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Upcoming Spring Nomination Window:

• All 2nd graders will be considered for HC in this round.
• Students in grades 1-11 may be nominated if they were not new in the Fall.
• The nomination window is open from March 21-31.
• Follow the instructions on this submission form to nominate a student. Be sure to check the email inbox you used to submit your nomination. If you do not receive a copy of your responses, your nomination was not submitted and recorded.  https://forms.gle/Kd3MZeBjtF8fPDvQ7

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The Highly Capable Education Program is subject to rules and regulations set by the district, state and federal government, and is annually approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the BISD school board. 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.   

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.

 

Entry into the Highly Capable Program

There are two times each school year when students may be nominated for possible entry into our district’s Highly Capable program. 

Fall Window: 

• Kindergarten and students new to our district are eligible.
• The nomination window is open in late October.

Spring Window: 

• All 2nd graders will be considered for HC in this round.
• Students in grades 1-11 may be nominated if they were not new in the Fall.
• The nomination window is open at the end of March.

Nominated students will take the CogAT as a part of our evaluation process. 
To learn more about CogAT, please watch this short video, “Getting to Know CogAT for Parents”

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.
• 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.

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 to work with other highly capable students.

Each elementary school has a Highly Capable Teacher who 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): 

Starting in 6th grade, students/families have the choice to take an accelerated math course. 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: 

• 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. 
• The English 9 and English 10 have an embedded honors program. All students have the option of accessing the embedded honors model.

Amii Thompson

Executive Director, Elementary Teaching & Learning 
206-780-1067
athompson@bisd303.org