Identification of Gifted Students
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THE C.A.T.S Referral Process is now closed for the 2023-2024 school year.
CATS identification begins with teacher and/or parent referral each November and closes in early January. The Northwest Gifted Education staff provides classroom teachers with guidance and tools to use in student selection. A student may be placed on the referral list by teachers or parents. Students new to the district are addressed on an individual basis.
Please contact Kim Sult at 636-677-3473, ext. 21008 with questions regarding the identification process.
TESTING PROCEDURES
Step 1: Parent and/or Teacher Referral
Parents complete the Parent Evaluation Paper or Google Form. Return the paper packet to your child's classroom teacher.
Step 2:Group Cognitive Ability TestStudents qualify for further evaluation by scoring at or above the 85th percentile on a nationally-normed achievement test.
Step 3: Individual Intelligence Test
Students must score at or above the 95th percentile on an individual intelligence test.*To qualify for C.A.T.S., a completed initial qualification referral must be submitted, score at or above the 85th percentile on the ability test, and score at or above the 95th percentile on the IQ. All of these requirements must be met within the same school calendar year. Northwest's identification process limits testing to once every two years in grades 3 and above.
TRANSFER STUDENTS
Students transferring into Northwest Schools may submit results from intelligence tests that were administered by their former school districts. Tests need to be the same as those used by Northwest Gifted Education. The CATS department will review the information in regards to qualifying for the program.