Highly Capable Services

Who is highly capable? WAC 392-170-035 Students who are highly capable are those who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels (K-12)

Overview of Process

Step 1 Referral Step 2 Assessment Step 3 Selection Step 4 Services

Step 1: Referral Parent, teacher, other staff, student, or community member can refer a student Submit completed Referral Form to school psychologist Homeroom/designated teacher completes Teacher Referral & Feedback Form Selection Committee reviews referrals to determine eligibility to move forward to cognitive testing Committee notifies parents/guardians of their child’s eligibility to test Parent permission is required prior to testing

What is the Difference Between a Bright Child and a Highly Capable One? A Highly Capable Child: Knows the answers Is interested  Pays attention Works hard Answers the questions Asks the questions Is very curious Gets involved mentally and physically Can be inattentive and still get good grades and test scores Questions the answers

What is the Difference Between a Bright Child and a Highly Capable One? A Highly Capable Child: Enjoys same-age peers Learns easily Is self-satisfied (when gets right answer) Is good at memorizing Prefers adults or older children Often already knows the answers Is highly self-critical (perfectionists) Is good at guessing

When can students be referred? Fall referrals Current kindergarten and some transfer students Services begin during the current school year Referrals accepted through the 4th week of October Spring referrals Current K-11th grade students Services begin during the following school year Referrals accepted through the 4th week of February

Step 2: Assessment Eligible students are administered a cognitive test If students meet criteria in academic achievement or cognitive ability, but not both, they are administered an intellectual creativity test Students may only be assessed once per academic year

When are students tested? Fall testing (kindergarten and transfer students only) Cognitive testing occurs in early November Creativity testing occurs in mid-November Spring testing Cognitive testing occurs in late March Creativity testing occurs in early April

Step 3: Selection Selection Committee reviews test scores to determine eligibility for highly capable services A letter is mailed home notifying parents of the committee’s decision SELECTION CRITERIA – A student will be identified as highly capable if he/she meets criteria on two of the three assessment areas noted below: Academic: The student’s overall achievement score is at or above the 97th percentile in mathematics and reading over the last 12 months Cognitive - The student’s overall IQ is at or above the 97th percentile Creativity- The student’s overall creativity test score is in the 9th stanine in at least one subsection, or at or above the 97th percentile

Appeal Process If the Highly Capable Selection Committee determines that a student does not meet criteria for highly capable services, the student or his/her parent or guardian may appeal the determination and shall have the right to an informal conference with the committee

Step 4: Services Fall testing: Services begin immediately after the selection process is complete Spring testing: Services begin the school year after the selection process is complete Parents must give permission for their child to receive services

Services

Subject-based Acceleration Honors Courses Advanced Placement Course(s) Kindergarten 1st -8th Grades 9th -12th Grades Differentiated Instruction Cluster Grouping Subject-based Acceleration Honors Courses Advanced Placement Course(s) College in the Classroom Running Start Program (11th-12th grade students) Advanced Level Mathematics: Above grade level mathematics classes are offered to students who meet eligibility criteria for the specific class

General Cluster Grouping Common gifted education practice that places a group of high achieving, gifted, or high ability students in a classroom with other students and with a teacher who has received training to differentiate curriculum and instruction for the identified cluster students. Gentry, M. and Mann, R. (nd). Total school cluster grouping and differentiation A comprehensive, research-based plan for raising student achievement and improving teacher practices. Power point companion to the book.

Research-Based Benefits of Cluster Grouping Highly capable students regularly interact with their intellectual and age peers Curricular and instructional differentiation is efficient, effective, and likely when a group of high achievers is placed with a teacher who has skills and knowledge High expectations maintained in all classrooms Gentry, M. and Mann, R. (nd). Total school cluster grouping and differentiation: A comprehensive, research-based plan for raising student achievement and improving teacher practices. Powerpoint companion to the book.

Instructional Delivery Options Flexible tasks – projects and investigations Learning contracts – learning outcomes Problem-based learning – unstructured problems Accelerated pace – acquisition Curriculum compacting Online learning projects

Challenge Options Choice Boards Tic tac toe Points board Choose One… Any other choice format you design Independent Projects Research projects Book clubs Various product options for culminating the project Problem Based Learning (PrBL or PBL) Real world problem What do we know, what do we need to find out, what materials/resources will we need, who will do each task, what did we find out?

Curriculum Compacting Math – most challenging 3-5 problems in each lesson Reading – pre-test; select lessons/practice based on skills not mastered on pre-test Once students finish the compacted practice/lessons, they move to the challenge option(s) presented to or designed with students

Materials enVisionMATH: Enrichment pages, 2 star games Storytown: Challenge pages, vocabulary extensions Websites with challenging activities based on student level Chromebooks: Google Slides (PowerPoint) presentations

Highly Capable Program Questions

Highly Capable Advisory Committee Kristen Walker Mathew Liberty Pam Brantner Stephanie Bray Paula Perron-Bates Meg Gollnick Lonna Carrier Roberta Kramer