Bellevue School District Testing for Advanced Learning

The Bellevue School District has four options for students in their Advanced Learning Program.

Domain-Specific Services are for students in grades K-6^th (7^th grade will be added in the 2022-23 school year). These services are provided in the child’s classroom and focus on literacy, math, and/or nonverbal skills.

Self-Contained Services are for students in grades 2^nd-12^th. In grades 2^nd-5^th, students learn at one grade level above their enrollment. Students in grades 6^th-12^th move together through middle school and high school as a group for continuity and to help with social growth. When students enter 10^th grade, they are enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program. The goal is to complete the program by the end of their 11^th-grade year so they can participate in internships and attend college-level courses during 12^th grade.

Differentiated Services are for students in grades 2^nd-12^th who qualify to attend a self-contained advanced learning classroom, but choose to stay in their general education classroom. Each fall, teachers and parents receive a Highly Capable Classroom-Based Student Plan. Each child’s plan will explain his/her strengths as well as provide instructional ideas for the teacher to use as needed.

Accelerated Services are for students in grades 6^th-12^th who attend a self-contained advanced learning classroom. These students return to their neighborhood school to attend one or more content areas at a higher grade level.

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Assessments and Qualifying Scores

All Kindergarten students are screened during the first half of the year. Parents do not need to apply for this testing. Some of the tests that may be given include Text Reading Comprehension (TRC), Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), STAR Math assessment, and the WAKids State assessment. Students who consistently perform two years above grade level in literacy and/or math are eligible for further testing. Parents receive notification by mid-January if their child qualifies.

Additional kindergarten testing is done in February and may include the TRC, STAR Reading assessment, writing BSD Performance Task 1 (write a short paragraph in response to a prompt), BSD Performance Task 3 (show how to apply previously learned skills and information while problem-solving), and the STAR Math assessment. Students who continue to perform two years above grade level during this testing qualify for domain-specific services.

Parents of students in grades 1^st-11^th who would like their child tested for accelerated services need to complete an online application. See the school’s website for current application deadlines.

Students in grades 1^st-8^th take the CogAT 7 test and the STAR Assessments. The CogAT shows how students use information to reach a solution. It measures verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative skills one grade level higher than the student’s current grade. The STAR Assessments measure reading and math skills at the student’s current grade level.

Students in grades 9^th-11^th take the CogAT 7 and the Iowa Assessments. The CogAT shows how students use information to reach a solution. It measures verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative skills one grade level higher than the student’s current grade. The IOWA Assessments measure reading and math skills one grade level higher than the student’s current grade level.

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Testing Timeframes for Students in 1^st Grade – 11^th Grade

• September – October: Apply for Winter Advanced Learning Testing. Only students who live within the Bellevue School District service area may apply.
• End of October: Deadline for Winter Advanced Learning Testing applications
• December – January: Winter Advanced Learning Testing
• Beginning of March: Result letters for BSD students in grades 5 – 11 and private school students in grades 1 – 11
• Mid-April: Result letters for BSD students in grades 1 – 4
• May – mid-July: Apply for Summer Advanced Learning Testing. Only students who have moved into the district after the October deadline may apply.
• Mid-July: Deadline for Summer Advanced Learning Testing applications
• End of July: Summer Advanced Learning Testing

Domain-Specific Services

Self-Contained Services (Grades 2-12)

Qualifying Scores

• Two of three CogAT subtests – 132 or above and third subtest 126 or above
• CogAT Composite score of 132 SAS or above
• STAR and IOWA Reading and Math 95% or above
• Reading and math grade level 2 years above current
• Other achievement data Level 4 or 90% above

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