Snoqualmie Valley School District – Highly Capable Program
This page is a simplified, parent-friendly guide for families with elementary students (Kindergarten–Grade 5) living within Snoqualmie Valley School District boundaries, including public, private, and homeschool students.
It provides a simple overview of how students are identified, the assessments used, important dates, and what learning services may look like.
This page is for informational purposes only. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please visit the official Snoqualmie Valley School District website .
Snoqualmie Valley School District’s Highly Capable Program provides advanced learning opportunities for students who learn quickly, think deeply, and benefit from greater academic challenge.
Services support academic growth while nurturing creativity, curiosity, and confidence.
| What Happens | Grades | When |
|---|---|---|
| WaKIDS Assessment | Kindergarten | September |
| CogAT Screener | Grades 1 & 3 | October |
| Referral Window | Grades 2, 4–5 | November – January |
| CogAT Math | Grade 5 | January |
| Additional Assessments | Qualifying students | February – March |
| Family Notifications | Eligible students | Spring |
All assessments occur during the school day. Private and homeschool students follow the same timeline.
| Grade | What Is Reviewed |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | WaKIDS and classroom data (no formal testing) |
| Grade 1 | CogAT Screener and academic data |
| Grade 2 | Academic review; CogAT if needed |
| Grade 3 | CogAT Screener and achievement data |
| Grade 4 | Academic review; CogAT if needed |
| Grade 5 | CogAT Math and academic data |
Identification decisions are based on a body of evidence, not a single assessment.
| Service Model | Grades | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|---|
| Cluster Classrooms | K–5 |
Learning with academic peers Enriched and accelerated instruction |
| STREAM Program | 2–5 |
Self-contained program Strong in reading and math Faster pace and deeper learning |
| Assessment | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4–5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WaKIDS | ✔ | — | — | — | — |
| Acadience Reading | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| STAR Math | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| STAR Reading | — | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| CogAT | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SBA | — | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| WIDA | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
SBA = Smarter Balanced Assessment (Grades 3+). WIDA supports multilingual learners and does not exclude eligibility.
Snoqualmie Valley School District uses multiple measures to identify students for Highly Capable services. Families can support students by encouraging strong learning habits, reasoning skills, and opportunities for advanced thinking.
Advanced learning assessments often expect students to think about one grade level above.
CogAT: Measures students’ reasoning abilities in verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal areas rather than learned academic content.
English / Reading: Emphasizes reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and the ability to clearly explain ideas and reasoning.
Math: Focuses on mathematical reasoning, number sense, and explaining thinking using multiple strategies.
Select your child’s current grade to view complete preparation materials for CogAT, English, and Math, including one grade above.
This page is a parent-friendly summary created for Elementary Explorer. It is not an official Snoqualmie Valley School District resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Snoqualmie Valley School District.
Identification criteria, timelines, and services may change. Families should always refer to Snoqualmie Valley School District’s official Highly Capable Program webpage for current information.
Snoqualmie Valley School District – Highly Capable Program (Official)