Identification Process

Multifaceted Student Identification Plan

The purpose of identification in a high ability plan is to ensure each student receives the academic placement and services best suited to their needs. In Indiana, students identified as high ability must be provided with appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction to support their development. In the primary grades, some students enter school with advanced readiness, already comfortable in a school environment and potentially reading. As they progress, other students with high ability may develop school-related skills that allow them to catch up or even surpass those with an early advantage. Developmental factors are crucial at this stage, along with the motivation and effort that can drive achievement for high-ability students. Therefore, evaluations at strategic developmental points are essential to make informed placement decisions for students who “perform at or show the potential for performing at an outstanding level when compared with others of the same age, experience, or environment” (Indiana Department of Education, 2019).

Grade	Achievement Measure	Ability Measure
Kindergarten-2nd	iReady
3rd & 5th	ILEARN
4th & 6th	ILEARN	CogAT
7th	ILEARN
8th	ILEARN	PSAT-8
9th		PSAT-9
10th-12th		SAT

Criteria

A student will be formally identified as high ability at the end of 4th grade. A student will qualify as high ability if they meet ONE or more of the following requirements:

• Score in the 96th percentile of the ILEARN Assessment
• Score 97th percentile in either verbal, quantitative, non-verbal or 96th percentile overall
• Teacher/High Ability Team input

When Does Identification Take Place?  

Timeline for Placement Decision

October

• PSAT 8 and PSAT 9 administered to all 8th grade and 9th grade students

Mid January

• Students in Grades 4 and 6 will be administered the CogAt assessment.

February

• Members of the High Ability Identification Committee review data for all K-8 students
• New students are included in the screening process and may require additional assessments.  

March

• Notification letters are sent home for students identified as high ability

Ongoing

• Classroom-Based Differentiation and Individualized Enrichment Support are provided when appropriate.
• Students new to the School City of Hammond district are screened.

Are students automatically considered?

All students are considered per the timeline above. 

What about already-identified students? Are they re-identified each year?  

Already-identified students are automatically identified for the next school year so long as they have been successful. Students who are identified as math-only or language-arts only are automatically considered each spring for identification in the non-HA area.

Quantitative Measures

Ability Test: 

• The Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®), is the most widely used and trusted ability test.  CogAT measures abilities across the symbol systems that are most highly correlated with fluid reasoning, problem-solving, and success in school. With its separate measures of Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal reasoning, this research-based and proven test provides multiple perspectives on student ability across grades K–12. The committee uses the 90th percentile as one indicator that a student needs advanced curriculum and/or instruction.

Achievement Test (district-wide formative assessment): 

• Grades K-2: 
  • Reading & Math: The i-Ready Diagnostic is a valid and reliable tool aligned to rigorous state standards that provides teachers with a complete picture of student performance relating to their grade level and national norms. It also includes Lexile® and Quantile® information for insights into reading and mathematics performance. The i-Ready Diagnostic is typically administered three times per academic year, with a recommended 12-18 weeks of instruction between assessments. 
• Grades 3-8:
  • Reading & Math:  Indiana’s Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) is a system of assessments that measure student achievement of Indiana Academic Standards for mathematics and English/language arts in grades 3-8. The system includes three Checkpoints (interim assessments) administered throughout the school year and one summative assessment administered at the end of the school year. The Checkpoints are designed to provide educators and families with instructionally-relevant data that informs learning pathways for students and monitors their achievement of required knowledge and skills throughout the school year. Checkpoints do not contribute to accountability calculations. 
  • Each ILEARN Checkpoint measures a subset of Indiana Academic Standards based on the ILEARN Test Blueprints for Mathematics (inlearninglab.com/resources/ilearntest-blueprint-mathematics-all-grades-2025-2026-through-year-ilearn-checkpointsassessment) and English/Language Arts (ELA) (inlearninglab.com/resources/ ilearn-test-blueprint-english-language-arts-all-grades-2025-2026-through-yearilearn-checkpoints-assessment). The tests are administered online only and use multiple item types (including multiple choice and technology enhanced items) to engage students in standards-based tasks. ILEARN Checkpoints were designed to inform intervention and impact instruction. Each student will participate in an initial opportunity for each Checkpoint. If a student has not achieved the required knowledge and skills for that Checkpoint, that student may receive intervention and support and then participate in a second opportunity for the Checkpoint. 
• Grades 9-12:
  • Reading & Math: The achievement test used in grades 9-11 is the PSAT.