Highly Capable

Project Excel Referrals for current 3rd and 4th graders are available mid-February through mid-March. For all other grades, please reach out to Annette Burnett, Director, Teaching and Learning Services at aburnett@fpschools.org

Highly capable students perform or show potential for performing at significantly advance academic levels when compared with others of their age, experience and environments.  Click here for a chart of characteristics which help identify characteristics of highly capable students.

Students who have not been previously identified may be referred each March.

Yes, the school district must have parent or guardian permission before a student can be assessed for highly capable services.

The Cognitive Abilities Test measures a student’s reasoning skills in three parts.  The first is verbal and tests a student’s vocabulary, as well as their comprehension of ideas, efficiency and verbal memory, and ability to discover word relationships.  The second part tests student’s quantitative reasoning and problem solving ability and provides an appraisal of their general level of abstract reasoning.  The third part is non-verbal and uses geometric shapes, paper folding and figures and requires students to construct analogies based on a sequence of images.  Click here to view sample CogAT items.

No.  These tests are not the same as standardized tests where you know the words or facts and can get a score of 100%.  The CogAT measures how your student thinks, reasons and comes to conclusions.

No.  Once identified, a student will receive highly capable program services unless formally exited from the program.  If exited, your student may go through the selection process for the next school year by completing the referral form and assessment.

We can only assess students currently attending Franklin Pierce Schools.  Transfer students may be referred when they begin attending and will be assessed during the next selection process.  If your student is currently participating in a highly capable program and is transferring to Franklin Pierce Schools, please let the school know when you register your student.  Your student’s documentation of participation in previous highly capable program, testing data and academic achievement support data will be reviewed by the committee to determine placement and if selection criteria are met, your student will be enrolled as program space allows.

Yes, the district provides bus transportation to and from our self-contained program at Brookdale Elementary for resident students.

There are many ways to be involved, both at home and as a volunteer.  Opportunities vary among schools and programs, please contact your student’s teacher for more information.