Understanding the Benefits of Assessment

• Published in: Understanding our gifted Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 5 - 7
• Main Author: Conrad, Lisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: AppleCore Communications 2011
• Subjects: Academically Gifted; Evaluation; Intelligence Quotient; Parents; School Districts; Scores; Tests
• ISSN: 1040-1350

"All children are gifted." Yes, all children may possess gifts, but not all children are academically gifted. That alone is one of the strongest arguments for having a child assessed by a trained professional if one believes they may be gifted. There are many aspects to being gifted which is why a full-scale assessment is recommended. It is much more indicative of a child's overall ability. Unfortunately, parents cannot rely solely on their child's school to do this. It simply is not economically feasible for most school districts to provide this service; and if they do test a child, placement too often boils down to one test and one number ... 130. An IQ score above 130 and they're in the gifted program; under 130, they're possibly denied any services at all. It's not supposed to be this way. And to be clear, IQ tests are used to measure intelligence within the general population, not only the gifted population. Should a child receive the highest "possible" score, the results may be meaningless. A better means of testing is using out of level tests similar to those used in Talent Searches. One of the first challenges parents of a gifted child face is to understand the importance of having a comprehensive assessment of their child to determine appropriate school placement. In this article, the author discusses some of the factors a parent may want to consider before proceeding with a full assessment: (1) What does this type of assessment encompass?; (2) Will it make a difference in my child's educational placement?; (3) How will the findings be used?; (4) How will it affect my child's future?; and (5) Am I prepared to respond to the results of an assessment?