1. WCPSS AIG and 3rd Grade Explorers
River Bend Elementary
AIG – Bethanie Cheuvront
riverbendaig.pbworks.com

2. Today’s Agenda AIG program service delivery
3rd grade Explorers program
Qualifying for AIG
Testing requirements
Identification process

3. The purpose of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program is to provide an appropriately challenging educational program for students who perform, or show potential for performing, at remarkably high levels of accomplishment… ~from WCPSS

4. GIFTED LEARNER BRIGHT CHILD vs. Knows the answer Asks the question
Is interested
Top group
Learns with ease
Understands ideas
Completes assignments
Enjoys school
Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation
Asks the question
Is highly curious
Beyond the group
Already knows
Constructs abstractions
Initiates projects
Enjoys learning
Thrives on complexity

5. Service Delivery, K-3 Grades K-2:
Consultation and collaboration with teachers
Weekly enrichment groups with high level students in their room
Grade 3:
1st semester – 3 to 6 whole-class lessons
All 3rd graders – fall Cogat testing for AIG qualification
2nd semester - Weekly enrichment pull out groups for students identified in AIG (ELA, Math, or both)

6. Service Delivery, 4-12 Grades 4-5:
Co-Teaching ELA and Math with select teachers
Consultation and collaboration with teachers
Enrichment for high-level students during ‘team time’
Weekly enrichment pull-out groups for students identified in AIG (ELA, Math, or both)
Grades 6-8:
Advanced course selection
Grades 9-12

7. Whole group experiences Small group experiences
3rd Grade Explorers
The AIG teacher works in partnership with 3rd grade classroom teachers to provide a variety of in-class experiences (3-5) designed to elicit high academic performance.
Students who demonstrate potential in the activities will receive enrichment/extension activities in language arts and/or math under the guidance of the AIG teacher.
Whole group experiences
Small group experiences

8. Criteria for Small Group Participation
Observational checklists by the AIG and classroom teachers
Rubrics for the products
Student communication skills
Student interest
Student motivation
Groups are flexible as the units of study change.
Participation in a small Explorers group DOES NOT mean your child has been or will be identified as gifted!

9. Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
Understanding the Student Profile and its Use for Educational Planning

10. Educational Planning
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is administered to all third grade students in WCPSS.
Track 1: August 25-27
Tracks 2, 3, 4: September 15-17
The CogAT benchmark testing is used for educational planning and AIG recommendations.
Student scores will be sent home in the fall

11. Please refer to the sample CogAT Score Report.
CogAT Scores
Please refer to the sample CogAT Score Report.
The CogAT Batteries are:
Verbal – measure of verbal reasoning skills
Quantitative– measure of math reasoning skills
Nonverbal – measure of visual-spatial reasoning
Each test has 3 sections. Students are given 10 minutes for each section.
Each test is given on a separate day.

12. CogAT Composite Scores
Composite (QN): Quantitative-Nonverbal Composite score - indicates cognitive reasoning resources for nonverbal learning.
Composite (VQN): The Composite score indicates the overall strength of the student’s cognitive resources for learning.
The Composite Score is the best representation of cognitive ability for most students. It is not an average of the subtest scores but a compilation of all three test batteries.
The Quantitative-Nonverbal Partial Composite is combines the three Quantitative subtests and the three Nonverbal subtests. This composite score better predicts achievement in mathematics and some technical domains than either the Quantitative Battery or Nonverbal Battery alone. Additionally this score allows for meaningful score interpretation for students with verbal weaknesses or language differences.
In some situations the individual battery scores (Verbal and Quantitative) may reflect specific strengths and/or weaknesses for a student. Use of battery scores instead of composite or partial composite scores is considered based on the individual student profile.

13. National Age Scores
Stanine – a type of normalized standard score scale ranging from 1 to 9 with 5 being the average.
1 = low score
5 = average score
9 = high score
Percentile – indicates the percentage score compared to students of the same age. It does not tell their percentage correct, but rather the percentage of students that scored below them.
The Stanine score is relatively easy to use because it is a one digit number. An advantage of the stanine score is that it discourages over-interpretation of small, insignificant differences among test scores. There must be a difference between stanine scores of at least 2 points for the difference to be considered significant.
The Percentile Rank is NOT the percentage of correct answers.
The CogAT is not an IQ test. IQ is no longer used in assessment and the CogAT does not give IQ scores. The same information that used to be provided by the IQ score is now provided by percentile ranks and other scores.

14. Percentile and Stanine Descriptions
Very High
96-99 9
Above Average
89-95 8
77-88 7
Average
60-76 6
41-59 5
24-40 4
Below Average
12-23 3
5-11 2
Very Low
1-4 1
This table provides a description of all percentile and stanine score ranges and the accompanying verbal descriptor. Please note the scores highlighted in red are the general ranges considered for AIG identification.
The Percentile Rank scale ranges from a low of 1 to a high of 99. For example, if a student scores at the 52nd percentile, this indicates that his raw score on the test was higher than that of 52 percent but lower than that of 48 percent of the students in his age group. This compares the student to a national standardization group of his age, not the students in his classroom. Half the students in an age norm group fall between the 24th and 76th percentiles, and this is considered average for the age group.

