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The Terra Nova Inview and IQ tests
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q: We just received the terra nova & Inview test results in the mail for our 3rd grader son. His total Inview score is 82, which I understand means he doesn't belong to the gifted group.
My question is since my son just moved to this new school district/school - couple months before the tests were administered. He was having a hard time adjusting because there were kids who picked on him when he first started. Not sure it would have had negative impact on his tests scores. Can his scores change next year?
I'm not so sure about the difference between terra nova and IQ tests. If you don't belong to the gifted category - does it mean you never will be?
A: The Terra Nova tests compare students with others in their grades around the nation. Hence, the scores are listed in percentiles. It also includes a component that acts like an IQ test (the InView portion). Therefore, this is a part of the Terra Nova test rather than a separate indicator. This component measures the students' ability to use information and apply it to new and different situations. It also gauges how a student analyzes and employs higher-level thinking skills (includes verbal reasoning, sequences, analogies and quantitative reasoning). In short, it measures cognitive abilities that relate to a student's ability to learn and succeed in school. The tests are designed to work together to measure student achievement.
There is a CSI (Cognitive Skills Index) which is derived from the InView portion. This test claims that the “CSI scores from InView provide a highly reliable measure of overall academic aptitude which is valuable information for guidance, activities planning, and special program identification. Anticipated Achievement scores allow one to compare student performance with that of similar individuals and groups. These scores are a powerful tool. Use them to improve instruction, address specific student strengths and needs, and provide valuable information for parent-teacher conferences”.
Bear in mind that the InView does not measure all aspects of cognitive abilities. Since it is intended for use in schools, emphasis is placed on reasoning abilities that are important for success in an educational program rather than other cognitive abilities. With a ceiling of 141, the cut-off for gifted is 127 and above.
A mere score may not indicate true intelligence but gives a general indication of the child's cognitive abilities based on the tested items. I would not compare IQ scores of two different tests for cognitive abilities as each test may emphasize on different aspects of aptitude. It is very possible for scores to be affected by emotional condition - and the extent can vary. If you feel this may be the reason and have other test scores as evidence to dispute his scores based on his emotional stability, you may want to speak to the school about his abilities to get him tested again.
If a child does not belong to a gifted category, it simply means that the child would benefit more in another program that matches his learning ability. What is required is to place a child in a program that best matches his ability for optimum results. If there is a mismatch between ability and type of learning match, the child would eventually suffer. A child can be just as successful whether in a program for gifted or another program as long as it matches the child’s abilities. Putting a child in a mismatched ability program would only make learning worse for the child. I suggest you speak with someone in his school to discuss what you feel and they may be able to advise better based on what they know about him and the information you would be able to provide. All the best!
Replied from reader: Thank you Dr. Sandhu. Your email was very helpful. I guess I'm fine with this right now. He's only 8 and my priority is to help him learn how to learn and build the foundation for life-long learning. So whether or not he's considered a gifted student by school I don't really care. They maybe tested again in a few years and we can find out if things change or not. Thanks again for your email.
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