Every Washington district is required to identify and serve highly capable students, but the programs go by different names, use different tests, and change often. If you already know the acronyms (HCC, PRISM, Quest), you also know the real questions: how do you get in, when, and is the program you're planning around still going to exist? This page answers those for 10 districts, side by side.
The admission decision that matters usually happens years before high school. Cohort programs fill from designated feeder paths, a student identified in 2nd grade rides the pathway to a specific middle and high school; a family arriving in 9th grade mostly can't buy back in. Testing windows are short (often a few weeks in fall), referral deadlines are strict, and several districts are actively restructuring their programs. If a gifted pathway is part of your school plan, treat the identification calendar like a tax deadline.
Every fact below carries its source and observed date. Districts revise these policies annually, before acting on a date or threshold, click through to the district page.
Fall 2025 cycle: referrals Sept 29 - Oct 10, 2025; CogAT testing Nov 3-21, 2025; notification by Dec 19, 2025. Spring 2026 cycle: referrals Feb 23 - Mar 6, 2026…
Self-contained cohort at elementary; in-school cohort at middle/high
Applications for the next cycle post Monday, September 6, 2026 and are due Monday, October 5, 2026 by 4:00 pm (this cycle identifies for 2027-28 services). Test…
Referral window April 1 - October 31, 2026; referral/permission forms due October 15 for K/1/3-5/7-8; testing in November and December during the school day at …
2026-27 cycle: referral form opens September 1, 2026; form and evidence due September 12, 2026 at 4:00 pm; testing Saturdays September 19 and 26, 2026, 8:30 am-…
CBS = in-class differentiation; FTQ = self-contained cohort; MSQ = cohort within neighborhood middle school
The district publishes the framework rather than fixed public test dates; LWSD-administered measures (FastBridge, SBA, WIDA) follow the district assessment cale…
Self-contained cohort at elementary; partial cohort at middle
January 2026 testing: Wednesday afternoons January 21, January 28, and February 4, 2026, with a single makeup on February 11, 2026. August 2026 (new students on…
For the 2026-27 testing cycle, referrals open August 2026 and close October 10 at 4:00 pm. Per the posted (2025-26) timeline: Naglieri screening for grades 1 an…
Both: self-contained HCC at host sites; differentiated services at neighborhood schools
No separate testing events; existing assessment data is used. For the 2025-26 identification cycle (for 2026-27 services): universal screening data pulled from …
Self-contained cohort (elementary); cohort or cluster (MS); honors+AP (HS)
Screening runs fall through winter: 1st grade CogAT Screener in fall/early winter; K, 3rd, and 5th grade data reviews in winter; assessment invitations go out D…
Jump to a district for the full picture: how to apply, criteria, appeals, and what's changing.
Unfamiliar terms? The glossary defines every model, and the FAQ covers
moving between districts, missed windows, and single-subject qualification.
Universal consideration plus two referral windows per year. All 2nd and 5th graders are automatically considered in the spring round, no referral necessary. Fall window (Sept 29 - Oct 10, 2025 at 5pm for the current cycle) is for students new to the district (entered after February 2025), grades 1-11, referred by a parent/guardian or teacher. Spring window (Feb 23 - Mar 6, 2026 at 5pm) accepts referrals for grades K-11 from parents/guardians, teachers, or community members; referrers complete an online referral plus a rating scale. After testing, a Multidisciplinary Team/Selection Committee reviews each profile against selection criteria.
Testing window
Fall 2025 cycle: referrals Sept 29 - Oct 10, 2025; CogAT testing Nov 3-21, 2025; notification by Dec 19, 2025. Spring 2026 cycle: referrals Feb 23 - Mar 6, 2026 (all 2nd/5th graders auto-considered); CogAT administered to some students as part of spring evaluation.
Qualification criteria
CogAT is the primary assessment, combined with a referral rating scale and review of the student profile by the Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee under Board Policy/Procedure 2190. Students must show performance or potential 'at significantly advanced academic levels compared to others of the same age, experiences, or environments.' No numeric score thresholds are published on the program page.
