SEARCH (K-3): bi-weekly push-in thinking-skills lessons; not itself an identification decision, but where teachers begin screening observations
LCPS gifted program
LCPS gifted screening, FUSION, and SPECTRUM facts.
LCPS gifted identification centers on a Grade 3 universal evaluation, with CogAT, MAP, and portfolio evidence feeding the decision. This guide separates current LCPS facts from older FUTURA-era shorthand.
CogATNGATMAP
Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Dates checked: October 14, 2026
LCPS gifted screening at a glance
- District
- Loudoun County Public Schools
- Program
- Gifted and Talented Education: SEARCH, FUSION, DCI, EDGE, and SPECTRUM
- Tests named
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- CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test): given to all Grade 2 students; the 2026-27 window is Feb 1-6, 2027. Students in grades 3-5 without CogAT scores may be assessed in a fall window (Oct 13 - Nov 20, 2026), and grades 3-8 in a spring window (Feb 16 - Apr 2, 2027)
- NGAT (Naglieri General Ability Tests): listed for Grade 2 in 2026-27 as a first-year pilot to determine eligibility for gifted services; date to be announced (LCPS's table says possibly late October or early November 2026)
- Achievement data: current Reading and Math MAP scores, used alongside ability tests and a portfolio/work-samples component in the Grade 3 gifted evaluation
- Grades tested / screened
- Grade 2: CogAT for all students (February), plus the NGAT pilot in 2026-27. Grade 3: ALL Grade 3 students are evaluated for gifted services in spring (opt-out available), combining ability scores, MAP and portfolio data; eligibility begins Grade 4. Grades 4-5 and 6-8: evaluation cycles (fall and January) for students not yet evaluated, new to LCPS or seeking reevaluation.
- Universal vs referral
- Both. LCPS gives the CogAT to all Grade 2 students and universally evaluates ALL Grade 3 students for gifted eligibility in spring (opt-out, not opt-in). Outside the Grade 3 universal evaluation, families may request an evaluation in the fall and January cycles (one evaluation per student per school year).
- Last verified
- July 2, 2026 (dates checked October 14, 2026)
How the LCPS elementary gifted cycle is sequenced
About these dates
- Testing dates were checked against LCPS's 2026-27 elementary assessment table and its gifted page on October 14, 2026. The appeal dates below are from 2025-26; LCPS says appeals reopen after the fall evaluation cycle.
This cycle, in date order
- Aug 17, 2026 Fall 2026 gifted evaluation cycle for grades 4-8 opened Aug 17, 2026 Already closed when we checked on October 14, 2026 Fall 2026 evaluation, Grades 4–8
- Sept 25, 2026 Permission to Evaluate forms were due Sept 25, 2026 (late forms not accepted; students not evaluated in the spring 2026 cycle are eligible) Already closed when we checked on October 14, 2026 Fall 2026 evaluation, Grades 4–8
- Oct 13, 2026 CogAT for students without scores: grades 3-5 Oct 13 - Nov 20, 2026 (fall) CogAT Grades 3–8
- Late Oct 2026 NGAT pilot for Grade 2 (first year): date to be announced (LCPS's table says possibly late October or early November 2026) NGAT Grade 2 pilot
- Jan 2027 Next evaluation cycle: January 2027, for families who missed the Permission to Evaluate deadline above Next evaluation cycle
- Feb 1, 2027 CogAT for all Grade 2 students: Feb 1-6, 2027 CogAT, Grade 2
- Feb 16, 2027 Grades 3-8 Feb 16 - Apr 2, 2027 (spring) CogAT Grades 3–8
Standing rules and yearly deadlines (no year given)
- One evaluation per academic year Fall 2026 evaluation, Grades 4–8
- Score reports are posted to ParentVUE after the window closes CogAT, Grade 2
- Portfolio/work samples collected during the year Grade 3 universal evaluation
- Holistic committee review in spring Grade 3 universal evaluation
- Eligibility results emailed to parents of eligible students in early June (per available example-year school communications) Grade 3 universal evaluation
Last cycle's dates, for reference
- May 29, 2026 Middle school appeal (current 6th-7th graders): form opens May 29, 2026 4:00pm, due June 12, 2026 Appeals (2025–26 dates)
- June 8, 2026 Elementary appeal (current 3rd-5th graders): electronic form due June 8, 2026 Appeals (2025–26 dates)
- June 30, 2026 Decisions via Permission Click by June 30, 2026 Appeals (2025–26 dates)
- June 30, 2026 Decisions by June 30, 2026 Appeals (2025–26 dates)
Abbreviations on this page: MAP = MAP Growth, the NWEA achievement test.
