Tier I: general education with differentiated instruction (~80% of students per ACPS's MTSS framework)
ACPS advanced academics
ACPS AAS screening and automatic-referral facts.
Alexandria City Public Schools renamed TAG as Advanced Academic Services, and its Grade 3 process uses broad automatic-referral triggers rather than one final public eligibility cutoff.
CogATNNATMAPRating scale
Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Dates checked: October 14, 2026
ACPS gifted screening at a glance
- District
- Alexandria City Public Schools
- Program
- Advanced Academic Services (AAS), renamed from TAG
- Tests named
-
- CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) — nationally normed ability test used in universal screening
- NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) — nationally normed ability test used in universal screening
- MAP Growth — Fall achievement scores used as an automatic-referral trigger
- Gifted rating scale — teacher-completed rating instrument; top 15% triggers automatic referral
- Grades tested / screened
- Universal automatic-referral screening: Grade 3 (leads to Grade 4 SAA placement). Tier II GIA (Grades K-3): referral-based, with one referral window each year (September 1 – November 20, 2026); no single screening grade. Grades 4-5: referral required except for automatic Young Scholars identification. Grades 6-8: referral required.
- Universal vs referral
- Universal automatic-referral screening at Grade 3 for SAA (math/language arts) eligibility: ability test (CogAT/NNAT) ≥85th percentile on any subtest, OR Fall MAP achievement ≥85th percentile on any subtest, OR top-15% gifted rating scale — any ONE triggers an automatic referral (no application needed). All Young Scholars students and all students already eligible for GIA services are also referred automatically in Grade 3, and Grades 4-5 students are referred automatically if eligible for Young Scholars (ACPS AAS page, checked October 14, 2026). Outside these automatic referrals, families, teachers and staff can refer a student during the annual referral window (September 1 – November 20, 2026); new students in Grades 4-8 have their own 30-day window. Young Scholars Model (K-8, historically underrepresented populations) requires no referral at all — schools identify candidates directly.
- Last verified
- July 2, 2026 (dates checked October 14, 2026)
ACPS 2026-27 referral, notification and appeal dates
About these dates
- Referral and notification dates were rechecked against the official ACPS AAS page on October 14, 2026; the appeal deadline was checked on October 13, 2026.
This cycle, in date order
- Sept 1, 2026 September 1 – November 20, 2026, for both Tier II GIA (Grades K-3) and Tier III SAA (Grades 3-8) referrals Referral window, 2026–27
- Mar 19, 2027 By March 19, 2027 Parent notification, 2026–27
- Apr 16, 2027 April 16, 2027 (no appeals accepted after this date) Appeal deadline, 2026–27 cycle
Standing rules and yearly deadlines (no year given)
- Referral from the first day of enrollment, due within 30 days of enrollment New students, Grades 4–8
- Notification within 90 days of ACPS receiving the Permission to Screen form New students, Grades 4–8
- 10 ACPS instructional days from the date of eligibility notification Appeal window after notification
Abbreviations on this page: GIA = general intellectual aptitude (a Virginia gifted category); SAA = specific academic aptitude (a Virginia gifted category); TAG = Talented and Gifted; MAP = MAP Growth, the NWEA achievement test.
ACPS publishes automatic-referral thresholds, not final eligibility cutoffs.
For Grade 3 SAA screening, ACPS says any one of three measures can trigger automatic referral: 85th percentile on a qualifying ability subtest, 85th percentile on Fall MAP, or top 15% on the gifted rating scale. The final GIA or SAA eligibility decision remains holistic.
So the ACPS numbers are useful, but they are referral thresholds. They are not a promise of final AAS eligibility.
ACPS AAS tiers and pathways
Tier II: General Intellectual Aptitude (GIA), Grades K-3 — enriched in-classroom activities emphasizing creativity/problem-solving across subjects
Tier III: Specific Academic Aptitude (SAA), Grades 3-5 — direct enriched/accelerated instruction in math and language arts; Differentiated Educational Plans in general-ed classrooms for science/social studies
Tier III: SAA, Grades 6-12 — Honors, AP, online courses, independent study, dual enrollment, Governor's School
Young Scholars Model, K-8 — no-referral-needed equity-focused identification pathway for historically underrepresented populations
What ACPS says about appeals
Families appeal within 10 ACPS instructional days of the eligibility notification. The appeal explains why the decision was in error and may include limited supplemental evidence, with the AAS Appeals Committee issuing a written decision after review.
The useful ACPS-specific details
ACPS is the district in this set where the difference between referral trigger and eligibility decision matters most. The public thresholds are real, but they open a review rather than settle the outcome.
ACPS casts a wide automatic-referral net at Grade 3 — meeting any ONE of three thresholds (85th-percentile ability, 85th-percentile achievement, or top-15% rating scale) triggers referral with no parent action required — broader than a single ability-test gate.
The Young Scholars Model requires zero referral — schools proactively identify candidates from historically underrepresented populations.
For 2026-27, ACPS uses one referral deadline, November 20, 2026, for both Tier II GIA (Grades K-3) and Tier III SAA (Grades 3-8); students new to ACPS in Grades 4-8 instead have 30 days from enrollment.
The program was renamed from 'Talented and Gifted (TAG)' to 'Advanced Academic Services (AAS)' effective June 1, 2023 — many school-level pages and web addresses still use the old TAG name, which can confuse parents who search by either name.
Private/outside testing is explicitly accepted, but only as supplemental evidence during an appeal — not confirmed as accepted for the initial screening determination.
Updates
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ACPS parent questions
Is ACPS TAG still the current program name?
ACPS renamed Talented and Gifted services as Advanced Academic Services in 2023. Some older URLs and parent references still use TAG, but the current program name is AAS.
What score triggers automatic referral in ACPS Grade 3?
ACPS publishes three Grade 3 automatic-referral triggers: 85th percentile on a qualifying ability subtest, 85th percentile on Fall MAP, or top 15% on the gifted rating scale.
Does an automatic referral mean my child is eligible?
No. The referral trigger starts the screening process. Final GIA or SAA eligibility is determined by a screening committee using the fuller portfolio.
What is the ACPS Young Scholars pathway?
ACPS describes Young Scholars as a school-identified pathway for historically underrepresented populations. It does not require a family referral.
What are the 2026-27 ACPS referral dates?
ACPS lists a referral window of September 1 to November 20, 2026 for both Tier II GIA (Grades K-3) and Tier III SAA (Grades 3-8), with parent notification by March 19, 2027. Students new to ACPS in Grades 4-8 have 30 days from enrollment. ACPS accepts no appeals after April 16, 2027.
Official ACPS sources used
CogAT® and Cognitive Abilities Test™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Riverside Assessments, LLC (Riverside Insights), used here for identification purposes only. Reasonwell Press is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or licensed by Riverside Insights, and Riverside Insights was not involved in producing our materials. Our practice materials are original CogAT®-style items, not actual test questions, and do not guarantee any score or placement outcome.
NNAT® is a registered trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc., used here for identification purposes only. Reasonwell Press is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or licensed by NCS Pearson, Inc., which was not involved in producing our materials. Our practice materials are original NNAT®-style items, not actual test questions, and do not guarantee any score or placement outcome.
MAP® Growth™ and NWEA® are trademarks of NWEA. Reasonwell Press is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NWEA. This page is an independent parent guide and does not reproduce NWEA norm tables.