Appeals
Yes
Structure notes
parents/legal guardians may appeal the Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee's decision by submitting an appeal request plus supporting evidence to the Executive Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning within 30 school days of decision notification; the Appeals Committee (composed of the selection committee) upholds or reverses within 30 school days and notifies in writing.
Recent and anticipated changes: Services follow Washington State HC guidelines per Policy 2190/Procedure 2190; the district site does not describe a self-contained program, services are generally delivered through the district's schools (e.g., Sonoji Sakai Intermediate for grades 5-6) rather than a centralized gifted campus. A 'Highly Capable Program Review' page exists but is no longer reachable at its old URL.
Sources: bisd303.org, observed Referral windows and CogAT use verified on the district page; appeal details came from BISD pages via search snippets (30-school-day window), and the service-delivery model/thresholds are not clearly published, medium confidence overall.. District policies change annually; verify dates with the district before planning around them.
Some facts for this district are pending re-verification, treat specifics as provisional.
Self-contained cohort at elementary; in-school cohort at middle/high
Acceleration options
Whole-grade acceleration via Centered Services; IB at grades 10-11
Transportation
Yes for Centered Services sites
How you get in
Universal screening plus application. All BSD kindergarten and 2nd grade students (district news also lists 5th grade) are automatically screened, no application needed. Parents/guardians of BSD students in grades 1 and 3-11 apply online during the fall window; private/homeschool students in grades 1-11 living in the BSD service area may also apply. Any staff member, student, or community member may refer a child by sending name, grade, school, and student ID to advancedlearning@bsd405.org or (425) 456-4136; referred students' parents are then invited to apply. Transfers must enroll and get a BSD student ID before applying.
Testing window
Applications for the next cycle post Monday, September 6, 2026 and are due Monday, October 5, 2026 by 4:00 pm (this cycle identifies for 2027-28 services). Testing for enrolled BSD students runs during the school day between early November 2026 and early March 2027 (secondary students after winter break; optional Saturday dates; exact dates depend on application volume). Private/homeschool residents test on one Saturday in early-to-mid December 2026 (~8:00 am-1:30 pm, cognitive AM / achievement PM).
Qualification criteria
District-level multidisciplinary team reviews a portfolio of evidence with no fixed weights: state assessments, district achievement measures, CogAT 7/8 (K-10), i-Ready diagnostic (K-8), SBA (3-10), Iowa Assessments (9-11), dual-language assessments at dual-language schools. Domain-specific services: cognitive ability 2+ SD above the norm (132+ SAS) plus achievement 2 years above grade level or above the 98th percentile in the domain. Centered (self-contained) services: Verbal, Quantitative, Nonverbal AND Composite CogAT at or above 132 SAS plus achievement 2 years above grade level or above the 98th percentile.
Appeals
Yes, within 10 days of receiving results, on two grounds only: testing-condition problems (e.g., fire alarm, computer malfunction) or misapplication/miscalculation of scores. Reviewed by an Appeals Committee (department administrator, psychologist, teacher); decision is final. Private IQ tests are not considered, illness is not a valid ground, and appeals are not accepted at certain universal-screening data-review stages (K, 5th, initial 2nd grade phases).
Structure notes
Two tiers: Domain-Specific Services (K-10) delivered in the general-ed classroom at the home school in Literacy and/or Math; and Centered Services, a self-contained full-day cohort at hub schools, elementary (grades 2-5) at Cherry Crest, Medina, Somerset, and Woodridge; middle school at Odle and Tyee (math accelerated one year); high school cohort at Interlake High School built around the IB program in grades 10-11 with internships/college-level work in grade 12.
Recent and anticipated changes: Beginning 2026-27, grade 11 is added to the domain-specific services rollup, with grade 12 following in 2027-28.
