Teacher referral
K-8
Confirm locally
Teachers receive and complete the district referral form each fall; the page does not publish one fixed closing date.
Verify with the district ↗Somerdale Borough School District parent navigator Last updated 09/09/2026
STEPS,
made navigable.
Somerdale's K-8 STEPS program uses fall teacher referrals for all grades and CogAT for referred Grades 3-8 students, then provides student-led project pull-out.
Independent from Somerdale Borough School District. Official district instructions always control.
NJlocal district program
2026-27school year reviewed
3official sources reviewed
2deadlines or checkpoints
When your family may need to act
The published timeline, in one place.
Use the row that matches your child's grade and situation. Dates below come from the linked district instructions; confirm them before submitting.
CogAT assessment
3-8 students recommended
Confirm locally
Recommended students take CogAT after the fall referral review; ask for the current testing and notification calendar.
Verify with the district ↗How Bloomfield Academy helps
Understand the program.
Manage the process.
Build the learner.
Use the Parent Guide free. Choose Navigator when you want the process managed around your child. Choose Mentor when you want to connect that local opportunity to a longer-term interest, real projects, and a private record of growth. Bloomfield turns STEPS into three clear layers of support.
01Parent GuideFree
Know what the program actually requires.
Get the local program name, grades, identification process, services, deadlines, parent steps, and official instructions—all in plain language.
02Navigator$79 / year
Turn the process into your family's plan.
Navigator adds a child-specific timeline, deadline and policy alerts, a guided checklist, and one place to organize forms, work samples, and questions for the school.
03Bloomfield Mentor$149 / year
Turn a future interest into work your child can do now.
Mentor includes Navigator plus a 12-week pathway, four short weekly challenges, one substantial monthly project, a Friday parent insight, and a private Growth Portfolio.
What the official record confirms
Know the program.
Know the route.
Applicable school year: 2026-27. Bloomfield separates official requirements from our preparation guidance.
Who and which grades
Published coverageK-8
How students are considered
Published processIn K-2, all teachers receive a referral form each fall and the STEPS coordinator scores it. Grades 3-8 use the same teacher-recommendation form; recommended students then take CogAT. The district publishes its criteria and a local complaint route.
What service can look like
Published modelStudents attend small-group pull-out with the STEPS coordinator. The student-led, project-based model helps learners identify areas of strength and passion, choose projects, broaden their horizons, and deepen interdisciplinary interests.
Your family's route
See the next move—and where Bloomfield helps.
This plan translates the published process without changing it. Confirm current district instructions before submitting.
Your next moveEarly in fall, ask the teacher whether the K-8 STEPS referral form has been completed and when it closes.
How Bloomfield helps
Adds the date and task to one family plan, with alerts before it becomes urgent.
Your next moveShare specific examples of advanced reasoning, creativity, initiative, and sustained interests that the teacher can verify.
How Bloomfield helps
Turns the district language into a short list of questions to confirm with your school.
Your next moveFor Grades 3-8, confirm the CogAT date and request the score report and any other criteria used.
How Bloomfield helps
Provides guided prompts and one private place to organize authentic examples and documents.
Your next moveAsk for the coordinator's scored referral evidence and the written placement decision.
How Bloomfield helps
Tracks forms, confirmations, and any related enrollment or transfer step.
Your next moveIf admitted, clarify pull-out frequency, project choice, missed-class expectations, and progress communication.
How Bloomfield helps
Keeps the decision, follow-up, and appeal questions together so the next move is clear.
Your next moveIf concerned about process or services, use the district's written complaint route and retain the written decision.
How Bloomfield helps
Keeps the decision, follow-up, and appeal questions together so the next move is clear.
Application support
Prepare the story before you open the form.
District forms and prompts vary. This annotated, fictional example shows how to turn a real observation into useful evidence without copying language or inventing accomplishments.
Explore the annotated example →Parent observationFictional example
What have you observed that shows your child may need greater depth, complexity, or pace?
“After her model failed, Maya changed one part at a time, recorded each result, and explained why the designs failed differently.”
01 Observable02 Child-led03 Need-focused
See why this works →Parent-to-parent
What would you tell another family?
Share practical, firsthand wisdom about STEPS. Parent experience is kept separate from the official program facts above.
Opening the parent discussion…
Trust is part of the product
District rules and Bloomfield guidance stay clearly separated.
The program facts above come from the linked official sources. Bloomfield's checklist translates those facts into practical next steps without predicting selection or presenting parent anecdotes as district policy.
Official requirement
Supported by the district links and applicable school year shown on this guide.
Bloomfield guidance
A plain-language explanation or constructive preparation recommendation.
Parent-reported insight
Shown only when it is dated, moderated, and clearly labeled—not as an official rule.
Primary sources
Read the published language yourself.
Last updated 09/09/2026. Program rules can change; verify the current school year with Somerdale Borough School District before acting.