Highly Capable Program

Highly capable students are students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within a student's general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivity within a specific domain.
 

One of the focuses of the program is to expand student learning through the development of critical and creative thinking strategies which enable students to make real-world connections as they become independent, lifelong learners. These strategies incorporate 21st Century thinking skills which will help students recognize their growth mindset.

• Visualization is a sensory strategy used to make connections to what students read and hear as well as to develop outlines, planning and goal-setting.

• Plus, Minus, Interesting provides students the opportunity to comprehend the positive and negative aspects of what they think and experience. Students are progressing their independent thinking which leads to considering numerous possibilities and insights for more informed decision-making.

• Encapsulation has students learn to synthesize information concisely.

• Questioning is encouraged to assist in problem solving.

• Point of View helps to establish an understanding of recognizing differing viewpoints which enables students to draw a more developed opinion of open-mindedness and potential collaboration.

• Decisions and Outcomes allow students to gain an understanding of cause and effect relationships and how to deal with consequences of varying degrees.

• Analogies help students make comparisons, relationships and connections.

• Mind Mapping is the creation of a visual used to collect and recall information and expand creativity while connecting ideas.

• Fluency, Originality, Flexibility, & Elaboration is where students generate ideas and maintain open-minded thinking to further brainstorming and consider alternatives.

In the Eatonville School District, we provide an academic program in Kindergarten through 12th grade with various services models that includes instruction and services that enrich learning for students identified as Highly Capable, based on assessment data. To be eligible for identification, students must live within the Eatonville School District boundaries, including home schooled students. 

The Eatonville School District uses multiple measures to identify students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, and/or environments.

Multiple measures are used to identify students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, and/or environments. Student data for this school year includes district-required in-class assessments  in literacy, math, and cognition. 

Following assessment, a Multi-Disciplinary Committee (MDC) thoughtfully reviews student data. The MDC is made up of HiCAP teachers, a building principal, a school psychologist, the Highly Capable Program Team, Director of Teaching and Learning.

Our goal is to identify academically highly capable students who would most benefit from a continuum of Highly Capable services. There is no single cut score or threshold a student must meet.  We can consider trends over time, focusing on student growth while considering the demographics of underrepresented student populations in an effort to ensure equity and remove barriers for low income students, as required by state law.

Grades	English	Math	Cognition
K-1	WAKids i-Ready	WAKids i-Ready	Cogat
1-5	i-ready SBA (3-5)	i-ready SBA (3-5)	Cogat
6-8	i-Ready SBA	i-ready SBA	Cogat
9-12	SBA CBA	SBA CBA	Cogat

 

English-Learning Students: In addition to ability and achievement assessments, the Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment (WIDA) is used to evaluate students whose first language is not English to determine their ability for rapid language acquisition which can be a characteristic of highly capable learners.

Special Education Students: Students who qualify for Highly Capable program services and also qualify for either special education services or a 504 plan are often referred to as twice-exceptional students. Additional data available for students with IEPs may be used in the identification process when relevant to determine a need for highly capable program services.

What is the broad screening instrument to be used? All kindergarten through 8th grade students will be screened using the  I ready assessment using two data points. I-ready is a standardized test of academic achievement, the total scale score can be used to describe a student’s proficiency with respect to other learners who are on the same learning path. Second, results are designed to provide domain placement categories that describe the status of a student with respect to having achieved the standards of Grades K–8 learning (in reading and mathematics). 

New legislation requires all school districts to implement universal screening at two grade levels, utilizing two student data points. The purpose of universal screening and this legislation is to include students who traditionally are not referred for highly capable programs and services.

General Timeline

Dates	Action
September - January	Student Learning Plans Completed
January	2nd Grade i-Ready Diagnostic  Assessment (screener)
January	5th Grade i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment (screener)
March - April (Referral Window)	Students K-11 Referrals
April	Cogat Battery for Identified Students
May	Multi- Disciplinary Committee Meeting
June	Parents and Principals Notified of Placement

Districts must use multiple objective criteria to identify students who are among the most highly capable. Multiple pathways for qualifications must be available and no single criterion may disqualify a student from identification;

(b) Highly capable selection decisions must be based on consideration of criteria benchmarked on local norms, but local norms may not be used as a more restrictive criteria than national norms at the same percentile;

(c) Subjective measures such as teacher recommendations or report card grades may not be used to screen out a student from assessment. These data points may be used alongside other criteria during selection to support identification, but may not be used to disqualify a student from being identified; and

(d) To the extent practicable, screening and assessments must be given in the native language of the student. If native language screening and assessments are not available, a nonverbal screening and assessment must be used.

 

A multi-disciplinary selection committee will review the data that has been collected for each referred student. The multi-disciplinary selection committee is composed of the following: 

• A teacher with specialized knowledge of HCP students, programming, curriculum, and instruction (such as a teacher who has taken gifted education coursework or current HC teacher). 
• Psychologists or other qualified practitioners with the training to interpret cognitive and achievement test results. 
• Certified coordinator/administrator with responsibility for the supervision of the district's HCP and may include school principals. 

The selection committee's decision for identifying students who are in need of Highly Capable Program services will be based on: 

1. The preponderance of the data collected demonstrates that the student is among the most highly capable;
2. Evidence of clear need for highly capable services; and
3. Determination of which students would benefit the most from inclusion in the district's program. 

Note: Single scores or indicators will not prevent a student's selection; however, individual pieces of evidence, if strong enough, can indicate that the student would benefit from services. If properly validated assessments are not available, the professional judgment of the qualified district personnel shall determine eligibility.

Student Learning Plans

The Highly Capable Learning Plan determines students' services in the school in their general education classroom by their teacher. The plan may include differentiated curriculum and instruction, intentional student groups or accelerated content area instruction for a portion of their school day.

 Teachers will look at student’s strengths and needs and set goals for them in the classroom. 

These goals will support student growth in areas they currently excel in, as well as, support them in areas they need to grow.