Kindergarten Highly Capable Services

The application period for Highly Capable Programs ended on October 25, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.

Thank you for your patience as we process applications and assessment results for highly capable programs.

Parents/Guardians of Kindergarten students who attended the December 7 Iowa will receive the results by end of day January 17.
Parents/Guardians of students in grades 2 through 7 who attended the December 14 Iowa will receive results after the MSC meets in mid February to review the results of the body of evidence for students who met screening criteria.

Overview

Kindergarten-5th Grade Highly Capable (K-5HC) Services support the most highly capable students in kindergarten through fifth grade. This program provides students enrichment in reading and/or math via 30 minute weekly small group sessions. General education teachers also receive support to enhance in-class differentiation for highly capable and high ability students.

During the first half of the 2019-20 school year, highly capable kindergarten students will be identified in reading and/or math. Services will begin sometime during the second half of the year.

Services will take place in the student’s neighborhood school during the regular school day. The K-5HC Facilitator/Teachers will provide resources and strategies to the student's classroom teacher to assist the teacher with accelerating instruction. K-5HC Facilitator/Teachers will provide math and/or reading enrichment services.

A student who participates in the K-5HC program in kindergarten will continue services through fifth grade unless the student qualifies for another highly capable program, such as Pull-out Quest or Full-time Quest.

Selection Process

Important Dates

Application process during 2019-20 for services beginning in February 2020. All dates are subject to change.

October 1, 2019: Online Applications Open
October 3, 2019: Parent Information Night for parents of kindergarten students. Note: Attendance is not required in order to apply.
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Lake Washington High School Performing Arts Center
12033 N.E. 80th St.
Kirkland, WA 98033
October 25, 2019: Online Applications Close at 4 p.m. (Late applications are not accepted.)
November 2, 2019: Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) (Screener)
December 7, 2019: Iowa Assessments (for students who meet screening criteria)
January 2020: Notification of Placement
February 2020: Services Begin

Makeup Dates

Makeup Dates

Applicants who have a documented illness or a documented family emergency on their regularly scheduled test date must notify the Accelerated Programs office in writing before the testing session begins to be eligible for a makeup exam. Students who miss their regularly scheduled assessment and the makeup date will be withdrawn from the application process for the current school year. Note: Students who take makeup exams and qualify for services may have a delayed start date.

The makeup date for the November 2, 2019 CogAT is November 12, 2019.
The makeup date for the December 7, 2019 Iowa Assessments is December 17, 2019.

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.

Nomination Process

Students are nominated 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. To apply, fill out the online application form. Please contact the Accelerated Programs Office at 425-936-1238 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.

Scroll to the top of this page to find the Highly Capable Programs application form.

Screening Process

Kindergarten students are screened using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Screening Form to determine if further evaluations are needed. The typical score range to qualify for further assessment is Composite SAS 132-160 (98-99 Age Percentile Rank) on the CogAT. The CogAT provides a measure of a student’s verbal, quantitative and nonverbal learned reasoning abilities.
Private testing results are not accepted.

Assessment Process

The district uses multiple objective criteria to identify students who are among the most highly capable:

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Screening Form

The CogAT provides a measure of a student’s learned reasoning abilities. Subtests are Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal
Typical score range of those students identified for services: CogAT Composite SAS between 132-160 (98-99 Age Percentile Rank)

View information on CogAT and Iowa Assessment Forms and Levels.

CogAT Standard Age Score Conversion to Percentile Ranks

Standard Age Score (SAS) is a normalized standard score, with a mean (average) of 100. Standard Age Scores of 89-111 are all within the average range. For example:

A student with a SAS of 100 has the rate and level of development of reasoning skills that are typical for his/her age group.
A student with a SAS of 125 has a faster rate and higher level of development of reasoning skills than the typical student in his/her age group.
A student with a SAS of 132 or above has an exceptional rate and level of development of reasoning skills that are considered to be in the highly capable range for his/her age group.

Standard Age Score	Percentile Rank	Standard Age Score	Percentile Rank	Standard Age Score	Percentile Rank
100	50	112	77	124	93
101	52	113	79	125	94
102	55	114	81	126	95
103	57	115	83	127	95
104	60	116	84	128	96
105	62	117	86	129	97
106	65	118	87	130	97
107	67	119	88	131	97
108	69	120	89	132	98
109	71	121	91	133-134	98
110	73	122	92	135-160	99
111	75	123	92

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.
Typical score range of those students identified for services: Total Reading score at or above 98% and Math score at or above 95% OR Math score at or above 98% and Total Reading score at or above 95%.

