Elementary 4/5/6 Highly Capable Program

Snohomish School District students currently in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade can be referred and participate in this window.  Students already identified for the 4/5/6 Elementary Highly Capable Program do not need to complete the referral process.  Snohomish School District universally screens all sixth-grade students unless opted out.

Referral window: 
December 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026

Student CogAT testing: 
February/March 2026

Multidisciplinary Placement Committee identification meeting: 
April 2026

Decision letters mailed to families: 
May 2026

Acceptance and appeal deadline for families: 
June 12, 2026

Services begin: Fall 2026

Additional information will be available closer to the referral window.

Students currently in grades 3rd, 4th and 5th  can be referred and participate in this winter window.  Students already identified for 4/5/6 Highly Capable Program services with Snohomish School District do not need to go through this process. Students currently identified for K-3 Highly Capable Program only need to go through the process if they’d like to be considered for the 4/5/6 Highly Capable Program as it is a change is service.

• Click here to access electronic forms that were sent through ParentSquare to all district families in grades 3-5. Those electronic forms in ParentSquare are accessible in more than 100 languages.
• Paper packets in English, Spanish, and Russian are available in elementary school offices.
• Downloadable pdf packets are available under the Commonly Requested Forms webpage under the Teaching and Learning Services section.

Forms must be submitted through ParentSquare or a hardcopy of the forms returned to your home school by Friday, January 30, 2026.  After the referral window closes, our office will request a Teacher Student Inventory from a referred student’s teacher and a Student Self Inventory from the student.

Referred students will be assessed on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in their current school during regular school hours. Families will receive notification of testing date(s) by email from your child’s school or from the district office. All testing materials are provided All testing materials are provided and no studying or preparation is needed.  For students to participate in testing, parents/guardians need to submit a Permission to Test Form during the referral window. 

Identification for highly capable services will be made by a multidisciplinary placement committee which is made up of a school principal, school psychologist, highly capable specialist/TOSA and teacher.  A letter is sent directly to parents/guardians by late May 2026. 

Parents/legal guardians have the right to appeal the MDPC's decision. Individuals appealing the decision must submit a completed appeals letter requesting review of the placement decision. The written request must include reasons for the appeal and any outside standardized assessment data that represents evidence of significantly advanced cognitive or academic levels and/or outstanding intellectual, academic or creative abilities.  

The appeal request and supporting evidence must be submitted to the Highly Capable Program TOSA by Friday, June 12, 2026.  

The district's appeals committee will review the student's file, assessment profile data, and additional evidence provided in the request for appeal. The Appeals committee is comprised of the Highly Capable Program TOSA, two administrators, a Highly Capable Program teacher, and a psychologist or other qualified practitioner with the training to interpret cognitive and achievement test results. 

The decision of the appeals/multi-disciplinary placement committee may include: 

• Upholding the original decision of the multi-disciplinary placement committee 
• Reversing the decision of the multi-disciplinary placement committee 

A decision will be made by the appeals committee within ten school business days after the final due date of written appeals. The parent/legal guardian will be notified of the decision in writing. The decision of the appeals committee is final. 

The exit process may be initiated for students who no longer demonstrate a need for highly capable program services. A request may be made by a teacher or program administrator for Highly Capable student identification and placement discontinuation. A multidisciplinary placement committee will convene a meeting to review the student’s profile to determine if the placement and services are appropriate for the student, based on academic, social/emotional, behavioral and/or attendance information. The multidisciplinary placement committee may request additional evidence of student capabilities and/or willingness to participate in the program. If the committee determines that the student no longer qualifies for highly capable program services, it may be recommended that the student is exited from the program. The parent will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision and any steps to appeal the decision will be provided. 

A parent/legal guardian may request that the student be withdrawn from the program, or a student may voluntarily withdraw from the program. A meeting will be convened by the highly capable program specialist or school administrator to discuss the request. If the parent/legal guardian desires to withdraw the student from the program, the student will be exited from the program. A multidisciplinary placement committee will determine if identification procedures are necessary for students wishing to reenter the program in the future.