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How do I sign up for cognitive testing?
Nominate your child for magnet testing (Applicable for students ECE-12)
Downloadable application- English
Nomination forms (available in Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, French, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Please submit paper nomination forms to your GT Teacher and they will submit them to our office. Alternatively, you may scan and send them to giftedandtalented@dpsk12.org.
Information about Fall 2023 Testing
The spring testing window for in-district students will occur at a child’s school between October 23-December 1. You will receive more information from the GT teacher at your school following the nomination deadline.
Out of district/home/private school students will be scheduled to test at the Emily Griffith Campus (1860 Lincoln St.) by appointment during that same October 23-December 1 window. Information for scheduling an appointment will be provided in a follow up email after registration (a Sign-Up Genius link will be sent following the nomination deadline on April 7th). Testing will not be available prior outside of the testing window.
Students cannot be tested twice with a cognitive test in the same school year. For instance, a student tested in the fall of 2022 would not be eligible to test in the spring of 2023. They would be eligible to test in the fall 2023 window. During the fall semester, DPS students enrolled in Kindergarten, 2nd, and 6th grades are tested with the NNAT3 as part of the universal screening process; those families do not need to submit this form unless their child was not assessed during the fall screening.
Students already designated as Magnet Eligible (ME) or Highly Gifted (HGT) will not need to be assessed with further cognitive testing as this data point has been achieved. GT identified and talent pool students may be tested for the purpose of potential Magnet School Eligibility and/or HGT identification purposes. Please contact your school’s GT teacher with any questions regarding your child’s designation.
We cannot test students younger than age 4. Visit our Early Childhood page for more information about ECE testing and the Early Access page.
Early Childhood Assessment
Early Childhood Assessment
The Gifted and Talented department can assess students with the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT3) starting at age 4. We cannot offer testing younger than age 4.
Click here to submit a nomination form to nominate your child for testing.
My child took a cognitive test outside of Denver Public Schools.
Can it be used toward a gifted Identification?
All testing conducted in a school setting will be considered in the body of evidence toward potential Gifted identification.
If your child was tested outside a school setting, we will review the testing and make case by case decisions on acceptance.
In either case, please reach out to the GT teacher at your school to submit test scores and begin the review process.
If your student is not yet enrolled at a DPS school, please visit our New to District page and email us at giftedandtalented@dpsk12.org with any additional questions.
What is Universal Screening and when does it happen?
Please visit our Universal Screening page for more detailed information about the process, the tests, and what to expect.
All DPS students who are enrolled in kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 6th grade, will be administered a universal screening with the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT3), the Naglieri General Abilities Test (if participating in the 2nd grade pilot), or the CogAT Nonverbal Battery (if attending Denver Online Middle School) in the fall semester between September and December. The GT representative will send home Intent to Test letters letting you know when the testing will occur. The results will also come from the GT representative in the weeks following the testing.
What are the universal screening tests scores used for?
The DPS GT Central Office review team processes all scores to determine student magnet eligibility. This criteria includes a 95th+ percentile on a cognitive test.
All test scores will be sent home from the school. Families of magnet eligible students will receive official notification letters from the GT Central Office in late December/early January in order to participate in the first round School Choice lottery.
The universal test scores are utilized as one of the data points for gifted identification. A qualifying score of 95th+ percentile results in immediate eligibility for an HGT Magnet School while the GT representative continues to collect data toward a formal gifted identification.
What is the process to get my child tested if they are NOT in a grade with universal screening?
Students who are in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th grades or out of district, private school, or home school may participate in nominated cognitive testing. Families or teachers (with parent/guardian's permission) may nominate a child for testing by submitting the Google Form.
Students nominated for cognitive testing will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), which assesses students on three subtests: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal.
Can my child retest in the spring if I'm not satisfied with their scores from the fall?
No. The DPS Gifted and Talented Department only allows a student to be tested on one cognitive test per school year. If a student took the NNAT3/CogAT in the fall, they would not be eligible to be tested again until fall of the next year. Please review the appeals process for more information on contesting a score.
Does the NNAT3 or CogAT score automatically identify a student as Gifted or Highly Gifted?
No. Per state law, one test score alone does not qualify a child for gifted identification. Please review the identification sections for more information.
How can I get my child's test scores?
If your child recently took the NNAT3, please contact your school's GT representative.
Data requests for CogAT score reports or test scores older than 2018, please reach out to the Gifted and Talented Department (giftedandtalented@dpsk12.org) and include the following information:
student’s name
ID number, if known
student's birthdate if ID number is unknown
written statement of permission (if you are the legal parent/guardian)
detailed list of requested item(s)
If you are leaving the district, GT identification completed within Denver Public Schools should be portable to any other district in Colorado. If you have any questions after transferring to a new district, please contact us for support.
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