The Edmonds School District has scheduled a virtual information session at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 so that families can learn more about the district’s programs to help identify and support highly capable students.

Click on this link to join the Zoom meeting or visit the district calendar for call-in details.

Highly capable students are those who are:

• Exceptionally curious.
• Come up with complex and abstract ideas.
• Learn new ideas without instruction or direction.
• Ponder advanced questions with depth and from multiple perspectives.
• Learn exceptionally quickly.
• Enjoy solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles.

The district’s Highly Capable/Gifted Program for first- through sixth-grade elementary students is a self-contained, full-time district program at Terrace Park Elementary. The Gifted Middle School Program is housed at Brier Terrace Middle School and is a mix of self-contained and combined classes. These programs are for students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments. The Cognitive Abilities Test serves as one tool in the screening process for the program.

A parent/guardian, student, staff member or a community member may recommend testing for any student. A referral with signed parent permission for testing must be received prior to testing. Forms are available on the Edmonds District website. All of those students referred will be given the opportunity to test on one of the specified test dates.

Due to COVID-19, the district has had to postpone its seccnd-grade universal screening test — traditionally used to personally invite students to go through the full identification process. Due to this postponement, second-grade families interested in entering the Highly Capable Program should opt-in to the full identification process.