PASCO SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1
C. L. Booth Education Service Center
1215 W. Lewis Street  Pasco, Washington 99301
(509) 543-6700  FAX (509) 543-6777
February 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Referral forms are being accepted for students currently in kindergarten to be considered for Pasco School
District’s Highly Capable Project Spectrum. Highly capable students are children who perform or show
potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age,
experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students' general intellectual aptitudes,
specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. These students are present
not only in the general populace, but are present within all protected classes. (WAC 392-170-035)
Students who are highly capable may possess, but are not limited to, these learning characteristics:
• Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer
learning to new situations;
• Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their
chronological peers;
• Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts;
• Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength; and
• Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus.
(WAC 392-170-036)
The Highly Capable Program (Spectrum) is a program for academically gifted students in grades one through
six in English and in Spanish. The English program located at Ruth Livingston Elementary and the Bilingual
Highly Capable Program is located at Robert Frost Elementary. Both programs serve students from all of the
elementary schools in the district.
In order for students to qualify for consideration for the program, they should be among the top ten percent
of their class and be achieving significantly above grade level.
Students will be given the Cognitive Abilities Test at their home school. A rank order list will be developed
based on the students test results and teacher rating forms. The multidisciplinary selection committee will
select students from this list for participation in the program. Eligible students will need their parents’
permission to be placed in the program.
Please help us to make sure that all eligible students are considered for this program. If you feel that your
child would be eligible for Project Spectrum, please advise the classroom teacher or pick up a referral form
from any elementary school office or from the district webpage www.psd1.org and return it by March 11,
2015.
Equal Opportunity Employer
PASCO SCHOOL DISTRICT
Highly Capable (Spectrum) Program
A Program for Highly Capable Students in Grades 1-6
If you have any questions regarding this program or your child’s involvement in the program, please contact
your child’s teacher, or the building principals, Mrs. Susan Sparks at 546-2688 or Mrs. Nora Phongsa at 5436795.
Nora Phongsa, Principal, Robert Frost Elementary
Susan Sparks, Principal, Ruth Livingston Elementary
LeAnn Nunamaker, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development
Celebrating academics, diversity and innovation.
PASCO SCHOOL DISTRICT
Highly Capable (Spectrum) Program
A Program for Highly Capable Students in Grades 1-6
What is The Highly Capable Program (Spectrum)?
Spectrum is a rigorous full-time, self-contained program for students in grades 1-6. The Spectrum staff modifies, or
streamlines, the regular curriculum in order to eliminate repetition of previously mastered material, upgrade the
challenge level of the regular curriculum, and provide time for appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration activities
while ensuring mastery of basic skills. This is also known as curriculum compacting. Teachers compact the curriculum to:
1. Create a challenging learning environment within the context of the regular curriculum
2. Guarantee proficiency in basic curriculum
3. Buy time for enrichment and acceleration.
Children who demonstrate exceptional ability, exceed grade level standards in both literacy and math, demonstrate
exceptional creativity, and possess strong motivation are good candidates for the Spectrum program.
Where do Highly Capable (Spectrum) students go to school?
The English Spectrum program is located at Ruth Livingston Elementary School, 2515 Road 84, Pasco, WA. Bilingual
Spectrum students attend classes at Robert Frost Elementary School, 1915 N. 22nd Ave, Pasco, WA.
How are students referred for the Highly Capable (Spectrum) program?
Students may be referred by teachers, staff, parents, other students, and members of the community. Students may
also self-refer. Referral forms must be completed by the individual who refers the student and turned in to the child’s
teacher or principal by the deadline. The child’s parent or guardian must give consent that the student be tested and
evaluated. Referral forms are available in each elementary school’s office as well as on the district website.
How are students selected for inclusion in the Highly Capable (Spectrum) program?
Once parent permission is obtained multiple pieces of data are collected and reviewed by the school-based
Multidisciplinary Selection Committee (MSC). Eligibility is determined by a case study process designed to find the
district’s most highly capable who demonstrate aptitudes and achievements well-above grade level and demonstrate a
clear need for advanced services. Some of the data points include: district tests, classroom tests, the Cognitive Abilities
Test, the most current report card, student work samples, parent checklist of behaviors and teacher information. WAC
392-170-055-075
Once a determination has been made, parents/guardians receive written confirmation of the committee’s decision. If
found eligible, parental permission must be received before the child is placed in the program at the start of the 20152016 school year.
What is the Appeal Process?
Parents/legal guardians have the right to appeal the MSC’s decision based on WAC 392-170-047. Individuals appealing
the MSC’s decision must submit a completed appeal form requesting review of selection/placement decision. Grounds
for appeal include but are not limited to errors in scoring, testing bias against students who are members of a protected
class, and special circumstances including unique, untestable characteristics evident in student performances or
products.
The written appeal request must include reasons for the appeal and any supporting documentation. The appeal request
and supporting evidence must be submitted to the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development within 10
school days of receiving the Committee’s decision.
Celebrating academics, diversity and innovation.
PASCO SCHOOL DISTRICT
Highly Capable (Spectrum) Program
A Program for Highly Capable Students in Grades 1-6
The Director of Curriculum and Professional Development will reconvene the MSC to review the student’s file,
assessment data, and additional evidence provided in the request for appeal. A decision will be made by the committee
within 10 school days after receipt of the written request for reconsideration. The parent/legal guardian will be notified
of the decision in writing. The decision of the MSC is final.
What is the process to exit a child from the program?
The exit process from the program involves the teacher, student, parents, the principal and/or administrator with
responsibility for the supervision of the District’s Highly Capable Program. Parents may remove their students from the
program by contacting their student’s teacher, the principal or administrator with responsibility for the supervision of the
District’s Highly Capable Program.
All placements in the program are provisional and may undergo periodic review including assessment data, test scores,
etc. to ensure that each student is demonstrating consistent academic progress. Should the determination be made
that a student is not demonstrating consistent academic progress; a conference to discuss alternatives will be
scheduled with parents, the teacher, and the principal or administrator with responsibility for the supervision of the
District’s Highly Capable Program. This may result in a change of placement.
What are some characteristics of highly capable students?
General Intellectual Ability
Social/Emotional/Behavioral
• Comprehends abstract ideas and concepts
• Strong sense of self
• Considers concepts and situations in which
• Perfectionism that may include being critical
he/she has no personal experience
of self and other’s ideas/beliefs/opinions
• Makes quick and valid generalizations and
• Questions authority
uses them in new situations
• Motivation for and intense focus on tasks
• Demonstrates skills in reasoning and
• Withdrawal from peers/prefers adults
evaluating situations
• Subtle sense of humor/original jokes and
• Sees cause and effect
puns
• Chooses and enjoys challenging tasks or
• Boredom with routine
problems
• Sensitive to the needs of others
• Generates sophisticated and creative ideas
• Critical of self and others
and solutions
• Demonstrates great curiosity; asks how, why,
and what if
• Chooses original methods and produces
innovative products
• Is keenly observant
If you feel that your child would be eligible for Project Spectrum, please pick up a referral form from any elementary
school office or from the district webpage www.psd1.org and return it by March 11, 2015.
Celebrating academics, diversity and innovation.