Dear Second-Grade Parents/Guardians,
The Alamance-Burlington School System is committed to discovering the appropriate curriculum services needed to meet the educational needs of your child. All second-grade students in the Alamance-Burlington School System will be assessed using the Naglieri General Abilities Test (NGAT) in the spring. This online assessment is an integrated series of tests that provide information on the level of development of general and specific cognitive abilities. The growth of these abilities is a developmental process that starts at birth and continues throughout much of an individual’s life. Some students develop these skills more rapidly than their peers. The NGAT has been designed to evaluate individual differences and to assist teachers in adapting instruction to the individual needs of the students. It is also used to help determine eligibility for gifted services. A score of 80 or above on the Verbal or Quantitative and/or a composite of Verbal/Nonverbal and Quantitative/Nonverbal will lead to further screening to see if AIG testing is needed. Students will be identified and served in the beginning of their 3rd grade school year.
The NGAT is divided into three sections:
1. Verbal: uses universally recognized pictures that are appropriate across cultures, representing verbal concepts, rather than presenting questions orally or in writing. The test questions require students to understand the relationships among six pictures to determine what verbal concept is shared by five of the pictures and which does not represent the concept.
2. Quantitative (Math): composed of questions that are presented using numbers and shapes arranged in a pattern. The test items require students to examine the relationship, patterns, and sequences among numbers and/or symbols using basic math concepts. There are no math word problems so the items can be solved regardless of language(s).
3. Nonverbal: comprised of questions that are presented using diagrams and pictorial formats. These questions require the students to decipher the logic behind the relationships among shapes, their color, sequences, orientation, etc. to determine which option completes the pattern.
Testing will take place over a period of three days in April and will last approximately 45 minutes each day. This test will not affect classroom grades. Please stress that the test is important and encourage your child to do his or her best. If you have any questions, please contact the AIG Specialist at your child’s school.
Sincerely,
Angelique Austin
Academically and Intellectually Gifted Coordinator