Third Grade Explorers
The purpose of the Wake County Public School System Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program is to provide an appropriately challenging educational program for students who perform, or show potential for performing, at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience, or environment.
The Wake County AIG Program supports a unique nurturing component, 3rd Grade Explorers. In the first part of the school year, the AIG teacher works with whole-class groups in third grade. Students who demonstrate high performance while working with their classroom teachers and/or the AIG teacher will then participate in small enrichment groups called 3rd Grade Explorers. Some students may participate in one or more small group experiences, while other students may not demonstrate a need for this enrichment. Participation in a small group experience does not mean that the student has been, or will be, identified for future AIG services.
Universal Screening in Third Grade
Wake County screens all third grade students for AIG identification by using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). During early Explorers classes, the AIG teacher will familiarize students with the format of the CogAT so that they know what to expect. The test has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative. The test is given in their regular classrooms, and it is a timed test. Please see the testing dates section of this website for more information.
Explanation of Iowa Testing
The IOWA Assessments consist of a number of educational achievement subtests designed to measure growth in fundamental areas of school achievement including reading comprehension and mathematics. The purpose of this measurement is to provide information that can be used to improve instruction and learning. Assessment of any kind has value to the extent that it results in better decisions for students. In general, these decisions apply to choosing goals for instruction and learning strategies to achieve those goals, designing effective classroom environments, and meeting the diverse needs and characteristics of students.
Reading: The IOWA Assessments Reading test contains passages that vary in length from a few lines to a full page. Both literary passages and informational passages are included. Many of the passages are excerpts from previously published works. A significant number of questions may require students to draw inferences or to generalize about what they have read.
Mathematics: On the IOWA Assessments Mathematics test, students must demonstrate an understanding of Mathematics concepts, relationships, visual representations, and problem solving. The questions deal with number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, data analysis, probability, statistics, geometry, and measurement.
Your child’s scoring profile shows the percentile rank in both of the achievement areas. The percentile rank is a national percentile (NPR) showing your child’s performance on each subtest as compared with that of other students in the same grade level across the nation. The NPR is the score most often used to reflect your child’s performance and to assist with educational planning. The graph to the right of the scores provides a visual display of your child’s performance on each test relative to the other test areas. The NPRs for the various scores permit identification of the student’s stronger and weaker areas of achievement.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Molloy at jmolloy@wcpss.net.