a nonverbal measure of general ability. The Highly Capable Department uses the NNAT3 to predict student’s cognitive potential, irrespective of their verbal ability, primary language, or time spent in school. The NNAT3 is a 30-minute online test that will be administered during the school day. When used as a screening instrument, it can be administered to entire classrooms, in the classroom, and proctored by the classroom teacher. When used during the assessment process, trained proctors will administer the NNAT3 at a predetermined location and time of day, within the student’s school.
The score obtained from the NNAT3 is called the Naglieri Ability Index, which ranges from 40 to 160 with an average of 100.
Typical threshold of those students identified for services: Age Percentile Rank (APR) of 98th to 99th percentile.
Iowa Assessments
- The Iowa Assessments provide a measure of a student’s achievement across a continuum of rigorous learning standards. LWSD administers the Reading, Vocabulary and Math subtests.
- They are norm-refernced nationally standardized tests to allow comparison of each student's performance to that of students across the nation. The national average is the 50th percentile.
- Typical threshold of those students identified for services: Total Reading score at or above 98 percentile and Math score at or above 95 percentile OR Math score at or above 98 percentile and Total Reading score at or above 95 percentile.
For more information about the Iowa tests visit: https://www.riversideinsights.com/
FastBridge (Beginning of school year)
Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) (grade 4)
- Typical score range of those students identified for services: Level 4 in SBA ELA and Level 4 in SBA Math
Evidence of need for highly capable services is determined by a Multidisciplinary Selection Committee. Members of the committee include, at a minimum, a school psychologist, a teacher and the Director of Accelerated Programs. All decisions are based on the body of evidence to provide a clear picture of each student’s ability and to determine whether the data indicate a need for services beyond the scope of the general education classroom. No weights are assigned to data points. Private testing results are not accepted.
Students who are identified for highly capable services will be offered placement in one of the following services:
Appeals process
Highly Capable assessment criteria are applied equitably to all applicants. Appeals for reconsideration of students who have not met the assessment criteria are reviewed by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee after notification of screening results and after notification of the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee placement decision.
- Appeals must be based upon a specific criteria related to the screening/testing conditions, or to a misapplication or miscalculation of the scores. Appeals outside of this criteria will not be processed.
- Appeals must be submitted to the Accelerated Programs Office in writing within 10 calendar days of notification of results using the online LWSD Highly Capable Program Appeal Form.
- The decision of the appeal Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee (MSC) is final.
- If you do not have access to a computer, please contact the Accelerated Programs office at 425-936-1238 or email quest@lwsd.org.
FAQ
FAQs
- 1. How do I know if my student is a good candidate for the elementary Quest program?
- 2. When is the application period?
- 3. Do Pull-out and K5HC Students need to apply for Full-time Quest and Middle School Quest?
- 4. How do I get an application?
- 5. Can out-of-district students apply?
- 6. Can we observe highly capable classrooms?
- 7. How can I talk with parents of students in the program?
- 8. Does LWSD offer highly capable services in the high schools?
- 9. Are there any screening requirements for testing?
- 10. My child is in a private school or home-schooled. What should I do?
- 11. Does everyone who completes an application get assessed?
- 12. When are the assessments for highly capable programs?
- 13. How and when will I know if my child meets the screening criteria?
- 14. What if my child is sick and cannot take an assessment on the scheduled date?
- 15. What if we have a family emergency and my child cannot take the test on the scheduled date?
- 16. I had my child privately tested. Can I submit these results with the application?
- 17. Can I appeal the results of the screening or eligibility decisions?
1. How do I know if my student is a good candidate for the elementary Quest program?
Highly capable services are designed to meet the unique needs of students beyond general education. 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 his or her teacher(s). Aside from high academic performance, here are some typical intellectual characteristics of highly capable children:
- Unusually large vocabulary for their age
- Ability to read earlier than most children
- 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
For more information on traits of highly capable students, see Traits of Giftedness.
