Highly Capable Education
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The nomination window has closed for the 2021-2022 school year.
Students that were nominated will be contacted about placement after all students have been assessed.
Kindergarten: late April
Grades 1-11: early June
Components of the Highly Capable Education Program
We believe that every child in our district should be challenged and supported academically, emotionally and socially. You can learn more about our commitment to students and the Highly Capable program by reading BISD School Board Policy 2166 and Procedure 2190 on the BISD website within Departments/Programs.
For all levels K-12:
- In order to provide a more cohesive program for identified students, several district-wide supports have been added or strengthened.
- In order to provide a more cohesive program for identified students, several district-wide supports have been added or strengthened.
- At all grade levels, and whenever possible, highly capable students will be intentionally clustered in classrooms for instruction.
- At each building the case manager or counselor will serve as the point of contact for parents and students. They will also be responsible for assisting with the identification and assessment of students.
- Specific professional development will be provided for teachers serving Highly capable students.
Elementary (grades K-4):
Students will be in their home school in a regular classroom. When possible, students in grades 1-4 will be clustered. This allows highly capable students an opportunity to work with other highly capable students.
Each elementary school has a certificated teacher identified as the differentiation specialist. This certificated teacher will:
- Serve as the case manager for highly capable students at the school.
- Provide both in class support and some pull-out services to identified students in grades K-2.
- Provide enriched content area instruction focused on project-based topics for identified students in grades 3-4. This may be through pull out services, push in services or a combination of both.
Intermediate and Middle Level (grades 5-8):
Students identified as highly capable in mathematics have the opportunity to enroll in an accelerated program and are provided opportunities for enrichment activities. For students who qualify, algebra will be offered at 6th grade. Students identified in language arts will be clustered and participate in enhanced English Language Arts learning activities. Strategies may include advanced curriculum, higher order skills, accelerated pacing, and curriculum compacting.
High School:
Additional counseling services have been added to the high school. The student's counselor will serve as the key contact for identified students. This counselor will assist with identification, parent communication and support for highly capable students.
Additional Advanced Placement (AP), honors, University of Washington in the High School and other classes have been added.
Cluster grouping for English 9 is done through the class scheduling process. Ideally, each cluster will have 4-6 highly capable students clustered in class together.
The English 9 and English 10 have an embedded honors program. All students have the option of accessing the embedded honors model.
School Coordinators for the Highly Capable Program:School
Staff
Email
Blakely Elementary School
Diane Fielding Bedell
Ordway Elementary School
Laura Nelson
lnelson@bisd303.org
Wilkes Elementary School
Jill Queen
jqueen@bisd303.org
Sakai Intermediate School
Bridget Lockett
blockett@bisd303.org
Woodward Middle School
Patricia Beer
pbeer@bisd303.org
Bainbridge High School
Cara Tebo
ctebo@bisd303.org
Eagle Harbor High School
Tricia Corsetti
tcorsetti@bisd303.org
Odyssey Multi-age Program, gr. 7-12
Tricia Corsetti
tcorsetti@bisd303.org
Odyssey Multi-age Program, K-4
Jocelyn Jablonski
jjablonski@bisd303.org
Mosaic Home Partnership, K-4
Jocelyn Jablonski
jjablonski@bisd303.org
The Highly Capable Education Plan is annually approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the BISD school board.What is the definition of Highly Capable?
Highly capable students (“HC Students”) are students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared to others of the same age, experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students’ general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. These students are present not only in the general population, but are present within protected classes.
HC Students may possess, but are not limited to, these learning characteristics:
- Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer learning to new situations
- Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their chronological peers;
- Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts;
- Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength; and
- Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus.
The Highly Capable Education Program is subject to rules and regulations set by the district, state and federal government. Students in the program go through a very comprehensive identification process to make sure that they qualify as a Highly Capable student and that they have a continuous need for more challenge.
Contact:
Amii Pratt