Terrace Park (elementary); designated middle school site
Acceleration options
Whole-grade acceleration via Challenge; subject acceleration at MS
Transportation
Yes for Challenge / HC sites
How you get in
Universal testing plus referral. All 2nd and 6th graders are tested automatically, no referral or permission form needed (families who do NOT want testing must submit a Refusal form, due Oct 30 in the last posted cycle). Students in K, 1st, 3rd-5th, and 7th-8th need a completed 'Highly Capable Referral & Permission to Test' form (Google Form; parents and educators can submit), due October 15 to test in that year's window. The overall referral window for the following school year runs April 1 through October 31 (April 1 - October 31, 2026 for the current cycle).
Testing window
Referral window April 1 - October 31, 2026; referral/permission forms due October 15 for K/1/3-5/7-8; testing in November and December during the school day at the student's school; private-school and homeschooled resident students test on two Saturdays in December. Appeals occur in the winter of the same school year in which the student tested.
Qualification criteria
NNAT3 (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, 3rd ed.), 48 questions in 30 minutes on a Chromebook, is the universal screener/cognitive measure; a Multidisciplinary Placement Committee reviews NNAT3 results alongside achievement data (i-Ready, SBA scores helpful but not required). No numeric cutoffs are published.
Appeals
Yes, only in the winter of the same school year in which the student was tested, on two grounds: extraordinary circumstances affecting test validity (trauma, illness) or misapplication/miscalculation by the committee. The appeal review team's decision is final.
Structure notes
Centralized: elementary HiCap is a full-time, self-contained program at Terrace Park School (math accelerated one level above grade); middle school HiCap is clustered English/Humanities/Math/Science courses at Brier Terrace Middle School with math accelerated an additional year; high schoolers choose IB at Edmonds-Woodway HS, STEM at Mountlake Terrace HS, or Honors/AP at their local school. Transportation is addressed in a Service Model & Transportation subpage.
Recent and anticipated changes: None found on current district Highly Capable pages.
Whole-grade acceleration via MERLIN; subject pathway continues through HS
Transportation
Conditional (depends on MERLIN site assignment)
How you get in
Universal screening for K and 2nd grade (no referral needed; opt-out form available), plus a short September referral window for everyone else. Family members, community members, and school staff may refer students in grades 1 and 3-12 via an online form with supporting evidence. A multidisciplinary committee screens referrals; selected students sit Saturday testing at the ISD Administration Building. New-to-district students have a separate referral path.
Testing window
2026-27 cycle: referral form opens September 1, 2026; form and evidence due September 12, 2026 at 4:00 pm; testing Saturdays September 19 and 26, 2026, 8:30 am-12:30 pm; results emailed mid-December 2026. 2nd grade universal testing (2025-26 cycle, for 2026-27 services): TTCT Dec 8-19, 2025; i-Ready reading/math Jan 5-30, 2026; CogAT Mar 2-13, 2026; results mid-May 2026, services begin September 2026. Kindergarten (PEP) results are sent in winter of the kindergarten year.
Qualification criteria
Multiple measures reviewed by a Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (special teacher, psychologist/qualified practitioner, certificated coordinator/administrator, plus others): paper-and-pencil proctored CogAT, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), and online i-Ready math and reading, plus SBA where available. Exact score cutoffs are not published on the web pages (grade-band selection-process PDFs detail the steps). Once identified, students continue in the program through grade 12 unless they exit.
Appeals
Yes, appeals of selection decisions only (not screening or placement), within 10 business days of score notification, on three grounds: suspected error in test administration, misapplication/miscalculation/misinterpretation of scores, or extraordinary circumstances during testing (e.g., death in family, extreme illness). Reviewed by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee with no in-person hearings; NO private testing is considered.
Structure notes
K-12 continuum at every elementary school: PEP (Primary Enrichment Program, K-2), differentiated reading in class plus 30-60 min/week pull-out/push-in math; grades 3-5 split into SAGE (pull-out: 2 hrs/week math, 1 hr/week reading with a SAGE teacher) and MERLIN (self-contained classroom for the most highly qualified). Middle school: enhanced/accelerated pathways in math, LA, and science via clustering and compacted sequences. High school: honors, AP, IB.
