Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Can you retake the WJ IV within 2 years?

Question for the testing experts on here... can you retake the WJ IV after a year and a half and get valid results? I know some have mentioned you can't retake some of the ability tests, so I'm wondering if that also applies to the achievement tests.

DS is taking his school's Single Subject Acceleration exam in April, which requires a perfect score of missed material in order to skip the grade, including showing his work in a very specific way. What I've learned is that most people take the test, fail it (by not getting a perfect score), and then have to go through an appeal process. It's my impression that it will take a very strong case to get SSA to skip 1st grade math in this school/school system.

I think it would be useful to be able to back up his results on the school test with WJ scores that show he is in fact working 2 grade levels ahead in math, which is how I would expect him to test, and therefore should easily be able to handle the one grade skip. However, the latest version of this test that he took was mid pre-k and showed him working at an end of 1st grade level (which is the grade he's trying to skip) so I don't think it will be useful.

I know there's also an acceleration assessment out there, but I'm not sure this school has experience with it/would value the results.

What were your son's standard scores/percentiles based on his age on the WJ. I would caution you on pointing at grade equivalents for any argument as they are statistically not very sound. Taking an achievement test again after a year should be fine (I believe the manual says nine months).

1. Grade equivalents do not actually indicate a student's instructional level. I do not recommend their use in the vast majority of cases.

2. Generally speaking, achievement tests can be re-administered at six months. However, the better option for the WJIV would be to have the alternate form administered (A is the default, so you are probably looking for form B).

(Edited for privacy, scores too specific)

Thanks aeh on the form B suggestion. It sounds like you don't think we will gain much by retesting him though? We would expect the results to be pretty similar, just more up to date, based on our observations. Our district doesn't seem to want to talk about scores more than a year old.

What can we do to help establish what grade level he is working at? The problem with the test the school is giving him is that it will test how perfectly he can score on Grade 1 math as they teach it. We know from afterschooling him that he's comfortable with almost all of the Grade 2 material as well, and some of Grade 3, but their test will never discover this.

I feel like showing he can already do most of the Grade 2 work will help to demonstrate he can fill in any minor gaps he might have in the Grade 1 material pretty easily. But maybe it's irrelevant?

Would it help to have the testing psychologist write a letter to the school?

Really reaching for ideas here, thanks for any suggestions.

Is MAP test an option in your school?

My DS7 is in first grade and he took the MAP test in the fall with the K-2 version. He got 99% on both reading and math. In order to come up with a grade level appropriate individualized plan, the school administered the winter MAP test 2-5 version for math. They determined he is at the middle of third grade. So that's where they are going to start with him.

I don't think they use it. I can ask.

I think they prefer to do placement decisions based on their own SSA tests which are the end of year test for the year you'd skip. Most of the time the students only need 85% correct to skip the material. For whatever reason it's 100% for K students trying to skip 1st grade math or ELA.

My son was assessed using some classroom math assessment that all students do a few times a year and also one for reading/writing. We've received none of the data from those assessments. I guess I need to be a pushy parent and ask again for them. They kept saying we'd get them "later." Okay, now it's Feb of the school year and they tested them in September. When exactly is "later"?

Things move very slowly. I'm afraid if I don't bring my own data they will take 6 months gathering the data and then 1st grade will be over. Can a private psychologist do the same type of testing?

Would it be an option to have him take the grade 2 SSA test as well? If he does well on that one, it might provide evidence that he is well beyond first grade math.

That's a great question. I have been wondering if it's a reasonable request myself. I wonder what they would do if he passed the 2nd grade test but not the 1st. Surely he would be allowed to skip 1st as a result.

2nd grade is a heavy writing year for math so I wouldn't want him to actually skip it. He writes on grade level more or less and could use the writing work. This is part of the reason I'm hoping he will skip 1st grade math this year and not wait and skip second grade math next year.

Okay, I have more information.

-They don't use the MAP test. If we have results they will "add them to his file."

-They won't allow him to take the end of year SSA test for grade 2 (to demonstrate additional mastery to use to support his request to skip grade 1 math). He can only take the SSA test for grade 1 and again, must get a perfect score on it to pass. There's no other above grade testing.

So the process for single subject acceleration will be to have DS take the test. He may get a perfect (maybe 50/50 chance?) score but when he doesn't I need to be prepared to advocate for him to skip anyway.

So my question is, is there any value in having him take some sort of test independently that shows where he's truly at grade level wise for math? And if so what test would that be? We would be using a private psychologist to do the testing.

I still feel if I can show he's 2 years ahead in math it would be a good case to make for skipping 1 grade, but maybe my instincts are off.

TIA for suggestions.

Angie - I think it is hard to say what might influence your school administration/teachers. The "perfect score" requirement seems designed to allow almost no one to skip, but I have admit that it is a tad bit better than our schools...which currently seem to allow no one to skip/SSA (not with out of level testing, not with DYS-level IQ scores, not with high MAP test scores...).

You might want to go at it in a "how will you teach DS something that he doesn't already know this year?" angle if he doesn't get the skip. Truly, it seems difficult for schools to wrap their heads around students who are actually more than one full grade level ahead of their peers...some do, but they seem to be in the minority.


Something else to keep in mind (and perhaps aeh or someone else may have more details) - WJ may not allow DYS-level composite scores for very young kids. Since you are testing him for school, the limitations of the WJ (which someone else is probably better qualified to explain) may or may not be a concern. WJ may allow some high subtest scores. We ran into this when DS was about 4 and did testing for a local gifted program. His scores were very high, but we could not get complete composites and were told that there were issues with getting high composites for a young student on the WJ. He ended up taking the WIAT and did get DYS-level composite scores. Have you looked into having him take the WIAT? Of course, using testing that your school understands/uses is best.

Best of luck!