Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

Albert Einstein

Educational testing plays a significant role in identifying the need for and the delivery of gifted services. In order to play an active role in their child’s gifted education, parents may need some background regarding the types of tests and scores used by school districts.

Tests of Ability—Intelligence Tests

Whether or not one believes in the merit or validity of IQ scores, virtually all evaluations for giftedness contain the results of an intelligence test. Usually the test is individually administered by a certified school psychologist and examines a variety of cognitive factors related to learning. Those factors might include verbal reasoning, perceptual reasoning, memory, processing speed and such. These tests generally do not rely on content area knowledge. Some popular ability tests include the Weschler Scales (i.e. WISC-IV, WPPSI, etc.) and the Stanford-Binet V. Intelligence tests provide scores standard scores that fit within the bell curve

Tests of Achievement

Unlike ability tests, achievement tests examine content knowledge, comparing students to age or grade peers (a norm group). Students may receive scores in areas like Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Mathematical Reasoning, Calculation, Writing Mechanics, Spelling, and such. The scores are generally reported as percentiles compared to a national norm group. Some schools report scores compared to a suburban or school norm group as well. Grade equivalents are also reported for some achievement tests.

PSSA—Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

The PSSAs were developed by the state to meet their obligations under the No Child Left Behind Act. These tests report a student’s proficiency level compared to the expected level of achievement at the current grade level in basic content areas of Reading, Math, Writing, and Science. Score categories include: Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Below Basic. All students are expected to be proficient in all areas by 2014. Because these tests only measure basic grade level content, they are not particularly helpful in determining a need for gifted services.

Curriculum Based Assessments

As the name suggests, this type of assessment is tied directly to the curriculum being taught. The assessment, which may be something other than a traditional test, might be created by a teacher, district, or a publisher. When these assessments closely match the expectations of the district, they provide very effective and useful guidance in preparing a GIEP to meet the needs of an individual student.

Scores and Statistics

Understanding scores and score reports helps parents to better participate in the GIEP meeting. For a thorough explanation of scores, follow the link to Wrightslaw.com. They explain key scores in clear language for those who are less familiar with these measures.