Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment same day preliminary scores :)

Extended norms:
When they calculate the scores the come up with the standard scores that stop at 19. The score needed to get a 19 might be say 30 questions right, but there could be 40 questions on the test. So, they call getting the max score when evidence shows you can do even more it's a ceiling effect. The implication being there is more they can do, with having more than one subtest at the max, it more strongly implies that. So, they recalculated for kids who hit the ceiling to see just how much further out their raw scores would take the standard score.

GAI means General Ability Index. It focuses on the two areas (verbal comprehension and reasoning) that fit closer to a classic sense of intelligence vs. memory and processing speed that the other two (WMI and PSI) test. A significant proportion of gifted test takers have significantly lower WMI and PSI scores. When it comes to the question of what sort material and rate and complexity a kid might learn better, GAI is more meaningful.

So, not to hijack the OP's topic, but since my ds11 scored two 19s and an 18 on verbal is there any way to know if extended norms were calculated?

If extended norms were calculated, then I'd think they'd report the adjusted scores which would replace the 18s & 19s with higher values, or it would be a separate report. I haven't seen how it reports; so, that is my best guess based on how the extended norms work.

Here's the link to the report/study with the WISC extended norms. If you have the raw scores, I think you can do the lookup youself based on age at testing:

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/N...C-8E4A114F7E1F/0/WISCIV_TechReport_7.pdf

Here's a quote from that report on the use of these:
"The extended norms are useful when a child’s score is the maximum (ceiling) on two or more subtests (e.g., obtains scaled scores of 18 or 19 points). These norms extend the WISC–IV upper scaled score range to 28 points for subtests and 210 points for
composites."

My DS's report contained the scores (not calculating extended norms) in a table and then a separate paragraph with an explanation of extended norms and the numbers.

Thanks, Zen Scanner and Percy. I don't have the raw scores then or any note by the tester that extended norms were done. So I'd have to ask the tester. I'm not sure if it's necessary. What do you think?

Though always curious about such things, I don't see a lot of benefit unless you are a bit shy of a score needed for a service. If PRI was lower and you had those (18,19,19) ceilings on VCI and a GAI of 137 and you were trying to get into DYS, then extended norms seems like a really good idea.

I think also the lower the age of testing, the more likely the extended norms will have a significant effect. Because the reason why there is room in the raw scores to be extended is because the test includes questions needed for higher ages.

No, DS is already a DYS, so I probably won't bother the tester.

Thank you for helping me to understand extended norms, though.

Well we got the final report today. The tester did not include extended norms in the report so I sent email to ask about them though I am not sure it matters. From the data she gave me I think it just moves her VCI from 146 to 150 and her GAI from 146 to 148. I wondered about her PRI scores as she is usually quite good with puzzle type tasks but the report noted she completed two additional patterns that were more complex but she took too long so they weren't included. I had worried about anxiety and slow speed during timed sections but the report stated she was humming while she did the nonverbal sections so I guess she wasn't too anxious but probably not moving very fast either.