Recent and anticipated changes: None announced on the district's Highly Capable pages; the 2026-27 cycle keeps the September referral + K/2 universal screening structure.
CBS = in-class differentiation; FTQ = self-contained cohort; MSQ = cohort within neighborhood middle school
Acceleration options
Whole-grade via FTQ; in-class differentiation via CBS
Transportation
Yes for FTQ; not needed for CBS (delivered at home school)
How you get in
Universal screening plus referral, all managed in Skyward. Students in grades 2 and 5 receive universal screening (families may opt out via Skyward) using a new two-step process: academic screening first, cognitive assessment only when initial results warrant. Students in all other grades (K, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) can be referred for highly capable consideration in Skyward, with parents/caregivers granting permission to assess; existing data is reviewed for students in all grades. Details of the 2026-27 process will be shared with all families at the end of August 2026.
Testing window
The district publishes the framework rather than fixed public test dates; LWSD-administered measures (FastBridge, SBA, WIDA) follow the district assessment calendar, with CogAT/NNAT/Iowa administered as needed in the identification process. Information about the 2026-27 HiCap identification cycle will be posted at the end of August 2026; fall 2026 begins identification/placement for transfer and new-to-district students.
Qualification criteria
Multiple data points reviewed by a Multidisciplinary Placement Committee (MPC). Tests: CogAT (verbal/quantitative/nonverbal, computer-based), NNAT (nonverbal), Iowa Assessments (for reading/math eligibility), plus FastBridge, SBA, WIDA. Classroom-Based Services: typically 3+ scores at/above the 95th percentile, or a cognitive pathway of 3+ scores at/above the 90th percentile plus cognitive ability at/above the 95th percentile (some pathways require no cognitive data). Self-contained Full-Time Quest / Middle School Quest requires all three: 3+ academic scores at/above the 98th percentile in literacy, 3+ at/above the 98th percentile in math, and cognitive ability at/above the 98th percentile. Kindergarten: 2+ scores at/above the 98th percentile (Classroom-Based Services only).
Appeals
Yes. Families have seven calendar days from receiving screening results to accept services, appeal (only for miscalculation/misapplication of scores), or request a portfolio review (portfolio requires current LWSD enrollment). The MPC reviews all appeals/portfolios by end of the school year; MPC decisions on appeals and portfolio reviews are final.
Structure notes
Tiered continuum: Classroom-Based Services (new tier, delivered in general ed), Full-Time Quest (FTQ), self-contained, often multi-grade classrooms at designated FTQ elementary sites with feeder assignments (math taught one grade level above; literacy at grade-level standards), and Middle School Quest (MSQ). High school has no discrete HiCap program; services are self-selected rigor: Running Start, College in the High School, AP.
Recent and anticipated changes: For 2025-26 LWSD introduced Classroom-Based Services as a new service tier and moved universal screening (grades 2 and 5) to a two-step model (academic screen first, cognitive testing only if indicated). 2026-27 FTQ feeder school assignments were republished; full 2026-27 identification details due end of August 2026.
Self-contained cohort at elementary; partial cohort at middle
Host schools
Lakeridge Elementary; Islander Middle School
Acceleration options
Whole-grade acceleration via E2 cohort
Transportation
Yes (small island; single district-wide elementary HC site)
How you get in
Universal testing plus family nomination. All kindergarten and grade 2 students are universally tested during a two-week window in mid-January during the school day (each school sets its own schedule). Students in grades 1 and 3-9 can be nominated by their families for the January testing window (nomination window opens November 2026 for January 2027 testing). A separate August window serves new students only, for 2026, students who enrolled after December 19, 2025 could be nominated for testing on August 10, 13, and 14, 2026. Retest limits: no retesting within 12 months, and only two consecutive years of testing before a mandatory year off.
Testing window
January 2026 testing: Wednesday afternoons January 21, January 28, and February 4, 2026, with a single makeup on February 11, 2026. August 2026 (new students only): August 10, 13, 14, 2026. Next cycle: nomination window opens November 2026; K/2 universal screening and nominated-student testing mid-January 2027.