2. When is the application period?
3. Do Pull-out and K5HC Students need to apply for Full-time Quest and Middle School Quest?
4. How do I get an application?
The highly capable application is submitted online. If you do not have access to the internet, or need an application in a language other than English, please contact the Accelerated Programs office for an application form. If you need assistance uploading required documents, please contact the Accelerated Programs Office.
5. Can out-of-district students apply?
6. Can we observe highly capable classrooms?
7. 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 highly capable program, especially from the perspective of parents. GEAC holds monthly general meetings, provides parent information and support and maintains a GEAC Facebook page.
8. Does LWSD offer highly capable services in the high schools?
A goal of the Highly Capable Services Continuum is to provide maximum choice at the high school level to enable students to tailor their program of advanced studies as much as possible based on their post-secondary goals. To that end we offer a variety of rigorous options at the high school level that our highly capable students can participate in including Advanced Placement (AP) course options, Honors Courses, Choice Schools and programs, Running Start and Early College in the High School. Each of our high schools provide accelerated course enrollment options. This approach ensures that students are not required to attend school at a specific location to participate in accelerated learning options.
9. 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 highly capable program. Visit Washington Administrative Code Chapter 392-170 and Revised Code of Washington Chapter28A.185 for information on Washington state regulations for highly capable services.
10. My child is in a private school or home-schooled. What should I do?
For students in kindergarten and through third grade, please upload the following documents when you complete the online application:
- Proof of Residency – Residency Verification Form with two documents listed on the Residency Checklist. These documents must be for the location where the student resides.
- Proof of Age – a copy of your child’s passport or birth certificate
In addition, for students in Grades 4 to 7, please upload the documents listed above when you complete the online application and:
- Standardized test results (such as the SBA or other state assessment or the Iowa Assessment) from the previous school year
NOTES:
- If your school does not give any form of standardized testing such as state testing or the IOWA, please submit a letter from your school on school letterhead, stating that the school does not administer any state or standardized testing to your child.
- Please make sure you have all of the documents assembled before you begin the application. If you have any trouble uploading required documents, please contact the Accelerated Programs Office.
11. Does everyone who completes an application get assessed?
12. When are the assessments for highly capable programs?
Testing dates for assessments are generally determined and announced before the application window opens.
For the 2021-22 school year, assessment dates will be posted as an update on the Accelerated Programs main page when determined.
13. How and when will I know if my child meets the screening criteria?
14. What if my child is sick and cannot take an assessment on the scheduled date?
Appeals will not be considered for illness. Please email quest@lwsd.org before the test begins if your child is going to miss a scheduled test due to illness. Students who are not feeling well on the date of the original test are given one opportunity to test on the makeup date within the assessment window. Only one makeup date will be scheduled for each test. The district sets the date for that makeup test. Applications for students who miss a regularly scheduled test and the makeup test will be closed.
15. What if we have a family emergency and my child cannot take the test on the scheduled date?
Appeals will not be considered for a family emergency. Please email quest@lwsd.org before the test begins if your child is going to miss a scheduled test due to a family emergency. Students who are not feeling well on the date of the original test are given one opportunity to test on the makeup date within the assessment window. Only one makeup date will be scheduled for each test. The district sets the date for that makeup test. Applications for students who miss a regularly scheduled test and the makeup test will be closed.
16. I had my child privately tested. Can I submit these results with the application?
17. Can I appeal the results of the screening or eligibility decisions?
Highly Capable assessment criteria are applied equitably to all applicants. Appeals for reconsideration of students who have not met the assessment criteria are reviewed by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee after notification of screening results and after notification of the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee placement decision. Appeals must be submitted to the Accelerated Programs Office in writing within 10 calendar days of notification of results using the online LWSD Highly Capable Program Appeal Form. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact the Accelerated Programs Office at 425-936-1238 or email quest@lwsd.org. Appeals must be based upon a specific criteria related to the screening/testing conditions, or to a misapplication or miscalculation of the scores. Appeals outside of this will not be processed. The decision of the appeal review team is final.
