Using multiple criteria (more than one piece of data, such as only ONE IQ TEST) to identify students as gifted is now a best practice in the field of gifted education (thank goodness). So, what are valid criteria that can be used to help schools make decisions about giftedness? I previously mentioned that a nationally-normed and standardized ABILITY test should be one criterion. A nationally-normed and standardized ACHIEVEMENT test is another piece of data that should also be collected for gifted identification. Two clarifications:
Q: Why must these tests be “nationally-normed and standardized?”
A: Tests that are nationally-normed were given to students all across the country when the test was being developed or updated, and those students’ test scores were used to create scoring norms based on ages and grade levels of the students. Tests that are standardized mean that no matter what part of the country (or world) in which a student takes the test, it will be administered in the same exact way and under the same exact conditions described in the testing manual. Theoretically, any given test-taker will receive the test under the same conditions as any other test-taker. Standardized test-giving is a BIG ask, so testing companies require that anyone giving standardized tests have a certain level of training and/or degree to help ensure that the test directions are followed correctly. So, national norming and standardization help educators compare “apples to apples” when using scores from these tests to make gifted identification decisions.
Q: What are ability and achievement tests?
A: Ability tests measure a student’s cognitive ability. Cognitive ability can include constructs such as reasoning, problem solving, memory, etc. These tests are typically timed, and the questions on them can be non-verbal (picture-based), verbal (word-based), and/or quantitative (numerical relationships-based). Achievement tests measure the knowledge that students have learned in school (or through their own learning) in various subject matter areas such as Reading, Mathematics, etc. Both ability and achievement tests produce a score. Test scores are classified as quantitative data. Collecting both scores for gifted identification helps paint a better picture of the student’s academic needs and can highlight any discrepancies that could show potential giftedness (for example, a high ability score but a much lower achievement score shows that the student is not meeting his or her potential academically).
One note- I’m only discussing gifted testing for academic-based gifted programs. There are other types of tests to determine giftedness for arts-based gifted programs or creativity, etc.
As I previously mentioned, quantitative data is only one type of data we should collect on students we are considering for gifted identification. The other type of data is qualitative, but we’ll get into this type in the next installment! In the meantime, what quantitative tests does your school use for gifted identification?
Teaching for Talent 