Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Interpreting Iowa Scores

A friend is asking me for help with her great grandson to make the case for a grade skip if he switches to the private school my kids attend. I know he is gifted I am just not sure how much. The only scores that I have for him right now are the Iowa Test (Spring 2nd Grade) and Star Reading. Two tests that I unfamiliar with

His Iowa test scores are
Reading SS = 211, NPR = 98
Language SS = 192, NPR = 90
Mathematics 202, NPR = 99


His Star Reading scores in January of 3rd grade he was reading at a grade equivalent of 7.2

Key data point is missing: what grade would he be skipping into?

What grade was he in when he took the test?

In looking at your post, I am guessing that he took the Iowa test intended for 2nd graders at the end of 2nd grade and that he was in 3rd grade last year? Is this correct? Are you wanting to do a skip into 5th this year?

You need out of level testing. The ITBS scores (Iowa), if they are in level, only show that the child is doing top notch work at his own level. To convince a school of a grade skip, especially if you are using the Iowa Acceleration Manual, you need out of level testing and ideally, an IQ test, as well.

He took the test at the end of 2nd grade. He is now looking to skip from 3rd Grade to 5th grade but that is the only test that he has. He does have the state iLeap test which he did in 3rd grade and scored about the same but that is only a state test. The school is going to give him the 4th grade finals today to see how he does. I'm afraid he won't pass just because he hasnt seen the materials so far. The thing is the kid does this well on the National tests and has gone to an incredibly bad school so far which says something about his intelligence. Just as an examples, the teacher told him he wasn't allowed to do his homework at school anymore because it was homework, but they are not allowed to take their textbooks home. The homework is worksheets and it is optional (So, why not let him do it at school if it is optional anyway?). The gifted program was switched to 4 hours per week pullout that doesn't coincide with the rest of the class schedule and the other parents were happy for this change because they didn't want their kid separated.

I'm not sure I understand. The school year has just begun, and he's currently a 3rd grader? But he already took the iLEAP, which is issued at the end of 3rd grade (in which case, that would be out-of-level testing)? But you're looking at skipping him two grades at once, from beginning 3rd straight into 5th?

Or did you mean to say he's currently a 4th grader, he took the iLEAP at the end of 3rd (in which case, it's not out-of-level testing), and you're looking at skipping him from 4th to 5th, a single skip?

I'd say, first of all, that you should consider yourself fortunate that the district is giving him out-of-level testing (I assume they're using the LEAP) at all, because my DD's schools refused to even consider a skip, much less test her for eligibility for it.

As for the materials he hasn't been exposed to, we solved that problem through a homeschool year.

Hi all,

Well first things first. He tested today at the new school (private school) and they are going to put him in 5th grade. He started the year in 4th grade. Last school year his iLeap was 3rd grade. Sorry if I didn't have enough details, but I am so glad it all worked out. He lives with an elderly person who wouldn't be able to homeschool him and the options were limited. He was stuck in a very bad school in 4th grade. He will start Monday at a private school in 5th grade. He has gaps in his math but the teacher thinks that since the beginning is review, he will be able to catch up.