Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Decided to go with private testing

Thanks--just emailed the principal to request a copy of her scores.

Oh, yogawordmom, your story sounds so familiar!

So our school looks at the CogAT testing more as an "ability test screener" for all students, to decide whether further individual (although abbreviated) IQ testing is warranted. Hopefully, your principal will respond (and keep FERPA in your back pocket), but yes, usually you should be able to see those scores. Our schools are slow to share this type of information, too.

Our schools also require separate "achievement" data in their screening process for G&T. The CogAT doesn't count as "achievement data" for us, but perhaps other schools use it differently. MAP testing is actually the achievement data our school uses.

As the always wise polarbear has suggested - YES, if the school prefers certain testers, use them. In fact, we waited for the school to do its testing (with its own school testers) and waited for all of the results to come in (the school definitely takes its time with sharing its data with parents), before we decided to pursue some additional testing (by then, we had our own questions we wanted the answers to, so the extra testing was for us - she was already in the school's program). We will probably do things differently with child #2, because I think child #1 was probably neglected a bit too long while the school went through its long process to decide whether she was eligible for their programming.

Parents need to also trust their "gut" on these things - YOU are really the expert on your child!

Let us know how it goes with the principal. BTDT!

Got the CogAT results--nothing to see here. 62nd percentile, but they also said this was a screening and not a full test. I know you guys have said the CogAT is not necessarily very reliable, but I guess this screening is what her school uses as a basis for further testing. Given that she did not score very highly, I think we're just going to go with the WISC-IV as planned.

Our district has strict cut-offs in terms of the CogAT. They claim that it's similar to an IQ test (but not exactly the same). In order to get into the gifted magnet they have to have a composite score over the 98th percentile PLUS achievement testing scores (math and/or reading) above the 98th percentile. I think I'm one of the only people who requested an alternate test, since DD didn't do well on the CogAT at all. The test that the school psych wanted to give her sounded just as bad, like all it would measure is working memory and processing speed (DD is SLOW, that's why she didn't do well on the CogAT which is timed, at least the version she took). Ultimately I took her for private testing, but then I didn't know if the school district would accept our outside results or not (luckily they did), but they also put "rules" into place for future people requesting this, for instance the IQ testing has to be from a list of approved psychologists. We have IQ testing on DS from a neuropsych who is NOT on the list (we had it done because he had a brain injury), so we are screwed in terms of DS. He is going to have to take the CogAT next year or we are going to have to pay to have outside testing from someone on the list. I guess my point is that they may or may not accept your results...it just depends on if they have strict cut-offs/rules in terms of accepting kids into gifted programming. Check and see if there is a g/t coordinator, or some sort of curriculum specialist who makes these decisions. If you just want to find out info for your own benefit and to use for advocacy, and don't need certain scores that meet eligibility criteria, it doesn't matter as much.

I think the program is fairly relaxed in terms of standards. I know there's some testing, then stuff about achievement in class (she is doing well in class), and a parent evaluation. Honestly--based on experiences I've heard from other parents in our school system and then neighboring one--I think people who ask to get their kids into it, and have the vocabulary to advocate, generally get their kids into it (I don't think that's necessarily right but seems to be how it works here). But my inner objective person really wants to base my recommendation on facts. I like information and do really badly trying to have persuasive conversations without it.