View information on CogAT and Iowa Assessment Forms and Levels.

DIBELS (Beginning of school year)

WaKIDS (Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills)

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.

Placement

Kindergarten students who meet the eligibility criteria will be offered K-5HC Services. Parents must complete and return the K-5HC Permission for Placement form before services may begin. The anticipated start date for services is February 2020. A student who participates in the K-5HC program in kindergarten will continue services through fifth grade unless the student qualifies for and accepts placement in another highly capable program such as Pull-out Quest or Full-time Quest. Services are provided in the student’s LWSD home school.

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 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. The decision of the appeal review team is final.

FAQ

Highly Capable Program video FAQ series

FAQs

1. How do I know if my student is a good candidate for K-5HC services?

The K-5HC services are designed to address the needs of the most highly capable elementary students in the district. 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. Who may apply for K-5HC services?

3. When is the application period?

4. How do I get an application?

5. Can out-of-district students apply?

6. We don’t live in Lake Washington School District but we are thinking of moving. Can we apply?

7. Can we observe K-5HC services?

8. How can I talk with parents of students in the program?

9. My child is in a private school. What should we do?

Students residing in LWSD and attending private schools may apply for and receive K-5HC services.

For students in Kindergarten, 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

Please note that K-5HC services are LWSD school based and occur at various times during the day and during the week. Qualifying private school students would need to be present in their neighborhood LWSD school when the services are offered. The dates and times that services are offered may change over the course of the school year.

10. When do the screening and assessments take place for K-5HC?

11. How and when will I know if my child is scheduled for assessment?

12. What if my child is sick and cannot take the test 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. Only one makeup date will be scheduled for each K-5HC 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.

13. What if we have a family emergency and my child cannot take the test on the scheduled date?

Please email quest@lwsd.org before the test begins if your child is going to miss a scheduled test due to a documented family emergency. Your child will be given one opportunity to test on the makeup date. One makeup date only will be scheduled for each K-5HC test. The district sets the date for the makeup test. Applications for students who miss a regularly scheduled test and the makeup test will be closed.

14. How will we be notified of the results of the CogAT?

15. I had my child privately tested. Can I submit these results with the application?

16. Can I appeal the results of the screening or assessment?

Transfer Students

Students who were enrolled in a highly capable or gifted program in their previous school may apply to receive Kindergarten-5th Grade Highly Capable (K-5HC) services when they transfer into LWSD. Transfer students are not automatically enrolled in the Highly Capable programs. Highly capable services are not an entitlement in Washington, as they are in some states.

Transfer application process for students in kindergarten

Complete and submit a transfer form
Submit report card (for most recent end of semester)
Submit proof of participation in a highly capable or gifted program (from 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 proof of residency within LWSD boundaries
Meet the K-5HC screening and assessment eligibility criteria for admittance into the program

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

Notification/placement process for kindergarten students

The Accelerated Programs Office will notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student’s eligibility status after reviewing 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

Parents of 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 will remain identified as highly capable. Students attending a LWSD school may receive differentiated instruction in their LWSD classroom. Students opting out of Full-time Quest may request participation in either Pull-out Quest or K-5HC services. Students opting out of Pull-out Quest may request participation in K-5HC services.

If parents wish to have their student return to highly capable services, they may submit a Change of Service Request. Students who have been away from highly capable services for less than 12 calendar months may resume the same level of highly capable services. For an absence of longer than 12 calendar months, parents may submit a written request to resume highly capable services and attach report card grades and evidence that the student has participated in accelerated learning; the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee will consider the request.

Parents of newly identified highly capable students may opt to decline services. Students will remain identified as highly capable. Students attending a LWSD school may receive differentiated instruction in their LWSD classroom. After declining highly capable services, parents who wish to begin previously offered services may complete a Change of Service Request. Students wishing to begin services within 12 calendar months of the original start date will be scheduled for the same level of service. Requests for highly capable services starting more than 12 calendar months after the original start date must be reviewed by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee; submit a Change of Service Request along with report card data and documentation showing accelerated learning for review.

NOTES:

Students must reside in LWSD boundaries to participate in LWSD highly capable services.
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.

Kindergarten Parent Information Night Presentation – October 3, 2019

Contact Accelerated Programs

Phone: 425-936-1238
Fax: 425-936-1325
Email: quest@lwsd.org
Website: lwsd.org/HCP

Accelerated Programs Staff
Becky Kadrmas, Director
Diane Durant, Supervisor
Suzanne Hurd, Administrative Secretary
Britt Galen, Accelerated Programs Psychologist
Crystal Batlle, 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.