[blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Wed Apr 25 03:01:11 UTC 2012


I believe virtually all gifted program entry testing is based on percentile rankings, not a particular numeric score. I have run across 90th percentile cut-offs more often than anything else, but I think some programs skew their cutoffs, moving them over time based on available space in the program as well.

It is different than a fixed score for a particular grade like 80 to 89 is a "B". Maybe think of it like SAT scores for college entrance. It isn't the numeric score they are after, it is the highest achievers on these tests, and they set the actual cutoff score based on keeping their programs full.

With younger kids, it seems to be nearly exclusively testing-based. With older kids who have more of an established "track record" some systems may optionally factor in things like GPA, and sometimes a portfolio of work can be utilized to demonstrate achievement and capacity as well. 

The obvious challenge with a 4-year-old and these alternative methods is there are no volumes of work to use to demonstrate past performance, and there are likely no numeric grades whatsoever to review. I think we read that in our district they could optionally start using the alternative criteria around third grade. It can be a complicated process even without the added frustrations of low vision or blindness...

I hope it works out well for you!

On Apr 24, 2012, at 8:03 PM, Denise Colton wrote:

> Your right- could have meant a score in the 95 percentile or better - that
> she scores better that 95% of other 4 year olds.  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Arielle Silverman
> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 5:31 PM
> To: Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing
> 
> I was confused about the 95, too. Maybe it means 95%? But then couldn't a
> 95% on the verbal sections only be a good equivalent?
> Arielle
> 
> On 4/24/12, Denise Colton <dlcolton at parkcity.net> wrote:
>> I agree with Gina on this.
>> 
>> One curiosity: The original question stated that the child had to 
>> score a 95 or higher for admission.  A standard score of 95 on a 
>> standardized IQ test would be a score in average range not gifted range.
>> 
>> The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children cited below by Heather is 
>> not an appropriate measure because the child is too young for this 
>> measure.  The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence 
>> (WPPSI-III)verbal subtests could be a reasonable choice with verbal 
>> only subtests administered.
>> 
>> A special education teacher can not conduct the WPPSI-III.  If a 
>> special education teacher rather than a school psychologist is 
>> conducting the intelligence testing I would be very concerned that 
>> their training would not be sufficient to administer an appropriate 
>> test for giftedness to a preschool child.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>> On Behalf Of Gina Ouellette
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 2:32 PM
>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing
>> 
>> Oh, WJIII, not WSIII!
>> 
>> Sorry, the S threw me! Yes, this is an academic achievement test only, 
>> though. The APH version does not include the cognitive sections of the 
>> WJ-III, it only includes the academic achievement sections. For a 
>> young child just entering kindergarten the ceiling will be very low 
>> and she may not score very high, even if she is advanced for her age. 
>> Most gifted programs prefer to use measures of cognition rather than 
>> measures of academic achievement.
>> 
>> Gina O.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>> On Behalf Of Dr. Denise M Robinson
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:10 PM
>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing
>> 
>> Woodcock-Johnson III NU: Tests of Achievement Braille Adaptation
>> 
>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 12:07 PM, Gina Ouellette
>> <gouellette at csb-cde.ca.gov>wrote:
>> 
>>> What is the WSIII?
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> Gina
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>>> [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Dr. Denise M Robinson
>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 11:46 AM
>>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing
>>> 
>>> The WSIII has a normed braille version
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 3:33 PM, Heather Field 
>>> <missheather at comcast.net
>>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hello Arielle,
>>>> I am not aware of any IQ tests normed for 4-year-old blind children.
>>>> I believe that the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children (WISC), 
>>>> which is now in its fourth version, may have been normed for blind
>>> children.
>>>> However, even this would present problems as it would only have 
>>>> been normed on the nonvisual components. Furthermore, as the 
>>>> population of children who are blind, with no additional 
>>>> interfering variables such as other disabilities, is so small to 
>>>> begin with, and certainly the entire population was not included in 
>>>> the process of norming the test, it is almost impossible to take 
>>>> any claims of something having been normed with blind children
> seriously.
>>>> 
>>>> So, I would advise the parents to ask for their child to be 
>>>> assessed on a combination of her work and on portfolios and 
>>>> recommendations from teachers who work with her. The psychologist 
>>>> may want to give her some test of their chosing but it really will 
>>>> have no significance in deciding this child's ranking with her sighted
> peers.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Heather field
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Arielle Silverman
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 11:20 PM
>>>> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>>> Subject: [blindkid] Inquiry about IQ/Gifted Testing
>>>> 
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> This came up on another list and I think some of you will have 
>>>> answers for this mom. If you have pertinent information please 
>>>> either write to her directly using the email address provided in 
>>>> the header, or reply on-list and I will forward. Thanks for your help!
>>>> Arielle
>>>> 
>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>> From: annie murphy <annabelle231 at yahoo.com>
>>>> Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:38:53 -0700 (PDT)
>>>> Subject: [LCA] IQ Test for blind
>>>> To: "LCA at yahoogroups.com" <LCA at yahoogroups.com>
>>>> 
>>>> Hello,
>>>> 
>>>> I am trying to get Madeline enrolled in Kindergarten for the
>>>> 2012-2013 year. Because she will not be 5 until October, I have to 
>>>> go through early entrance, for which you have to be deemed gifted.
>>>> They have done everything other than an IQ test, but at this point, 
>>>> they are stumped on how to do this. I was told today that they will 
>>>> adapt the IQ test by just giving Mads the verbal parts. Anything 
>>>> with a picture or graph will be not be used. My concerns are that 
>>>> for her to get early enrollment, she has to score a 95 or higher on 
>>>> the IQ test, and they are only using the verbal parts...
>>>> Does anyone know where I can find an adapted IQ test for a 4 year old??
>>>> 
>>>> Thank you!
>>>> 
>>>> Annie
>>>> Madelin 4.5 years old, gene still unknown.
>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Denise
>>> 
>>> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>>> CEO, TechVision, LLC
>>> Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
>>> 509-674-1853
>>> 
>>> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC, 
>>> Office products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
>>> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>>> 
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one 
>>> who is doing it." --Chinese Proverb
>>> 
>>> Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are 
>>> incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful 
>>> beyond imagination.
>>> --Albert Einstein
>>> 
>>> It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
>>> --Walt Disney
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Denise
>> 
>> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>> CEO, TechVision, LLC
>> Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
>> 509-674-1853
>> 
>> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC, 
>> Office products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
>> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>> 
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one 
>> who is doing it." --Chinese Proverb
>> 
>> Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are 
>> incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful 
>> beyond imagination.
>> --Albert Einstein
>> 
>> It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
>> --Walt Disney
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