Assessment Measures
- Quantitative Measures: Quantitative measures of academic giftedness—i.e., the testing tools used for gifted assessment—are generally referred to as IQ tests. Commonly used cognitive ability assessment tests include those from Stanford Binet, Wechsler, and Woodcock Johnson. Other quantitative measures, such as outstanding test scores at grade level, are often predictors of superior or very superior IQ scores. However, this is not true across the board, because some children of exceptionally high cognitive ability may perform poorly on such standardized tests, for a variety of factors that are typically tied to being placed in an inappropriate school environment.
Qualitative Measures: Qualitative measures of academic giftedness are based on observation. A child who exhibits several of certain characteristics frequently will test in the superior or very superior range of an IQ test. For example, your child may be gifted if he/she: - Masters concepts quickly
- Learns facts with minimal repetition
- Has intense interests
- Needs more flexibility to explore than conventional classrooms allow
- Prefers to work independently
- Is strongly individualistic
- Feels held back or frustrated by group learning activities
- Is keenly observant, noticing what others may not
- Is exceptionally sensitive to environmental stimuli, e.g. light, sound, temperature, texture
- Has ideas that are “out of the box” relative to chronological peers
- Uses a large vocabulary or is highly articulate
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Who Performs Gifted Assessments?
Local licensed psychologists can administer standardized IQ tests. It is important to select a professional who is experienced with gifted assessment and the gifted population. Among other things, this is because there is some research indicating that certain portions of standardized IQ tests—processing speed in particular—may not be as useful in assessing giftedness as other portions of these quantitative tests.
Dunham Academy pairs with an experienced licensed psychologist to administer these tests, for those applicants who have not been assessed elsewhere, as part of our admissions process. The Gifted Development Center in Colorado is a well known national institute that will perform these tests. The East Bay Summit Institute is also skilled in administering gifted assessment tests. There are professionals in Northern California who specialize in qualitative giftedness assessment. They rely on their deep experience with children for their assessments. Two such professionals are Anne Beneventi, who is also associated with the Gifted Development Center, and Annemarie Roeper. Dunham Academy makes a qualitative assessment of fit with our school during an applicant’s tryout day(s).
If you would like to know more about our program, please email us at admissions@dunhamacademy.com or call us (415) 491-4700.
Dunham Academy pairs with an experienced licensed psychologist to administer these tests, for those applicants who have not been assessed elsewhere, as part of our admissions process. The Gifted Development Center in Colorado is a well known national institute that will perform these tests. The East Bay Summit Institute is also skilled in administering gifted assessment tests. There are professionals in Northern California who specialize in qualitative giftedness assessment. They rely on their deep experience with children for their assessments. Two such professionals are Anne Beneventi, who is also associated with the Gifted Development Center, and Annemarie Roeper. Dunham Academy makes a qualitative assessment of fit with our school during an applicant’s tryout day(s).
If you would like to know more about our program, please email us at admissions@dunhamacademy.com or call us (415) 491-4700.
