Testing Process

When and Where Will Testing Take Place?

Test dates are held on Saturdays in January – March. Dates are assigned by school. Test locations and exact date(s) of testing are determined by the number of applications received. Parents will receive an email with test details by the end of December. Please make every effort to have your child attend the date(s) assigned to him/her. If you have a conflict with the date(s) or your child is sick on the day of the testing or the night before, please email advancedlearning@bsd405.org with your child’s name, grade, the test location and date(s). If there are extenuating circumstances, we may be able to reschedule your child. Illness will not be considered a valid reason for appeal.

Due to COVID-19, start and end times will be staggered by grade level. Times listed below may vary.

Testing sessions are scheduled in the following manner:

Grade	BSD Student	Private/Home-School Student
1	Tests will be administered on two half days. The CogAT is administered in the morning from approximately 8:00-11:30 am. The STAR Reading and Math assessments are administered in the afternoon. Students will be scheduled to begin at 12:00 pm or 2:00 pm.
2 – 8	Tests will be administered on one day. CogAT is administered in the morning from approximately 8:00-11:30 am. A lunch break is provided. STAR Reading and Math assessments are administered in the afternoon from approximately 12:00-1:30 pm.
9 – 11	Tests will be administered on one day. CogAT is administered in the morning from approximately 8:00-11:30 am. A lunch break is provided. IOWA Reading and Math assessments are administered in the afternoon from approximately 12:00-2:30 pm.

PLEASE NOTE: If your child is attending BSD on an inter-district transfer and is identified as in need of advanced learning, services are only provided through differentiation in the current school setting for which that transfer applies.

In order to preserve the confidentiality of the assessment instruments and the validity of students’ test results, tests are only provided in person. Test events are subject to change if health conditions dictate the closure of school buildings.

Winter Testing Dates

In-District Students:

GRADES	DATE	CogAT	STAR	IOWA
1	March 6, 2021 March 20, 2021 April 3, 2021 Students will attend 2 of the 3 dates listed above.	AM	PM
2 – 4	March 6, 2021 OR March 20, 2021 OR April 3, 2021 Students will attend 1 of the 3 dates listed above.	AM	PM
5	The identification process for 5^th grade students is changing to include screening and then testing, with an anticipated test date of April 3, 2021. Families of students who meet the screening requirements will be notified and invited for testing. There is no need for parents of 5th graders to apply as all BSD 5th graders will be screened for testing.
6 – 8	May 1, 2021	AM	PM
9 – 11	May 1, 2021	AM		PM

BSD In-District test results will be available:

Grades 1 – 5, will be available mid May.
Grades 6 – 11, will be available early June.

Private/Home-School Students:

GRADES	DATE	CogAT	STAR	IOWA
1	February 6, 2021	AM
1	February 10, 2021		PM
2 – 4	February 6, 2021	AM	PM
5	Parents who apply will be sent a document that must be completed and returned by their child’s current teacher directly to the BSD Advanced Learning Office via email. Students who meet the screening criteria will be invited to participate in testing on April 3, 2021.
6 – 8	February 6, 2021	AM	PM
9 – 11	February 6, 2021	AM		PM

Private/Home-School test results, grades 1-11, will be available by April 9, 2021. [All letters were sent out via email on April 9, 2021]

What tests do you use for placement?

The CogAT measures how students process information to reach a solution, and results are based upon each student’s level of cognitive development. Questions require reasoning skills and are not academic in nature. The STAR Assessments and Iowa Assesments measure skills that are taught and practiced in school.

1st Grade through 11th Grade

Cognitive Abilities Test 7 (CogAT 7)

For Grades 1-11

The Cognitive Abilities Test 7 measures general and specific reasoning abilities in three areas. The CogAT is administered at one grade level above the student’s grade of enrollment. This assessment includes the following subtests:

Verbal – The CogAT Verbal Battery is used to assess a student’s vocabulary, efficiency and verbal memory, ability to determine word relationships, and the ability to comprehend ideas. The CogAT Verbal test is comprised of three subtests. For lower levels, these subtests are: Sentence Completion, Picture Classification, and Picture Analogies. For higher levels, these three subtests are: Sentence Completion, Verbal Classification, and Verbal Analogies. These three subtests combined make up the CogAT Verbal score.
Nonverbal – The CogAT Nonverbal Battery is used to assess a student’s reasoning abilities through the use of spatial and figural content. There is no reading required to complete the CogAT Nonverbal test. These three subtests are: Figure Matrices, Paper Folding, and Figure Classification. These three subtests combined make up the CogAT Nonverbal score.
Quantitative – The CogAT Quantitative Battery assesses students’ quantitative reasoning and problem solving abilities. This section also evaluates the students’ level of abstract reasoning. The CogAT Quantitative Battery is comprised of three subtests: Number Series, Number Puzzles, and Number Analogies. These three subtests combined make up the CogAT Quantitative score.

The CogAT is a paper and pencil test. First graders bubble the answer directly into the booklet and students in grades 2 – 11 use a separate bubble sheet on which they record their answers. View an example

CogAT 7 Testing Level

Listed below is the test level that we use for your child’s current grade (testing in December/January) or for the grade that your child just completed (testing in July). Please note that the table below represents a test level one grade level above the grade of enrollment. Each subtest is timed at 10 minutes for students in grades 2 – 11.

