The Highly Capable Program (Hi-Cap) is, by law as explained on the OSPI website, part of basic education in Washington state. Via Chapter 28A.185.020 RCW-Highly Capable Students, the legislature finds that, for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education.

On this page, we present a quick overview of the program, how students can be referred to the program, and the selection process.

For in-depth information on the Hi-Cap program, criteria for selection, and details on curriculum components and goals, please download the following documents:

HCP Program Plan Overview 

2021-2022 Referral and Parental Permission Forms
 

Referral and Parental Permission Forms for the 2021-2022 School Year are also available in School Offices

Purpose of the Highly Capable Program

The WSD is committed to identifying and providing for the unique intellectual, social, and emotional needs of highly capable students in grades K-12 to prepare them for college and career readiness. Our purpose is to provide appropriate educational programs and services through instructional, curricular, and administrative modifications to create educational opportunities for highly capable students which will maximize their individual potential.

Rationale for the Program

In a total educational program, the needs of all children are provided for according to their specific abilities, aptitudes, and their levels of performance. Children who have outstanding abilities are capable of exceptional performance and warrant opportunities that meet their needs. The most highly capable students require an intensified and varied curriculum as well as an opportunity to share interests and experiences with other children with like abilities.

The Hi-Cap Program is designed to place greater emphasis on the more advanced levels of learning and abstract concepts, while recognizing these student individual needs of diversification which brought them to this program.

Definition, Identification, and the Serving of Students Who Are Highly Capable

WSD students who are highly capable perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students' general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. These students are present not only in general populace, but are present within all protected classes. For district identification purposes, students who score in the 97th percentile or above on a norm-referenced and standardized intelligence quotient assessment will be identified for the Highly Capable program.

As a key component of its highly capable program identification and selection process, WSD will make it a priority to qualify students from various racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. Wahkiakum School District typically serves about ten students each school year.

Knowing that the most highly capable students have the ability to acquire knowledge and produce significantly beyond the standards, the WSD has provided a differentiated curriculum, for those students, designed to develop and offer deeper critical and analytical learning opportunities. These learning alternatives will meet the individual cognitive as well as the affective needs of the most highly capable students. (WAC 392-170-035, WAC 392-170-036, Title IX, Part A, Definition 22 (2002)).

Annual Notification, Referral, Assessment, and Selection

Annual Notification: Annual public notification of parents and students shall be made before any major identification activity. The notice shall be published or announced in multiple ways in appropriate languages to each community in school and district publications or other media, with circulation adequate to notify parents and students throughout the district. (WAC 392-170-042)

Annual Referral Process: Anyone may refer a student for testing for the Highly Capable Program. Referrals can come from parents, teachers, school specialists, friends, family, community members, or even the student themselves, by downloading and completing the Highly Capable Referral Form.

All parents (if not the originator of the referral form) must complete a Referral Form and Complete the Testing and Placement Permissions Forms for the student to be tested and potentially placed in Highly Capable Programs.

If you are a teacher or school specialist with WSD, please stop by the Elementary School or High School Office to pick up the Teacher Referral Packet.

Selection Process: For in-depth details on screening, testing, notification, curriculum components and goals by grade, and many other details about WSD's Hi-Cap Program, click on the links to the documents at the top of this page.

Questions? Need More Information?

For any other questions you may have about WSD's Hi-Cap Program, please contact Stephanie Leitz, Wahkiakum High School Principal, or call 360-795-3271.