2018-2019 Selection Process

Final Selection of Students
 
Per RCW 28A.185.020 and WAC 392-170-055, the Highly Capable Eligibility Process must be based on multiple objective data points. In 2019, a Multi-Disciplinary Selection Team created thresholds specifically for low-income students and students receiving English Learner (EL) services, in accordance with RCW 28A.185.020. These were the only subgroups for which an alternate threshold was created.

For further information regarding state guidance for Highly Capable Programs, you may visit the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Highly Capable Page: Highly Capable Program.

The 2018-2019 thresholds for Highly Capable qualification are provided here.

 

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Northshore’s Highly Capable (HiCap) Eligibility Process is conducted annually for students in Grades K-12.

At Grades K-7, the Highly Capable Eligibility Process includes two steps – (1) Universal Screening and (2) Assessment. The process for Grades 1-7 is explained in detail below.

• To learn more about the eligibility process for Kindergarten, please visit the HiCap Department’s website: Kindergarten Qualification.
• At Grades 8-11, a portfolio review is conducted.  Information about this process can be found on the HiCap website: Eighth Grade and Beyond.

Step 1 – Universal Screening
Universal screening is conducted for all students and is the first step in the two-step process of Northshore’s HiCap Eligibility Process. During screening, at least two data points are collected and analyzed for each student.  The instruments used for screening vary by grade level.  

One common screening instrument used between all grades is the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3). Additional instruments for each grade level may include Individual Reading Record (IRR), Star Assessments (Star), and/or Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Further information regarding the screening tools used by Northshore, for each grade, is located on the HiCap website: Instruments.

For the 2018-19 school year, the screening instruments used for grades 1 through 7 were as follows:

Grade Level	Screening Instrument
1	NNAT3 or IRR
2	NNAT3 or IRR
3	NNAT3 or STAR
4	NNAT3 or SBA (ELA or Math)
5	NNAT3 or STAR
6	SBA ELA or SBA Math
7	SBA ELA or SBA Math

 

 
Students move forward to Step 2/Assessment if they meet the threshold set for any one of the screening instruments for that grade. For 2019-2020 students, the screening thresholds are:

Screening Instrument	Threshold (Grades 1-7) for 2019-20 Students
NNAT3	86th percentile and above
IRR	2 grade levels above current grade level
Star Reading	86th percentile and above
SBA ELA	90th percentile and above
SBA Math	90th percentile and above

 

Step 2 – Assessment
The Iowa Assessments (IOWA) are Northshore’s assessment instrument. IOWA data is used alongside screening data to create a data portfolio for each student. Washington State’s annual achievement test, the SBA, is an additional instrument that the HiCap Department uses within the eligibility process, specifically, collecting ELA and Math content data. 

 

Qualification Decision Process
Final qualification is determined by a student’s data portfolio, which is a collection of scores gathered during Assessment.  Because HiCap students are entering academic-focused programs, standardized academic achievement data such as IOWA and SBA are critical instruments for analysis and eligibility thresholds.

The District’s Multidisciplinary Selection Team (MST) is charged with analyzing the collected assessment data and employing that analysis to set the District’s threshold for eligibility. 

As of May 21, 2019, Northshore’s eligibility thresholds for services beginning 2019-2020 for Grades 1 through 7, as set by the District’s MST and District leadership, are:

Grade	IOWA	OR	SBA
1-7	95th percentile or above		95th percentile or above

 

Understanding Percentile Ranks: 
A percentile rank (PR) is the percentage of students in the same grade who obtained a lower score than your student. Percentile ranks between 25-74 are in the low average to high average range. A percentile rank above 75 is in the above-average range. 

The percentile cutoff values for the SBA came from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The 95th percentile for each grade level is displayed below. For the complete table, visit their website at this link: SBAC Percentiles.

	95th Percentile
17-18 Grade	ELA	Math
3	2566	2560
4	2612	2603
5	2651	2639
6	2670	2678
7	2701	2702

Per RCW 28A.300.770, HiCap eligibility decisions must be based on multiple pieces of evidence. The IOWA Assessments and Smarter Balanced Assessments served as the primary sources of reading and math achievement data for the overwhelming majority of students. In the rare cases where neither of these data points were available, other sources of data - for instance, Star Reading, iReady, and IRR - were used in conjunction with the student's Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3) score. 
 
If a student did not have an IOWA or SBA score, they could potential qualify for services via these pathways: 

• An i-Ready score in the 98th percentile
• A Star score in the 98th percentile and a NNAT3 score in the 95th percentile
• An IRR level two grades ahead of their current grade and a NNAT3 score in the 95th percentile
• A Star score in the 98th percentile and a current HiCap Math designation
• An IRR level two grades ahead of their current grade and a current HiCap Math designation