Transfer Students
Students who transfer or are returning to Lake Washington School District and were enrolled in a highly capable or gifted program in their previous school may apply to Accelerated Programs as a transfer student. Students must reside in LWSD boundaries and must meet highly capable acceptance criteria. Transfer students are not automatically enrolled in the Highly Capable Programs. Students must be enrolled in the LWSD to apply for services. Call the Accelerated Programs office at 425-936-1238 or email at quest@lwsd.org for more information about the transfer process.
Transfer application process for elementary students
- Register your student at your neighborhood LWSD school
- Complete and submit a transfer form
- Submit proof of participation in a highly capable or gifted program (from LWSD or school last attended) or submit proof of acceptance into a highly capable or gifted program within the last six months
- Submit standardized achievement test results with national or international norms
- Submit standardized ability test results with national or international norms
- Submit Residency Verification Form with two documents listed on the Residency Checklist.
- Meet the LWSD eligibility criteria for admittance into the program
- Submit a completed Permission to Assess form
Please note: additional test may be necessary
Notes:
- Private testing outside of the student’s school district-sanctioned testing cannot be used to substitute for district testing
- Letters of recommendation are not considered in the review
- Transfer applications must be complete with all documentation submitted before they are processed.
Notification/placement process for highly capable services
The Accelerated Programs Office will notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student’s eligibility status after the Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee (MSC) reviews the the applicant’s file. If the student is not eligible, he/she can apply for and go through the district identification process during the next open application period.
Change of Service
LWSD Highly Capable Programs Change of Service Request
Current LWSD Highly Capable Students: Students participating in LWSD highly capable services may opt to withdraw from highly capable services at any time by submitting the Change of Service Request to the Accelerated Programs Office. Students attending a LWSD school may receive differentiated instruction in their LWSD classroom and will remain identified as highly capable in LWSD regardless of participation. Students opting out of Full-Time Quest may request participation in either Pull-Out Quest or K5HC services. Students opting out of Pull-Out Quest may request participation in K5HC services.
If a family wishes to have their student return to highly capable services, they may submit a Change of Service Request. All Change of Service requests to return to services will be reviewed by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee.
Deferment of Services: Newly identified highly capable students may opt to defer services from originally offered start date. Students will remain identified as highly capable. Students attending a LWSD school may receive differentiated instruction in their LWSD classroom. After deferring highly capable services, parents who wish to begin previously offered services may complete a Change of Service Request.
Returning LWSD Students: Students who return to LWSD after moving out of district boundaries and who previously received highly capable services in LWSD should complete the Transfer Form found on the Accelerated Programs webpage for review by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee.
NOTES:
- Students must reside in LWSD boundaries to participate in LWSD highly capable services.
- If your student is returning to services after having opted out or having opted for a different level of services, please also submit Residency Verification with your Change of Service Request.
- School assignment and classroom placement are subject to change.
- Change of Service Requests (with any supplemental documentation) should be emailed to quest@lwsd.org.
Please contact the Accelerated Programs Office by email at quest@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-1238 for more information.
Navigation
Contact Accelerated Programs
Phone: 425-936-1238
Fax: 425-936-1325
Department email: quest@lwsd.org
Website: lwsd.org/HCP
Accelerated Programs Staff
Becky Kadrmas, Director
Laura Morgan, Administrative Supervisor
Amanda Olson, Administrative Professional
Allyson Dowden, Administrative Professional
Britt Galen, Accelerated Programs Psychologist
Crystal Batlle, Instructional Specialist
Erin Fleshman, Instructional Specialist
Ryan Smith: Instructional Specialist
Mailing address:
Lake Washington School District
Accelerated Programs Office
P.O. Box 97039
Redmond, WA 98073
Location:
Lake Washington School District Resource Center
16250 N.E. 74th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
For a complete list of Accelerated Programs staff, please visit the Highly Capable Programs Staff Directory.
Gifted Education Advisory Council (GEAC)
Gifted Education Advisory Council is a parent-led committee that supports the gifted education program in Lake Washington School District.