The goal of the Highly Capable Program is to provide maximum choice at the high school level to enable students to tailor their program of advanced studies as much as possible based on their post-secondary goals. To that end, we offer a variety of rigorous options at the high school level that our highly capable students can participate in including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), honors courses, and College in the High School. Each of our high schools provides accelerated course enrollment options.

Services may include:

• Clustering identified students in a classroom to provide a peer group

• Adjusting pacing, curriculum compacting, reducing review and repetition, incorporating inquiry, and investigations in instruction

• Enhanced/Enriched content or curriculum

• Providing a multidisciplinary approach to learning

• Differentiation of curriculum and instruction

• Counseling support for social-emotional needs

Students in grades 9-11 may be referred for possible HiCap services by a parent/guardian, teacher, peer, community member, or themselves in the fall.

To refer your student for possible HiCap Services, please complete the online form between October 1 and November 22, 2024. 

Each referred student will submit a portfolio reflecting the traditional thinking of a Highly Capable student. The portfolio must include the following work samples:

• One English Language Arts (ELA) work sample which can include essays, book projects, cross-disciplinary work that shows deep analysis and/or application in Science and Social Studies.

• One math work sample that shows multiple pathways of solving problems at a higher level and deep reasoning abilities.

• One project that shows interdisciplinary work, and creativity.

Please scan all portfolio documents and email them to KSDHiCap@kent.k12.wa.us or mail them to the HiCap office before March 7, 2025.

Kent School District
Highly Capable Program
12033 SE 256th St., Suite A-400
Kent, WA 98030

We will also review data for referred students from other assessments,

• Reading i-Ready Benchmark Assessment

• Reading Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) from the last two years 

• Math i-Ready Benchmark Assessment

• Math Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) from the last two years

We will consider input from teacher(s) and parent(s)/guardian(s) using researched based rating scales.

The Multidisciplinary Identification Committee will meet in April 2025 to identify students who will receive HiCap services in the 2025-2026 school year. The Multidisciplinary Identification Committee is made up of teachers, principals, a school psychologist, and district Highly Capable program staff. In accordance with state requirements, the committee makes identification decisions for services using multiple objective criteria to identify students who are among the most highly capable.

Decision letters (identification or non-identification) will be mailed to all families of referred students by April 25, 2025. The families of all referred students must accept or appeal the HiCap decision by May 9, 2025:

• If the student is identified for HiCap, the family must return signed identification letters to begin services.

• If the student is not identified for HiCap, the family may submit an appeal form.

The Multidisciplinary Identification Committee will review all appeals on May 15, 2025, and communicate the decision in writing to families by May 19, 2025.