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HIGHLY CAPABLE SUPPORTS AT COE

Coffee at Coe # 5

6/2/26

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AGENDA

Introductions

Meeting Norms

Q&A – Pre-submitted questions

Individual Questions (Breakout)

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INTRODUCTIONS:��PAULA MONTGOMERY�TARA HOFMANN�LINDSEY BACKSTROM�KATIE MAY�BENTE FERNANDI�JULIE BEDELL�

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MEETING NORMS

Today we’ll focus on questions that have been submitted in advance.
Let’s approach our conversation with a mindset of positive intent.
We’ll keep our discussion focused on shared group topics.
We’ll be mindful of everyone’s time by starting and ending as scheduled.
We’ll plan to reserve about 10 minutes at the end for individual questions—please save those for the breakout time.

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ANCHORING IN OUR MISSION & VISION

Each student at Coe Elementary School receives a world-class education, grows a love of learning, and acquires responsibility for their school, community, and world. We nurture curious, thoughtful, responsible, and resilient learners who feel a sense of belonging in their community.

We are a community focused on empowering every student to reach fullest potential.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Coe’s school website has information for families about academics, including Highly Capable Services. You can find the answers to most questions here: Academics at Frantz Coe . We will be adding additional Q&A based on the updated questions we have received.

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A CONTINUUM OF SUPPORTS

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Every School:

Strong Core & Differentiation

Many Schools:

Enhanced Supports such as cluster groups, specialized pathways, focused services

HC Schools:

A balance of acceleration and deeper, more complex learning with flexibility to meet the unique learning needs of individual students.

Every student consistently challenged, consistently known, and consistently supported

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A CONTINUUM OF SUPPORTS

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Grade Level Acceleration Model is currently at HiCap Elementary.

Two years ahead for math, one year ahead for ELA

Differentiation and Depth (Standard-Content-Process) Model is currently at neighborhood elementary schools

Cluster Group Model at Pathway Middle Schools for ELA (Social Studies, Science, 6^th grade math). Acceleration Model for Math

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HIGHLY CAPABLE SERVICES IN NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS

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Students found eligible will receive support using a range of strategies to meet their academic needs, including:

Differentiation
Critical and Creative Thinking Frameworks
Universal Design for Learning
Social Emotional Learning

Paula

Content from SPS below for reference if needed

Students found eligible will receive support using a range of strategies to meet their academic needs. Specifically, the Highly Capable Learning Specialists support neighborhood schools with the implementation of following strategies:

Differentiation: Supporting educators to use data to determine the needs of students, implement flexible grouping, extension opportunities, and tiered assignments to meet the varied needs of learners.
Critical and Creative Thinking Frameworks: Supporting educators in integrating structured thinking routines across subject areas to support depth and complexity in learning.
Universal Design for Learning: Supporting educators in proving multiple means of representation, flexible grouping, and choice-based learning to support learner access to grade level and above grade level learning.
Social Emotional Learning: Supporting educators in meeting the needs of highly capable learners. Learning may include strategies that nurture self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. Instruction may include opportunities to explore identity, manage perfectionism, and develop collaboration skills.

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How does the Highly Capable program serve students who have always been at their neighborhood school in middle school? Are they able to test into more advanced classes to be on the same level as the Cascadia kids?

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Paula

SPS web content if needed:

Neighborhood schools offer an inclusive instructional program that aligns with SPS core instructional strategies, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Students receive instruction in multiple ways according to their demonstrated strengths and needs.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is committed to providing math acceleration options for high achieving students as they transition from elementary to middle school.

SPS will offer three options for math enrollment in sixth grade for exceptional math learners. These options are designed to help students learn and grow at a pace that supports their academic needs. Highly Capable (HC) identification is not a requirement. Eligibility is determined by math MAP (RIT) scores.

Summer 2026 Highly Capable Math Program Information

Transition from Elementary to Middle School Math- Course Progression

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There has been a lot of emphasis in

recent years on differentiated

teaching within the classroom.

This seems to place a lot of

responsibility on classroom teachers

to both identify and teach to a

spectrum of different learning levels.

Does research support this as an

effective approach? Can you share

the studies or science used to guide

this policy?

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Is there a plan to formalize or

standardize the enrichment that

HC-identified students receive

when they choose to stay in their

neighborhood school?

What steps is SPS considering for

meeting the needs of HC

-identified students while new

district guidelines and policies are

being defined?

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Is there district teacher

training or materials that

the district will give to

neighborhood schools for

HC-identified students

who choose to stay at

their neighborhood

school?

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Is it possible to have a

one year ahead

Walk-to-Math program

at Coe? Why don’t we

have Walk-To-Math

anymore?

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Lindsey

We know this is an important question for some of you. As Dr. Montgomery referenced, the model in place at SPS neighborhoods schools is "Differentiation and Depth."

