Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment NV CogAT HELP!

I am a new GT specialist trying to read the CogAT scores. I understand the rage for identifying V and Q scores. However, I can't find much information out there about using the NV scores for identification in grades 3-12. Why is it not used? Could it be? I have a very small population of students and may be able to pull a group of NV kids, if appropriate. Please HELP!

You are right, NV isn't often used in GT identification. The only times I have seen it used is in conjunction with the Q score. I.e. -- some math programs looked at both the Q and NV scores together to determine placement in an advanced math class.

NV correlates most closely with visual spatial ability or a subtest like perceptual reasoning on the WISC. The kids who score highly on that part of the CogAT are more likely to be good at seeing things from different angles, how things rotate in space, etc. -- architecture, reading upside down, and so on.

NV doesn't really correlate well with achievement in literacy/language arts/reading, though, which is where a lot of GT programs in elementary focus in our experience. That may be another reason why it isn't used in GT identification in schools as often as well.

Your input was VERY helpful! Would it be ok to meet with this subgroup if time allows? If so, what would be the range for id?

The id score for NV is 113 on the CogAT, in contrast to the 127 for V and Q. Why is that?

You might want to take a look at Riverside Publishing's CogAT "Short Guide for Teachers" if you haven't already: http://www.riverpub.com/products/cogAt/pdf/cogATshort.pdf

As far as why 113 would constitute a GT id score for NV, I have no idea. I've never heard that before. Each of the subtests and the total test have a mean of 100 and a std deviation of 15, I believe. 113 falls below the 80th percentile, or just on the border btwn high "avg" and low "above avg." It is nowhere near the "very high," stanine 9 area that is usually included in GT identification.

Of course, I've seen kids score totally differently on the CogAT vs. the WISC or another IQ test (my younger dd included), so I wouldn't automatically assume that a child with a NV score like that is not visually-spatially gifted. However, a score of 113 on the CogAT NV alone doesn't indicate that he is either.

If you are looking for resources for enrichment for kids who are strong in VS, you might want to take a look at Linda Silverman's Visual Spatial resource page here: http://www.visualspatial.org/
She has a whole list of recommended resources/enrichment activities: http://www.visualspatial.org/links.htm

Your are talking about
V = verbal
Q = quantitative
NV = Non-verbal?

Correct?

Are you saying you only are going to look at V and Q for giftedness??

PLEASE, please, incorporate NV as well.

Our school looks at 97% and above for any of these sections for gifted. My daughter qualified on NV. She utterly spiked there. She just missed the cut-off on Q.

There is no question this child is highly gifted.
We are talking about a child that was spelling words at 2, began spontaneously reading and writing words/sentences at 3, a child that could construct pyramids and cubes at 18m, out of geomag blocks (I was monitoring at all times due to the magnets).

At 5, she is reading at a 3rd+ grade reading level and 3rd+ grade math level.

I can not imagine her not being in a gifted program simply because someone deemed a high non-verbal as not important.

PLEASE incorproate via some method.

Tammy

It sounds like the OP is trying to include NV, however it also sounds like they are looking at a score around the 80-something percentile or one SD above the mean on the NV section to be gifted. That is different than your dd's situation where she was very high on NV.