Kindergarten and 1^st Grade

Kindergarten students who are identified as eligible for the Highly Capable Primary Enrichment Program (PEP) begin receiving services in the spring of their kindergarten year. The kindergarten program will run from March to June. Students who qualify for the PEP Program will continue with services through their first grade year. All first grade students will participate in the selection process for eligibility in the Highly Capable Program that serves students in grades 2 and above.

What is the Primary Enrichment Program (PEP)? Highly Capable Services at the kindergarten and first grade levels are provided in the regular classroom at the student’s neighborhood school. Teachers and other professionals provide differentiated instruction by modifying the content, depth, and/or pace of a lesson. Students identified in math will receive small group instruction in differentiated math activities. Students who are determined eligible in ELA will receive literacy enrichment in the regular classroom.  The PEP model allows students to receive Highly Capable Services while participating with other students within their neighborhood school community. 

How long does the Primary Enrichment Program last? PEP Services begin during the spring of kindergarten and continue through the end of first grade. Students who receive Highly Capable Services through PEP will participate in the selection process again during first grade.

 Here is the link to our 2023 Family Kindergarten PEP Info Night 

Grades 2-5

Students eligible for Highly Capable Services in BOTH math and English Language Arts (ELA), including those eligible on a provisional basis, have the following options:

• Highly Capable Magnet Program, or
• Highly Capable Program at the neighborhood school, or
• Decline Highly Capable Services

Students eligible for Highly Capable Services in ONE area, either math or English Language Arts (ELA), including those eligible on a provisional basis, have the following options: 

• Highly Capable Program at the neighborhood school, or
• Decline Highly Capable Services

Highly Capable Service in the Magnet School: Shoreline has a self-contained Highly Capable Program in grades 2-5 for students who are identified in BOTH English Language Arts and math. Instruction in English Language Arts, social studies, and science is taught using grade-level standards, but at a greater level of depth, complexity, and speed. For 2023-2024, students in grades 2-4 will receive math enrichment and extension activities. Students in grade 5 will work above grade level in Mathematics. 

Highly Capable Service in Neighborhood Schools: In elementary, services are provided within the regular classroom.  Services may include:

• Clustering identified students in a classroom to provide a peer group
• Adjusting pacing, reducing review and repetition, curriculum compacting
• Enhanced/enriched content or curriculum
• Differentiation of curriculum and instruction
• Extending content to include rigorous problems or projects
• Acceleration to above grade-level standards
• Bus-to-Math (grade 5 only beginning 2023-2024) - Students who qualify in math and are being served in their neighborhood schools working above grade level in Mathematics will be bussed to their neighborhood middle school for Math 1 instruction.  Here is the Bus to Math FAQ and Talking Points sheet to better understand the process of receiving math services for 5th grade students.

In the middle and high schools, students who are eligible for the Highly Capable program have a wide variety of challenging courses open to them. Therefore, we do not have specific classes just for these students. The counselors at their schools monitor the progress of students in the Highly Capable Program on a regular basis, paying attention to which classes they are taking and their progress. The goal is to assure that they are taking advantage of the challenging work of which we know they are capable. Students applying for college can indicate on their applications that they participated in the Highly Capable Program. This could help their application to stand out from others.

Middle School Course Options: 

Services in English Language Arts:

Students have the option to participate in a Highly Capable cohort group.  Students who qualify for ELA services can be placed in a class period of humanities or English specifically for students in the Highly Capable Program.  When there are not enough students to complete a class, students in the Highly Capable Program will be clustered together in the class period and the class will be filled with other students. The Highly Capable ELA cohort will:

• Allow the teacher to customize the grade-level curriculum and standards to better meet the academic needs of students.
• Provide increased access to intellectual peers
• Provide a supportive environment that meets the social/emotional learning needs of students in the Highly Capable Program.

Services in Math:

Students identified as Highly Capable will be placed based on course level.  

Accepting/Declining Services:

Students and families can elect to participate in the ELA cohort on the registration form. Students and families may decline Highly Capable Services in ELA and elect not to participate in the cohort class.  Declining services does not mean that a student is no longer identified as Highly Capable in ELA. Students and families will have the option to accept or decline services during registration each year. For example, if an incoming student declines services and does not elect to participate in the cohort, they can still elect to receive services and join a cohort class the following year.

Students and families should select the course they feel best meets their student’s academic and social needs. Considerations include: the students' interest in and passion for English Language Arts, desire for and comfort level with additional academic challenge, and relationships with social and intellectual peers.  For families of students in the Magnet Program, please keep in mind that the cohort classes will include students from the neighborhood schools as well as students who participated in the Magnet Program, allowing for an expanded peer group.

High School Course Options:

Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and University of Washington Credit Courses

At the high school level, both Shorewood and Shorecrest offer Honors classes in addition to opportunities for students to take Advanced Placement and UW college credit courses in high school. Shoreline offers the following AP courses: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Economics Micro/Macro, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP French, AP Music Theory, AP Physics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art, AP US History, and AP World History.

In addition, Shoreline offers UWHS Pre-Calculus / UW Math, UW Japanese 113, and UW Japanese 211. Because they are taught at the college level, these courses are all accelerated and enhanced for students. In addition, since we offer a breadth of courses in multiple departments, this gives students the chance to find challenging courses according to their own unique needs and abilities.

High school juniors and seniors are eligible for Running Start at Shorewood & Shorecrest. Running Start students take community college classes tuition free and earn credits in high school and college simultaneously.

Click on the following link to access the February 2020 K-12 Highly Capable Program Overview.

Highly Capable Overview