Who and which grades
Published coveragePre-K-8 testing; K-5 PACE and Immersive 9 services; Grades 6-8 ASPIRE, honors, and project-based pathways
Tempe Elementary School District parent navigator Official local sources · reviewed 2026-09-08
PACE and Gifted Education,
made navigable.
Tempe publishes an unusually complete 2026-27 pathway: universal testing in K and Grades 1, 2, and 4, referral testing for other grades, five Saturday sessions with deadlines, a local PACE threshold beginning at the 94th percentile, two hours of weekly pullout, and selective self-contained options.
Independent from Tempe Elementary School District. Official district instructions always control.
What the official record confirms
Know the program.
Know the route.
Applicable school year: 2026-27. Bloomfield separates official requirements from our preparation guidance.
How students are considered
Published processTempe recognizes Arizona gifted identification at the 97th percentile but locally serves PACE students beginning at the 94th percentile in one approved verbal, quantitative, or nonverbal reasoning area. ASPIRE requires either 97th percentile in one area or 94th percentile in one area plus at least 85th percentile in another. Universal testing covers K and Grades 1, 2, and 4; Grades 3 and 5-8 may test by referral, and repeat testing is limited to once every 12 months.
What service can look like
Published modelPACE serves K-5 students at every elementary campus with at least two hours of weekly pullout, project-based enrichment, and twice-yearly EXCEL-skill progress reports. The Immersive 9 is a self-contained K-5 gifted school. Grades 6-8 offer the self-contained ASPIRE Academy at Connolly, honors classes, and a project-based elective. Placement rules differ, so general PACE eligibility does not automatically establish academy admission.
Your starting checklist
Turn the published process into clear next steps.
Confirm current instructions with the district before submitting. Bloomfield does not predict placement or reproduce protected assessments.
01Identify the correct route by grade: universal school-day testing, referral testing, or a paid Saturday session, then meet the published registration or school-notification date.
02Do not coach test content; the district explicitly says studying is unnecessary and not recommended. Focus on sleep, routine, and familiarity with the testing setting.
03Request the full verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal results and distinguish Arizona's 97th-percentile identification from Tempe's 94th-percentile PACE access rule.
04Confirm the K-5 PACE schedule provides at least two hours weekly and review the twice-yearly EXCEL skills report.
05For Immersive 9 or ASPIRE, verify the program-specific criteria and submit the separate specialty-school application when it opens.
Primary sources
Read the published language yourself.
01Tempe Gifted Education Options ↗02Tempe 2026-27 Gifted Testing ↗03Tempe PACE Program ↗04Tempe Self-Contained Gifted Options ↗
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Program rules can change; verify the current school year with Tempe Elementary School District before acting.