The Talented and Gifted (TAG) program in the Fulton County School System provides enriching experiences for the intellectually advanced and exceptionally creative student. Gifted services are available in all Fulton County schools for students in kindergarten through grade 12.
For any child who is referred for gifted testing, Fulton County Schools is required to gather information in the following areas: Mental Ability, Creativity, Achievement, and Motivation. The instruments selected for each area meet the guidelines of Georgia Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.38.
What testing instruments may be used to determine if my child is eligible for TAG? The local school’s TAG Eligibility Team uses a child’s grade level, former testing experiences, and current classroom performance to determine exactly which testing instruments will be used. The use of certain instruments requires parental consent before the instruments are administered. During the testing process, the TAG Eligibility Team may request your consent to administer one or more of the following instruments: Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT), Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), Stanford Achievement Test (STAT-10), and/or Gifted Rating Scales-Motivation (GRS-M). Each specific test is only administered once every two years.
What is the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)? The CogAT is a group-administered mental ability test, typically referred to as an IQ test. The test has three batteries: Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal. The Verbal Battery appraises the child’s verbal inductive and deductive reasoning skills as well as flexibility, fluency, and adaptability in working with verbal materials and solving verbal problems. The Quantitative Battery appraises high-level problem solving with quantitative symbols and concepts. The Nonverbal Battery appraises general inductive reasoning skills in using and adapting cognitive strategies. This battery contains the most novel problems and uses only geometric shapes and figures. The battery requires no reading and no outside fund of knowledge.
The CogAT is typically administered to the K-5 student over three days. Each testing session takes approximately one hour. The resulting score for each battery is reported to parents as a national percentile ranking in the Mental Ability section on the Eligibility Report. The national percentile ranking allows you to compare your child’s results to others of the same age across the nation. The typical child will score around the 50th percentile while a 96th percentile is a qualifying score in the mental ability category for gifted services. The CogAT is only administered once every two years.
What is the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT)? The NNAT is a group-administered mental ability test that only measures nonverbal abilities. It is similar to, but more in-depth, than the Nonverbal battery of the CogAT. It consists of four sub-tests that require students to complete patterns, sequences, and analogies as well as combine two or more geometric designs. The battery requires no reading and no outside fund of knowledge.
The NNAT is administered in one hour long session. The resulting score is reported as a national percentile ranking to parents in the Mental Ability section on the Eligibility Report. The 96th percentile is the qualifying score for gifted services. The NNAT is only administered once every two years.
What is the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)? The TTCT requires responses that are mainly drawing or pictorial in nature. However, it does not measure artistic talent nor is artistic talent required to do well on the instrument. The TTCT requires students to use their imagination, solve problems, think of new ideas, and elaborate on their ideas.
The TTCT is administered in one hour long session. The resulting score is reported as a national percentile ranking to parents in the Creativity section on the Eligibility Report. The 90th percentile is the qualifying score for gifted services. The TTCT is only administered once every two years.
What is the Creativity Product? The Creativity Product is an un-timed, open-ended scripted lesson given by the regular education classroom teacher as part of the daily classroom activities. Creative Product lessons are provided by the Advanced Studies office and are not identified to students as a TAG test. The Product is scored by three trained evaluators using a rubric.
The resulting score is reported as a percentage to parents in either the Creativity or the Motivation section on the Eligibility Report. 90% is the qualifying score for gifted services. The Creativity Product is only administered once every two years.
What is the Stanford Achievement Test (STAT-10)? The STAT-10 is similar to the Iowa Achievement test taken by all FCSS students in grades 3, 5, and 8. Based upon demonstrated academic strengths, students will take either the reading or mathematics battery. The STAT-10 measures concepts and skills typically taught at the grade level of the child.
The STAT-10 is administered in one hour long session. The resulting score is reported as a national percentile ranking to parents in the Achievement section on the Eligibility Report. The 90th percentile is the qualifying score for gifted services. The STAT-10 is only administered once every two years.
What is the Gifted Rating Scales-Motivation (GRS-M)? The GRS-M is a rating scale, completed independently by two teachers, based upon a child’s motivational behaviors in an academic setting. The teachers completing the scale are selected by the local school TAG Eligibility Team and must have known the child for at least one month. Motivation refers to a child’s desire to achieve a goal or complete self-selected tasks. Motivation is not a type of giftedness but rather viewed as the energy that drives a child to achieve.
The resulting score is reported as a national percentile ranking to parents in the Motivation section on the Eligibility Report. The 90th percentile is the qualifying score for gifted services. While a qualifying score is valid for two years, the GRS-M may be readministered after one calendar year by different teachers only if the child is referred again for TAG testing and scored below a 90th percentile.
Why is my child only being recommended for some instruments and not all of them? The TAG Eligibility Team will use only one instrument for each category in each testing cycle: Mental Ability, Creativity, Achievement, and Motivation. Based upon previous testing experiences and/or classroom performance, some children may already have information in their permanent record that can be used in one or more categories. Children will not be tested unnecessarily. The TAG Eligibility Team has more than one option of instruments for some categories. The team will use all pertinent data about the student to select the best instrument at this time. The team will not exhaust all of its options in each category during this referral process. If a child is found ineligible now, he or she needs additional time to mature before being referred again for TAG testing.
How can I help my child prepare for these instruments? Preparation for any of these instruments cannot be done within a short period of time. Knowledge or skills needed are developed as a result of all school and life experiences. It is best for you to ensure that your child is well rested and has a nutritious breakfast for each day of school.
