Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Cogat Testing

My 9 year old daughter is dyslexic and in 3rd grade. This year the school is having all the 3rd graders take the Cogat as an assessment. I'm concerned because they don't get the test read to them like the younger grades. Instead they work on their own.

We can opt out of having her take the test. I'm just wondering what the benefits are to having her take the test. If anything I worry that she will be hard on herself if she doesn't do well (for reasons due to her learning differences).

Does she have an IEP or 504 Plan? If she gets accommodations for other tests--extended time, a reader, a scribe, etc.--then she should get those same accommodations for the CogAT.

Would they keep her out of something if she simply doesn't take it? In our district, the CogAT is one of the tests for entrance to the gifted program.

DeeDee

In our school district they give CoGat to all second graders ostensibly to help teachers understand the kids' relative strengths and weaknesses. It is paid for out of the gt budget so I strongly suspect that they are searching for kids that didn't opt for the voluntary testing.

If it is being used as a gifted screener, you may want to call your district's gt department and explain your concerns. I vaguely remember a presentation by our gt department where a "slow" (speed-wise) kid only answered half of the questions but got them all correct. This triggered the department to recommend the kid for further testing with a different assessment, Ravens? KBIT? that might give better info than the CoGat.

No, she doesn't have a 504 or IEP.

They also use it for entrance to the G&T program. They wouldn't keep her out of something if she didn't take it. The principal said it would be good practice for the standardized testing that will happen later in the year.

I don't think it is being used as a gifted screener at this point (but I'm sure if a kid qualifies they can apply for the program). The principal said it is to see how the kids are doing. My concern is that she will not comprehend correctly the questions due to her dyslexia and get answers wrong b/c of it so it wouldn't be an accurate depiction of her ability. She also can work slowly and probably won't do as well if it is timed. And lastly, I have heard on here about how some don't like the cogat and their kids just don't do as well on it.

mountainmom2011, I would use this as motivation to request a 504 plan of your dd - if she needs questions read to her, extended time, answering on the test booklet - all typical accommodations for kids with dyslexia, now is the time to make the request. The # of standardized tests kids take in school districts starts increasing at 3rd grade (in many places). Even it you're told a test isn't going to keep her out of the gifted program or other programs, it's still a standardized test which will go on her record. Our dysgraphic ds has ons particular standardized test from 5th grade in which he wasn't given his accommodations and his score was significantly from what his other scores have been in the past (and were in the future). So he has this one randomly low score out there, which is meaningless, but we it's still on his record and it still pops up from time to time when lists of test results are pulled.

Best wishes,

polarbear

@Polarbear

Unfortunately, they won't even give us a 504. Their reasoning is that she doesn't need it since they already are open to making accommodations in the classroom without one (it's a magnet school that is more liberal than a traditional school). Granted the accommodations she gets in the class don't include having test questions read to her. They said that maybe when she gets to 5th or 6th, before middle school, they may decide she could benefit from one that would carry over to middle school where teachers/schools are less flexible.

Regardless of how accommodating they are in the classroom she won't have accommodations for tests like this one, or standardized tests. And while she is capable of reading her accuracy is very poor and affects her comprehension of what she is reading and what is being asked and as a result she gets the answers wrong. This is clear even when we do math homework at night. She will read the questions/directions and she doesn't understand them and needs us to read them to her. She could also benefit from being in a quiet room without noises, even coughs and rattling of papers is hard on her ears but I'm not sure if this is an option even with a 504.

I'm starting to think I will opt out of this cogat test. This year I will have her take the state standardized testing and see how she does. If she doesn't do very well and stresses out about it I will refuse to have her take it until they put a 504 in place so that she can have a fair chance to demonstrate what she knows.

That doesn't sound like they're quoting district policy, just making something up to suit themselves. You should check out your county, district,etc.'s actual written policy on whether they can deny creating a formal 504 or other plan for a child with dyslexia! I really doubt they'd have a leg to stand on.
best of luck.