Parent Resources
for QUEST and Gifted Education
Understanding Giftedness
"Bright Child" vs. "Gifted Learner": What's the Difference?
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Gifted Traits and Characteristics
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The Misunderstood Face of Giftedness
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National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
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New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC)
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Supporting your Gifted Child
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
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Finding Age Appropriate Books for Gifted Readers
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Twice-Exceptional Learners
QUEST Identification Measures
Assessment for identifying student needs is an ongoing process. The identification process will be repeated annually in the Spring to determine eligibility for Tier 2 and Tier 3 services in the QUEST program for grades 3, 4, and 5.
Assessments:
(DRA)
What is the DRA?
The DRA is an individual designed to measure a student's growth in reading performance over time. It is a paper-based assessment that happens one-on-one with the teacher.
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When is the DRA administered?
The DRA is administered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring each year. The data from the Spring DRA will be used for QUEST identification.
What is the LinkIt Benchmark Assessment?
LinkIt Benchmark Assessments are designed to measure end-of-year expectations in the area of math. It is a computer-based test.
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When is LinkIt administered?
The LinkIt Benchmark Assessment is administered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring each year. The data from the Spring will be used for QUEST identification.
(CogAT)
What is the CogAT?
The CogAT is a nonverbal (no reading is required) assessment designed to measure a child's capacity to learn. It is not a test that measures academic ability. It provides reliable, valid, and accurate data for all students, regardless of language, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. ​
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When is CogAT administered?
The CogAT will be administered once annually in the Spring. CogAT is a computer-based assessment that takes approx. 60 minutes and will be taken over the course of 2 days
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How is the CogAT scored?​
The CogAT scores indicate how your child performed on the test compared with students of the same age or in the same grade. Click here to learn more about how the CogAT is scored.
Teacher Referrals
Teachers, school counselors, and school specialists can refer students they have worked with this school year for QUEST services. Referrals are based on a teacher's professional observations of academic performance, creativity, and learning behaviors. Any referrals made by a teacher are confidential and will not be shared with students or parents. As such, please do not contact teachers regarding referrals for QUEST services.
QUEST and Gifted Education FAQs
How will differentiated instruction in Tier 1 services help my child?
Differentiated instruction means that teachers structure their lessons, activities, and assessments to meet the needs of individual learners. An example of this is a class of students who are reading different books based on their individual reading levels. A differentiated instruction model enables teachers to meet the needs of high-achieving and gifted students as well by giving them enriching and challenging supplemental activities in the classroom to meet their learning needs.
If my child is found eligible for services, how long will they be in the program?
All students are reevaluated every Spring for identification of QUEST service eligibility for the following Fall. This means that a child that was found eligible for services one year, may not be found eligible the following year.
How can parents give input about their child's abilities?
Parents can fill out the QUEST Parent Questionnaire to provide information about their child's abilities, behaviors, and needs. Responses to this form are accessible to all of your child's teachers
What if my child is absent on the day one of the assessments is administered or my child enrolled in PPS after the assessments were given?
There will be make-ups for any child absent on the day an assessment is administered. Another round of assessments will be administered in the Fall and the Winter for new students to the district. In no cases, will there be opportunities for assessment re-takes.
My child was not found eligible for services, but they are very bright. How will their needs be met?
Although only 3-5% of each grade level is identified for Tier 3 services, 20%-25% of the grade level's population will be identified for Tier 2 services. This means they are part of the group that will receive differentiated instruction in the classroom to meet their needs. Also, in grades 3-5, this group of students is known as the "Affiliate Group" and will receive additional pull-out services with the QUEST teacher once per month.