3rd Grade CogAT Assessment Information

The assessment window for the 3rd grade CogAT assessment opens November 1st. Please note the following information:

The CogAT screener will be administered during the school day to all 3rd grade students beginning November 2021. Please work with your school’s testing coordinator for specific schedules and instructions. The purpose of the CogAT assessment is to identify students of high academic ability or potential who might benefit from PCSD’s Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS) program. Once administration of the CogAT screener is complete in all 13 elementary schools, those students scoring in (approximately) the top 20% districtwide will be given a second, more thorough, CogAT assessment in order to provide more detailed information for consideration. Testing coordinators will be provided with a list of students who qualify for round 2. Please work with your testing coordinator to schedule and plan for this second assessment which must be administered no later than 30 days after the first test administration.

The following information about the CogAT assessment is being sent to all parents/guardians of 3rd grade students. (Letters will be sent in both English and Spanish)

Dear Parents of 3rd Grade Students,

Provo City School District is committed to assessing the educational needs of all students and providing them with appropriate, differentiated instruction. One assessment tool utilized is the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) which is being administered to all 3rd grade students. The CogAT is a measure of a student’s potential in school-related tasks. It is not a tool for measuring a student’s intelligence or IQ. Rather, it measures reasoning skills that have developed during a student’s educational career. These general cognitive skills are not specific to any content area, but are skills that are used in all areas of academic experiences.

How are CogAT results utilized?

The results of the initial CogAT assessment will be utilized for two purposes: (1) To help identify students of high academic ability or potential who might benefit from PCSD’s Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS) program. Students scoring in the top 20% on the CogAT screener test will be given a second, more thorough, CogAT assessment in order to provide more detailed information for consideration. (2) To help teachers get a general sense of a student’s abilities and learning styles. A student’s CogAT results, along with other data, can assist teachers in designing effective instructional practices.Testing Dates

CogAT testing will begin in November 2021. Specific dates are determined by each school. If you would like to know when your child will be participating in the CogAT assessment, please contact your child’s teacher.

Make-up Test Dates Make-up testing will take place in May for students unable to participate in the earlier assessment.

Questions?

CogAT Assessment: Anna Smith (annab@provo.edu) Ron Twitchell (ront@provo.edu)

Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS) Judy Rose (judyr@provo.edu)