Students in second grade will be administered the CogAT and Iowa assessments as part of South Carolina’s Grade 2 Gifted and Talented Assessment Program in October. SC State Board Regulation 43-220 requires districts to test all enrolled students (in-person and virtual). Testing is conducted at the student’s enrolled elementary school via the paper format. Parents of GCS Virtual Program (GCSVP) students must provide transportation on all test days.
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) will be administered on October 10-11. The CogAT assessment is a nationally standardized aptitude test which provides an estimate of the likelihood of a student’s success in certain academic areas. The CogAT assessment is an untimed test, but should take approximately one and a half hours per day to administer.
The Iowa assessment will be administered on October 12-13. The Iowa assessment is a nationally standardized test which measures students’ performance in reading and mathematics.The Iowa assessment is an untimed test, but should take approximately one hour per day to administer.
Testing Tips
Students and parents can work together to make sure students are well-prepared by following these suggestions:
Students should:
- Rest on the nights before these tests.
- Eat a nourishing breakfast on the morning of each test.
- Be in school and on time, except in cases of illness.
- Listen attentively to the teacher’s directions so they will know exactly what to do.
- Read each test question and each response carefully before marking an answer choice.
- Stay calm if there are questions that seem difficult.
- Mark their best answers.
- Refrain from bringing any electronic device that can be used for communicating, timing, or imaging into the testing location.
Parents should:
- Meet with your child’s teachers as often as necessary to discuss his/her progress.
- Check or review your child’s homework, projects, or other school work.
- Talk with your child about school.
- Ask teachers to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to help prepare for tests and to improve your child’s understanding of schoolwork.
- Provide positive feedback by praising your child for what he/she does well.
Help us help your child perform to the best of his or her ability. For more information about testing or your child’s progress, please call your child’s school.
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