Instruments

The Naglieri Screener (NNAT3 or NGAT-NV) is a nonverbal measure of general ability. The Highly Capable Department uses the Naglieri to predict student’s cognitive potential, irrespective of their verbal ability, primary language, or time spent in school. The Naglieri is a 30-minute online test that will be administered during the school day. When used as a screening instrument, it can be administered to entire classrooms, in the classroom, and proctored by the classroom teacher. When used during the assessment process, trained proctors will administer the Naglieri at a predetermined location and time of day, within the student’s school. 

The score obtained from the Naglieri is called the Naglieri Ability Index, which ranges from 40 to 160 with an average of 100. 

This year, Northshore School District used the Naglieri Screener (NNAT3 or NGAT-NV) as one of its screening tools. Screeners are used to identify students with the potential for Highly Capable Program eligibility. Screening results will be communicated to schools and families in January. 

What is the Naglieri ? The Naglieri is a measure of general ability. 

What level of the Naglieri will be administered to my student? Level administered is determined by the student’s birth date. Therefore, students within any grade level classroom may receive different levels of the Naglieri . The date of birth is entered during a student’s account creation, and the Naglieri platform generates the level presented to the student. 

My student is color-blind. Can they still take the Naglieri ? If your student is color-blind, they should still be able to complete the Naglieri . The Naglieri is a non-verbal test, and each item uses various shapes in a light and a dark tone (black and white, yellow and blue, etc.). If your student cannot distinguish between light and dark tones, please contact our department and we will use a different screening measure.

How is the Naglieri administered? The Naglieri is administered on a laptop. Students take the test during the school day. Students are given 30 minutes to complete the test. Extended time is available for students with documented extended time accommodations. Proctors follow directions for administration in order to ensure district-wide consistency of administration.

When is the Naglieri typically administered? The department typically administers the Naglieri each fall or winter. 

How is performance on the Naglieri measured? The score obtained from the Naglieri is called the Naglieri Ability Index (NAI). A NAI of 100 is considered average, and 95% of students will score between 68 and 132. The Highly Capable Department uses a student’s National Percentile Rank (NPR) to determine eligibility for further testing. The NPR indicates how the student performed relative to other test-takers in their age group. A student with an NPR of 86 performed as well as, or better than, 86% of their same-age peers. An NPR between 25 and 75 is considered to be within the average range. 

What is the connection between my student’s Naglieri percentile and classroom performance? The Naglieri is a measure of a student’s cognitive ability. A student need not read, write, or speak English in order to take part in the test. The Naglieri is not a measure of classroom performance and is not correlated to the standards and content of focus in a student’s current grade level. It is possible that a student will achieve a high Naglieri percentile score, yet score differently on tools that measure academic achievement. 

How is the Naglieri used in the HiCap eligibility process? Naglieri performance is one data point within a larger portfolio of data. 

Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) are required for state and federal accountability in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA) and math.  Students are assessed in grades 3-8 to measure progress toward state standards and in grade 10 for state assessment graduation requirements. SBA administration is conducted by student’s classroom teacher(s), typically in the spring of each school year. Further information regarding state testing is located here: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/StateTesting/default.aspx

The Iowa Assessments (formerly known as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills) are standardized tests developed by the the University of Iowa College of Education. The Highly Capable Department administers the online Iowa Assessments when determining eligibility for services in reading and/or math. These tests are administered at one grade above the student's current grade level.

The Naglieri General Ability Tests- MHS Quantitative ( Naglieri & Lansdowne, 2021) was designed to allow students to solve problems regardless of the language they speak and significantly reduce the amount of formal knowledge required so tests measure how well students 'think', rather than what students 'know'. 

The test was specifically designed to measure thinking (i.e., general ability) with minimum influence of knowing. All the test questions require a student to recognize the relationships among pictures, shapes, or numbers to arrive at the correct answer. The test reflects how well a student can solve the test questions with minimal requirement of knowledge.


The MHS Quantitative test is composed of questions that are presented using numbers and shapes arranged in a pattern. The test items require students to examine the relationship, patterns, and sequences among numbers and/or symbols using basic math concepts. There are no math word problems so the items can be solved regardless of language(s).