HiCap Identification

WAETAG Position Statement on the Use of Assessments in Gifted Education

The Washington Association of Educators of Talented and Gifted (WAETAG) asserts that all assessment practices used to identify students and provide highly capable services must align with research-informed practices and the intent of Washington State law (RCW 28A.185.020), which mandates equitable access and fair identification for all students with exceptional potential.

Purpose and Guiding Principles

The purpose of assessment in gifted education is not to label students, but to ensure that every learner has access to educational services that match their demonstrated and potential abilities. Assessments should:

• Be valid, reliable, and fair, with extensive psychometric evidence for minimizing bias and maximizing the likelihood of identifying students from all backgrounds who can benefit from advanced learning opportunities.   
• Be aligned with the goals and design of the services offered, ensuring that identification criteria correspond directly to the academic or talent-based programs provided.

Research-Informed Practices

WAETAG supports assessment systems grounded in empirical research.

1. Universal screening allows all students consideration for advanced and enriched services. Testing all students within a grade level or cohort reduces reliance on teacher or parent referrals, which disproportionately excludes students, including those from underrepresented and neurodiverse groups. 
2. Local norms—comparing students to peers within the same school building or district—are more defensible than national norms as few districts fully mimic the national population. Local norms ensures that identification reflects the local educational context and recognizes students whose academically advanced needs exceed their current environment’s instructional challenge.
3. Group-specific norms can further reduce inequities by recognizing talent in students whose access to opportunity has been historically limited. Group-specific norms may be calculated based on groups such as low-income, twice exceptional students, multilingual learners, and highly mobile students. The law and the research do not support the use of group-based norms that rely on physical characteristics of students such as gender or race.
4. Multiple measures that are aligned with the services provided are used to create a holistic profile that documents the student’s need and potential for accelerated and enhanced instruction. Cognitive, academic, and observational data are used to inform identification decisions.

Alignment with RCW 28A.185.020

RCW 28A.185.020 declares that all students capable of high performance should be provided the opportunity to progress in accordance with their abilities and that districts must employ multiple objective criteria for identification.
WAETAG supports this statutory intent by advocating for systems that:

• Employ objective, multi-criteria processes that recognize diverse expressions of giftedness;
• Ensure that equity is foundational to all identification and placement practices; and
• Guarantee that assessment decisions are used to expand access, not restrict it.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

WAETAG encourages districts and educators to engage in continuous review of identification outcomes to ensure that assessment tools and procedures are culturally responsive, research-aligned, and consistent with Washington’s vision for equitable access to advanced learning.