Qualification criteria
CogAT (verbal, quantitative, nonverbal), Iowa Assessments (reading, language, math, science, social studies), and the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT, informs teachers, does not determine eligibility), applied through an Identification Matrix by a Multidisciplinary Committee (MDC). Grades 1-2 (Primary Enrichment): CogAT screener at the 97th percentile or higher (age or grade scores) triggers portfolio review. Grades 3-5: 'Code 32' single-area designation requires a matrix score of 10+ in Reading/Verbal OR Math/Quantitative; 'Code 33' holistic designation requires 28+ on the full matrix. Grades 6-8: 8+ in one domain AND 10+ on the matrix. All tests timed except K-1.
Appeals
Yes, limited to misinterpretation of results, extraordinary testing conditions, or misapplication of scores by the MDC. Alternative measures like report cards, Benchmark, or iReady data are accepted; teacher recommendations are not considered in appeals.
Structure notes
Grades 1-2: enrichment within the regular classroom (PES). Grades 3-5: Code 32 students served in the regular classroom; Code 33 students in a dedicated classroom at Lakeridge Elementary. Grades 6-8: Code 33 services in Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. High school: open enrollment in advanced coursework, no testing required. A Highly Capable Advisory Committee and an external program review are documented on the district site.
Recent and anticipated changes: District maintains a Highly Capable Advisory Committee and has published external-review documents signaling ongoing program evaluation; no dated board actions on restructuring were posted on the fetched pages.
Designated HC site (Summit) plus general-ed differentiation
Host schools
Mukilteo Elementary (Summit)
Acceleration options
Honors ELA district-wide at MS; Math Honors entering grades 6 and 7
Transportation
Yes for Summit site
How you get in
Universal screening plus screening-request form. All students in grades K, 2, and 5 are screened annually (grades 2 and 5 in fall; kindergartners and new grade 2/5 students in winter). Parents/guardians of students in grades 1, 3, and 4 may submit a Screening Request Form (due October 9, 2026 for the current cycle); students, parents/guardians, community members, teachers, or other staff may also refer a student by contacting the Highly Capable Program office by the October deadline. Students who pass screening then get permission-to-test for Summit (gifted) placement testing.
Testing window
2025-26 cycle (for 2026-27 services): grade 2 screening Oct 6-24, 2025 (second round Jan 12-23, 2026 for new/absent students); grade 5 and self-referrals screened Oct 20-27, 2025; Summit permission-to-test Nov 6-17, 2025 with first-round testing Dec 1-12, 2025; second round permission Feb 6-13, 2026 with testing Feb 23-Mar 6, 2026; family notification/permission-to-place Mar 18-23, 2026; kindergarten permission-to-place Apr 20-29, 2026. For the next cycle, screening request forms are due October 9, 2026.
Qualification criteria
Multiple measures reviewed by a multidisciplinary selection committee (special teacher, psychologist or qualified practitioner, certificated administrator, building principal, plus others as needed): district screeners in reading and math, Smarter Balanced ELA/math when available, CogAT, and WaKIDS for kindergarten. No numeric score thresholds are published.
Appeals
Yes, written appeal to the Highly Capable Committee at district headquarters within 15 business days, on three grounds: misinterpretation of test results, inequitable application of procedures, or extraordinary circumstances affecting test validity.
Structure notes
Continuum: LEAP (Learning Enrichment Achievement Pathway/Program), K-2 pathway and grades 3-12 services delivered at the home school in the general-ed setting via differentiation/enrichment; Summit Program (grades 3-8), full-day, five-days-a-week self-contained classrooms with accelerated curriculum and district transportation (hosted at designated sites, e.g., Mukilteo Elementary); grades 6-8 Honors now open-enrollment; grades 9-12 advanced/AP/college and Running Start courses.
