Enrollment

New Family Enrollment

Enrollment Procedures for High Point Academy

Parents/Guardians must submit an Intent to Enroll (see the tab on the left) application indicating their desire for their child to attend High Point Academy. This form will collect basic applicant information and contact information from the parent/guardian. If you cannot complete the application online, please contact the school’s main office and a hard copy of the application form will be sent to you via email. A new intent to enroll application must be submitted each year your not select during the lottery process or offered an enrollment spot during the school year. Each year, High Point Academy will establish and make publicly available an Enrollment Timeline. Families seeking to enroll must submit a completed Intent to Enroll application by the deadline set forth in the Enrollment Timeline for enrollment in the subsequent school year. High Point Academy will use a variety of means to promote its enrollment process. The Enrollment Timeline, Intent to Enroll Applications, Intent to Return Letters and instructions for submission Intent to Enroll Applications will be posted on the High Point Academy’s website during the fall of the preceding school year. High Point Academy will also use social media, community partnerships, parent newsletters, and other sources to promote the enrollment process.

Enrollment Procedure & The Waitlist

Enrollment in High Point Academy (HPA) is determined by a lottery process. In order to have a fair lottery process, HPA abides by the following enrollment policy: The first step in gaining admission to HPA is to submit an “Intent to Enroll” application. Once the Enrollment Coordinator receives this application, your child will be placed on a waitlist for his/her grade level. Some applicants are given priority in the lottery. When openings occur in any grade level, the following enrollment process will be followed:

High Point Residents: Families who reside in the High Point Residential Communities will be enrolled with first preference in accordance with grade availability: The Grove, West End, Highline Park & Auden Green neighborhoods only
Governing Board: Children of current and former governing board members will be enrolled with next preference in accordance with grade availability.
Children of School Employees: This includes children of staff or faculty members that work at least half-time, have full or joint custody of the child, and who started work on or before the first day of school of the year in which they are submitting the application. In no case shall categories 3 and 4 exceed 20% of total enrollment.
Siblings: Siblings of currently enrolled students, which includes children whose primary guardian(s) are also the primary guardian(s) of other children already enrolled in the program (in the case of joint custody, primary guardians must have custody at least 50% of the time). This could include half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings, cousins, nieces, or nephews being cared for by grandparents.
General: All other applicants will be enrolled having next preference in accordance with grade availability. When a new family has more than one child in the lottery and one of the children has been accepted, the remaining sibling(s) will be given next preference in accordance with grade availability.

The Lottery Process

When a lottery draw is conducted, the Enrollment Coordinator utilizes a computerized number generator to randomly select numbers. Each “Intent to Enroll” form has a record ID number assigned at the time the form is electronically submitted. Enrollment is offered to the applicant whose record ID number matches the generated number. A new lottery is held every time an opening occurs, therefore giving each applicant an equal opportunity at being chosen. Families are notified of acceptance by email and have 48 hours to accept the enrollment offer. If enrollment has not been confirmed and completed within this timeframe, the applicant will be returned to the waitlist and the opening will be offered to another child.

Entrance Age Requirements For Kindergarten

Students eligible for Kindergarten must attain the age of five years old on or before October 1 of the year they are applying for admission. For information regarding Early Access to Kindergarten Policy, please see the tab in the left margin on this page.

Non-Discrimination Statement

High Point Academy welcomes all students and strives to create and maintain a diverse student population. Enrollment in High Point Academy is open to all students residing in the state. Student recruitment and enrollment decisions shall be made in a nondiscriminatory manner as outlined in C.R.S. § 22-30.5-507(3). In all cases, student recruitment and enrollment decisions shall be made without regard to disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, or any other protected class.

Timelines and Deadlines

Online Intent to Enroll Applications (New families Only)

Intent to Enroll Applications for the following academic school year will be made available on the website the 2^nd Monday in November (Prek-8^th) The intent to enroll applications will be made available until the last Friday in September of the following academic year to enroll new families.

Waitlist Lottery Dates (New Families Only)

1^st round of lottery for all new prospective families will be completed the 2^nd Monday in February (Prek-8^th)
All subsequent lotteries to fill spots will be conducted if a spot become available in that specific grade level.

Early Access to Kindergarten

High Point Academy’s Early Access Process refers to the early entrance to kindergarten or first grade for highly advanced or gifted children under the age of six. Early access is not an acceleration pattern recommended for the majority of age 4 or age 5 gifted children. The purpose of early access is to identify and serve the few highly advanced gifted children (which is defined as students scoring at or above the 97th percentile) who require comprehensive academic acceleration.

Early Access Criteria

In order to evaluate whether a student will qualify for early access, a portfolio will be submitted on the student’s behalf by the family which will contain a profile of strengths, performance, readiness, needs and interests, and a determination of appropriate placement. All criteria must be considered in making the determination-test scores alone do not meet the standards of a determination. While High Point Academy does not charge a fee to review portfolios, some required criteria may require a fee by outside evaluators such as aptitude and achievement tests, Families with students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch may seek assistance from the school for the assessment process.

Criteria Include

Aptitude – To be completed by a Psychologist or similarly trained professional. Highly advanced level of performance or 97th percentile. Every child with a score above the 97th percentile may not benefit from early access to kindergarten or first grade. Measured using a developmentally appropriate tool. e.g. individualized ability test such as the Differential Ability Scales {DAS), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Woodcock Johnson Cognitive Ability Scale, or Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test.
Achievement– To be completed by a Psychologist or similarly trained professional. Highly advanced level of performance or 97th percentile. Typically, early access children function two or more years above their peers. Measured using an assessment that determines knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. e.g. curriculum-based assessment, above-level testing, and individualized achievement tests, such as the test of early math ability/reading ability1 Woodcock Johnson Ill Tests of achievement, or Iowa Tests of basic skills
Performance – Performance supporting early access is indicated by work samples and informal teacher and/or parent data indicating demonstrated ability above peers. Measured using actual demonstration of the student’s work (e.g. work samples, independent reading, advanced vocabulary, observational data).

Readiness, Social Behavior and Motivation – Readiness, social behavior and motivation for early access are determined by the child’s ability to demonstrate the indicators deemed necessary for kindergarten or first grade by national standards. Measure the child’s readiness for kindergarten or first grade, social maturity, and eagerness to learn. e.g. district readiness checklist, normed checklists and rating scales, such as the California Preschool Competency Scale or the Preschool/Kindergarten Behavioral and Social Scale or Bracken School Readiness. Once the portfolio containing all criteria is complete it will be submitted to the Elementary Assistant Principal to be reviewed. The Assistant Principal along with other school administrators will make a determination based on the evidence in the portfolio. Once the determination is made, the Assistant Principal will contact the family for a meeting to review the results. The deadline to submit a portfolio is April 1, in order to be considered for early access the following school year.