Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Trust the school to administer a test??

DD has scores that are about the same (but reverse reading and math--math is higher) and she scores like an average 8th or 9th grader for math and reading. She is in fourth grade. I would ask the school what they mean by two grade levels ahead. If they expect her to have 98th-99th percentile for two grade levels ahead, that would be tough, but if they expect her to be 50th percentile for 6th grade, she has probably already shown that when she last did the test.

The grade equivalents on those tests should be interpreted with caution. So if a test says a kid is scoring at a 9th grade equivalent (meaning they get the same scores as the average 9th grader), that doesn't mean they should be moved to 9th grade. There would be a lot of gaps.

I would stand on my head and ask lots of stupid questions if I could figure out why they do things. Interesting about why schools don't trust outside testing. Our school does have its own testing to look at - the Cogat and the Iowa. If they want to prove the two years ahead business, that's the problem I suppose. The Iowa was a 4th grade test. I don't know what the Cogat was. Well, that's another question I have for the school! I had no idea until today that the ITBS was for the next grade level. The district seems to keep that information private!

Definitely I want to know what percentile she needs. I didn't even think to ask. Did you do out of level testing to find out your daughter's grade levels? I have thought about the Explore test, yet am glad I didn't follow up since the school asks for Iowa scores.

The school gives an out of level computerized test 2-3 times per year and I have a norms chart that show the quartiles for each grade and season. So I looked at DD's score (not the percentile but the raw score) and saw that it's the same as what the average 8th or 9th grader scores. After around 6th grade, though, the scores really slow down and go up a tiny amount each year. So it's hard to get accurate information. There are not enough test questions at the higher levels. There is also a "suggested learning objectives" report which shows the standards the kid has mastered and what they should work on next, and it lists the grade level. So for DD, most of the things on the report were at an 8th or 9th grade level. However, there are huge gaps and I know she has not mastered all the concepts before 8th or 9th grade. The test doesn't pick that up due to the child guessing correctly, not enough questions, or whatever. Since that test also uses national percentiles, it would be reasonable to assume that your DD is at the same grade equivalent.

I don't know what happens with your test, but with ours, it is possible for the computer to run a grade equivalent score. We never actually get that though (the school probably doesn't want parents freaking out thinking their kids should do a triple grade acceleration).