Highly Capable is Washington’s term for gifted education services. NNAT® stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning assessment that uses shapes and patterns instead of reading passages, vocabulary, or math computation.
For a fuller overview of the assessment itself, see our guide to what the NNAT® measures.
What Tacoma says about screening
Tacoma universally screens two grades:
- 2nd grade: a nonverbal ability test in late fall (the NGAT Nonverbal subtest, per the program page), with a spring makeup for students who were absent.
- 5th grade: a review of existing data in the spring, with no extra testing.
Students in any other grade are considered only if someone sends in the online Highly Capable Referral Form. Parents, teachers, community members, or the student can refer. Referrals are taken all year and reviewed in the spring; referrals after June 1 that need more testing move to the next school year. Families get information about screening ahead of time and can decline with the district’s Opt-Out Form.
The test score does not decide eligibility on its own. A Multidisciplinary Placement Committee (MPC) reviews screened and referred students in the spring. It looks at test and cognitive scores, i-Ready, the state SBA (Smarter Balanced Assessment), other district and state tests, and referral information. Tacoma says there is no standard score required to qualify, and no single score can qualify or disqualify a student.
- Results: eligibility letters are mailed after the spring review, no later than the end of the school year. Services start the following school year.
- Permission: parent or guardian permission is required before placement.
- Appeals: due within 15 school days of a non-eligible letter, using the online Appeal Form.
| Test basics | What Tacoma parents should know |
|---|---|
| Test | NGAT (Naglieri General Ability Test) Nonverbal subtest per the program page; an older assessment page names the NNAT3 |
| Grades screened | 2nd grade tested and 5th grade reviewed automatically; all other grades by referral |
| Timing | Late fall for 2nd grade, with spring makeup for absent students; exact 2026 date not published |
| Length | The assessment page says about 60 minutes total, including 30 minutes of testing |
| Format | Group setting at school with a qualified proctor |
| Eligibility decision | Multidisciplinary Placement Committee review of multiple data sources; no standard qualifying score |
| Results | Mailed after the spring committee review, no later than the end of the school year |
The NNAT® may look nothing like ordinary classwork. Give your child a first look at pattern completion, analogies, serial reasoning, and spatial visualization.
Start free practiceFor a parent-friendly overview of the visual reasoning format, see our guide to the four NNAT® question types.
Sample question
Try an NNAT® practice question
Find how the top picture changes, then apply the same change to the bottom picture.
A real GateBuddy practice question.
Choose one of the five answers.
In the top row, the inside and outside shapes trade places and sizes. Each shape keeps its own color, and the background and center position stay the same. Apply that swap to the bottom picture: the pentagon moves inside, and the hexagon becomes the large outside shape.
Try 10 more questions free
See how easy practice can be for your child.
- Short practice sets made for kids
- Read aloud, so they can work on their own
- Extra practice where they miss
Free parent account. No credit card.
Practice preview
Let your child see the format before test day.
GateBuddy introduces the visual reasoning formats used on the NNAT® through short, age-appropriate practice with clear explanations.
- Built around the four NNAT® question types
- An explanation after every answer: what changed and what stayed the same
- Short adaptive sets plus full, timed practice tests
- A live view so parents can follow along
Real GateBuddy practice questions, one of each NNAT® question type.
What Highly Capable gives your child in Tacoma
- Kindergarten to 12th grade: the standard service is a cluster-grouped general education classroom, where identified students are grouped with other highly capable or high-achieving students and the teacher writes a learning plan with the family.
- 3rd to 5th grade: students may also be placed in SAIL (Self-contained Advanced In-depth Learning), a multi-grade classroom that follows the same curriculum at a faster pace with more depth. SAIL is currently at Browns Point, Edison, Jefferson, Mann, and Sherman Elementary, based on home school, with transportation provided.
- Middle school: a yearly learning plan in literacy and/or math, plus options such as AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), AP (Advanced Placement), or IB (International Baccalaureate) depending on the school.
- High school: qualified students are automatically enrolled in advanced programs or courses.
A letter tells families which service model their child is identified for. Identification does carry forward: the district says services continue from kindergarten through 12th grade once they start.
Elementary schools in Tacoma Public Schools
In most districts, a gifted-screening window applies across the district, while each school handles practical details inside that window.
Tacoma elementary and preschool schools include:
- Arlington Elementary
- Birney Elementary
- Blix Elementary
- Boze Elementary
- Browns Point Elementary
- Bryant Montessori
- Crescent Heights Elementary
- DeLong Elementary
- Downing Elementary
- Edison Elementary
- Fawcett Elementary
- Fern Hill Elementary
- Franklin Elementary
- Geiger Montessori
- Grant Center for the Expressive Arts
- Jefferson Elementary
- Larchmont Elementary
- Lister Elementary
- Lowell Elementary
- Lyon Elementary
- Manitou Park Elementary
- Mann Elementary
- Northeast Tacoma Elementary
- Point Defiance Elementary
- Reed Elementary
- Roosevelt Elementary
- Sheridan Elementary
- Sherman Elementary
- Skyline Elementary
- Stafford Elementary
- Stanley Elementary
- Tacoma Online
- Travis Elementary
- Wainwright Intermediate
- Washington Elementary
- Whitman Elementary
- Whittier Elementary
Curious how your child would do? Find out with no pressure.
