As part of our universal screening process the following students will take the Cognitive Abilities Test in February.
* All Students in 2nd grade who have not been identified for gifted programming
* Students referred for gifted identification in kindergarten or 1st grade
This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.
The CogAT is comprised of three subsections:
● The Verbal Battery assesses students’ abilities to use search, retrieval, and comparison processes that are essential for verbal reasoning.
● The Quantitative Battery assesses students’ abilities to reason about patterns and relations using concepts that are essential in quantitative thinking.
● The Nonverbal Battery assesses students’ abilities to reason with somewhat more novel questions that use spatial and figural content.
The results of these tests will serve several functions. First and foremost, the scores and reports will be used to inform instructional practices in the classroom. The scores will guide efforts to adapt learning opportunities to meet the needs and abilities of the students. The scores are also used as ONE component of the body of evidence to determine areas of strength and
possible identification for gifted programming.
We ask that you avoid scheduling any appointments that would require your student being absent from school during this testing window. You can help your student do his/her best on the CogAT by encouraging him/her to approach the testing with a positive attitude, and by making sure he/she has a good night’s sleep the night before testing, and a good breakfast each morning of testing.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this letter please feel free to contact GRE's Gifted Education Facilitator, Stephanie Brown.
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