DATE:
Thursday, March 5, 2020
TO:
Elementary Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Rebecca Smith, Consultant of Gifted and Talented
SUBJECT:
6th Grade Universal Gifted/Talented Testing (CogAt) Dashboard
A new series of dashboards containing 6th grade CogAt, or Cognitive Abilities Test (gifted/talented screener), data have been pushed out to school administrator Tableau Viewer accounts. You may remember that the universal testing of 6th graders took place in November 2019. These dashboards may be found here:
Explore > Universal 6th Grade Gifted and Talented Screener (CoGat) > 2019 6th Grade CoGat Final Analysis
CogAt data are reported using age stanines. A stanine is a method of scaling test scores on a nine-point standard scale. The 7th, 8th and 9th stanines are considered above average. Students in those stanines would benefit from advanced learning opportunities and most would qualify for the ALPS program. There are three subtests that make up the CogAt battery: Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal. These dashboards will uncover student performance in each of these subtests as well as a composite score, which comprises all three subtests together. In addition, school leaders will be able to view student group performance and compare scores against the district average as well as other elementary schools.
Finally, school leaders will have access to student-level data for each subtest as well as the composite score. School administrators are encouraged to use these data to identify students in need of extended learning and to develop long-term interventions and strategies to further support advanced learners in their progress and growth.
For questions about the CogAt assessment system and the ALPS program, please refer to Rebecca Smith in the Gifted and Talented Department. For questions about the dashboards or data, please contact Ben Jameson in the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department.