Try 10 questions free nowQuestions Tacoma parents should ask
- Which test will 2nd graders take this year, the NGAT Nonverbal subtest or the NNAT3?
- What date is my child’s class testing, and how long is the session?
- What is the opt-out deadline if a family does not want screening?
- When is the spring makeup if my child is absent?
- Which scores will the committee look at for my child, and when will the letter arrive?
- If my child is eligible, which service model would they get, and is there a SAIL class for our home school?
Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you turn those into one clear conversation with the office or program contact.
How to prepare effectively for the NNAT
- Learn the format. Go through the four NNAT® question types, and after every question talk through the rule: what changed and what stayed the same, not just which answer is right. GateBuddy shows an explanation after every question that names the rule, and it can read instructions and explanations out loud, which helps a child who is still building reading skills or simply learns better by hearing it.
- Practice 10 to 15 minutes a day, for as long as you can. Reasoning skills build like a muscle, a little at a time. A few weeks of practice helps, but months of short, steady sessions build much more.
- Spend extra time on the weakest type. Most children find one or two question types harder. Focus there once the basics feel familiar. GateBuddy’s practice sets do this for you: each set of five leans toward the question types your child has seen least and adjusts how hard the next questions are based on recent answers. You can also pick one question type and a level (easy, medium, or hard) to work on a weak spot.
- Take full, timed practice tests: at least two, and more is better. A full test is where your child learns pacing and how to work alone against a clock, the way test day works. Every GateBuddy plan includes eight full, timed NNAT® practice tests, so your child can take several along the way and still save the last two for the final few weeks as a dress rehearsal. While your child works on their own, GateBuddy’s Live View lets you follow along from your own phone: how many questions they have answered, the answer they just picked, and how many they have right so far. Your child gets the independence of test day, and you still see everything.
Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising.
Why GateBuddy
Practice that feels like test day, built by parents who needed it.
GateBuddy started with parents preparing their own kids for the NNAT® and finding mostly printable packets and answer keys. So they built what they wished they had: short daily practice that adapts, full timed tests that feel like test day, and a way to see progress without hovering.
What your child gets:
- Five questions at a time, picked for your childEach short set adapts to your child’s recent answers and to the question types they have seen least. Ten to fifteen minutes fits on a school night.
- Explanations that teach the ruleAfter every question, your child sees what changed and what stayed the same, so the idea carries over to the next one.
- Read aloud when it helpsInstructions and explanations can be read out loud, so a child still learning to read can focus on the reasoning.
- Full, timed practice testsEight full tests with a visible timer, a question list to skip and come back, and pause and resume for real life. Take several along the way and save the last two as dress rehearsals.
- Live view for parentsFollow a practice test from your own phone: questions answered, the answer just picked, and how many are right so far. Your child works on their own, like test day.
- Focused practice when you want itPick one of the four NNAT® question types and a level (easy, medium, or hard) to work on a weak spot.
GateBuddy vs printable packets and workbooks
| Feature | Packets and workbooks | GateBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing what to practice next | The same pages for every child | Adapts to your child’s answers |
| When an answer is wrong | A letter in the answer key | An explanation of the rule |
| Timed practice | You time it yourself | Built-in timer, skip and return, pause |
| Watching progress | Grade it by hand afterward | Live view while they work |
| Format | Paper | On screen, the way many districts now give it |
Start with 10 free questions.
See how your child handles NNAT® practice questions in about ten minutes, then decide.
Frequently asked questions
Do Tacoma 2nd graders take the NNAT3?
Tacoma screens all 2nd graders with a nonverbal ability test. The district's Highly Capable Program page now says it is the NGAT (Naglieri General Ability Test) Nonverbal subtest, given in late fall, while an older assessment page still names the NNAT3. Ask the Highly Capable office which test applies this year.
When does Tacoma give the 2nd grade screener?
Tacoma says 2nd graders are tested in late fall, with a spring makeup for students who were absent. The district has not published an exact 2026 date.
How long is Tacoma's Highly Capable screener?
Tacoma's assessment page says the session lasts about 60 minutes, including instructions and 30 minutes for the actual screening.
When are Tacoma results sent?
Tacoma says eligibility letters are mailed after the committee's spring review, no later than the end of the school year. Services begin the following school year.
My child is not in 2nd grade. How do they get screened in Tacoma?
Tacoma also reviews all 5th graders in the spring without extra testing. Every other grade needs a Highly Capable Referral Form, which parents, teachers, community members, or students can submit at any time of year.
Does one test score decide Highly Capable eligibility in Tacoma?
No. A Multidisciplinary Placement Committee reviews several sources of data, and Tacoma says there is no standard score required to qualify.
- Tacoma Public Schools: Highly Capable Program
- Tacoma Public Schools: Highly Capable Universal Screening
- Tacoma Public Schools: Regulation 2190R, Highly Capable Services
- Tacoma Public Schools: district map and schools
GateBuddy compiled this guide from its own research of publicly available information and is not affiliated with Tacoma Public Schools. The guide may contain errors or be out of date. Please confirm all details with your school or district.