©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 1

Gifted Identification and PSAT Data

Presenter: Melanie R. Stewart, Ph.D., Director Research, Assessment and Data

Dr. Keith P. Posley, Superintendent

February 14, 2019

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 2

FIVE PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESS

Increase Academic

Achievement and

Accountability

Improve District and

School Culture

Develop Our Staff

Ensure Fiscal Responsibility

and Transparency

Strengthen Communication

and Collaboration

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 3

Identification of Gifted & Talented Students

• Milwaukee Public Schools uses a variety

of assessments to identify high ability and

potential in students

– Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

– Teacher Observation of Potential in Students

(TOPS)

– Star

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 4

Cognitive Abilities Test Screener - Composite Score

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Percent of All Students in Each Stanine

2017 2018 Normal Distribution

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 5

• The CogAT Screener identified 268 students that scored in the 7th, 8th

or 9th stanine, making them eligible for the Post-Screener.

• Those identified students came from 73 different schools in 2018,

compared with 37 schools in 2017.

• 17.5% of students taking the Post-Screener (47) scored in the 9th

stanine on at least one section of the assessment.

Identified Students from CogAT Screener

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 6

Age Stanine Distribution: Post-Screener Composite Score

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Percent of Students in Each Stanine

2017 2018

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 7

Identification with TOPS

138

180

248

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 8

STAR Data

Additional students are identified for enrichment

when they score at or above the 75th Percentile

Fall

2017

Fall

2018

Early Literacy 1366 1333

Reading 3058 3242

Math 6645 6207

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 9

Services for Identified Students

• GT parent listserv

• GT parent “GT 101” professional learning

• Social Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG) – Parent-led discussion

groups

• Saturday and summer GT camps for students in K-7th grade

• New Javits Grant: Scaling Up Expanding Excellence for

Underrepresented Students (SEE US!)

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 10

Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit

Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)

measures the skills and knowledge that

research shows are the most essential for

college and career readiness and success.

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 11

PSAT/NMSQT Benchmarks

77.4% 77.4%

38.6%31.8%

37.4%30.6%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

Grade 10 Totals Grade 11 Totals

Percentage of Students Meeting Benchmark

% Met Reading - Writing Benchmark % Met Math Benchmark % Met Both Benchmarks

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 12

PSAT/NMSQT Results

• Used by students to participate in the SAT

Practice Project

• Identifies students with AP potential

• Provides students several scholarship

opportunities

©2018 Milwaukee Public Schools • 13

Thank you

Dr. Keith P. Posley, Superintendent

Presenter: Melanie R. Stewart, Ph.D.