CogAT7 assessments occur each fall, mid-October through mid-November. Families should expect to receive assessment results, along with Advanced Learner determinations, via postal mail the first week of January. See below for more details about this assessment.

If you are interested in additional student eligibility for Advanced Learner services, please visit the Portfolio Assessment page. Portfolio assessments will be accepted during the regular Portfolio window mid-December, through late January.  As in any school year, students in Grades K - 5 may be nominated by SPPS staff members, family members or a community member for assessment via the Portfolio.

In SPPS, we assess students through the CogAT7 and the Portfolio process. It is our intention to provide multiple pathways for students to be assessed. When students are identified for Advanced Learner services this identification remains with them throughout their K-12 academic career in SPPS. 

CogAT7 Testing takes place in the fall each school year and is open to SPPS-enrolled students only.

All SPPS kindergarten and 2nd grade students take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT7). Students in grades 1, 3, 4 and 5 may take the test by nomination from a parent, teacher, family member of other knowledgeable adult. The CogAT7 measures general reasoning abilities in three domains: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal.

To nominate a student for the CogAT7 test, contact the student's teacher. They will forward all nominations to the school assessment coordinator. Similarly, to opt out of the assessment, families of kindergarten or 2nd grade students should notify the building principal in writing.

Upon completion of scoring and analysis, CogAT7 results are mailed home to families in early January, usually around the time of Winter Break.

Students who are identified as Advanced Learners during one school year will have access to services that are available at their school site and will be eligible to apply for Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet for the following school year. Please contact your child's school directly to learn more about the services available for advanced learners. Please note: identification as an Advanced Learner does not guarantee enrollment at Capitol Hill.

Students who do not attend Saint Paul Public Schools and live in the city of St. Paul, have the opportunity to be assessed through the portfolio process.

The SPPS testing calendar is available on the REA website. Resources for sites and teachers can also be found on the REA website.