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Who are highly capable Students?
Who are highly capable Students?
Highly capable students perform at advanced level when compared to their peers of the same age and who share similar experiences. Oftentimes, these students process information differently than other students and want a think about content with more depth and complexity in order to connect new learning with experiences and contexts they already hold. This supports their desire to bring different pieces of information together to develop new understandings and solutions.
It can be tricky to distinguish between a highly capable student and a high achieving student. A high achieving student works hard in school, achieves above average grades and excels in the general education classroom. A highly capable student will generally need differentiated instruction focused on the depth and complexity they desire to connect learning and experiences to broaden their understanding. Research suggests approximately 3-5% of our population is highly capable.
Highly capable students will often display the following characteristics:
Curiosity: Gifted students are inquisitive and ask many questions, which leads to a strong interest in a particular area.
Memory: Gifted students have a sharper memory than average and can retain information for longer periods of time.
Problem-solving: Gifted students use creative and critical thinking to solve problems.
Language skills: Gifted students may have advanced language skills and reasoning abilities.
Creativity: Gifted students can think outside the box, come up with original ideas, and express themselves in unique ways.
Persistence: Gifted students are often persistent in their pursuit of knowledge or in their beliefs.
Cognitive abilities: Gifted students have high cognitive abilities.
Sense of humor: Gifted students may have a quirky or mature sense of humor, which can include subtle jokes, puns, or intricate teasing.
Emotional depth: Gifted students may have surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age.
Evergreen School District's Service Model
Evergreen School District's Service Model
Students who have been identified as Highly Capable, and have opted to receive services, will be served in their neighborhood school classroom by their teacher. Students will be strategically placed in classroom clusters with other highly capable students where instruction will be differentiated to meet their needs. Students will be served in reading and math. The focus will not be on compacting the curriculum and moving faster but rather on having the students engage in learning activities that promote a deeper and more complex understanding of the content. For example, in reading, this may be students working together in a higher level text, participating in a book club with other HCP students, or working on a thematic unit that connects other content area learning to the reading unit. They will also meet with the teacher in leveled reading groups for instruction at their level. In math, students will continue working within grade level standards but their focus will be on more complex analysis and problem solving. The Cluster model is not about giving students more work to complete but rather shifting their work to a more complex and deeper representation of the content.
How we identify students for highly capable services
How we identify students for highly capable services
We have two ways to identify students for highly capable services. All second and fifth grade students are screened using the Naglieri General Abilities Test (NGAT). The second way for identification is for parents or teachers to refer students for testing. Testing is completed every January for services to begin the following school year.
Identification is determined by the district’s Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (MSC). The confidential MSC consists of: Teachers, Curriculum & Instruction Specialists, Administrators, Equity & Inclusion Specialists, Psychologists, Multilingual Specialists, Instructional Coaches, Special Education Specialists, Counselors, and Directors. The MSC determines which students need highly capable services based on multiple measures. These measures will include up to two years of data from the following sources: NGAT, iReady, Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA), World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), and WaKIDS.
Students are identified for Highly Capable services by any of the following conditions:
Scoring in the top 5% of their grade at the building level on a composite score of the most recent iReady or SBA
A composite score of 90% or above on the NGAT
EPS is committed to eliminating the predictability of outcomes by demographic group. Therefore, some students from demographic groups underrepresented in Highly Capable Programs will qualify through the use of the EPS Equity Lens.
An approved appeal
Once identified for highly capable services, a student is eligible for services as long as they remain enrolled in Evergreen Public Schools.
Testing schedule for current EPS students
Testing schedule for current EPS students
October 1- November 30: Registration window for testing sign-ups
January-February: Testing for students that registered occurs at their school building
January-February: Universal Screening assessment for students in grades 2 & 5 happens in the classroom
April: Parents are notified if their child is identified for highly capable services
April: Parents can submit appeals for identification for MSC review
June: Appeal notifications made to families
August: Classroom cluster grouping placement is handled at the school level.
Testing schedule for students new to EPS
Testing schedule for students new to EPS
If you are interested in having your student evaluated for the Highly Capable Program, please complete this form and we will be in touch upon receipt. Prior testing (cognitive or academic) is encouraged to be forwarded to highlycapable@evergreenps.org for review.
Appeals Process
Appeals Process
Any person may appeal eligibility on behalf of a student or register to test the following school year. An appeal offers an additional opportunity for the MSC to review a student’s academic portfolio in more depth. In an appeal review, extenuating circumstances and other evidence of student ability can be considered. Appeals can be submitted for eligibility only after permission is granted to administer a full cognitive assessment (the complete CogAT). EPS does not accept appeals for screeners or placement.
After the initial form is submitted, the Highly Capable office will collect the following information to build the student’s portfolio:
Teacher feedback & rating scales
Counselor feedback
Most recent report card
Student work samples
Creative work sample
Prior testing data
Appeals are considered annually in spring. The MSC reviews all appeals and decisions made by the MSC are final. Students may re-test the following year if they are not admitted upon appeal.
I would like my child tested for highly capable services
I would like my child tested for highly capable services
Registration for testing is open annually from October 1- November 30th for students in grades 3 and 4 that are not already identified for services. Students in grades 2 & 5 are automatically screened for services. You can access the registration form through ParentSquare or by clicking this LINK . If your child is in 6th or 7th grade, we will evalute for identificaiton using work samples, teacher & parent input, and various assessment data points.
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