Evaluations for Placement in Gifted Program

Requirements:

1. Score of 130 on an individually administered intelligence test 
2. Score on or above the 90th percentile on an individually administered brief test of reading or math skills
3. A majority of characteristics of a “gifted student” endorsed on a checklist by a current teacher
4. Determination of the need for a “gifted” curriculum

Students can be tested by a school psychologist in school or by a private licensed psychologist

Procedure:

Dr. Cooley administers the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) to children 6 and older and the Wechsler Primary & Preschool Intelligence Scale (WPPSI-III) to 4 and 5 year olds. The test takes between 40 and 50 minutes to administer. If your child scores at or above 130, the brief reading and math tests are administered. These take about 15-20 minutes. Dr. Cooley scores these tests immediately and discusses the results with you. A written report is mailed to you within several days. This is the report you would submit to your child’s school.

Should I have my child tested:

You may want to refer to information in the following websites to determine if your child exhibits characteristics typical of a “gifted” child: It is important to know that advanced reading and/or math skills do not mean that your child necessarily has a “gifted” IQ. The IQ test measures various verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills and does not assess academic skills. 

Links -  Characteristics of gifted children and resources

http://www.austega.com/gifted/characteristics.htm

http://www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html

http://blogs.edweek.org

Palm Beach Post article on gifted students by Dr. Cooley

When should I test my child:

Children entering kindergarten can only be tested after February 1 of the year they will enter kindergarten. Older children can be tested at anytime of the year. Test results are valid for one year.

What should I tell my child prior to testing:

Dr. Cooley prefers that you tell your child he/she “is going to doing some work, kind of like school work to tell what’s the best class in school for him/her to be in”. Try to avoid the word, “test” as this makes some children nervous. Also avoid the word, “games” as the child may expect to play games and not take the process seriously. 

Evaluations for private schools:

The Weiss School in Palm Beach Gardens requires the administration of an IQ test for admission. Most other private schools do not have this requirement. Academic testing is not required for the Weiss School

Fees:

The fee for administration of the IQ test is $310. If a child scores at or above 130 on the IQ test, the fee for academic testing is an additional $30.