Recent and anticipated changes: All middle school students (not just HiCap-identified) may now enroll in ELA and Math Honors classes if interested and space allows
Sources: mukilteoschools.org · mukilteoschools.org · me.mukilteoschools.org, observed Detailed calendar dates are from the posted 2025-26 cycle; only the Oct 9, 2026 screening-request deadline is confirmed for the 2026-27 cycle so far, and the Summit host-site list is not published on the fetched pages.. District policies change annually; verify dates with the district before planning around them.
Some facts for this district are pending re-verification, treat specifics as provisional.
Universal screening plus referral. All 1st and 5th graders are universally screened with the Naglieri (no parent permission required for screening, though completing the permission form early speeds assessment). Parents/guardians refer students in grades K, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 via a combined Referral + Permission to Participate form. Students meeting at least one screening criterion advance to Iowa Assessment testing. Non-Northshore students have a separate application (closed December 20 in the 2025-26 cycle).
Testing window
For the 2026-27 testing cycle, referrals open August 2026 and close October 10 at 4:00 pm. Per the posted (2025-26) timeline: Naglieri screening for grades 1 and 5 in Sept-Oct; screening for grades 2-4 and 6-7 in Oct-Nov; Iowa Assessment testing Nov-Dec with makeups early January and February; parent notification late January-late February; placement acceptance and appeal deadline March 6.
Qualification criteria
Multiple objective criteria. Screening: Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3, score range 40-160) and existing data including Smarter Balanced. Assessment: Iowa Assessments administered one grade level ABOVE the student's current grade for reading and/or math eligibility; a Naglieri General Ability Test - Quantitative is also used. Students at/above the 95th percentile on Smarter Balanced may be exempted from the corresponding Iowa test. Exact qualifying percentile cutoffs are not published on the eligibility pages. Designations are subject-specific: as of 2024-25 the district served 7,492 HiCap-designated students (969 reading-only, 1,343 math-only, 5,180 both).
Appeals
Yes, appeals due by March 6 in the 2025-26 cycle (same date as the placement-acceptance deadline), per the district timeline page.
Structure notes
Continuum by grade band: K-1 'Holistic Learners' early identification; elementary options include In-Class Services, Integrated Cluster grouping, self-contained Elementary Advanced Program (EAP), and HiCap Elementary Math; middle school HiCap courses; high school accelerated programs open to all students regardless of designation. Philosophy: 'Different work, not more work.'
Recent and anticipated changes: Northshore implemented an integrated service delivery model for highly capable services beginning 2024-25 (integrated cluster alongside self-contained EAP), and maintains a standing Highly Capable Task Force reviewing the program.
Both: self-contained HCC at host sites; differentiated services at neighborhood schools
Host schools
Cascadia Elementary (north); current HCC pathway sites; Alki Elementary and Rainier View Elementary add 2026-27
Acceleration options
Whole-grade acceleration via HCC; subject acceleration in neighborhood schools varies by site
Transportation
Yes for HCC pathway sites
How you get in
Universal screening plus referral. All 1st and 4th graders are automatically screened (in January each school year, beginning January 2026); students in grades 2-3 and 5-8 must be referred by a parent/guardian or educator. High school (grades 9-11) has a separate referral window in which students may be referred by themselves, parents/guardians, teaching staff, or community members; no additional testing is given, the Highly Capable Services department gathers and evaluates existing student educational records. Identification uses multiple existing measures (no district-administered gifted test): MAP Reading/Math, SBA, WaKIDS (K), the educator Demonstrated Performance Tool (DPT), language-acquisition data for multilingual learners, and IEP assessments.
Testing window
No separate testing events; existing assessment data is used. For the 2025-26 identification cycle (for 2026-27 services): universal screening data pulled from 2024-25 and the fall 2025-26 assessment window; high school referral window March 9-31, 2026; HC identification results for 2026-27 released early February 2026, with an HC enrollment window Feb 7-28, 2026 and late applications through March 31, 2026.
