Level One (K-8): universal enrichment for all learners via weekly Encore/IB Approaches to Learning block — no referral needed
FCCPS advanced academics
FCCPS Advanced Academics criteria and appeal facts.
Falls Church City is unusual among nearby districts because it publishes numeric criteria bands for Level Two and Level Three review, while still saying no single criterion decides placement.
NNATCogATSOLRating scaleExternal scores accepted
Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Dates checked: October 13, 2026
FCCPS gifted screening at a glance
- District
- Falls Church City Public Schools
- Program
- Advanced Academics, formerly ACE
- Tests named
-
- NNAT3 (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, 3rd ed.) — administered to all Grade 1 students
- CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) — administered to all Grade 2 students
- STAR Math Screener / STAR Reading Screener (Spanish version available)
- Math SOL and English SOL (Grade 3 and above)
- Math Characteristic Rating Scale (MCRS) / English Characteristic Rating Scale (ECRS)
- WIDA ACCESS (ESOL students only)
- Accepted outside/alternative ability tests: Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), Stanford-Binet, WISC-V (Full Scale IQ plus 5 index scores)
- Grades tested / screened
- Grade 1 (NNAT3) and Grade 2 (CogAT) universally tested for all students. Grades 3-8: referral-based for Level Two/Level Three Advanced Academics identification in ELA and/or Math (referrals by parents/guardians, staff, or students; resubmission allowed once per school year after a prior screening).
- Universal vs referral
- Universal at Grade 1 (NNAT3) and Grade 2 (CogAT) — 'All grade 2 students are automatically screened for Level Two services that start in grade 3.' Grades 3-8 placement/re-screening is referral-based via AA Referral Forms.
- Last verified
- July 2, 2026 (dates checked October 13, 2026)
FCCPS screening and appeal timing
About these dates
- Checked against the official FCCPS Advanced Academics page on October 13, 2026. FCCPS publishes standing rules rather than dated windows: all Grade 2 students are screened automatically for Level Two services that start in Grade 3, and families can refer within one year of a previous screening.
Standing rules and yearly deadlines (no year given)
- Referrals for Level Two/Three can be submitted by families within one year of any previous screening (rolling, not a single window) Referral rules
- Retesting with CogAT/NNAT3 barred for 6 months following a prior test Retest restriction
- Otherwise requires appeals-committee approval Retest restriction
- Appeals must be filed within 10 working days of the placement-decision notification letter or they will not be considered Appeal of a selection decision
- Identification for the initial Advanced Academics cohort historically occurs in June of second grade (consistent with the automatic Grade 2 CogAT → Grade 3 pipeline) First cohort
Abbreviations on this page: SOL = Virginia Standards of Learning tests; GT = Gifted and Talented.
FCCPS publishes numeric criteria bands, but still uses multiple criteria.
FCCPS is more explicit than most neighbors: its criteria chart includes 96th and 98th percentile bands, STAR and SOL thresholds, rating-scale points, and accepted outside ability tests. The same page also says no single criterion makes a student eligible or ineligible.
For parents, the chart is useful because it gives concrete ranges, but it should not be read as a one-number guarantee.
FCCPS Level One, Two, and Three services
Level Two (grades 3-8): 'push-in' model — Advanced Academics Specialist co-teaches/supports within the general-ed classroom in ELA and/or Math
Level Three (grades 3-8): more intensive — small-group instruction; pull-out at elementary, dedicated 'Advanced Academics Flex' periods at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (Grade 6 Math = 1 quarter, Grades 7-8 Math = 2 quarters, Reading = 2 quarters for grades 6-8)
High school (Meridian HS): open enrollment in IB and honors/advanced courses rather than a separate GT tier
What FCCPS says about appeals
Families may ask the appeals committee to review a Screening, Identification, and Placement decision. FCCPS says appeals received more than 10 working days after the notification letter will not be considered.
The useful FCCPS-specific details
FCCPS combines small-district transparency with a multi-measure review. Parents get more numbers than in FCPS or APS, but the district still treats the criteria chart as part of a holistic placement decision.
The gifted program was renamed from 'ACE' to 'Advanced Academics'. Older ACE pages that still show up in search results no longer open; the current pages are at fccps.org/page/advanced-academics.
No single test score determines eligibility or ineligibility — students need 4 of several qualifying criteria at the 96th (Level Two) or 98th (Level Three) percentile band, so a strong outlier score alone doesn't guarantee placement.
Ability-test scores don't expire: FCCPS accepts previously-taken accepted tests (ability-index and percentile format) indefinitely rather than requiring fresh testing.
Retesting with CogAT/NNAT3 is heavily restricted — not within 6 months of a prior test, and otherwise only via appeals-committee approval.
Private-school transfer students get an alternate documentation pathway (referral form + FSIQ + school records + work samples) since private schools may lack formal gifted-ID paperwork.
Level Three status, once granted, carries forward year to year automatically; Level Two status is re-evaluated annually.
FCCPS is unusual among DMV districts for PUBLISHING its numeric criteria chart (96th/98th percentile bands, SOL/STAR/rating-scale point thresholds) — most neighboring districts' pages do not publish one.
Updates
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FCCPS parent questions
Does FCCPS still call the program ACE?
Current FCCPS materials use Advanced Academics. Older ACE-branded pages and search results may still appear, but the current hub is the Advanced Academics page.
Which tests does FCCPS give universally?
FCCPS says all Grade 1 students take NNAT3 and all Grade 2 students take CogAT.
Does FCCPS publish cutoff numbers?
FCCPS publishes criteria bands for Level Two and Level Three, including percentiles and other thresholds. The district also states that no single criterion makes a student eligible or ineligible.
Can FCCPS students retest quickly?
FCCPS restricts retesting with CogAT or NNAT3 within six months of a prior test and otherwise requires appeals-committee approval for retesting.
Does Level Three continue automatically?
FCCPS says Level Three status carries forward year to year automatically, while Level Two status is re-evaluated annually.
Official FCCPS 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.