Private/Homeschooled Students

Private/Homeschool (PS/HS)

Form, required residency documents and payment must be received by 11:59 p.m., September 23, 2025.

Deadline for data submission to Accelerated Programs, accpro@lwsd.org, is 11:59 p.m., December 12, 2025.

Private school and homeschool students are considered for Highly Capable services through a two-step process.  Families first submit a portfolio with evidence of advanced academic performance.  LWSD’s selection committee reviews the portfolio and may recommend additional assessments, which are administered by district staff.  Please note that LWSD does not accept private cognitive evaluations.

For kindergarten, most identified students score in the top 1-2 percentile, and cognitive assessments are not required at that grade level.

Comprehensive Portfolio Review

Private and homeschool families may participate in the Highly Capable identification process through a comprehensive portfolio review.  Portfolios should include the following:

• Standardized assessment data from the current and previous school year (two years total).  Examples include i-Ready, STAR, Fastbridge, Smarter Balances Assessment (SBAC), Iowa, MAP, etc.
• Current school year, plus last school year of standardized math assessments
• Current school year, plus last school year of standardized reading/ELA assessments
• Current and previous year’s report card
• Contact information for the current classroom teacher, who will complete a short questionnaire about your child’s classroom-based academic progress as part of data but is not used as a sole factor in identification.

Update 9/9/25: If your student previously participated in the referral process (either as a private or homeschool student or as a district-enrolled student), LWSD will include the previous school year’s data as part of the student’s portfolio.  

LWSD does not accept private evaluations in place of school-based academic scores.

Grade-level placement: LWSD and the State of Washington do not align standards for private schools or homeschool programs.  Because LWSD cannot verify claims of students working beyond grade level, portfolio reviews and placement are reviewed based on a student’s birthdate.

Processing fee: LWSD implements a $75 processing fee for all private and homeschool applicants.  This fee supports the professional review of student data, proctoring of any additional assessments, facilities use, assessment costs and administrative processing.

OSPI has confirmed at LWSD is permitted to charge a processing fee for private and homeschool Highly Capable referrals.  This fee helps cover the distinct costs of reviewing and testing students outside of the public school process.

Additional Information

• Students must be enrolled in LWSD to participate in Highly Capable services.
• Submitting the Private/Homeschool Referral Form will generate a confirmation message, which serves as proof of receipt. Please allow time for review as LWSD processes a high volume of referrals.
• Important: Private and homeschool applicants have defined timelines.  All required forms and data must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the published deadline date.  Incomplete files will be closed after deadlines.

Appeal

Because private and homeschool students begin with a portfolio review, identification decisions may only be appealed under specific conditions. Appeal details will be shared by Spring 2026.