Qualification criteria
A pattern of high academic achievement across multiple measures, typically at least two MAP RIT scores meeting baseline criteria, reviewed by a district-level Multi-Disciplinary Placement Committee (MPC) of teachers, school leaders, and central office staff. Multiple equity pathways exist for students who are FRL-eligible, McKinney-Vento, in Special Education, or Multilingual Learners. New for services starting 2026-27: students can qualify in a single domain (reading OR math) by meeting baseline criteria in that one subject. No public numeric percentile cutoffs are published.
Appeals
Yes. For the 2025-26 high school cycle: eligibility decision letters April 14, 2026, appeals due before April 30, 2026, with appeal decisions within 25 school days. In prior K-8 cycles families had 10 days from the decision to appeal; private outside testing is not accepted for eligibility or appeals.
Structure notes
Hybrid model: families of eligible students in grades 2-5 choose between the HC cohort (pathway school) model or services at their neighborhood school (UDL/differentiation). 2026-27 HC pathway elementaries: Alki, Cascadia, Decatur, Thurgood Marshall, Rainier View (elementary cohort is accelerated 2 grades in math, 1 in ELA). Pathway middle schools: Hamilton International, Jane Addams, Madison, Robert Eagle Staff, Washington (geometry available to eligible 8th graders). Pathway high schools: Lincoln, Garfield, West Seattle, though all SPS high schoolers can access AP/IB/Running Start/honors regardless of designation.
Recent and anticipated changes: After the earlier board direction to dissolve the HCC cohort into neighborhood-school services, a March 12, 2025 board update announced a three-year continuation of the hybrid (cohort + neighborhood) model starting 2025-26. SPS is expanding HC pathway sites to Alki and Rainier View elementaries beginning 2026-27. Universal screening was narrowed to grades 1 and 4 (from broader K-8 auto-consideration used circa 2021-22), and single-domain (math-only or reading-only) HC services begin 2026-27.
Self-contained cohort (elementary); cohort or cluster (MS); honors+AP (HS)
Acceleration options
Whole-grade via elementary cohort; math pathway acceleration at MS
Transportation
Yes for elementary HC site
How you get in
Universal screening plus referral. All kindergartners (winter, via multiple-criteria review of classroom assessments and teacher feedback), all 1st graders (CogAT Screener, fall/early winter, in-class), and all 3rd and 5th graders (winter multiple-criteria review of state testing, district classroom-based assessments, and prior data) are screened automatically. Students in grades 2, 4, and 6-8 must be referred, any staff member, student, or community member may submit the online Referral Form. Students meeting screening thresholds are invited (via ParentSquare, Dec/Jan) to further assessment.
Testing window
Screening runs fall through winter: 1st grade CogAT Screener in fall/early winter; K, 3rd, and 5th grade data reviews in winter; assessment invitations go out December/January, with follow-up CogAT (screener, post-screener, or complete) and/or Iowa testing in winter; retest registration typically occurs in December. Services for newly identified students begin in the fall of the following school year.
Qualification criteria
Totality-of-evidence model reviewed by a Multidisciplinary Placement Committee (teachers, specialists, administrators). Instruments: CogAT (verbal, quantitative, nonverbal), Iowa (ITBS) reading/math achievement, i-Ready math (1-5) and reading (3-5), Smarter Balanced, teacher recommendations, report cards. General benchmark: consistent scores at or above the 95th percentile in BOTH cognitive aptitude and academic achievement; grade 1 screening advances roughly the top 10% per school (90th percentile+) on the CogAT Screener.
Appeals
Yes, within 10 days of receiving results, limited to extraordinary testing circumstances or misinterpretation of results; families may alternatively register (typically in December) for retesting in the winter testing window.
Structure notes
District pages fetched do not spell out the service-delivery model; a 'Services & Programs' subpage plus middle-school family presentation exist. Historically Shoreline's elementary HiCap program has been housed in dedicated classrooms (Meridian Park Elementary), but this was not confirmed on current pages. Contact: highlycapable@ssd412.org, 206-393-4771.
Recent and anticipated changes: None published on the current identification/eligibility pages; the district recently moved its site to ssd412.org (older shorelineschools.org policy pages, e.g. Policy 2166, remain).
Some facts for this district are pending re-verification, treat specifics as provisional.
