ACTION ITEMS

Approval of Annual Highly Capable Plan

To: Michael Green

From: Jake Hall

Date: 2.16.24

Re: Request for Board Review and Approval of WSD Highly Capable Program per Policy 2190

Each school year the Woodland School District Board of Directors reviews and approves our Highly Capable Program. Students identified as Highly Capable receive services through specialized classes and clubs.

Woodland currently has 275 students identified as Highly Capable:

Grade    Students

1st         5

2nd        15

3rd         19

4th          21

5th          26

6th          16

7th          14

8th          8

9th          13

10th        9

11th        64

12th        65

Highly Capable learners need academic opportunities to explore concepts at a deeper level than is offered through the standard instruction. They also need interaction with their intellectual peers. With this in mind, the learner-focused goals of the Woodland School District Highly Capable Program are:

• Equitably identify students who have high intellectual, academic, and creative thinking potential based on district criteria;
• Provide differentiated instruction appropriate to the needs of gifted learners;
• Place students among their intellectual peer group;
• Provide a research-based, best practices program for eligible students at each school;
• Develop in students a sense of self, lifelong learning, quality production, critical/creative thinking abilities; and
• Provide the skills to enhance life readiness.

Additional goals to support our Highly Capable Program are:

• Engage in ongoing evaluation of students’ progress and placement;
• Provide professional learning opportunities in order to maximize teaching effectiveness in differentiating for the academic and social/emotional needs of gifted learners;
• Engage in ongoing collaboration and program evaluation and revision with students, family and community members; and
• Celebrate and showcase student learning.

Highly Capable Program guidance from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) now includes mandatory screening of entire grades of students in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade and 3rd through 5th grade for consideration of Highly Capable identification. Local districts may choose the grades they will screen. In Woodland, we will screen all students in 2nd and 4th Grades using a standardized cognitive assessment called the CogAT. In addition to the screener, we consider other measures of assessment such as, but not limited to, classroom-based assessments, state assessments, and district assessments. All of this information taken together is the student’s educational portfolio. 

There is a publicized window each year for students to be referred for Highly Capable designation. Woodland accepts referrals from district staff, parents, and students. This year, the referral window was open from January 22, 2024, through February 9, 2024. The dates for Highly Capable referral and designation are posted on the district website on the Highly Capable page. 

Woodland has formed a Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (MDSC) with representative teachers, school psychologists, and school administrators. The MDSC considers the educational portfolio for each student referred for Highly Capable designation as well as all students screened in 2nd and 4th grade. Each student’s educational portfolio is considered, including their previous state assessments, Acadience, iReady, Classroom Based Assessments, full or screener CoGat scores, and teacher, parent, and student input. 

This year, the MDSC will meet in April for a thorough review of each referred and/or screened student and send out a notification to Parents of nominated students in May. Parents have a right to accept placement of their student into the Highly Capable Program or appeal the decision of the MDSC. The MDSC will review any appeals in June.

We recommend your annual approval of the Highly Capable Program in Woodland School District. 

Administrative Recommendation /MOTION/ "I move we approve the Highly Capable Program as presented."