Grade	Level	Method
1	8	Teacher read, paced* *up to 15 minutes each subtest
2	9	Student read, timed
3	10	Student read, timed
4	11	Student read, timed
5	12	Student read, timed
6	13	Student read, timed
7	14	Student read, timed
8	15	Student read, timed
9	16	Student read, timed
10	17	Student read, timed
11	18	Student read, timed

CogAT Form 7 Batteries

Battery	Subtests
Verbal	Picture/Verbal Analogies Sentence Completion Picture/Verbal Classification
Quantitative	Number Analogies Number Series Number Puzzles
Nonverbal	Figure Matrices Figure Classifications Paper Folding

STAR Assessments (STAR)

For Grades 1-8

The STAR Assessments are used to measure reading and math achievement. STAR Assessments are computer-based and adaptive, which adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment based upon students’ responses. STAR is highly rated in regard to reliability, validity, and generalizability, especially for diverse populations. This assessment includes the following subtests:

Reading – The program uses traditional reading comprehension passages to assess forty-six reading skills across eleven domains. The assessment consists of approximately thirty questions. Students are tested on foundational reading skills, literature components, reading informational text, and language. Students have one minute to answer each question before the program automatically moves them to the next question. The program is adaptive, so the difficulty will increase or decrease based on how a student performs.
Star Reading Sample Test Items (PDF)
Mathematics – The program assesses 49 sets of math skills in 11 domains for grades one through eight. The domains include counting and cardinality, ratios and proportional relationships, operations and algebraic thinking, the number system, geometry, measurement and data, expressions and equations, numbers and operations in base 10, fractions, statistics and probability, and functions. Students have one minute to answer each question before the program automatically moves them to the next question. The program is adaptive, so the difficulty will increase or decrease based on how a student performs. Star Math Sample Test Items (PDF)

The STAR test is completed on a laptop with a mouse both at school and when testing with the Advanced Learning Office.

STAR Testing Level

The STAR is administered at grade level, because it is adaptive, thus moving students to higher level questions based upon successful completion of grade level questions.

PLEASE NOTE: BSD students in grades 3 – 8 take STAR Reading in the Fall and Spring of each year. Elementary teachers may opt to provide the STAR Math Assessments as well. Advanced Learning collects score data from the three most recent STAR test events, if available. The STAR Reading and Math Assessments will be administered to BSD 1 – 8 graders and private/home-school students on their assigned test date as well.

Iowa Assessments (IOWA)

For Grades 9-11

The IOWA Assessments are used to measure reading and math achievement. The Iowa is administered at one grade level above the student’s grade of enrollment. This assessment includes the following subtests:

Reading – Reading includes the following sub-categories, each progressing in difficulty as test levels increase:
- Literary Text
- Informational Text
- Vocabulary
- Explicit Meaning
- Implicit Meaning
- Key Ideas
- Author’s Craft
Mathematics – The Mathematics subtest contains these same sub-categories in every level:
- Number Sense and Operations
- Algebraic Patterns and Connections
- Data Analysis, Probability, & Statistics
- Geometry
- Measurement

The IOWA is a paper and pencil test. Students use a separate bubble sheet on which they record their answers.

Learn more on the Riverside Insights Website.

Iowa Testing Level

Listed below is the test level that we use for your child’s current grade (testing in December/January) or for the grade that your child just completed (testing in July). Please note that the table below represents a test level one grade level above the grade of enrollment.

Grade	Level	Method
9	16	Student read, timed
10	17	Student read, timed
11	18	Student read, timed

How do I appeal my child’s test results?

Appeals must be based upon one of the following conditions:

Specific criteria related to the testing conditions

Misapplication or miscalculation of the scores

Advanced Learning Department assessment criteria is applied equitably to all applicants. For students not meeting the entrance criteria, appeals for further consideration can be made.

Appeals must be based upon one of the following two reasons listed to the left. If you believe one of these conditions applies to your child, you will need to submit an appeals form within ten days of receiving results. Illness will not be considered a valid reason for appeal.

Due to COVID-19, we are only accepting appeals via email at this time. Please scan and attach the Appeals Form and any additional information you wish to provide in PDF format to advancedlearning@bsd405.org. No pictures please. If you are unable to submit an appeal via email, please contact the Advanced Learning Office at (425) 456-4136.

BSD utilizes an equitable identification process, therefore private IQ test results will not be considered.

Appeals are reviewed by an Appeals Committee that consists of the Department Administrator, Psychologist, Principal, and Teacher. All submitted documents are closely and carefully reviewed. The Appeals Committee may request teacher input. The Committee is looking for evidence that the results of the testing are not a true representation of the child’s abilities. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

Appeals for K-1

The assessments collected for all K and new first grade students are part of the screening process. These assessments (observation, TRC, classroom data, DIBELS and the WAKids State Assessments) were administered to all K and new first grade students to determine their educational needs, and the results are utilized to determine if there is a need for further testing and possible inclusion in advanced learning services. Appeals for K-1 services are only valid after further testing has been conducted and reviewed by the multi-disciplinary team, and a decision regarding services has been rendered.

Advanced Learning Testing Process