Highly Capable Services

Who is a Highly Capable student?

  • Highly Capable students are those who perform at advanced academic levels when compared to their peers of the same age, in the same school, and who share similar experiences.

  • Students who are Highly Capable process information differently than other students and typically want to go into more depth on topics or bring different pieces of information together to come up with new solutions or answers.

What do Highly Capable Services look like in VPS?

  • Highly Capable Services in VPS provide learning support for students in grades K-12 who are identified as highly capable.

  • Services for highly capable students include advanced instruction in the core content areas of language arts and math.

  • The type of services a highly capable student receives may look different at each grade level and in each school.

How are highly capable students identified?

Each school year, Highly Capable students are identified through a data review process. The automatic review looks at: 

  • fall and winter iReady data

  • surveys that describe how a student learns in the classroom and at home

  • a non-verbal test that shows how a student puts information together

Once the data review is complete, a letter is mailed explaining if the student has been identified as a highly capable student or not. Once a student is identified as a highly capable student and families have provided permission for services, the student will begin to receive Highly Capable services the following school year.

Can the data review decision be appealed?

Yes. Families have the option to submit an appeal within ten days of receiving the data review results.

Can you opt out of the data review process?

Before a student’s data is reviewed, a letter is mailed to families letting them know their child may be highly capable and we are planning to review their data. 

Families have the option to opt out of the review, but this means their child will not be identified as Highly Capable and they will not receive Highly Capable services for the next school year. If a parent changes their mind, their student may be reviewed again in future school years.

If a student is not included in the annual data review, but a family or teacher feel the student may need Highly Capable services, a referral can be submitted. A teacher or family can submit a referral form each year between January 1 – May 31. Once the referral is received, the family will be notified by mail about next steps in the identification process.

Highly Capable Services at each grade level:

Our earliest formal identification of a student as highly capable is at the end of second grade. Highly Capable services for students in kindergarten through second grade are provided by your child’s classroom teacher. We believe our youngest learners deserve time to develop their talents. 

Highly Capable students in third through fifth grades have two options: 

  • specialized instruction in the classroom at their neighborhood school 
  • intensive HiCap support at a designated elementary school 

Specialized instruction in a neighborhood school may or may not be in a classroom with other Highly Capable students. This allows the students to receive instruction designed to meet their needs while still participating with other students within their local community. 

Intensive HiCap support means students receive specialized instruction in a specified classroom made up of students identified as Highly Capable. This service is only offered at a specific elementary school and is for students who demonstrate a need for more intensive services. 

Highly Capable middle school students are placed in honors-level or advanced and accelerated English/language arts, humanities, math, and science courses. These courses help prepare students for more rigorous high school courses. Students may also have opportunities to begin earning high school credit in math, world language and science. In some instances, a Highly Capable middle school student may not be placed in an advanced course. In these situations, families receive notification explaining this placement.

Highly Capable high school students take courses that align with their High School and Beyond plan. This plan is developed with the help of counselors and teachers. Students are provided information and choices of the following programs: International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, College in the High School, and Running Start. These all provide options for coursework that allow our Highly Capable students to earn high school graduation and college credit at the same time. 

Contact

highlycapableservices@vansd.org

P: 360-313-1360

F: 360-313-1021

Mailing address: P.O. Box 8937, Vancouver, WA 98661-8937

Physical address: 2901 Falk Rd., Vancouver, WA 98661

Dates to know

October 9 - November 10, 2023

During this period, Vancouver Public Schools will screen all fifth grade students for highly capable services using the Naglieri non-verbal ability assessment. If you do not want your student to take the assessment, please complete this form by October 2.

If you have any questions about the Naglieri ability assessment please email highlycapableservices@vansd.org.