An Introduction to Standardized Testing
and The Gifted Identification Process
Vanderlyn Elementary School
January 17, 2013
ITBS
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As part of our district testing program
for elementary and middle schools,
students take the Iowa Tests of Basic
Skills (ITBS). The ITBS is administered
in the Fall for grades 1, 3, 5 and 7.
What does the
ITBS measure?
Developed at the University of Iowa, the ITBS is a set of
achievement tests that measure the actual knowledge and
skills students have acquired.
Reading: Vocabulary, Comprehension
Language: Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation, Usage and
Expression
Math:
Concepts and Estimation, Problem Solving,
Data Interpretation, and Computation
Social Studies & Science : Not tested in 1st grade
Information Usage: Maps and Diagrams and Reference
Materials
Does the ITBS
Address the Common Core
Georgia Performance
Standards?
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The ITBS was designed to represent a
sampling of curriculum standards
widely used around the nation.
The test is not designed to specifically
address any one school district’s
curriculum.
How Does the ITBS
Measure
Achievement?
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The ITBS assesses skills and content
knowledge in a multiple choice format.
The ITBS is a norm-referenced test.
It is designed to answer the question,
“How do our students perform on
basic skills as compared with other
students in the nation?”
Scoring on the ITBS
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We use the National Percentile Rank (NPR)
to evaluate student performance. For
example, if your child’s NPR was a 75 in
Total Reading, this would mean that your
child scored higher than 75% of the
students in the norming group.
Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99.
The national average on all subtests is 50.
CogAT
The Cognitive Abilities Test measures
students’ reasoning abilities in the
three areas most linked to success in
school.
Verbal: verbal classification, sentence
completion, and verbal analogies
Quantitative: quantitative relations, number
series, and equation building
Nonverbal: figure classification, figure
analogies, and figure analysis
How do I read my
child’s CogAT scores?
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Riverside Publishing does not provide
parent copies of individual student’s
CogAT scores.
Homeroom teachers sent your child’s
score home with their report cards in
the VIP folder.
Scores are reported in percentiles for
each of the three categories, as well
as the composite.
Items to Remember
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Standardized tests are only one means
to measure student ability and
achievement.
Research shows that students’ test
taking skills and attitudes during
testing can affect their results.
Renzulli
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It is an assessment in creativity and
motivation.
Students are assessed on the degree
they have exhibited each characteristic
being evaluated.
CRCT
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The Criterion Referenced Competency Test
(CRCT) is administered in April to all students
in grades one through eight. This year our
testing window is April 16th-April 25th.
The CRCT was first implemented in 2000.
The purpose of the test is to measure how
well students master the Common Core
Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS).
The CRCT is based on Georgia’s curriculum.
Scale Score and
Performance Levels
Scale Score Range
Generally 650 to 900
or above
Level 1 (Below 800)
Does not meet the
standards
Level 2 (800-849)
Meets the standards
Level 3 (850 and
above)
Exceeds the standards
How is CRCT Data
Used?
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The CRCT provides information on academic
achievement at the school, system, and state level.
The data is used by the state in AYP determinations
for the school.
Information is used to identify individual student
strengths and weaknesses.
Students in 3rd grade must pass (800 or above) the
reading portion of the test in order to move on to
4th grade.
Students in 5th grade must pass (800 or above) the
reading and math portion of the test in order to
move on to the 6th grade.
Identifying
Gifted
Students
Test Scores and the Role
They Play in Identifying
Gifted Students.
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The procedures for identifying and
placing students in the gifted program
are governed and funded by the
Georgia Department of Education.
Eligibility Criteria
All 1st, 3rd and 5th grade students were administered
the following four assessments:
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ITBS
CogAT
Creativity
Motivation
•
To be eligible for gifted services, students must qualify in at
least three of the four assessments.
CogAT
Minimum of 96% in at least one
sub-test areas.
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Verbal
Quantitative
Non-verbal
Complete Composite
ITBS
Minimum of 90% on any one of the
following subtests:
Total Reading
 Total Math
 Complete Composite
* Note: Please refer to NPR scores
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Renzulli
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Creativity
Minimum of 90% on an assessment
for creativity.
Motivation
Minimum of 90% on an assessment
for motivation.
Phases of Testing
Step I: All students were tested in
the four categories.
 If none of the student’s scores qualify,
no further testing will occur.
 If a student qualifies in at least one
category, further testing will occur.
 If and when a student qualifies in
three areas, the child is identified as
gifted.
Step II Testing
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Occurs if a student has qualified in at
least one of the four categories.
One of the categories must include
ITBS or CogAT.
If your child qualifies for this phase of
testing, you will receive notification
that further testing is necessary.
Students will then be evaluated in the
area of Creativity and/or Motivation.
What If My Child Has
Qualifying Scores But Did
Not Get a Letter?
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Students who have qualifying CogAT
and Achievement scores may have
qualified for the program and will not
need further testing.
In this case, those students will
receive a letter once all Step II
testing is completed.
Please be
aware that…
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Grades do not play a role in the Gifted
Identification Process
Private test data may not be used to
determine eligibility.
CRCT scores are not used to determine
gifted eligibility.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: What if my child missed the cut
off score by only a few points, can
special consideration be given?
A: There is no appeal to this process, or
special considerations. We must, and we
will, adhere to the guidelines set forth by the
State of Georgia.
FAQ
Q: If a student does not qualify
for the program, can he/she
be retested?
A: No, students are tested in grades 1,
3, 5, and 7. Your child will be tested
every other year.
FAQ
Q: If a student does not
qualify for the program, is
there an appeals process?
A: There is no appeal to this process. We
must, and we will, adhere to the guidelines
set forth by the State of Georgia.
FAQ
Q: Can a teacher retest a student
on the Renzulli Assessment for
Creativity or Motivation?
A: No, teachers cannot reassess a student. If your
child qualified in the other areas, they would move
into Step II testing.
FAQ
Q: Once a student has been
identified for the gifted program,
will he/she have to qualify for the
program for subsequent years?
A: No, once your child has been identified gifted, their
continuation in the program is contingent upon
performing at a satisfactory level in the gifted class.
They must also maintain at least a B average in
their other content classes.
FAQ
Q: How long does the
identification process take?
A: The process began in October when the
students took the assessments. We have
received our standardized tests scores.
However, we are still waiting for the county to
upload the scores into the system database. We
are expecting to conclude this process by the
middle of March.
FAQ
Q. When Will Gifted Services Begin?
A. Services for newly identified gifted
students will tentatively begin in
March.
So…What’s Next?
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Step 1: All test scores will be automatically
uploaded into the DCSD Database.
Step 2: Students who require Step II
Testing will receive notification via letter.
Step 3: Letters of eligibility will be sent
once all Step II Testing has been
completed. This includes students that
qualified and students who did not.
Questions????