Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Co-Gat in 7th?

I just received word that my ds's school will be giving the Co-Gat test to 7th graders. Have any of you heard of this being done? I'm a bit disappointed because it's such a blunt instrument and it's a bit pointless in my ds's case since he's taken the WISC IV.

I would think the WISC overrides the CogAT? If not, our schools do CogAT testing again in 5th or 6th (did in 2nd grade, so far), for G&T programming. Apparently, a higher percentage of the older students do better on the CogAT in our schools (than do well on the 2nd grade test).

In our district, kids must receive a certain score on the CogAT to be identified as gifted. They won't look at WISC IV scores.

Kai, That's just so wrong, IMO.

If I'm understanding things correctly, I think they're giving it to every kid, which is great for the kids not identified yet. I do wonder though, what about the kids who are already in the gifted program?

Loy58, That's interesting.

Our district uses the CogAT for group screening for gifted programs, even in high school. I don't know for certain, but I suspect the reason they use it is cost - I'm guessing it's much less expensive to administer a group test like the CogAT.

I personally think it's a shame though - especially because our district often only administers and uses the verbal portion of the CogAT and the reading portion of an achievement test as gifted screening cut-offs. I suspect they are missing kids who are high-ability in math and science related skills, as well as simply missing kids like my ds who think so far outside the box they don't ace the CogAT. I've often wondered how different the cohort of kids in our elementary gifted programs in particular would be if the WISC was used as a screening tool for everyone rather than the CogAT.

polarbear

So true, Polarbear. The CoGat underestimated ds's ability quite significantly. He was still identified as gifted but not so high that the WISC results didn't surprise.

KADmom, check out whether your district has published written guidelines. Your state dept. of ed may have some too.

Here the school does use Cogat as a screener. But you can hand them private test results, and if the test is on their list, they accept it. This policy is not well publicized, so it may be worth your while to do some digging.

It is interesting to see how other schools use the CogAT. I guess it will depend on how the school uses the test, and whether they will accept the WISC.

In our schools, CogAT is the one of the various "screener," tests (EVERYONE takes it), and the screening # cut-off is not very high, IMO. They do NOT use the non-verbal portion for screening, although they do have the students take this portion. Then, however, additional tests are added to the "selection" process, including a Wechsler IQ test by the school. The required Wechsler # is higher.

I am not certain what would happen if you approached our school with qualifying scores in advance of the CogAT, but it would seem to make the "screening" to take the Wechsler unnecessary (I get the sense that CogAT is used so everyone does not have to be given an individual IQ test).

Loy58,

That's my point. I think it's unnecessary since he's already been "identified" and he's already been tested. So...unnecessary yet harmless, right?