Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) Regarding Placement
What are the characteristics of a highly capable student?
Students who are candidates for the program may possess one or more of the following characteristics:
be intensely curious about many things; easily comprehend new material in a shorter time than age peers; have a vocabulary that is significantly advanced for their age; enjoy learning tasks that reflect depth, complexity, and exhibit higher-order thinking abilities.
Is there a specific score that my student had to get in order to be placed?
We take into consideration the scores of all of the students who tested within that particular school who were tested and make a rank-ordered list based on those scores. Usually the scores range from the 90%tile to the 99%tile, however, there are exceptions, especially if there are an unusually high number of spots to fill at a particular school.
How is the overall score determined?
The scores are calculated using stanine groupings from the raw percentage scores. The system is explained on the enclosed Student Data sheet. If the student has not taken the spring ITBS test there will not be an ITBS test score on the Student Data Sheet, resulting in the total score of zero.
What if the ITBS scores are missing?
For some students (primarily students new to the district) only the SCAT scores were available because they were not present for the in-district ITBS testing. In that instance, although the computer default score is zero, the selection committee based their decision on the SCAT score and the application packet.
Do I have to accept placement?
You do not have to accept placement in the program, however, please return the enclosed acceptance form to indicate whether or not you are accepting placement in the 4-5-6 or Honors program by June 14, 2012.
Once in the program does my student stay in?
Once a student is placed in the 4-5-6 program, that student will stay in the program unless it appears the student is consistently having difficulty in the program. Every 6th grader applying for Middle School Honors will retest to determine placement in Honors Language Arts, Social Studies, and/or Science.
What can I do if I do not agree with the final placement decision?
Following notification of your child’s assessments, as a parent, you have the opportunity to appeal the decision based on WAC 392-170-047. You may contact the Highly Capable Specialist to start this process by submitting a letter of appeal. The letter should include the rationale for the request with supporting details and any outside standardized assessment data not previously considered that demonstrates the child’s outstanding abilities. All appeals must be in writing and received by the Highly Capable office on or before June 14, 2012.
If you have any further questions please call Linda Varner, the Highly Capable Specialist, at (360) 563-7296.
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