LCPS does not currently publish the old referral-pool threshold on live pages.
Current LCPS pages describe a holistic committee decision using CogAT, MAP, and portfolio/work-sample evidence. Older internet references to a 97th-percentile CogAT referral-pool rule are not restated on current live LCPS gifted pages, so this guide does not treat them as current policy.
For parents, the practical point is that Grade 3 evaluation is not a single-score lookup. Current LCPS materials point families back to the full evaluation profile.
LCPS gifted services and names parents will see
FUSION (grades 4-5, formerly FUTURA): school-based collaborative small-group gifted program at the home school (push-in/pull-out)
DCI — Differentiated Classroom Instruction (grades 4-5): single-subject track (ELA and/or Math) for students needing differentiation in one domain
EDGE (K-5): talent-development program for historically underrepresented groups; explicitly NOT a gifted service itself
SPECTRUM (grades 6-8): ~45 minutes every-other-day gifted programming built around 4 rotating themes
High school pathways referenced: TJHSST, Academies of Loudoun, Summer Residential Governor's School
What LCPS says about appeals
LCPS describes appeals as a way to raise a thoughtful concern that something important was overlooked. The appeal form asks for a written explanation; LCPS says no additional evidence is collected for the appeal.
The useful LCPS-specific details
LCPS has a distinctive pipeline: K-3 SEARCH exposure, a universal Grade 3 evaluation, then FUSION/DCI in elementary and SPECTRUM in middle school. The name changes matter because older parent discussions often use labels LCPS no longer leads with.
LCPS renamed its grades 4-5 school-based gifted program: what parent forums/older documents call 'FUTURA' is now officially 'FUSION' — same program.
EDGE is explicitly NOT a gifted-identification service (LCPS states this directly) — it's a separate talent-development on-ramp for underrepresented groups, distinct from the SEARCH→FUSION/DCI→SPECTRUM pipeline.
Grade 3 is the pivotal universal-evaluation year: all 3rd graders are evaluated for gifted services unless a parent opts out, using the Grade 2 CogAT alongside MAP and portfolio evidence.
2026-27 is LCPS's first (pilot) year for the Naglieri General Ability Tests (NGAT) in Grade 2, listed alongside the Grade 2 CogAT in the district's assessment table. Older materials that mention an NNAT2 in Grade 3 predate this; the 2026-27 table lists no NNAT.
LCPS's appeal process is unusually narrow: no new evidence is collected, only a written explanation of concern — materially lighter-weight than FCPS's 'must submit new information' standard.
LCPS has moved its website, so many older gifted-program links found elsewhere online (lcps.org/Page/…) no longer open; the current pages are under lcps.org/o/dtl/page/….
Updates
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LCPS parent questions
Is LCPS FUTURA the same thing as FUSION?
LCPS now uses FUSION for the grades 4-5 school-based collaborative gifted program. Parents may still see FUTURA in older discussions, but current LCPS materials use FUSION.
Does every LCPS third grader get evaluated for gifted services?
LCPS says all Grade 3 students are universally evaluated for gifted services in spring unless a family opts out. The evaluation uses ability, achievement, and portfolio evidence.
Is EDGE a gifted program placement?
No. LCPS describes EDGE as a talent-development program for historically underrepresented groups, and explicitly distinguishes it from gifted services.
Does LCPS publish a current gifted cutoff?
The current LCPS pages reviewed for this guide do not publish a live single cutoff. They describe holistic committee review using CogAT, MAP, and portfolio data.
Does LCPS use the NGAT?
LCPS lists the Naglieri General Ability Tests (NGAT) for Grade 2 in its 2026-27 assessment table, as a first-year pilot to determine eligibility for gifted services. The date was still to be announced when we checked on October 14, 2026 (the table says possibly late October or early November). The CogAT is still listed for all Grade 2 students, February 1-6, 2027.
My child is in grades 4-8. When can they be evaluated?
LCPS runs evaluation cycles for older students. For the fall 2026 cycle, Permission to Evaluate forms were due September 25, 2026, and LCPS says families who missed it can submit a new request in the next cycle in January 2027. A student can be evaluated once per academic year.
Can families add new test scores during an LCPS appeal?
LCPS says no additional evidence is collected for the appeal. Families submit a written explanation of the concern and receive the appeal decision through the district process.
Official LCPS sources used
Naglieri General Ability Tests™ (NGAT) is a trademark of Multi-Health Systems Inc. (MHS), used here for identification purposes only. Reasonwell Press is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or licensed by MHS or Dr. Jack Naglieri, and MHS was not involved in producing our materials. Our practice materials are original NGAT-style items, not actual test questions, and do not guarantee any score or placement outcome.
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.
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.