ABSTRACT
Beginning with Terman's seminal study on giftedness, traditional assessments such as IQ and achievement tests have played a prominent role in the identification of students for gifted services. The results of the most recent State of the States report also document that states most often use a nomination/referral process that is then followed by the requirement for a specific score at least one standardized traditional measure. This chapter focuses on traditional standardized measures of intelligence, ability, and achievement only—a thorough discussion of non-verbal ability measurements, including the Nagliari Non-verbal Abilities Test (NNAT). The construct of intelligence is multifaceted and can be thought about in different ways. When selecting an assessment of cognitive ability, it is important to distinguish the underlying conception of cognitive ability the test presumes to measure. Measures of specific aptitudes and measures of achievement in specific content areas are also sometimes used for identification of students in one domain of talent.
