Grade-Level Assessment
A "snapshot" of achievement and academic ability compared to grade-level standards or peers of a similar age, which helps with planning for talent development
Programs
Enrichment and credit-bearing, accelerated programs designed for students at every age and stage of talent development.
Achievement and Grade Level Benchmarks
What can a grade-level assessment provide?
Understanding a student’s current level of achievement and academic ability compared to what they are expected to know, understand, and be able to do in school is an important reference point for academic planning. Standardized assessments are one tool that can be used to learn more about abilities and determine a student's learning readiness compared to age and grade-level peers or against grade-level standards. If your child has not been tested before or if you want to plan for supplemental programs like those offered through CTD, grade-level testing is a good place to start to learn more about their readiness for advanced learning and their instructional needs.
CTD grade-level assessment options include the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), NWEA's Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3).
Assessments
The following assessments are available at grade-level for students age 4 through grade 9. Grade levels eligible for testing vary by test. Please note that some tests are available remotely, while others are administered in-person at sites in the Chicago area.
Is my child too young for testing?
The question is not so much about age as it is about readiness and reasons for testing. When a child is expressing a strong desire to learn, demonstrating knowledge of letters, numbers, or advanced reasoning, an assessment may be helpful. The assessments CTD offers are designed for students as young as age 4. MAP and KTEA tests measure academic knowledge and skills at age-appropriate levels and are norm referenced to provide comparative analyses. The CogAT measures reasoning skills through verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal questions. CTD provides testing so that students can gain access to programs designed to meet the needs of advanced learners. The tests CTD offers are an option if a child’s current school system does not already conduct such testing.
CTD Assessment in Schools
Above-Grade-Level Assessment Options for Schools
By using above-grade-level assessments, CTD helps schools gather a more nuanced profile of advanced students’ learning needs. When given as above-grade-level assessments to high-achieving students, the tests used by CTD reveal the type of content students are ready to learn and assess readiness for acceleration, allowing educators to differentiate instruction to the appropriate level and make well informed decisions about programs and services. But more importantly, CTD Assessment helps schools:
- Analyze and understand the data to address students' learning needs,
- Determine the level of differentiation or acceleration required for students' growth,
- Plan programming to support talent development, and
- Measure the impact of programming.
Need Help Getting Started?
If you would like to work with a CTD staff member to discuss your child’s strengths, interests, or talent development pathway, consider setting up a consultation.
Looking for Above-Grade-Level Assessment Options?
If you are looking for insights about a students' readiness for acceleration, need for instruction beyond grade level, or performance as compared to other advanced learners, consider an above-grade-level assessment.