Second grade students will bring home the
2012 parent letter in January that describes the testing, qualifying, and entrance process for the District's gifted/highly capable program options for students in grades 3-5. Three tests are used for qualifying students to these programs—Stanford, CogAT, and SOI. The Stanford test will be given during a January 30-February 10 testing window and CogAT and SOI during a March 8-22 window.
The Programs
The Issaquah School District offers two programs for gifted and highly capable students in grades three through five.
- MERLIN
(Mind Education Right Left Integration) is a self-contained program located at Apollo Elementary (south region) and Endeavour Elementary (north region). Each school offers three MERLIN classes: one in third, fourth, and fifth grade. Priority is given to the District's central and southern region students at Apollo and to northern region students at Endeavour. If MERLIN students live outside of the Apollo or Endeavour attendance areas, parents must provide transportation.
MERLIN offers an enriched academic program that follows the same curriculum as the general education classes but goes deeper into the content, has a greater emphasis on higher level thinking skills and behaviors, moves at a quicker pace, requires more student work and independence, and provides acceleration in some subject areas. Expectations are high and the classroom environment is challenging and motivating to highly capable students.
- SAGE
(Special Approach to Gifted Education) is offered at each elementary school. SAGE students leave their regular classrooms for approximately two hours per week to work on a variety of enriching, challenging, and creative problem solving activities. SAGE lessons often enhance general education class lessons. Many SAGE activities are designed around hands-on cooperative learning strategies.
SAGE teachers recently collaborated on a new SAGE website with program information, resources, and other articles of interest.
How to qualify
To qualify for MERLIN or SAGE for the following school year, second graders must take an abilities test and a creative thinking test. The Stanford 10 achievement test that all District second graders take is also used to qualify students for these programs. Students take all three assessments during the school year in their regular second grade classrooms.
Scores from all three tests (abilities, creative thinking, and Stanford 10) are considered to determine placement for the following school year. Typically, students who score in the top 2 percent or above qualify for MERLIN, and those who score in the top 4 percent qualify for SAGE. All students who qualify for MERLIN automatically qualify for SAGE.
If a "highly capable" student in grades 3-5 is identified or enrolls in the District at any time during the school year, arrangements will be made for that student to take the abilities and creative thinking tests at the next regularly scheduled assessment window. Although that student may not be able to enter the MERLIN program mid-year, he/she can receive SAGE services upon qualifying.
Next steps
A multidisciplinary selection committee of qualified District personnel (WAC 392-170-055; 392-170-070) reviews test results, approve selections for the programs, and review placement appeals. They meet in early fall and late spring to determine placement, hear appeals, and consider any students new to the District. Students who come to the District during the other times of the school year can have an admissions request considered by the Executive Director of Elementary Education and the Director of Assessment.
If not enough students qualify for MERLIN to fill the classes, the placement committee will consider additional applicants. Students are placed by rank order of their test scores. Wait lists are established by the same process.
Students qualifying for SAGE and MERLIN will be notified of their placement for the following school year.