Highly Capable Services

Empower your child's potential with our Highly Capable program. Our dedicated staff provides a challenging and supportive learning environment for students who perform at advanced academic levels.

Highly Capable Services

Bremerton Schools will make a variety of appropriate program services available to students who participate in the program. Once services are started, students will be provided a continuum of services to identified students in grades K-12. Bremerton School District will keep on file a description of the educational programs provided for identified students. The District will review services annually for each student to ensure that the services are appropriate.

The District is offering highly capable students the following programs in the 2024-25 school year:

self-contained programs
accelerated learning opportunities
academic grouping arrangements that provide intellectual and interest peer group interactions
clustered Connections Class/Homeroom
student goal setting
cooperative agreements between K-12 and institutions of higher education and programs designed to share resources and facilities to maximize student learning and mentorships and career exploration if appropriate.

Questions? Need help?

Contact our Teaching for Learning Team by email or call 360-473-1018.

Updates & Announcements

The highly capable referral window is open

Students from grades other than 2nd and 5th can be referred by a teacher, parent/guardian, community member or themselves for highly capable service consideration on an annual basis within our referral window by filling out the application form.

The application form may be submitted by email to Wendy Bender (wendy.bender@bremertonschools.org), or delivered to Wendy Bender at Bremerton School District, 134 Marion Ave N, Bremerton WA 98312. Completed applications can also be submitted to any school office.

Application forms must be completed and submitted within the open referral window for a student to be considered for highly capable identification. For the 2024-2025 school year, referral applications must be received by March 14th at 4 p.m.

The Multidisciplinary Identification and Placement Committee (MIPC) will review the body of evidence for each student referred. The body of evidence for referrals will be reviewed, but not all referrals will be eligible for further testing.

Referral form (English)

Referral form (Spanish)

2024-25 Highly Capable Program Review and Task Force

Bremerton School District has contracted with ESD113 to provide an outside review of our Highly Capable Identification Process and Service models. This Program Review and Task Force will gather data and input from our partners, staff, families, and students, evaluate the impact of current programming, and make recommendations to the Bremerton School District and School Board for implementation in 2025-26. Families can look for invitations to complete surveys and participate in focus groups in January 2025.

Highly Capable Identification & Referrals

Students from grades other than 2nd and 5th can be referred by a teacher, parent/guardian, community member or themselves for highly capable service consideration on an annual basis within our referral window by filling out the application form. The application form may be submitted by email to Wendy Bender (wendy.bender@bremertonschools.org), or delivered to Wendy Bender at Bremerton School District, 134 Marion Ave N, Bremerton WA 98312. Application forms must be completed and submitted within the open referral window for a student to be considered for highly capable identification. For the 2024-2025 school year, referral applications must be received between December 1 - March 31st. Applications will not be accepted after March 31st at 4 p.m.

The Multidisciplinary Identification and Placement Committee (MIPC) will review the body of evidence for each student referred. The body of evidence for referrals will be reviewed, but not all referrals will be eligible for further testing.

Referral form (English)

Referral Form (Espanol)
All students in grades 2 & 5 will be screened for highly capable service identification. The screening process happens in the winter term each school year, and then the Multidisciplinary Identification and Placement Committee (MIPC) reviews the Universal Screening data and makes determinations which are shared with families by May 15th.

2nd Grade Universal Screening, the CogAT Screening Form:
- Measures a student's reasoning and problem-solving skills in verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal areas.
- Consists of about 14 questions from each of the three subtests in the full CogAT.
- Is available for online testing, which allows for quick data turnaround. Students who complete the screener may then complete the remaining subtests online to provide a complete abilities profile as part of a multiple data point identification process.
- Students identified through screening may undergo a more comprehensive assessment battery and/or data review:
  - Achievement Tests: Standardized tests in reading and math to assess current academic performance
  - Creativity Measures: Assessments that look for divergent thinking and innovative problem-solving skills
  - Portfolio Review: Collection of student work samples showcasing their abilities and growth
  - Observation and Rating Scales: Qualitative data from families and/or teachers regarding student behaviors and capabilities
5th Grade Universal Screening uses a "multiple measure data process" for highly capable identification. This process uses a variety of assessment tools and data sources to identify students who would benefit from highly capable services, rather than relying solely on one test, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of a student's abilities across different domains, including cognitive abilities, achievement, creativity, and motivation. This screening team meets in the early spring to examine this variety of assessment data and other data sources to identify students who would benefit from highly capable services.
Parents/legal guardians have the right to appeal the Multidisciplinary Identification and Placement Committee’s decision. Parents are encouraged to discuss the results with their school principal before starting the appeal process. Individuals appealing the selection committee’s decision must submit the request in writing requesting a review of their selection/placement decision. The written request must include reasons for the appeal and, to support reconsideration, provide additional evidence of significantly advanced cognitive or academic levels and/or outstanding intellectual, academic, or creative abilities.

Parents/legal guardians must submit the written request and supporting evidence to the Superintendent at 134 Marion Avenue N., Bremerton, WA 98312 within ten (10) school days of the Multidisciplinary Identification and Placement Committee’s decision notification. The Superintendent or Superintendent's designee will review the student’s file, assessment profile data, and additional evidence provided in the request for appeal. The decision of the Superintendent or designee may include:
- Upholding the original decision of the MPIC;
- Reversing the decision of the MPIC;
A decision will be made by the Superintendent or designee within ten (10) school days after receipt of written request for reconsideration and will notify the parent/legal guardian in writing. The Superintendent or Superintendent's designee's decision is final.
Parents can opt-out of screening for highly capable services by completing this form.

Kitsap Lake Elementary' Moon Tree

Highly Capable students recently planted a "moon tree" named "Leto" in Kitsap Lake's Bus Loop Island by the where it can inspire and be enjoyed by the whole community. Leto is actually a Douglas Fir that was grown from a seed that orbited the moon during NASA's Artemis I mission in the winter of 2022! The Artemis I mission sent the Orion spacecraft containing 1,000 seeds from five different North American tree species orbiting the moon reaching as far as 270,000 miles from Earth. NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and the USDA Forest Service reviewed more than 1,300 applications from museums, schools, universities, and federal agencies and chose the District's Highly Capable classes as one of the recipients of a Douglas Fir sapling, because of their combined education impact statement and tree care plan. Highly Capable students will be monitoring the trees growth and carbon sequestering impact this year and in the years to come.

Kitsap Lake Elementary' Moon Tree

Highly Capable students recently planted a "moon tree" named "Leto" in Kitsap Lake's Bus Loop Island by the where it can inspire and be enjoyed by the whole community. Leto is actually a Douglas Fir that was grown from a seed that orbited the moon during NASA's Artemis I mission in the winter of 2022! The Artemis I mission sent the Orion spacecraft containing 1,000 seeds from five different North American tree species orbiting the moon reaching as far as 270,000 miles from Earth. NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and the USDA Forest Service reviewed more than 1,300 applications from museums, schools, universities, and federal agencies and chose the District's Highly Capable classes as one of the recipients of a Douglas Fir sapling, because of their combined education impact statement and tree care plan. Highly Capable students will be monitoring the trees growth and carbon sequestering impact this year and in the years to come.

Highly Capable

Highly Capable Services