Who and which grades
Published coverageK-8 continuum; small-group HEP/TEP serves Grades 3-8
Closter Public Schools parent navigator Official local sources · reviewed 2026-09-08
Hillside Enrichment Program (HEP) and Tenakill Enrichment Program (TEP),
made navigable.
Closter uses the 12-point Northern Valley Identification Matrix for small-group HEP and TEP, with 10 points required. Grade 2 and Grade 5 reviews combine CogAT, Renzulli ratings, and achievement evidence; new students receive additional screening opportunities.
Independent from Closter Public 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 processHEP review in Grade 2 awards up to four points each for CogAT SAS composite, the Renzulli Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students, and end-of-year reading and mathematics. Grade 5 TEP reassessment uses the same four-point CogAT and Renzulli components plus up to four points from NJSLA mathematics and language arts. A total of 10 of 12 points is required. New students in Grades 3-4 and 6-8 are also assessed.
What service can look like
Published modelAll K-8 students may receive differentiated whole-class enrichment, curriculum compacting, and acceleration. Small-group problem-solving instruction begins with HEP in Grade 3 and continues through Grade 8 as TEP. Teacher and enrichment-teacher observations supplement the formal matrix when service decisions are made.
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 Grade 2 or Grade 5, ask for the current CogAT administration and evidence-review calendar.
02Request the completed 12-point Northern Valley Identification Matrix rather than relying on a single test score.
03Verify all three four-point components: CogAT, Renzulli behavioral characteristics, and the applicable achievement evidence.
04If the child is new to Closter, request the applicable Grades 3-4 or Grades 6-8 review promptly after enrollment.
05Ask whether the service decision is whole-class differentiation, compacting, acceleration, HEP, or TEP and how often it occurs.
06If alleging program noncompliance, write to the superintendent and board secretary; keep that route separate from an individual placement question.
Primary sources
Read the published language yourself.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Program rules can change; verify the current school year with Closter Public Schools before acting.