15. Graphs and Profiles
A bar graph of the student’s scores appears on the score report as a visual representation of the student’s percentile score.
Your student’s individual profile code is listed after the subtitle “Ability Profile”.
Additional information regarding your child’s profile can be found at: by keying in the profile code of your student.
The bar graph represents the student’s actual percentile score as compared with their age group.
Percentiles falling between the 24th and 76th percentile ranking indicate a student with average abilities as compared with their age group. This student’s performance on the Verbal abilities subtest is average, but is a relative weakness as compared with the other scores.
On the sample profile, the Ability Profile is: 8E (V-). The V- reflects the verbal weakness.
You can go to the CogAT website to access further information about your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

16. Profile Codes
The profile code contains a number and a letter, for example, 8E (V-N+) or 7B (V+).
The number represents the median stanine and the letter indicates the type of score pattern.
The letter score patterns are: A, B, C or E.
The median stanine is the middle stanine when the individual battery stanine scores are listed in numerical order. In the example, the student’s stanines are 6, 8 and 9; therefore the middle stanine is 8, thus the median.
The letter indicates the general form of the student’s score pattern. The symbols in parenthesis indicate a student’s relative strength (+ scores) or relative weakness (- scores). In the sample, the student has a relative weakness on the Verbal Battery and a relative strength on the Nonverbal Battery.

17. Student Profiles A Profile – all subtest scores are roughly the sAme
B Profile – one subtest score is either aBove or
Below the other two subtest scores
C Profile – two subtest scores Contrast indicating a
relative strength and a relative weakness
E Profile – the difference between the high and low subtest scores is Extreme
Here are the general interpretations of the student profiles.
In your example the student has an E Profile, which indicates there is an extreme difference between the Verbal and Nonverbal Battery scores.

18. Raw Scores Number of Items = the number of questions on the subtests.
Number Att. (attempted) = the number of questions the student answered.
Number Correct = the total number of items the student answered correctly.
In the example, the student did not attempt all of the items on each test battery.
The number that was correct varied in each battery.
Note that the area of relative weakness is the Verbal Battery. The student only attempted 44 of the 62 items and only answered 37 of the items correctly.
The area of relative strength is the Nonverbal Battery, where 46 of the 56 items were answered correctly. The student attempted 53 of the 56 items.

19. National Grade Scores
The grade scores compare the student to other students at the same grade level nationally.
Grade scores are NOT used for identification since students in a given grade may vary greatly in terms of their age.
Growth in cognitive abilities continues throughout most of an individual’s life. However, the rate of growth is much more rapid between birth and age 8 than it is after age 8 and somewhat more rapid between ages 8 and 14 than after age 14. The rate of cognitive growth slows as age increases. Therefore, being younger or older than other students in a grade has a greater effect on the differences between age and grade scores.
Since growth in cognitive skills is a developmental process that is correlated with chronological age, such comparisons can result in lower grade scores than age scores for younger students in a grade and higher grade scores than age scores for older students in a grade. This is why Age Scores are used for identification instead of Grade Scores.
In the example, the student’s grade scores are slightly higher than her age scores. This student is one of the older students in the third grade since there is an October date of birth.

20. The Next Step……..
Students with an age-based Composite or subtest battery score at or above the 85th percentile (85%) are eligible to take the Iowa Assessments (Iowa).
Any age-based battery score or composite score of 85% or higher on the CogAT qualifies students to take the Iowa in the 3rd grade.
Parents must give permission for their student to take the Iowa. Students taking the Iowa will be assessed in reading and mathematics.
The Iowa is a standardized achievement test that appraises skills that are directly taught and practiced in school.

21. Iowa Assessment Reading Math 30 minute time limit
Passages with multiple-choice questions
Math
Basic computation on a high level, calculator provided

22. AIG Identification
The CogAT and Iowa scores are reviewed. A 95% or above in 2 coordinating areas is needed to qualify.
Iowa Reading and Cogat Verbal
Iowa Math and Cogat Quantitative
Additional 1 on 1 testing may be used if there are not 2 areas of 95%
Additional factors are considered in determining AIG eligibility. These factors include student interest, motivation, classroom performance, third grade Explorers’ work samples, parent and teacher checklists, etc.
Data from the entire third grade year is used as part of the AIG identification process. Identification is a year-long process and includes data and work samples collected from the Third Grade Explorers’ lessons as well as the third grade classroom.
Parent input is important, and so parents will be asked to complete a checklist during this AIG identification process describing gifted learning behaviors demonstrated by their child.
Parents are should provide specific examples of gifted behaviors observed at home and/or samples of work products when submitting the AIG Parent checklist.

23. AIG Identification Process continued….
School Based Committee for Gifted Education (SBCGE) recommendations from schools are reviewed by the AIG Program Central Services Committee.
Parents are informed of the final AIG recommendations by the end of the 1st semester.
AIG service begins at the beginning of the 2nd semester in January after parents sign and return the Initial Consent for Service.
Even though the CogAT scores have been returned and the Iowa will be administered within the next month, the AIG identification process is not completed until the end of the academic year. All parents will be informed of recommendations at that time.
The SBCGE continues to monitor student progress and performance yearly in making nominations and referrals to the AIG program.

24. If your child is not identified as AIG…
Don’t worry or get upset!
Students may be nominated by teachers or parents in 4th and 5th grade to repeat testing.
Nominations occur in the fall and spring of 4th and 5th grade. The students take the CogAT and the IOWA.
Challenge your child to think outside the box at home! Complete word/number puzzles.

25. AIG Program and Testing Information
RBES Testing Coordinator
Lindsay Garkovich
RBES School Counselor
Amanda Stone
RBES AIG Resource Teacher
Bethanie Cheuvront
WCPSS AIG Program Website:
River Bend AIG website
riverbendaig.pbworks.com
Note to AIG Teacher: the specific names and addresses for these positions at your school should be added to this slide.