Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment HG but didn't pass the OLSAT?

So my DD8 just took the OLSAT. A private tester using the WISC found her to be HG last year. This year on the OLSAT she only got a 71. And after my experience with my HG 2e son not passing, I even prepped her a little to make sure she understood how to take the test. Not sure what to make of this.

Is it timed? Maybe she ran out of time? I don't have experience with OLSAT but DD's CogAT score was terrible (compared to her WISC) because she was so slow and left so many questions blank.

blackcat she finished the test. Her brother has a tick disorder, so maybe there's some problem I don't recognize yet. When my son took the test, he actually scored better (but didn't pass either) without any prep. In the OLSAT she scored 10 points lower than he did even though in the private test (WISC) she scored a little higher than he did.

Was her score a 71 or did she score in the 71st percentile? I don't think much of the OLSAT. I do know they give it in a groupand the teacher reads the instruction of each question just once and is not allowed to repeat it. I think that sinks a lot of children including gifted...

yes 71st percentile

She did pass just not with high enough scores.

It is a group administered test so is it possible that she was distracted?

Has she done any acheivement testing or above level testing?

The combination of IQ plus acheivement ought to trump the OLSAT score, IMO.

This could also be a measure of 'checkedoutness'/underachievement as I believe that the OLSAT only measures to grade level.

An individually administered test ought to be more reliable than a group one.

My nephew recently took the OLSAT and the NNAT with (totally surprising) similar results - I am not convinced, therefore, of the effectiveness or the reliability of these tests myself. Not that that counts for anything, LOL...

Just out of curiosity, what did her WISC score distribution look like (subtest scores)? Was it even across subtests or did she have highs and relative lows? I'm not familiar with the OLSAT so I don't know what types of categories it tests.. but it might be that the OLSAT is limited in scope and if your dd has patterns of strengths and relative "weak" areas on the WISC, what you're seeing in the OLSAT is that what the OLSAT assesses isn't her area of strength.

If the OLSAT score isn't keeping her out of a program you'd like to have her in, I wouldn't worry about it and wouldn't spend any time even ever thinking about it. I'd trust the WISC results.

Best wishes,

polarbear

ps - I'm not sure what your ds' second "e" is, but I wonder if your dd might also have a second, possibly related "e" that's not been diagnosed yet?

My school district accepts a few difference criteria for entrance to the gifted program. One used to be the OLSAT but is now some other group administered test, and another is a report from a psychologist using a test like the WISC. This is because they acknowledge that the OLSAT isn't a definitive test for giftedness. Will your school allow the testing you did last year for consideration for admission?

My understanding was the OLSAT is more of an achievement test and very different that a test like the WISC. My district would only give us the percentage and we got no other breakdown or score distribution just a percentage.