Green Mountain School Highly Capable Program

Washington State law provides that students who are identified as “highly capable” are provided with educational opportunities that meets their unique needs. The Green Mountain School District has a process for identifying highly capable students and the school provides appropriate learning opportunities for students who have been identified as highly capable.

Students who are highly capable show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments.  Highly capable students are typically in the upper 2% of cognitive ability.  Outstanding abilities are seen within students’ general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. These characteristics are noticeable among all groups of students.

As used in Washington State law, the term “learning characteristics” means that students who are highly capable 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.

Our Program Parameters

Green Mountain elementary students in Kindergarten through 5^th grade enjoy differentiated instruction within mixed ability classrooms and extended learning opportunities.  Teachers are expected to provide appropriate differentiation opportunities for highly capable students.  In grades 3-5, highly capable students may be invited to participate in unique after-school activities taught by staff with special knowledge of working with these students.

Highly capable students in grades 6-8 will have the opportunity to experience advanced classes during the regular school day through online experiences, or may be accelerated in the regular classroom environment as appropriate.  Advanced classes will typically be available in math, language arts, or science.  Classroom teachers are also expected to provide appropriately challenging individual curriculum to meet the needs of highly capable students.

Nomination of Students

A call for student nominations will be made by May 1 of each year, and a second call for new students to the district and those not previously nominated/evaluated will be completed in September.  Notice will be made to all parents and staff of the nomination window.

Anyone can nominate a student for consideration. If you believe that a student exhibits the characteristics noted above, you may use the nomination form on our webpage to nominate the student for the evaluation process. Once completed, please submit your form to the office.   Parents will be contacted for permission to evaluate students for the highly capable program, and before placement in the program.

Evaluation Process and Appeals

Students are evaluated using multiple data sources which may include state test results, district assessments, academic records, and program-specific testing; parents and teachers will complete evaluation forms for each student nominated.  A multi-disciplinary team will review nominations, data, and other information and make recommendations to the Superintendent, who will make a final determination.  In the event a parent or guardian wishes to appeal a placement decision, a written appeal must be submitted to the Superintendent within 10 days of the receipt of the decision. The Superintendent will schedule a meeting with the parent/guardian within 5 days, and will render a final written decision within ten (10) working days of the meeting.

Highly Capable Nomination Form Fall 2019-2020

Highly Capable Programs Policy