Gifted Education Programs

Gifted Program Services are designed for those students indicated as gifted through cognitive and academic testing and superior academic performance whose academic needs are beyond the scope of the general education classroom. Services are designed to provide a challenging, accelerated, integrated and enriched curriculum. Standard Age Scores indicating a need for gifted services are generally in the 132-150 range of the Cognitive Abilities Test with Iowa achievement percentiles in the 97^th and above.

Parents know their child best. Not all gifted students require gifted programming services. If a child’s academic, social, and emotional needs are being met sufficiently in his/her neighborhood school, and/or a change of schools may cause excessive emotional distress, then it may not be appropriate for that child to change school locations for academic services. Or, if a child demonstrates difficulty with organization and/or work completion in his/her current placement, then the increased expectations associated with an advanced and accelerated program may not be a good fit for that child. If, however, the child expresses feelings of being different from his/her peers or has difficulty engaging in classroom activities not reflective of his/her academic abilities, then program placement may be the best option.

As per the recommendation of Riverside Publishing and the authors of the CogAT and an attempt to accurately identify advanced students in need of gifted services, students are tested one grade level advanced. We do not recommend prepping for this test. It is unfair to the student to test prep. It results in an inflated score and possible indication of a need for gifted services when one does not exist. Students identified with falsely inflated scores are subjected to the expectations of performance in an academic environment of acceleration and pacing intended for students in the 98^th percentile.

THIS TESTING SESSION IS ONLY FOR STUDENTS NEW TO BSD. 

If you are planning on moving to the Bellevue School District, or have recently moved into BSD, and wish to have your child tested for gifted services for school years 2013-2014, please follow the steps below: 

After you have moved and reside within the Bellevue School District service area, enrolled your child in one of our schools, and obtained a student ID, please send the following information to gifted@bsd405.org. 

•       Child’s first and last name

•       Student ID

•       DOB

•       Grade child is in now

•       School attending

•       Date enrolled in BSD

•       Best phone number to get a hold of you

•       Proof of performing in the 85th percentile (test results from state or other standardized testing

•       Has your child taken the CogAT or IOWA in the past 12 months?

        If so, please provide the date the test was taken

        ________________________

An application will be emailed to you after we receive all of the information above.

We do accept CogAT 7 and IOWA (Form E) scores from other sources as long as they are not more than one calendar year old and contain the subtests required for qualifying in the Bellevue School District (complete CogAT 7 Verbal, Non-Verbal and Quantitative batteries and IOWA Math Total – mathematics and computation – and Reading Total – comprehension and vocabulary). 

If your child’s scores are more than one calendar year old or your child has never participated in gifted testing, you may apply for testing..  The deadline for submitting your completed application is Friday, July 19, 2013.  The test will be held on August 8, 2013 at Spiritridge Elementary (16401 SE 24th Street, Bellevue).  If your child is unable to attend the August 8^th test date, s/he will have the opportunity to test in January, 2014, for the falling school year.  PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY STUDENT TESTING ON AUGUST 8TH IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO TEST AGAIN UNTIL JANUARY, 2015. 

Thank you

The Enrichment Program provides students of high academic and intellectual ability a designated time to explore concepts in greater depth and further development of the critical thinking processes through a 5-hour per week pullout program. Enrichment Programs are currently offered at three of our sixteen elementary schools. Eligible students in schools without an Enrichment Center are offered district transportation to a school with an Enrichment Center.

The GESP provides full day services to identified gifted students through academic domain strengths. Verbal domain grouping provides gifted students with opportunities to engage in intellectually stimulating endeavors with peers who are equally capable of learning at comparable levels. Purposeful grouping of students has been shown to increase intellectual engagement and qualitatively affect measurable academic growth. Homerooms will provide students opportunities to explore content areas with depth, complexity, and pacing suited to their intellectual abilities. The CogAT Verbal domain, our best indicator of reading and comprehension potential, is used to assign students to homerooms for literacy, social studies and science, since success in these subjects is most closely correlated with verbal ability. Student service in the math domain is determined by academic performance on curriculum placement tests. Students are assigned to math classrooms, at appropriate levels, with opportunities for content and process differentiation.

Cherry Crest Elementary School
12400 NE 32nd Street
Bellevue, WA 98005

Cherry Crest feeder schools: Ardmore, Bennett, Clyde Hill, Medina, Sherwood Forest, Stevenson

Spiritridge Elementary School
16401 SE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA 98008

Spiritridge feeder schools: Eastgate, Enatai, Lake Hills, Newport Heights, Phantom Lake, Somerset, Woodridge

 

If you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) in the district Before and Afterschool program,contact the Early Learning Department at 425-456-4030 for information.  Programs are located in all elementary schools. Students may only attend the before and after school program at the elementary school they attend. 

 

*Puesta del Sol students are placed based on residence.  North of NE 8th Street attend Cherry Crest; South of NE 8th Street attend Spiritridge.

The Bellevue School District Gifted Programs will be implementing a new service model fall of 2013 at the middle school level, the Gifted Middle School Program (GMSP).  The GMSP is located at Tyee Middle School and Odle Middle School for 6th grade students and provides gifted academic services targeting the student’s level of need in each domain – verbal and quantitative (math).

The Prism Program provides Bellevue School District students of exceptionally high academic and intellectual ability with a challenging, accelerated, integrated and enriched curriculum in the core subjects and the stimulation of working with teachers trained in gifted education and peers of like ability. Prism Program services are provided for 4th and 5th grade students at Spiritridge Elementary and Cherry Crest Elementary, and in single and multi-grade classrooms for 6th through 8th grade students at Odle Middle School. Eligible Bellevue School District students are offered transportation to these schools.

