Second Grade High Ability Identification Process:
Second Grade CogAT Testing:
We have now finished up all the testing for second grade
CogAT. Originally all students were
screened and those who received a 77+ percentile rank, then took the full. As a parent you may be asking yourself,
"Should I be worried if my child did not take the full CogAT
test?" No. This is only one of the two ways to qualify
for high ability. Please remember, CogAT
is a test with zero reading. It is a
test which shows how students think. It
often identifies your out-of-the-box thinkers.
There is no way to prepare for it, nor does it test things that are
taught in class. It's just the way the
student thinks. We have the data, but
will not make any final decisions until the NWEA data is in.
Second Grade NWEA Testing:
The window for the NWEA test will open April 19th. NWEA data from the end of the year is an
achievement test. Students who are
shining in the classroom often score high on this test. The big change going from second to third
grade is the "Language Arts" section.
Students need to score in the 95th percentile or higher, on not only the
"Reading" section, but also the "Language Arts" section. Quite frankly, we do a lot of writing and
reading in our third and fourth grade curriculum. The LA section is not available to
kindergarten and first. A good
suggestion that I give parents who are anxiously waiting their child's test
scores, look back at past NWEA scores from this year. Look at their Fall and Winter scores to see how
they've done this year so far. The score
you need to look at, is the middle one similar to the highlighted snip
above. The middle, bold number needs to
be 95 or higher in order to be considered for HA. The number of students identified will be
around ten percent of the second grade class.
Please don't hesitate if you have questions. I'm sure this is a little overwhelming. I'm here to help and answer any questions or
concerns that you may have. The bottom
line, we want our kids to be where they need to be! At the elementary level, that's during our
WIN time. What I Need. Students are looked at each and every year
for high ability. Just because they were
not identified in elementary school, does not mean they will not be identified
later.
High Ability Summer School:
Brochures will go home today with the information about high
ability summer school. It will be taught
again by Mrs. Pethes, a fourth grade teacher at Liberty. I'm so impressed with her program! Students really enjoy getting immersed in the
theme of Old England. It's hard to
believe, but it's time to start planning your summer to see if you can schedule
all those fun activities and educational camps.
It will run Friday, May 31st-Thursday June 21st. If you have any overlap, no worries. Mrs. Pethes is very adaptable. It is offered to all current high ability
students grades 1st-3rd grade. Please
fill out the form and turn it into the office by: Friday, April 27th.
