Carnation Elementary School Gifted Testing: the CogAT

• About Carnation Elementary School
• About Riverview School District
• Riverview District's Program for the Academically Talented (PAT)
• Program for the Academically Talented (PAT) Testing at Carnation Elementary School
• CAT and CogAT Testing for Academically Talented Programs in Riverview District
• Start Preparing for Academically Talented Program testing with TestPrep Online

Carnation Elementary School is a public elementary school operating within Washington’s Riverview School District. The school caters to over 400 students in grades PK–5 and the student: teacher ratio is 17:1. About 25% of the student body come from minority backgrounds.

Carnation Elementary School is home to Riverview District's Program for the Academically Talented (PAT), which provides especially gifted students with a specialized classroom that follows an accelerated and enriched curriculum.

Washington's Riverview School District serves more than 3,200 students from the communities of Carnation, Duvall and East King County. Riverview schools offer a variety of specialized programs, including remedial reading, English Language Learners, special education, gifted programs, and more.

Riverview School District operates a differentiated learning program for academically talented students in grades K-12. Services for especially talented students include several options: acceleration in particular areas of a student's strength; self-contained classrooms for academically gifted students; specialized instruction on an individual basis, and more. Parents of students accepted into the district's PAT program may elect the option they believe is best suited for their child.

The program for elementary school children begins in grade 2. Once selected, children may remain enrolled until the end of 5th grade. The program for elementary school students includes two options of specialized instruction. Cluster Classrooms are based at Carnation Elementary School offer an accelerated and enriched curriculum and are self-contained alternatives providing a full day, full week school service.

Students focus on developing higher level thinking skills and are part of the general Carnation Elementary community. Cluster classes are teacher-led and follow the general PAT guidelines. A second option for elementary school PAT students is to continue to attend their regular elementary school class and follow the PAT plan individually together with their classroom teacher.

Students are first referred to the Carnation Elementary PAT program by teachers or parents. Referred students are then screened for PAT placement with cognitive abilities tests and achievement tests. Students who score highly in one area, either reading or math, are considered for a PAT slot providing a more challenging curriculum in the student’s particular area of strength.

The PAT admissions process begins in the fall with teacher/parent referrals. Achievement testing takes place in January. Cognitive testing is administered in early February for those who qualify in the top 10% in at least one area of achievement tests. Parents are notified in March of admission to the program for the following year.

Screening for Riverview District's PAT program is based primarily on students' CAT and CogAT scores. The CAT is an achievement test, which means it measures students' mastery of materials and skills learned in school. The CAT is a widely used test and measures ability in reading, language, spelling and mathematics.

Unlike the CAT, the CogAT is a cognitive abilities test, which means it aims to measure students' core reasoning and problem-solving skills apart from any given curriculum. The test is used nation-wide to identify students for gifted and talented programs.

The CogAT is comprised of three "batteries" which measure students' cognitive development in three areas: verbal, non-verbal and quantitative. Scores are normalized according to students' age and grade level. To learn more about how you can help your child prepare for this important test, visit our CogAT page.

Admission to Carnation Elementary School's Academically Talented Program is competitive. Only students scoring in the top percentages on cognitive and achievement tests are identified for the accelerated and enriched curriculum. It is therefore important to help students familiarize themselves with tests and prepare well in advance.

To ensure your child performs to the best of his or her abilities on test day, they can start practicing for the CogAT with TestPrep-Online's comprehensive study packs. Our CogAT prep packs are age specific and include practice tests as well as sample questions. Check out our CogAT for 2nd grade test prep materials to start preparing today.