Frequently Asked Questions:
Do the CogAT/SAGES-3 determine placement in anything other than SOAR Services?
No, they do not. Even within SOAR, the CogAT/SAGES-3 universal screeners are one of several data points used to determine eligibility and placement in SOAR services. Teachers are provided the scores as another layer of information to best meet the needs of all our students.
Can my child retake the CogAT/SAGES-3 if they do not perform well?
Students may not retake the CogAT/SAGES-3 once they have taken it during an academic year. The identification process for gifted and talented is ongoing. There is a universal screener given each year, so your child may take the SAGES-3 test or CogAT again depending on their grade level.
My child received a great report card, but he/she did not qualify for services? How is this possible?
Report cards are one way that North Brunswick shares academic progress with families. They are an indicator of academic work and course work. Report cards are not an indicator of giftedness.
We use multiple measures such as the CogAT,/SAGES-3 teacher rating scales, and student performance within their normal coursework to identify children who will receive services. We examine local norms to ensure that each student receives services that are best matched to meet their individual learning needs.
Based on the data, my child is eligible for gifted services, what’s next?
SOAR Coordinators will be working closely with your child’s teacher(s) to match services to best fit your child’s needs. Services may include push-in support, where SOAR coordinators are working with your child inside their homeroom classroom to lift the level of content instruction. Services may also include pull-out support, where SOAR coordinators will work with your child in a small group of peers outside of their homeroom classrooms on targeted areas of high level thinking.
These services will be provided in cycles across each of the elementary schools. Students may be instructed in a given cycle and when they are not working with a SOAR coordinator their needs will be supported by the classroom teacher.