Universal Screening
Ringwood School District utilizes universal screening in the spring of third grade (and those who are new to the district after this time) through the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). The purpose of universal screening is to establish a pool of students who may qualify for gifted services, but may not typically demonstrate areas of advancement within the traditional classroom setting. Universal screening is also effective in identifying gifted students from all demographics, regardless of nationality, gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc.
CogAT
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) evaluates cognitive ability in verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal areas. This assessment will be administered to all students in the spring of 3rd grade. This is one of the measures used to make appropriate decisions regarding gifted identification.
Local Norms
Based upon recommendations from the National Association of Gifted Children, the New Jersey Department of Education, and the New Jersey Association of Gifted Children, local scores are utilized to determine placement into the program. Local norms provide a greater insight into analysis of tight clusters of scores. Therefore, in order to identify the gifted students in Ringwood, local scores are used to compare our students to one another.