The Gifted High School Program (GHSP) provides Bellevue School District students of exceptionally high academic and intellectual ability a cohort of like ability peers instruction in the core areas of English, history, science and math. Placement in each area is based on knowledge and skill level. In 10th grade, students enroll in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and complete the coursework for the IB diploma at the end of the 11th grade. The 12th grade curriculum includes college classes and internships.

Screening criteria - Students performing at the 85th percentile on the STAR test in reading or math, a rating of "4" on the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP), or, for younger students, a Test Reading Comprehension (TRC) rating of "Above Proficiency" for further evaluation for gifted services.  Private and home-schooled students may submit previous test scores (no more than one-year old) or outside test results if you have had your child tested privately or by another school district. WE DO NOT SUGGEST NOR RECOMMEND SEEKING OUTSIDE TESTING FOR PURPOSES OF MEETING THE SCREENING CRITERIA. 

IF YOUR CHILD IS IN 1ST THROUGH 5TH GRADE AND CURRENTLY ATTENDING A SCHOOL IN THE BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT, DO NOT REQUEST THIS INFORMATION FROM YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER.  WE HAVE ALREADY ACCESSED THIS INFORMATION AND SENT LETTERS TO STUDENTS MEETING THIS CRITERIA.  You may, however, submit previous test scores (no more than one-year old) or outside test results if you have had your child tested privately or by another school district.  WE DO NOT SUGGEST NOR RECOMMEND SEEKING OUTSIDE TESTING FOR PURPOSES OF MEETING THE SCREENING CRITERIA. 

The Cognitive Abilities Test - Form 7 (CogAT-7) and the Iowa Assessments are administered to students who have applied for gifted services and met the screening criteria.  Total testing time is 5 1/2 to 6 hours, depending on the child's grade level.  Within that time frame are frequent water and snack breaks and a lunch break with recess.

The CogAT-7 measures general and specific reasoning abilities in three areas: verbal - reasoning with words and sentences, quantitative - quantitative concepts and relations and nonverbal - figural concepts expressed in pictures.

The CogAT-7 is divided into three batteries - verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative.  Each battery consists of three subtests.  Each subtest requires about 10 - 30 minutes.  Timing for the first graders is approximate and paced to the needs of the particular group.  At this level the tests are read to the students and they choose an answer in the answer booklet by making a mark in a circle under their answer choice. Second through ninth graders read the questions themselves and mark their answers on an answer sheet (bubble sheet) that can be read by a computer.  Ample breaks are provided throughout the testing period.

The Iowa Assessments Reading and Math subtest are administered to students in grades 1-9. The math subtests at the 1st grade level are read to the students with the exception of a 6 minute timed computation section; the reading subtests require the student to read the material themselves.  Again, timing is gauged by the response time of the students in the testing group.  Second through 9th graders read the items themselves and again mark their answers on an answer sheet that can be read by a computer.  All sections are timed.

 

STUDENTS MUST BE ENROLLED IN A BSD SCHOOL AND HAVE RECEIVED A STUDENT ID NUMBER BEFORE SUBMITTING APPLICATION FOR TESTING, EXCEPT 8TH AND 9TH GRADE APPLICANTS.  OUT-OF-DISTRICT APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM APPLICANTS AND MUST PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF PERFORMANCE IN THE 85TH PERCENTILE OR ABOVE.

PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS MUST SUBMIT PROOF OF RESIDENCY (two items; utility and phone bills need to be within the past three months) AND DOCUMENTATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN THE 85TH PERCENTILE OR ABOVE WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (standardized test scores; may use scores from last year's testing in BSD if applicable)  WITH APPLICATION.

STUDENTS NEW TO THE DISTRICT MAY SUBMIT TESTING FROM A PREVIOUS DISTRICT ONLY IF THE TESTING INCLUDED THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES TEST (one grade level advanced) AND A STANDARDIZED ACADEMIC TEST OF READING (vocabulary and comprehension) AND MATH (concepts, problem solving, and computation). CogAT SCORES MUST BE SUBMITTED AS STANDARD AGE SCORES (SAS).

IN COMPLIANCE WITH WAC 392-170-080, AND DUE TO AVAILABLE RESOURCES, QUALIFYING STUDENTS MOVING INTO THE DISTRICT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE PLACED THE FOLLOWING FALL OR ON A SPACE AVAILABLE BASIS.

Please be aware that appeals must be based upon one of the following conditions:

A condition or circumstance believed to have caused a misinterpretation of the testing results.

• i.e., incorrect birthdate or grade level used in calculating the student’s score

An inequitable application of the identification procedures.

• i.e., the applicant’s proficiency with the English language

An extraordinary and temporary circumstance that negatively affected the validity of the test results.

• i.e., a traumatic event or physical distress immediately preceding the test

 

If you believe one of these conditions applies to your child, you will need to submit the following items and information within 10 days of receipt of your child's test results letter:

1. A letter to the Gifted Office, PO Box 90010, Bellevue, WA 98009 stating the reason you believe your child is in need of gifted services.

2. Attach a recent report card and any information that further supports your appeal such as state tests and district assessments.

3. Include your name, address, and phone number as well as your child’s name, grade and school.

The Appeals Committee may request teacher input.

Appeals are reviewed by an Appeals Committee that consists of an Administrator, Psychologist, Principal, and Teacher. All submitted documents are closely and carefully reviewed. The Committee is looking for evidence that the results of the testing are not a true representation of the child's abilities. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.