Testing Dates
The CogAT and Iowa Assessments may be administered at any time during the statewide testing window:
October 21 through November 11, 2015. A make-up testing session will be offered from January 14–21, 2016.
Purpose of the Assessments
Districts are required to provide services for all gifted and talented students at the elementary and secondary levels. Students are identified for this program by demonstrating high performance ability or potential in academic and/or artistic areas. In accordance with State Board of Education regulation 43-220, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) provides an aptitude and an achievement assessment for this purpose. Although the primary purpose of these assessments is to identify students for the Gifted and Talented programs, the student results can be useful to teachers as they examine their instructional practices and can help them identify teaching strategies for all students.
Student Identification
The identification of gifted and talented students is a multi-step process which consists of screening and referral, assessment of eligibility, and placement. The objective of the grade 2 testing program is to evaluate each student for the purpose of placement into a district gifted and talented program.
Dimension A. In accordance with State Board Regulation 43-220, students must meet the criteria for two out of the three dimensions outlined in this law. Dimension A (Reasoning Abilities) requires students to demonstrate high aptitude (93rdnational age percentile) in one or more of these areas: verbal/linguistic, quantitative/mathematical, nonverbal, and /or a composite of the three. Scores on the CogAT may be used for this purpose.
Dimension B. Dimension B (High Achievement in Reading and/or Mathematical Areas) of the regulation requires that students demonstrate high achievement in reading and/or mathematical areas (94th national percentile and above) as measured by a nationally normed or statewide assessment. Scores on the Iowa Assessments (IA) may be used for this purpose.
The results from the administration of the aptitude (CogAT) and achievement (IA) tests are entered into the Gifted Identification Forms and Tasks (GIFT) software program, which identifies students who automatically qualify for a gifted and talented program. GIFT also identifies those students who may benefit from a secondary screening using the Performance Task Assessments (Dimension C).
Dimension C. Dimension C (Intellectual/Academic Performance) requires students to demonstrate a high degree of interest in and commitment to academic and/or intellectual pursuits or demonstrate intellectual characteristics such as curiosity/inquiry, reflection, persistence/tenacity in the face of challenge and creative productive thinking. One of the methods by which these characteristics may be demonstrated is with a score of sixteen on either the verbal or nonverbal component of the Performance Task Assessments for grade 3 placement.
Information About the Tests
The following tests will be administered to all Grade 2 students:
| CogAT |
Level 8, Form 7 |
| IA |
Level 7, Form F |
The following charts list the required sections for each test, the number of items on each section and an estimated time for administration. Districts may choose to administer any of the optional tests, but the optional tests must be administered after the required tests are complete.
Iowa Assessments™
|
Required Sections of each Test
|
Number of Items
|
Estimated Time
|
| Reading: Picture Stories |
21
|
10
|
| Reading: Sentences |
6
|
10
|
| Reading: Stories |
13
|
25
|
|
Reading Totals
|
40
|
45
|
| |
|
|
| Mathematics: Concepts |
29
|
25
|
| Mathematics: Problems |
28
|
25
|
|
Mathematics Totals
|
57
|
50
|
A district may decide to administer additional tests included in the Iowa Assessments that are not required for the South Carolina Grade 2 Gifted and Talented Assessment Program. There is no extra charge for this service. The district simply administers the tests of interest, and the scores for these tests will be provided automatically. Districts that wish to receive a Total Reading score must also administer the Vocabulary test, which is not required for the South Carolina Grade 2 assessment program.
Cognitive Abilities Test™(CogAT®)
The nine tests listed below need to be administered.
|
Required Sections of each Test
|
Number of Items
|
Estimated Time
|
| Verbal Battery |
|
|
| Picture Analogies |
18
|
13
|
| Sentence Completion |
18
|
14
|
|
Picture Classification
|
18
|
13
|
| |
|
|
| Quantitative Battery |
|
|
| Number Analogies |
18
|
15
|
| Number Puzzles |
14
|
15
|
| Number Series |
18
|
15
|
| |
|
|
| Nonverbal Battery |
|
|
| Figure Matrices |
18
|
13
|
| Paper Folding |
16
|
11
|
|
Figure Classification
|
18
|
13
|
All of the CogAT tests are untimed. For screening into the gifted and talented program, a student must take all nine tests to receive all three scores: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal.
All districts will be given the opportunity, at a discounted price, to provide the CogAT and Iowa Assessments to students in grades 3 through 8 across the state. Please contact Sue Rawls, your local Riverside Account Executive, at 704.620.8262, for more information.
Additional Resources & Information
- Fall 2015 Grade 2 NRT Test Coordinator Manual (2 Mb PDF)
- Fall 2015 Pretest Workshop Presentation (11.6 Mb pptx)
- Fall 2015 FAQs (30 Kb PDF)
- CogAT Checklist (32 Kb PDF)
- Iowa Checklist (48 Kb PDF)
|
|