Some background here- As part of Seattle Public Schools’ commitment to develop inclusionary practices, and along with all neighborhood elementary schools, Coe ended the "Walk to Math" model in the fall of 2022 with the implementation of the new enVision Math Curriculum. “Walk to Math” as a practice was found to be in direct contradiction to Seattle Public Schools Foundational Belief #3, “Intelligence” is not a fixed, inborn trait and that All children come to school with cultural capital and intelligence, and all have the raw material to learn rigorous academic material at high standards.

Instead of a "Walk to Math" instructional model, every student at Coe now experiences inclusive math learning that is rich, engaging and includes opportunities to grow mathematically and do math at more complex levels, creating a strong elementary foundation.

Having a strong and deep understanding of K-5 math content better prepares all students to take advantage of advanced opportunities later. Math learning in kindergarten through grade 5 is carefully sequenced to provide new learning each year that builds on the prior years’ foundation. The concepts addressed in K-5 mathematics are extremely important and students need time to learn these concepts at a deep level.

Within this inclusive math model, students eligible for HC services (and all students) have ongoing opportunities for challenge and enrichment through differentiation- which we will discuss more in detail in a few slides.

SINCE THIS CHANGE IN 2022- Coe's overall math achievement scores on state assessments have increased by more than 3%, more importantly, growth trends have continued and historical academic achievement gaps are closing.

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Can Coe Parents pay to have additional math instruction for enrichment that is not reliant on parent volunteers?

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What happens for students at

Coe who qualify for HCC in one

domain?

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What specific opportunities are

HC-identified students given at

Coe to keep them engaged and

challenged in the classroom?

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Julie & Bente

Feel free to make this your own!

�Refer to the Coe website: https://coees.seattleschools.org/academics/

In math:

Parallel Tasks. All students work on the same core content with tasks of different complexity.
Curriculum Compacting. Use assessment to determine student skill level in a core content area. Then eliminate or enhance parts of the curriculum based on instructional need.
Flexible Groups. Students are grouped by interest, achievement, activity preference, or specific instructional needs.
Math Centers and Cooperative Games. Activities in small groups based on student choice or teacher designation.
Small Group Instruction. Teacher works with a small group of students on a targeted learning goal.
Tiered Assignments. Adjusted degrees of difficulty of a question, task or product to match student’s current readiness level.
Open Questions. A question framed in such a way that a variety of responses/approaches are possible.
Targeted Questioning. Teacher is intentional about depth of questions asked. All students are asked questions that require critical thinking at a level that is challenging for them, and all students benefit from hearing their peers’ thinking.
Computer-Adaptive Mathematics Practice. Students engage in computer-based learning adaptive to individual levels of development and understanding.

In ELA:

differentiating and teaching phonics and foundational skills to mastery
developing comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and independent thinking
using open-ended questions and facilitated discussions to deepen understanding
providing daily time and support for independent reading practice catered to the individual
Providing student-centered writing instruction in process, genres, and conventions
Using collaboration and peer feedback to foster an engaged writing community
Including time in each lesson for students to apply skills through independent writing at their level of development
Improving individual writing fluency

Flexible Leveled Reading Groups (K-3). Utilizing the Collaborative Classroom curriculum, students are placed in groups by current reading level to ensure appropriate instruction and reading materials. Groups can change as students’ reading skills develop.
Book Clubs (3-5). A group of students read the same book and engage in collaborative discussion around themes, cultural and historical connections, vocabulary, and author’s purpose and style.
Independent Daily Reading- IDR (K-5). Each student will have an opportunity for self-selected reading during the school day to develop reading fluency and get in the habit of reading.
Individual Reading & Writing Conferences (K-5). Teacher holds individualized conference with student to target individual strengths and skills.
Support for Students in Selecting Appropriate Books. Teacher will guide students in choosing just-right books for independent reading. (Criteria include instructional level, high-interest reading, and student choice.)
Independent Book Study Projects. Opportunities for students to explore a topics of interest and apply analysis and comprehension strategies.
Response to Literature. Opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding by using text to make connections and support reasoning.
Computer Adaptive Reading Practice. Students engage in computer-adaptive, personalized literacy practice.

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DIFFERENTIATION IN COE CLASSROOMS

K-2

Flexible Grouping: skill, ability, interest, small group around learning goal
Partner reading
Open ended questioning & discussions (student-led)
Reading/writing: No one is held back!
Editing student writing with teacher
Access to rigorous texts
Computer adaptive math and reading: Success Maker and Lexia
2nd grade: Continent Study presentations

3-5

Beast Academy small groups
Book clubs by skills or interest
WIN (What I Need groups)
STEM projects with guidelines but no definitive solutions – student led
IXL or Success Maker in math to work at skills above (or below) grade level – adaptive to individual
Social studies research projects
Writing units

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Coming in 2026-27- Math for Love K-5 supplemental curriculum aligned to enVision!

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Can parents mirror school

curriculum with stretch

activities?

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Can you please discuss how we can best support HC learners at home?

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THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY!