1. Cognitive Abilities Test McKinney ISD
Scott Dittner

2. What is CogAT? Test of Cognitive Ability
Norm-based test of aptitude in problem solving specific to three areas:
Verbal
Quantitative
Nonverbal

3. What is CogAT? CogAT IQ Scores fall in a bell curve
The mean score within each age group is 100
Measures developed reasoning abilities
Measures the intelligence quotient
Measures learned abilities that develop over a lifetime
Measures innate abilities that tend to stay the same over a lifetime
Many people confuse CogAT with IQ because they are both standardized tests whose results conform to a bell curve and that have an average score or 100. IQ, however, measures innate abilities so IQ scores tend to be relatively stable over your lifetime. CogAT measures learned abilities which can develop over time.
So . . .
The CogAT is not an IQ test or a measure of achievement; rather it is a measure of reasoning ability in specific aptitude areas. These reasoning skills develop gradually throughout a person’s lifetime, and at different rates for different individuals.
What the CogAT does NOT measure…
CogAT does not measure such factors as effort, attention, motivation, and work habits, which contribute to school achievement as well.
Affinity MAP Activity- Review CogAT- Write a word or phrase on a sticky that goes with CogAT or Cognition. 3 min. Silently sort sticky notes onto large poster paper 5min. Discuss and label categories 5min. (can add words at this point)

4. Reasoning Success in school depends on:
Academic knowledge and skills in the domains of study
The ability to reason well in the symbol systems used to communicate new knowledge
Reasoning abilities are important because:
They are at the core of human cognitive abilities
They are the best predictors of success in school
They routinely interact with instructional methods
Why do we care about reasoning? Success in school depends largely on
academic knowledge and skills in the domains of study (content knowledge) and
2. the ability to reason well in the symbol systems used in communicating new knowledge. (For example, letter-sound symbol correlation, Number- symbol, mathematical symbols, etc.) So a student who has the content knowledge but poor reasoning ability will still struggle.
Reasoning abilities are important because they
Are at the core of human cognitive abilities
They are the best predictors of success in formal schooling
They routinely interact with instructional methods. (CogAT guide for T and C p. 59)
1min
CogAT Interpretive Guide for Teachers and Counselors

5. What is CogAT?
Measures learned reasoning abilities in areas most linked to academic success in school program
What CogAT is Not!
CogAT is not an IQ test
CogAT is not an achievement test
Cognitive Abilities Test measures general reasoning abilities measured by the test show the cognitive process and strategies that help a student learn new tasks or solve problems. Specifically, the CogAT measures students’ learned (not innate) reasoning abilities in the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal.
The CogAT is taken by students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9, and by students testing for the PACE program. It is administered in the fall of each school year.
Many people confuse CogAT with IQ because they are both standardized tests whose results conform to a bell curve and that have an average score or 100. IQ, however, measures innate abilities so IQ scores tend to be relatively stable over your lifetime. CogAT measures learned abilities which can develop over time. CogAT does not just measure knowledge and skills gained through schooling.
So . . .
The CogAT is not an IQ test or a measure of achievement; rather it is a measure of reasoning ability in specific aptitude areas. These reasoning skills develop gradually throughout a person’s lifetime, and at different rates for different individuals.
What the CogAT does NOT measure…
CogAT does not measure such factors as effort, attention, motivation, and work habits, which contribute to school achievement as well.
1min

6. Reasoning is the most central cognitive ability.
You can develop reasoning abilities through challenging instruction.
Reasoning is the most central cognitive ability. Reasoning abilities have substantial correlations with learning and problem solving, both in and out of school. CogAT provides a measurement of a student’s cognition or reasoning skills that is not captured in school grades or other measures of school achievement.
(Carroll 1993 reanalyzed and summarized psychology research on abilities) one critical finding reported in the literature is that reasoning may be separated into 3 sub factors:
Sequential reasoning; verbal, logical, or deductive
Quantitative reasoning: inductive or deductive reasoning with quantitative concepts
Inductive reasoning: inductive reasoning with figural tasks.
A good reasoning test should measure all three factors. (CogAT has the 3 batteries- balanced view of child’s abilities)
Executive functions that are also essential for good reasoning --self monitoring, coordination of multiple inputs and mental representations (coordinate network of ideas in a text with the visual model of the situation described), working memory
Successful learning requires reasoning strategies. So The best way to develop reasoning abilities is through challenging instruction that requires students to exercise old reasoning strategies and to invent or learn new ones. It is important to note- Challenging instruction not frustrating instruction. (Martinez 2000, Snow 1996)
2min.
CogAT Interpretive Guide for Teachers and Counselors

