In fall 2012, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) will change the grades in its Quest, gifted education program from first through ninth grade to second through eighth grade.

This change will coincide with next year’s grade configuration change to a K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 system. Schools are currently on a K-6, 7-9 and 10-12 system.

The district will no longer test kindergarten students. LWSD will now serve advanced students in regular first-grade classrooms. Cognitive measures of ability are not well developed for students in kindergarten. It is difficult to determine which students are “highly capable” students and which students are simply more knowledgeable about subjects measured by the test. This change brings LWSD in line with many other districts in the area that also begin their gifted education program in second grade.

Sixth-grade students will be served in the middle school Quest program along with seventh and eighth graders. Ninth-grade students will be in the high school beginning in the fall of 2012. They will be able to accelerate their learning through advanced courses, including Advanced Placement courses if appropriate.

Information nights are scheduled for both elementary and middle school Quest admission for the 2012-13 school year.

The elementary parent information nights, concerning students who will be in second through fifth grade next year, will be held on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, with two sessions each day, from 4-6:30 p.m. or 7-8:30 p.m. All sessions will be held at Rose Hill Junior High School at 13505 NE 75th St. in Redmond. Elementary Quest applications for the 2012-13 school year will be available online beginning Oct. 3. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on October 28. Late applications will not be accepted.

The middle school parent information night, for students who will be in sixth through eighth grade next year, will be Oct. 25 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Kamiakin Junior High School at 14111 132nd Ave. N.E. in Kirkland.

Middle school Quest applications for 2012-13 will be available online beginning Oct. 24. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on November 18. Late applications are not accepted.

Complete information on the Quest program, admission criteria and application procedures is available at www.lwsd.org/quest.