Who and which grades
Published coverageK-12 continuum; self-contained elementary option in Grades 3-5 and a middle-school cohort in Grades 6-8
Elkhart Community Schools parent navigator Official local sources · reviewed 2026-09-08
Gifted and High Ability,
made navigable.
Elkhart identifies high-ability students in mathematics, English language arts, or both through recurring performance and cognitive screening. Families receive spring placement notices for fall service, and some students may be invited to districtwide self-contained or cohort settings.
Independent from Elkhart Community Schools. 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 processFormal identification starts in kindergarten. Elkhart reviews K-2 winter NWEA MAP and Grades 3-8 ILEARN Checkpoints for performance, while CogAT in Grades K, 2, and 5 measures potential. Students within two points of the district cut score receive further review with the Scales for Identifying Gifted Students. All K-8 results are reviewed annually, and families of students in Grades 1, 3, and 4 who missed the prior year's CogAT may request off-year testing through the building coordinator.
What service can look like
Published modelGrades 1-2 and students remaining at neighborhood schools receive differentiation or cluster grouping. Identified Grades 2-4 students may be invited to the Grades 3-5 self-contained program at Roosevelt STEAM Academy; the 2026-27 model combines Grades 3-4 and keeps a separate Grade 5 cohort. Grades 6-8 offer a West Side cohort, honors subjects, and Honors Algebra or Geometry, followed by high-school Honors, AP, dual enrollment, Early College, and Project Lead the Way.
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.
01Ask the building High Ability Coordinator which MAP, ILEARN Checkpoint, or CogAT cycle applies to the child's grade and when results will be reviewed.
02For a student in Grade 1, 3, or 4 who missed the previous year's CogAT, request the off-year referral and current testing window in writing.
03If a score is close to the cut, confirm whether the student falls within the two-point standard-error review band and whether SIGS evidence will be collected.
04When spring notice arrives, confirm whether the student qualified in mathematics, English language arts, or both and which fall service setting is offered.
05For a Roosevelt or West Side invitation, compare transportation, the self-contained or cohort model, and neighborhood-school differentiation before accepting.
06Revisit placement before middle and high school because honors and advanced-course access also considers broader data and is not limited to high-ability identification.
Primary sources
Read the published language yourself.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Program rules can change; verify the current school year with Elkhart Community Schools before acting.