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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

We accept students as young as six years old.
Because class placement is based on tested ability, our first grade class is open to students who are 6 years of age or older . For the 2020-2021 academic year, our highest level math course will be Precalculus and our highest level language arts class will be Expository Essay I which teaches high school level essay writing skills.

Admissions

If your child qualified for a gifted and talented program at their public or private school, it’s likely that your child already has taken a test or assessment that qualified them for that program.  Please see the below information for a list of scores and requirements.  We will review your child’s test scores for admissions within 2 – 3 days of receiving them.

Accepted tests must:

  • Include an official report.  Applicants may submit an official score report electronically to info@njgifted.org with the subject “Student Name – Application.” Please include your full name, your child’s full name, your child’s date of birth, and a phone number that we can reach you at.
  • All tests must have been administered when the applicant was at least 5 years of age.
  • Scores must meet or exceed the score guidelines listed above.  
Test Required Scores
Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children A minimum standard score of 130 or higher on the General Ability Index (GAI) or Full Scale OR A minimum standard score of 130 on the Nonverbal section AND at least one of the following: Verbal Verbal Comprehension Fluid Reasoning
CogAT An age percentile rank of at least the 90th percentile on both the Verbal and Quantitative
OR
A Composite (VQN) in at least the 90th percentile

Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities A standard score of 130 or higher
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale ​A minimum standard score of 130 or higher on BOTH the Verbal and Nonverbal sections

Submit Your Child's Scores

If your child has test scores, you may use the form below to submit them.  We’ll review their score report and get back to you.  Please include the full score report.

Submit Your Child's Scores

Placement Testing

After sending us your child’s scores, you will receive an  e-mail from us in 2 – 3 business days informing you of your child’s admission status.  If your child qualifies for HEROES, (s)he will need to complete a placement test.  This test will determine which math and/or language arts class is suitable for your child.  

Test Details
NWEA MAP Reading A score in at least the 90th percentile unless you have submitted additional qualifying test scores. For more information, see "My Child Has Test Scores."​
NWEA MAP Math A score in at least the 90th percentile unless you have submitted additional qualifying test scores. For more information, see "My Child Has Test Scores."
Paper-Pencil Math Placement Test This section is used for placement purposes only. Different level exams are administered based on your child's NWEA MAP scores.
Paper-Pencil Writing Placement Different level exams are administered based on your child's NWEA MAP scores. This section consists of a writing prompt and grammar questions. Spelling assessments are administered to students in 1st - 3rd grade.
Register for the Placement Test

If your child does not have test scores from school or a private psychologist, your child should complete an Academic Evaluation with us.  We’ll use the results of this evaluation to determine admission into our weekend programs and, if applicable, class placement for classes at HEROES Academy. If your child is applying to HEROES Academy’s microschool program, (s)he will need to submit IQ scores.  The Academic Evaluation may only be used for admission into our weekend classes.

 

Our Academic Evaluation determines whether or not your child is a high achieving student.  Students must place at the 90th percentile or above on the NWEA MAP Math AND the NWEA MAP Reading to qualify for weekend classes at HEROES. 

Apply Now

Register Your Child for an Academic Evaluation at HEROES Academy.
Apply Now

What if my child already has NWEA MAP Scores?

If your child already took the NWEA MAP test at school, you may use the form below to send us their scores.  We’ll review their scores.  Depending upon the sections of the test your child took and the date of testing, we will determine whether or not your child needs to complete MAP testing at our facility.  All students still need to complete the remaining sections of our Academic Evaluation.

If your child already took the NWEA MAP test, click here.
Test Details
NWEA MAP Reading A score in at least the 90th percentile unless you have submitted additional qualifying test scores. For more information, see "My Child Has Test Scores."​
NWEA MAP Math A score in at least the 90th percentile unless you have submitted additional qualifying test scores. For more information, see "My Child Has Test Scores."
Paper-Pencil Math Placement Test This section is used for placement purposes only. Different level exams are administered based on your child's NWEA MAP scores.
Paper-Pencil Writing Placement This section is used for placement purposes only. Different level exams are administered based on your child's NWEA MAP scores.
Register Now
Yes, all students need to complete an Academic Evaluation for class placement purposes. Many parents choose to submit supplemental test reports for admissions. These additional test scores may qualify your child for classes, but they don't provide us with enough information to determine class placement. For more information,see the admissions page.
The total testing time will depend upon the age of your child, the level at which your child is performing at and whether or not your child has already taken the NWEA MAP test. Young students submitting additional scores for admissions may finish testing in as little as two hours whereas older students may take 6 hours or more to complete testing. We update parents as students progress through the sections to help you gauge your child's progress.

Courses

We can take a maximum of 12 students in each class; however, we close registration when we reach a class size of 10 to accommodate any changes to class placement that we may need to make throughout the year. Some students learn at a faster pace than others. We actively differentiate the curriculum for each student, but sometimes it is simply best to move the student to a higher grade level mid-year.
Yes, all students receive homework. Homework is required and graded. Students in the primary grades should expect approximately 10 minutes of homework each day. By the time students reach higher level classes like Algebra I, students should expect 20 minutes or more each day. Students often choose to do more homework to move ahead in the curriculum at a faster pace.

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