DPS Community,

We want to share an important update about how we assess students for potential Gifted identification.

What’s changing?
Starting in the fall of 2025, we will change the grades where students are automatically assessed for cognitive ability. We will change the grades where students are automatically assessed for cognitive ability. Instead of screening all students in Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 6th grade, we will now test all students in 1st grade and 5th grade.

Why are we making this change?

1. Improved Access to Magnet Programs
   The state’s grant requirements have changed, and we can now assess students in 5th grade. This allows students to carry their results into middle school, giving families more time to make informed school choices. This change will help students access magnet programs like current HGT Magnet site Morey Middle School and the new Florida Pitt Waller K–8 magnet program, starting in fall 2026.

2. More Fair and Inclusive Testing
   After years of collecting data, we’ve seen that screening in Kindergarten wasn’t giving all students an equal chance to show what they know. Differences in experience with technology across the district and testing settings made it harder for some children to do their best. By moving the first screening to 1st grade, we hope to create a more level playing field to assess students after they are better at using the technology required to take the test. Additionally, students will be assessed using the NGAT (Naglieri General Abilities Tests) for universal screenings which has already resulted in qualifying student data that is much more reflective of the DPS student population than our previous tests.

3. More Opportunities Through Nomination
   While we will no longer automatically screen students in Kindergarten, 2nd, or 6th grade, families can still nominate their child for testing in those grades--or any other grades. We will continue to provide high-quality assessments for all students we assess. 

How Can I Get My Child Tested If They’re Not in 1st or 5th Grade?

• Families of incoming Kindergarten, 2nd, and 6th grade students in the fall of 2025: Please click here to have your child included in the testing this fall.  Need a translation of the opt-in form? Click here for Amharic, Arabic, Farsi, French, Nepali, Somali or Vietnamese

• Families of incoming students in ECE, 3rd, 4th, 7th-12: Please click here to nominate.
  Para el formulario de nominación en español, haga clic aquí.

We know this is a big change. Our team is working hard to support families, teachers, and schools through this important transition. We are grateful for your support of our commitment to equity, access, and opportunity in gifted education.

Dr. Meryl Faulkner
Director, Gifted and Talented Department

Universal gifted and talented screening is required as part of House Bill 14-1102. The State of Colorado requires “Conducting a universal screening of enrolled students no later than second grade to identify gifted children and a second screening of gifted children in conjunction with the creation of each child’s individual career and academic plan.” 

In keeping with the law and best practices, the DPS Gifted and Talented department administers a cognitive assessment to all students in 1st and 5th grades.

All students 1st and 5th grade are tested in their classrooms in the fall with the Naglieri General Ability Tests (NGAT). Students in 1st grade will receive the Verbal battery only, while 5th grade students will receive the complete test (Verbal, Nonverbal, and Quantitative batteries). Assessment will occur during the following windows:

• 5th Grade NGAT (Full Administration): September 8th-November 21st 

• 1st Grade NGAT (Verbal Subtest Only): September 15th- December 3rd

Each site will determine their testing dates within those windows. Please reach out to the GT teacher at your school for more information as to when the testing will occur. An intent to test letter should also be sent around a week before testing to alert you to the test date as well. 

Families have the right to opt their child out of testing. Opt outs may be submitted to the Opt Out Form, or in a letter or email to the GT teacher. All opt-outs MUST be in writing .

HGT identified and Magnet Eligible students WILL NOT be included in the Universal Screening process. Students with these designations already have a qualifying cognitive score which makes this testing unnecessary as it will not impact a student's current gifted label. 

GT identified students will be rostered and tested with their classes. If a GT student scores in the 95th percentile or above, they will become HGT and be eligible to attend an HGT magnet school.

The NGAT is a new cognitive measure that was developed by Drs. Jack Naglieri, Dina Brulles, and Kimberly Lansdowne over the past several years with the intention of creating a cognitive assessment that would be language-free and more conscientious of cultural differences.  The assessment was normed as of spring 2023. 

The NGAT consists of three multiple choice batteries at 40 questions each that are presented in a pictorial format that are timed at 30 minutes for kinder through 2nd grade and 35 minutes for 3rd grade and older. First grade students will receive the Verbal battery only; 5th grade will be assessed with all three batteries.

• The Verbal battery requires students to understand the relationships among six pictures to determine what verbal concept is shared by five of the pictures and which does not represent the concept. 

• The Nonverbal battery requires the student to decipher the logic behind the relationships among shapes, their color, sequences, orientation, etc. to determine which option completes the pattern. 

• The Quantitative battery requires students to examine the relationships, patterns, and sequences among numbers and/or symbols using basic math concepts. No words are presented in any of the batteries. 

The score for the NGAT is reported in a national percentile ranking which compares your student’s results to those of a group of students of the same age chosen to be representative of the U.S. population. Percentile rank tells you what percentage of students scored the same or below your student. For example, if a student scores at the 90th percentile, that means that they scored the same or better than 90% of the students of the same age. Percentile ranks range from 1 to >99, and a score at the 50th percentile is average for that student's age. 

Click here for the Parent's Guide to Assessment- NGAT 

The GT teacher at your school will send the score sheet and general informational letter in the weeks following the testing.  You will receive a letter from the central GT Department if your child scored in the 95th percentile or above and is made magnet elitible (ME).

The purpose of the universal screening is to provide all students in 1st and 5th grades with the opportunity to take a cognitive assessment that may result in a qualifying data point toward an overall body of evidence resulting in gifted identification, programming, and/or placement at a highly gifted magnet site. An age-percentile score in the 95th percentile and above is considered a qualifying data point and also results in the student being eligible to attend a gifted magnet school in DPS. 

Please note: While this cognitive score does result in magnet eligibility for the purpose of school choice in our district, the state requires additional data to fully be identified as gifted.

Nonqualifying, high scores may be considered for talent pool placement depending on the threshold established at your child's school. Please connect with the GT teacher at your school for more information about the testing processes and programming options.