Who and which grades
Published coveragePreschool-12 identification; universal Grade 2 and 6 CogAT; Achieve Institute K-8
School District 27J parent navigator Official local sources · reviewed 2026-09-08
Gifted and Talented Education and Achieve Institute,
made navigable.
27J universally screens Grades 2 and 6 with CogAT and also accepts parent, student, and staff referrals. Families can choose school differentiation or cluster service, while identified K-8 students may apply to the district's Achieve Institute.
Independent from School District 27J. 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 processStudents may be identified through 13 pathways as early as preschool. Universal Grade 2 and Grade 6 CogAT data and referrals from families, students, teachers, administrators, psychologists, counselors, or coaches begin the process. Parent referrals should include a letter and may start with Home SIGS. Within 30 days, the district decides whether to test, builds a body of evidence, and sends the referral to a school or district committee.
What service can look like
Published modelAll classrooms can provide differentiation, schools may cluster gifted students, and each identified student has a family-informed Advanced Learning Plan. Achieve Institute provides K-5 school-within-a-school programming at Pennock Elementary and Grade 6-8 cluster programming at Vikan Middle, including accelerated core work, passion projects, and social-emotional development.
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.
01For Grades 2 and 6, ask the school when universal CogAT results will be reviewed and reported.
02At any grade, submit the district referral form with a parent letter and Home SIGS examples tied to the student's specific strengths.
03Ask the school GT Leader to confirm the 30-day test-or-no-test decision and what additional body-of-evidence data will be collected.
04After identification, complete the family survey and help set both strength and social-emotional goals in the Advanced Learning Plan.
05If seeking Achieve Institute for 2026-27, apply before the October 2026 reopening period ends and confirm current space, testing, transportation, and placement status.
Primary sources
Read the published language yourself.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Program rules can change; verify the current school year with School District 27J before acting.