Assessments

The following assessments are used in the identification process.

NWEA

Measures academic progress by providing essential information about a student’s continuum of learning and growth trajectory. It is a tool to help identify strengths and opportunities and focus instruction on the areas of greatest need.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Measures learned reasoning and problem-solving skills in three different areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal.

CogAT Screener – is a screening test that is a shorter version of the full CogAT test and is used with other achievement measures to inform decisions about placement in advanced coursework. The CogAT Screening Form provides a composite score based on one subtest from each of the three cognitive domains, Verbal, Quantitative and Non-verbal reasoning. Scores for the individual domain areas are not calculated for the CogAT Screening Form.

CogAT Full Battery– includes the same three domains as the Screening Form, Verbal, Quantitative and Non-verbal reasoning. However, on the Full Battery, students take three subtests in each domain instead of just one per domain on the Screening Form. Results from the CogAT Full Battery test are used with other achievement measures to inform decisions about placement in advanced coursework. The CogAT Full Battery test provides an overall composite score of general reasoning abilities and a score for each of the three-domain areas.

World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA-Access)

A secure large-scale English language proficiency assessment administered to Kindergarten through 12th-grade students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). WIDA generates information that assists in determining whether ELLs have attained the language proficiency needed to participate meaningfully in content area classrooms without program support.