Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Retesting for eligibility & gifted sevices

DS (age 7 today!) was tested using the KBIT-2 almost 3 years ago. He has loved participating in a local university gifted program. Once scores are more than 3 years old, they need to resubmit test scores. I would just have him take that test again but I would like a test that could also be used as eligibility criteria for gifted services in our state (Alabama). Every child is not automatically tested.

According to the Alabama Dept of Education website, "a student may be determined automomatically eligible for gifted services when the obtained full scale/composite IQ score on an individuall administered test of intelligence (NOT as screener) is two standard deviations above the mean or higher, or the Verbal Average Standard Score or Figural Creativity index of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking is at or above the 97th national percentile."

My questions:

1. which tests met the critieria (individually administered tests of intelligence)?
2. What exactly is the Torrance test? Ive never heard of it before.
3 which test would you recommend?

Thank you.

1. Full tests of intelligence would probably include those that Davidson would use for admission to Young Scholars (under IQ). http://www.davidsongifted.org/young...holars___Qualification_Criteria_384.aspx

2. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking - it is supposed to measure creativity. DD, who has QUITE an imagination, took this and scored quite average (ONLY thing she scored average on during testing), so I'm not quite sure what to think of this test. Meh. I haven't seen much information about this test, though, so maybe others know more about it.

3. I would look around to what tests are most often used by the schools your DS is likely to attend. In our area, the WISC seems much more commonly used/understood than the SB. I rarely hear of the other tests being used. This way, your testing can be used for admission and future advocacy.


HTH!

One of the factors on the TTCT is speed, as both versions (figural and verbal) include fluency in the scoring. It is quite possible that a more reflective, deep-thinking creative individual might not score as well. Or someone whose responses are lengthy and elaborated may lose out on points versus someone who provides many short responses. Also, even the figural test relies on verbal responses.

Thank you both so much. The TTCT sounds like it is definitely NOT the test for DS.