Dear 2nd Grade Families,
On Wednesday, February 19, your student will take the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®). The purpose of this letter is to inform you about the test so that—with your support and encouragement—your student will do his or her best on the test.
About CogAT
CogAT measures students’ learned reasoning abilities in the three areas most closely related to success in school:
The Verbal Battery measures students’ abilities to reason with words and concepts. These reasoning abilities play an important role in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and virtually all verbal learning tasks.
The Quantitative Battery measures students’ abilities to reason with quantitative symbols and concepts. These reasoning skills are significantly related to problem-solving in mathematics and other disciplines.
The Nonverbal Battery measures students’ abilities to reason with geometric shapes and figures. To perform successfully, students must accurately implement strategies for solving novel problems.
The three separate batteries provide a broad perspective on each student’s learned reasoning abilities, identifying cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Each subtest takes 10 minutes and includes practice questions to help students become familiar with the content and format of the subtests. These practice questions help students gain familiarity with the item formats and how to complete the different reasoning tasks.
The CogAT score will not be reflected in your child’s grades, however, scores from this test are used in combination with their performance on the NWEA MAPS testing for the purpose of determining future programming for your child, such as placement in the EXCEL gifted program and/or advanced courses at the middle school level. Scores for the CogAT are also used to screen students for gifted identification in the areas of superior cognitive ability and creative thinking. The best preparation for this test is:
- A good night’s sleep
- Encourage your child to relax and think positively!
- Be sure your child eats a healthy breakfast the morning of the test. This will help your child concentrate and provide the proper energy to function at his/her best.
- Discuss the importance of testing with your child and encourage your child to put forth his/her best effort.
Many students in Brunswick City Schools have already taken similar tests to determine academic and cognitive ability for various reasons. If you feel that your child would not benefit from additional cognitive testing to help determine future programming and gifted identification in the areas of superior cognitive ability and creative thinking, you may opt your child out of the CogAT test using the link below. Opt-out forms must be submitted on or before February 14, 2025.
2nd Grade CogAT Parent Opt-Out Form Link
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at efoster@bcsoh.org or 330.273.0444.
Ellen Foster
Coordinator of Instruction/Gifted Coordinator
