Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Minutes from 2/4/25 Meeting

HiCap Parents Council

February Meeting

 Virtual Meeting

02/04/2025 - 10 AM - 11 AM

Note: meeting moved exclusively to zoom due to late start for snow, and cut short since many had to leave around 11 to get elementary kids to school. 


In Person Attendance: None

In Person Late: None

Zoom Meeting Attendance: Liz P, Carson, Amity, Jen C, Ashley, Jenine, Allen, Angie, Elizabeth, Mairead, Hong, Imen

Zoom Late: Holly, Terra


Secretary: Liz P.

Zoom Liaison:

Next meeting date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Discussion: 

  • Math Pathways Presentation

    • Amity review presentation. Items included: pathways map, tutoring, college, timing of course selection, summer courses, transcripts, off-ramps

    • Question: If students repeat classes, will they be able to replace the old grade on the transcript (rather than both being seen)? Amity to investigate

    • Amity has reviewed our HiCap document on Math pathways and it can be sent out

    • Questions remain about Inglemoor and how to accurately describe the pathways and transition there

  • ELA 

    • Recent positive meeting with second grade teachers with Amity.

      • Teachers need to do a better to communicating to their parents about the differentiation that is happening

    • When parents ask questions about ELA differentiation, direct them to talk to teachers first. After that, talk to school principal.

    • There is a lack of visibility. Math has a walk to model, parents can SEE the differentiation. 

      • Is it actually just visibility? Or is the differentiation not happening?

        • Reports: Jen C is in the classroom for ELA. There is no differentiation. She has spoken to teacher. Ashley W. also reports that clustered students meet once/week and receive an additional worksheet.

    • District is providing professional development. They are not going to prescribe specific classroom expectations around frequency, for example.

  • Skyview Middle School

    • Middle School Task Force: Make sure your children respond to survey

    • Skyview being encouraged to host a meeting to communicate to their parents

  • Wellington losing walk-to-math

    • There are no formal HiCap services at Wellington. Teachers were trying to juggle this.

    • The principal is doing his best and working with Amity & Rep Holly about steps forward

Council Questions/Updates



Action Items

  • Liz P will start an email chain with Elementary Reps to discuss ELA. What are the experiences? What are the questions we should be asking teachers? What should we then ask principals?

  • Budget / Superintendent discussion to continue via email

  • Ashley will work on email with updated math path doc, plus share to Facebook. 


Next month Agenda/Meeting

  • November working groups and items

  • Coffee/community meeting


Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Minutes from 1/7/25 Meeting

 HiCap Parents Council

January Meeting

District Office

01/07/2025 - 10 AM - 12 Noon


In Person Attendance: Amity, Elizabeth, Angie, Ashley, Jan, Mairead, Allen, Hong, 

In Person Late: Liz P., Carson

Zoom Meeting Attendance: Terra, Beth R., Terri, Holly, Veronica, Nikhat, Terra, Imen

Zoom Late: Elisa, 


Secretary: Liz P.

Zoom Liaison: Mairead


Next meeting date: Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Discussion: 

  • Gender disparity in HiCap 

    • NSD Data

      • About 400 more boys district-wide single and dual qualification

      • Dual qualified: about 200 difference district-wide

      • Single qualified ELA: more female (662 female, 307 male)

      • Single qualified math: more male (906 male, 447 female)

    • Before universal screening, it was noticed that boys may have been tested more and first born tested more

    • It will be interesting to see data/results after the adoption of the new math assessment test (when prep is more difficult)

  • Math discussion

    • Webinar style discussion coming for parents to discuss math pathways; some schools may also be offering conversation – end of January & beginning of February 

      • Topics we are hoping to see: what are the choices, right time to make choice (May/June before 6th grade [or earlier]), how the choice now affects paths/choices through high school, how does MS selection affect transcripts for college (P/F vs grade), is choosing a double acceleration a failing?, how to make a good choice (talk to teachers, consider future career interests, etc.), off-ramps later (repeating, stats, etc.), what the rigor is going to be (coming from elementary and going to HS essentially), late-qualifiers to math (what can families do?) 

      • Please communicate to all 5th grade teachers to share this information with their students

      • Note: The two above points were sent to Amity as she had to leave meeting early

    • NSD creating new workbooks for elementary teachers

    • Hot topic nationally. Ex. Are students ready for algebra in eighth grade (Minnesota has been doing this for years, for example)?

    • Timbercrest: Rep (Beth) feels like opening the door to feedback was like a dam broke. Many parents, children, and teachers feel the jump is too much.

      • How can we change messaging into choosing a level? Rather than a saying they have dropped back

      • Skyview has similar issues

      • Schedules for incoming 6th graders are still being done in May and June so parents can modify selection (according to Amity); it does indeed become more difficult in September

    • Be careful with using the word JUMP for math. There is no jump (unless a child is joining the program after 2nd grade); Math curriculum is a spiral and progressive. We are not jumping over these items. 

  • Skyview update

    • They think their model for science is great and has raised the bar for all kids

    • Lots of conversations about how to measure the success of the program (I-Ready or something else?)

    • They use the terms mild, medium, and spicy - Amity has asked students to report how they discuss this with their parents

  • NSD Middleschool Task Force

    • Three working topic areas: PD, ND, Socio-emotional

    • Sometimes our program feels like an accelerated math program (rather than a way to provide basic education to gifted children)

    • AAP - Advanced Academic Program 

      • Math is acceleration, not enrichment

      • Social studies, science, and English - hicap kids will be with hicap kids. It won’t be different curriculum, but may include enrichment through some use of additional documents, reading an extra book, etc.

      • Skyview 6th grade does not do it

    • It feels like middle schools don’t understand what it means to be a hicap kid and their unique needs

Council Questions/Updates

  • Meet and greet with families

    • The one that happened, mainly stay at home parents attended

    • There was nothing new for the reps (in terms of the discussion and issues)

    • Could be a good replacement for playdates

    • Issue of late-qualifiers came up; questions around testing, issues around professional development and class sizes

    • Could clarify the position of the Council 

    • Next event: Tentatively March 3 - Maybe Woodinville Library? Might be earlier based on dates of registration


Action Items

  • ASHLEY will share council Google doc of math pathways. A

  • ALL: Offer suggestions for the math pathways document (would love a TL; DR and subject headings)

  • ELEMENTARY REPS: Promote the math webinars! Post on FB, send to 5th grade teachers, etc. Point families this first to webinar, then to HiCap page, then to teachers.

  • MIDDLE SCHOOL REPS: Please find out when your school is doing registration for incoming 6th graders and share with council

    • Timbercrest: March 20 is intro, March 25th selection forms due

  • ELISA will consider booking a meet and greet session AFTER the Math webinar but before registration forms are due (based on the dates). Possible location is Woodinville Library.


Next month Agenda/Meeting

  • November working groups and items


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