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Student Identification Process

Referral & Identification Process

Referrals for highly capable services (starting the next school year) are accepted the first school day in October and will be accepted until Thursday, January 5, 2023.  You can find the form by clicking the link (referrals are currently close). Please read Tips and Instructions if you need help.

For more information on characteristics of highly capable students, please see the Student Characteristics section below. 

If your student is currently a 2nd or 5th grader then a referral is not needed. Each year we perform a universal screening for our 2nd & 5th graders.   Contact us if you have questions about our universal screening for 2nd and 5th grade. Screener decisions are not open for appeals, but you can refer students during the referral period (December-January) to pass them through the screening process.

Teachers can refer students through their Skyward accounts. Please contact us if you have questions. Community members and others without access to a student in Skyward can also contact us about referrals for a student.  

Please Note: If a student has special testing needs, it is the responsibility of the individual who has referred that student to notify the Highly Capable Testing Coordinator.

Testing Process

Referrals for K-11 students are accepted from October 1, 2022 through  January 5, 2023 this school year for our Spring Testing & Identification. Services for students identified during this process will start services the following school year. 

Testing begins in December and runs through February.  Parents/Guardians can refer students using the Referral Link (not currently accepting referrals). You will receive an email response within 10 work days confirming receipt of referral. Anyone with questions on the referral process should contact Highly Capable Services at Highlycapable@skschools.org

Summer Testing for Transfer Students

Students who are new to SKSD and have been identified as Highly Capable by another school district are eligible for summer (August screening. Students new to SKSD need to provide records of comparative testing from their previous school district if this information is available. If previous testing information is not available, not similar, or if the information is more than two years old, students will be tested using SKSD's testing process.

*Please note: a student receiving highly capable services in another school district is not automatically qualify for highly capable services in SKSD. Please contact us at highlycapble@skschools.org if you have a student transferring to SKSD who was previously identified by another school district to find out what documents need to be submitted for review. 

Referral and Identification Information by Grade Level

Kindergartners and 1st graders are initially identified for enrichment services based on District assessments, classroom performance, teacher and/or parent referrals and rating scales. K-1 students who qualify to receive enrichment services will receive those enrichments at their home school through 2nd grade. These services may include clustering with other identified students, differentiated instruction, special grouping, walk-to options and/or acceleration. K-1 students who qualify for enrichment receive these services through 2nd grade. In 2nd grade, these students will participate in our spring identification process to determine eligibility for continued services in 3rd grade and beyond.

All 2nd  graders in SKSD will be screened in their regular classrooms with the Naglieri General Abilities  Test. This test gives a general indication of each student's abilities in three areas: verbal (language), quantitative (mathematics), and non-verbal (spatial relationships). This assessment is used to determine general ability of students to grasp abstract concepts in advance of their peers. 

All 5th graders in SKSD will be screened in their regular classrooms with the non-verbal (spatial relationships) portion of the Naglieri General Abilities  Test 

All referred students in grades K-11, with exception of 2nd and 5th graders will be invited to complete the full Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) which gives a general indication of each student’s abilities in three areas: verbal (language), quantitative (mathematics), and figural/nonverbal (spatial relationships). This assessment is used to determine general ability of students to grasp abstract concepts in advance of their chronological peers.

Additional Assessments / Checklists (all grades): A portfolio of state, district and building level academic assessments and teacher/parent observational checklists is also collected to complete the student evaluation profile. 

When all testing and data collected are complete, results are evaluated by the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (MDSC) which will make a decision on whether a student qualifies for Highly Capable services.  Students who are identified as needing services will start receiving services in the fall. Parents will be notified of their child's results via regular mail. Please see our program overview page for more information on the service models in our continuum of services.

Referral, Testing and Identification Timelines

General Calendar for Spring Testing & Identification for the 2022-2023 School Year:

  • October- December: Referrals accepted for grades K-11. Updated Referral forms will be available on Skyward during the referral season.
  • December: All second and fifth-grade students are administered the Naglieri in their regular classrooms.
  • January: Parents/guardians of referred students  are notified and sent a Permission to Test form. All referred students will be tested *Parent/guardian permission is required to be assessed for highly capable services.
  • February: Any make-up tests will be done.
  • March: Teacher/State/District data collection. Multi-disciplinary Selection Committee reviews all data.
  • March 15: Final selections and notifications. 
  • April 13: SOAR open house (5:30 @ Orchard Heights)
  • April 14: appeals window closes
  • April 21: SOAR decisions forms due
  • May 26: Appeal decisions sent 

 

Appeals Process

Students who receive notification that they do not qualify for SKSD's Highly Capable program have the right to submit an appeal. They may also appeal to be identified for a higher level of service.  An appeal form must be submitted within two weeks of receiving the notification letter along with additional data not shared previously must be included with the appeal form.  Appeals are reviewed by the district’s Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (MDSC) and parents will be notified of the decision via regular mail. 

Please contact the Highly Capable Services office if you have further questions or need additional information:
highlycapable@skschools.org

or call

(360) 874-6300