Identification Process

No. High academic achievement is one important source of evidence, but it does not automatically mean a student will be identified for Highly Capable Services. The district uses multiple objective measures and other supporting evidence to determine whether a student demonstrates a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction in English language arts and/or mathematics. Eligibility decisions are based on the complete body of evidence rather than any single assessment or data point.

No. The Snoqualmie Valley School District does not accept privately obtained assessment results as part of the highly capable identification process.

To ensure an equitable and consistent identification process for all students, the district uses the same district-established identification procedures, including district-selected assessments and multiple objective measures. This approach ensures that all students are considered using the same identification process and criteria. Families who wish to have their child considered for Highly Capable Services must participate in the district's established identification process.

Academic and cognitive measures provide different types of information about a student's learning needs. Academic measures help the district understand what a student currently knows, understands, and is ready to learn in English language arts and mathematics. Cognitive measures provide additional information about how a student reasons, solves problems, and learns new information.

Considering both types of evidence helps the district develop a more complete understanding of each student's learning profile. For example, some students may demonstrate exceptional academic performance, while others may have strong reasoning abilities that are not yet fully reflected in their achievement. Looking at multiple objective measures helps ensure that identification decisions are based on a comprehensive review of the available evidence rather than any single assessment or score.

No single assessment determines eligibility for Highly Capable Services. Instead, the district reviews multiple objective measures and other supporting evidence to determine whether a student demonstrates a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction in English language arts and/or mathematics.

Yes. Students may be identified for Highly Capable Services in English language arts, mathematics, or both.

Washington's Highly Capable Program is designed to identify students who demonstrate a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction in specific academic areas. For this reason, Snoqualmie Valley School District reviews English language arts and mathematics separately using multiple objective measures and other supporting evidence to determine whether a student demonstrates a need for Highly Capable Services in each academic domain.

Because students have unique strengths and learning needs, it is common for a student to demonstrate a need for Highly Capable Services in one academic area but not another. For example, a student may require accelerated learning and enhanced instruction in mathematics while receiving appropriately challenging instruction in English language arts, or vice versa.

Following identification, the district determines the educational services that best match each student's demonstrated needs. Services are matched to the academic area(s) in which the student demonstrates a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction and may differ by subject.

Identification is based on a comprehensive review of multiple objective measures and supporting evidence for each academic area. This approach is consistent with research recognizing that advanced learning needs may be demonstrated in one or more domains, rather than uniformly across all academic subjects.

No single assessment provides a complete picture of a student's learning needs. Different assessments measure different aspects of learning and performance. For example, academic assessments provide information about what a student currently knows and is ready to learn, while cognitive assessments provide additional information about reasoning and learning. Together, these measures help the district develop a more comprehensive understanding of each student's educational needs.

A student may earn an exceptionally high score on one assessment while other objective measures provide additional context. Likewise, some students may demonstrate a need for Highly Capable Services even if they do not earn the highest score on every assessment. For this reason, the district does not make identification decisions based on any single test score or percentile rank.

Instead, the district reviews multiple objective measures and other supporting evidence to determine whether a student demonstrates a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction in English language arts and/or mathematics. This comprehensive approach is designed to provide a fair, equitable, and accurate understanding of each student's demonstrated educational needs.

Yes. Washington's Highly Capable Program is designed to identify students who demonstrate a need for accelerated learning and enhanced instruction, regardless of disability status, language background, or other student characteristics.

The district uses a comprehensive identification process that includes multiple objective measures and other supporting evidence. When appropriate, students are provided with testing supports or accommodations that allow them to meaningfully participate in the identification process while maintaining the validity of the assessments.

Some students may be identified as both highly capable and eligible for special education services. These students are often referred to as twice-exceptional (2e) because they have both advanced learning needs and disabilities that may affect how those strengths are demonstrated. Similarly, multilingual learners may demonstrate advanced learning needs while they are developing English language proficiency.

The district is committed to identifying students from all backgrounds whose demonstrated educational needs indicate they would benefit from Highly Capable Services and to providing equitable access to the identification process and a continuum of services.

The best preparation is ensuring your child is well-rested, has eaten breakfast, and arrives at school ready to do their best. There is no need to study or enroll in test-preparation programs for highly capable screening.

The district uses multiple objective measures as part of the identification process, including district academic benchmark assessments (found on the Assessment webpage) and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Together, these assessments provide information about a student's current academic performance and reasoning abilities. The purpose of screening is to obtain an accurate picture of each student's demonstrated strengths and educational needs. For this reason, the district does not encourage test-specific preparation, such as practice tests, coaching, or tutoring intended to improve performance on the screening assessments.

Prior to all assessments used in the highly capable identification process, students are provided an opportunity to become familiar with the testing format, directions, and practice questions. This allows students to focus on demonstrating their reasoning and academic skills rather than learning how to take the test. As a result, additional practice or test preparation at home is not necessary.