The Middle School Advanced Academics Program (MAAP) provides highly capable services to students in grades 6-8 at their neighborhood middle school.

Appropriate service options may include:

• Advanced course offerings

• Cross-disciplinary, rigorous Humanities coursework

• Accelerated math course offerings

• Adjusting pacing, curriculum compacting, reducing review and repetition, inquiry approach to instruction, investigations

• Differentiated academic instruction with flexible grouping

• Counseling support for social-emotional needs

• Cohort of intellectual and age peers

Students in grades 6-8 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 (coming by September 20, 2024) 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 four 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.

• An explanation of leadership experience inside and/or outside of school and community initiatives.

Please scan all portfolio documents and email them to KSDHI 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

• First-semester report card and grades

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

English Language Learners

Students with a first language other than English will also be evaluated for rapid language acquisition using the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA).

Special Education Students

Students who qualify for HiCap and also qualify for either special education services or a 504 plan are often referred to as twice-exceptional students. It is important that staff from both programs collaborate when planning for students who are eligible for multiple services. Additional data available for students with IEPs may also be used in the identification process.

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 acceptance letters to begin services.

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

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