7. Four friends decided to meet each other at the park. Kate walked ¼ mile. Terry walked 1 ¾ miles. Denny walked ¼ mile. Sondra walked 1 ¾ miles. What is the best estimate of the total miles they walked? A 2 B 4 C 8 D 10

9. How to Read a CogAT Profile
Stanine Numbers 1: Low 2-3: Below Average 4-6: Average 7-8: Above Average 9: High
Patterns
A: All scores are roughly at the sAme level
B: One score is aBove or Below the others
C: Two scores show a relative strength and weakness or Contrast
E: One score is Extremely different from the others (24 or more)
In addition to the stanine numbers, the profile contains a pattern letter. This pattern explains the relationship between the scores on the three battery tests that make up CogAT: Verbal, Nonverbal, and Quantitative.
*For students with an A score the composite is an accurate indicator of the strength of the overall cognitive resources. For students with an E score, the composite can be misleading and needs to be taken into account with the outlier score.
(Read from slide Patterns and explanations)
(Explain the V, N, and Q)
1min
V (- or +) Strength or Weakness in Verbal Score
N (- or +) Strength or Weakness in NonVerbal Score
Q (- or +) Strength or Weakness in Quantitative Score

10. Relationship of Stanines, Percentile Ranks, and Standard Age Scores on the CogAT Bell Curve
Average
Below Average
Above Average
Very Low
Very High
The scores on the CogAT fall into the bell curve we are all familiar with. Most students score in the average range in the middle. Few students score at the very high and the very low ends. The stanines are 9 zones that the bell curve is broken down into. For the purposes of the CogAT profile, the stanines represent the composite or combined score. These broader stanines allow us to discuss test results without over-emphasizing minor differences between actual scores.
In general terms, stanine 1 is very low, stanines 2-3 are below average, stanines 4-6 are average, stanines 7-8 are above average and stanine 9 is very high. Because cognitive abilities as measured on CogAT change and grow with instruction and experience, the cognitive level represented by the stanine numbers is not a permanent designation.

12. CogAT in the Classroom CogAT measures learned, not innate abilities
CogAT data is meant to be used to give teachers information on how to teach a student
Compare CogAT to Norm-References and STAAR to identify discrepancies between ability and achievement
Look at historical data available for a student to guide decision making
Look for consistent performance over time and across assessments

13. Goal for Prior Year Level III Students
ALL Prior Year Level III students to Meet or Exceed Progress in the Current Year
Identify all Prior Year Level III students who did not meet or exceed progress in the Current Year
Evaluate the programs and instructional strategies used for these students
Analyze whether the performance of students not meeting progress is consistent with classroom performance and other assessments (CogAT, Norm Referenced)
Determine the successful strategies used with these students who met or exceeded progress

14. STAAR Math Charts – Grade 5
Advanced
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Grant
James
Click on student and navigate to individual student profile
Assessment & Accountability - Plano ISD

15. Blueprint for Building a Strong GT Student
What
How
What
STAAR Reading
STAAR Math
Profile 
Verbal
Non Verbal
Quant.
Comp.
NormRef Read
NormRef Math
II-1541
II-1583 8A
124
122
116
219
229
III-1795
7C (V-N+)
107
126
114
117
218
237
III-1656
II-1616
123
230
III-1686
III-2012
8E (V+Q-)
135
120
104
235
243
III-1677
8B (N-)
106
232
241
III-1855 9A
144
133
141
III-1995
9B (Q+)
128
132
151
226
251
This is the Student Assessment Page from SAS that you are all familiar with. The three major assessments provide us with the blueprint for how to best reach each student. MAP and to some extent TAKS or STAAR gives us the what (the content). CogAT tells us the how. The column for profile listed under the CogAT heading gives us a set of directions for how to put the pieces together for each student. Depending on your campus, you may or may not have had a chance to look at these profiles.
Think of this like going to IKEA and buying a chair. You get the flat box home and you open it only to see pieces of a chair. These pieces are like the objectives identified by MAP. MAP tells you which objectives you have to work with through Descartes, which encompasses the testable TEKS in grades K-5. The direction page that comes in the box of IKEA furniture is like CogAT. This tells you how to put the pieces together to most efficiently get the desired result. I know some people put things together without the directions. This can cause you to take more time, make mistakes, and sometimes leave parts out.

16. Three Primary Uses of CogAT Scores
Help teachers adapt instructional goals, methods and materials to the individual needs of students
Measure of each student’s level of cognitive development
Identify student whose level of academic achievement differs from what would be expected on their CogAT scores