Glossary: what the program models mean
Self-contained cohort
Kids who qualify move into a separate classroom, full time, with other kids from the
program. The work runs a grade or two ahead. The class is often at a
host school, so this can mean a new school and a new bus.
Examples: Bellevue's Centered Services, Lake Washington's Full-Time Quest, Seattle's HC
cohort.
Cluster grouping
Kids stay at their normal school. The school puts several program kids in the same
class, so the teacher can give them harder work as a group.
Pull-out
Kids leave their regular class a few hours a week for advanced work with a special
teacher, then come back. The rest of the day is normal. Example: Issaquah's SAGE.
In-class / domain-specific
No separate class at all, the regular teacher gives harder work inside the normal
classroom. "Domain-specific" means a kid qualified in just one subject (math or reading)
and gets harder work only there. This model depends the most on the individual teacher.
Hybrid
The district runs more than one of the models above, and where your kid lands depends
on how they qualify. Example: Issaquah has both pull-out (SAGE) and a self-contained
classroom (MERLIN). If a district says "hybrid," ask which one your kid would actually
get.
Host school
A school chosen to run the program for the whole district. Your kid attends the host
school instead of your neighborhood school.
Cohorted vs. non-cohorted
"Cohorted" means the program kids move through school together as one group, year
after year, often on to the same middle and high school. "Non-cohorted" means your kid
stays at their normal school and gets extra services there. This is the biggest question
to ask a district: it decides your kid's classmates, school building, and bus.
Universal screening
The district automatically checks every kid in certain grades, you don't have to do
anything (sometimes there's a permission form). In every other grade, YOU have to ask.
The district won't come looking.
Referral
The form that asks the district to test your kid. The window to submit it is short, often just a few weeks in the fall. Miss it and you usually wait a year.
Selection committee (MPC / MDC)
The group of school staff, teachers, a psychologist, administrators, who look at
the scores and decide. State law makes them use several measures, not one test. That's
why most districts won't publish a single cutoff score.
Appeal
How you challenge a "no." Districts only allow it for specific reasons, a testing
mistake, or something like your kid being sick that day. Deadlines are short, and most
districts will not accept a private psychologist's test.
FAQ
We're moving into a district. Does our kid's gifted status
transfer?
Not automatically. Every Washington district must run its
own gifted program (state rule WAC 392-170),
and each one decides for itself. None of the ten districts here simply accepts another
district's decision, or another state's. Your kid's old records help as evidence, but
the new district makes its own call. What that looks like:
Seattle doesn't run its own gifted test, it reviews existing
records, so scores from your old district feed right in.
Bellevue makes you enroll first, then apply in the fall (Sept–Oct), with testing
over the winter. Move in over the summer and services usually start the next
school year.
Mercer Island tests new students in August, before school starts.
Bainbridge Island saves its fall testing round for kids new to the district.
Lake Washington, Issaquah, and Northshore each have their own
new-student path, check their cards above for this year's dates.
Bottom line: bring your kid's records (test scores, the old
identification letter), email the new district's Advanced Learning office before you
move, and check the deadlines above. Dates checked July 2026.
Can private-school or homeschool kids test?
In some districts, yes, if you live in the district, your kid can test (Bellevue and
Edmonds run special Saturday sessions). But to get the services, your kid generally has
to enroll in the district.
We missed the deadline. Now what?
You usually wait until next year. The exceptions are the new-student windows above,
and Bainbridge's second round in the spring.
Our kid is strong in math but not reading. Can they still qualify?
In many districts, yes, kids can qualify in just one subject and get advanced work
only there. Seattle adds this in 2026-27; Northshore, Bellevue, and Mercer Island already
do it. A one-subject qualification often maps to a different service tier than a
full qualification (see hybrid).
Which specific schools host the cohorts, and how strong are they?
This guide covers district policy. The per-school picture, which buildings host Advanced
Learning cohorts, how their outcomes and peer depth compare, score trends, and full research
dossiers, is part of the $29 Research Pass.