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Philosophy
Vashon Island School District shall offer instructional services to address the unique needs of highly capable students of school age. Our framework for highly capable services embraces the following objectives.
- Expansion of academic attainment and intellectual skill;
- Stimulation of intellectual curiosity, independence and responsibility;
- Development of a positive attitude toward self and others; and
- Development of originality and creativity.
The identification of highly capable students shall be based on the professional judgment of our staff teams as to which students will benefit the most from inclusion in the district's program.
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Definition of Highly Capable
Highly capable students perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced cognitive levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments.
Highly capable students generally possess the:
- 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 between ideas and concepts;
- Ability to learn very quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength.
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Process for Identification
We use universal screening to identify potential students for highly capable services. It ensures more equitable access to potential identification. Students in our district are all screened using all available assessment data to determine their potential eligibility for identification.In January of each school year, the district will begin a data review for all students in grades K through 11. The district will use all available assessment data to determine a student candidate pool, typically those students within the top 5% of their grade level who have not been previously identified. This candidate pool will then be invited to complete a cognitive ability test if they have not completed one within the past few years. The district will obtain parental permission before administering the cognitive ability test.Additionally, all students in grades 2 and 6 will participate in cognitive ability screening regardless of their other performance data. Testing will likely occur in February. Parents will be notified ahead of time, and they may choose to opt out of this part of our universal screening using our test refusal form (español). Students in the top 5% of their grade level peers will be included in the review for possible placement into highly capable services.Note for transfer students: Transfer students who qualified for highly capable services in another school/district are not automatically qualified for services in our district. This is because each school district sets their own qualifying standards based on local norms for their respective highly capable programs. -
Evaluation Process
Students will be evaluated based on cognitive ability and academic criteria. We will pay special attention to students who are typically underrepresented, such as multilingual learners or students who qualify for the federal food program, to ensure that they are not overlooked. Cognitive ability testing must be completed in our district. We do not accept outside evaluations. All data/evidence will be evaluated by the identification team. This team will determine whether a student qualifies as highly capable or not. The process is completed so that all student identifiers are removed from the folders prior to the committee reviewing the data. All parents/guardians of students who are reviewed for services will receive a decision letter at the completion of the evaluation. Please note the evaluation period may take several months to complete.Information which will be considered during the evaluation process: cognitive ability test score(s), academic assessment results, academic performance/grades, behavioral scales and other information pertinent to the individual student's needs.Assessment profiles may include results from the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, WaKIDS (cognitive and math), iReady reading and math, Smarter Balanced Assessments in ELA and math, Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science, and World-class Instructional Design Assessment. -
Process for Appeal
Parents/guardians have the right to appeal the committee’s decision. Individuals appealing the committee’s decision must submit a completed appeal form requesting review of the identification/placement decision.The written appeal request must include reasons for the appeal and any supporting documentation. The appeal request and supporting evidence must be submitted to the Vashon Island School District Teaching and Learning Department within ten school days of receiving the Committee’s decision regarding placement in the Highly Capable Program. The student’s file, assessment data, and additional evidence provided in the request for appeal will be reviewed. A decision will be made by the Highly Capable Program Coordinator within ten school days after receipt of the written request for reconsideration. The parent/legal guardian will be notified of the decision in writing. The decision of the Highly Capable Program Coordinator is final.
Exit ProcessStudents who are identified as highly capable remain in the program for the duration of their attendance in the Vashon Island School District unless removed by their parent/guardian. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) may remove their student(s) from the program by submitting a written request to the Director of Teaching and Learning.
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Interpretation and Translation Services
Under state and federal law, all parents have the right to information about their child’s education in a language they can understand. Title IV Regulations | Chapter 28A.642 RCW | Chapter 392-190 WACPlease click here, for more information about this topic posted on the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's website.