Arlington Public Schools gifted screening and NNAT® guide.

Arlington Public Schools (APS) in Virginia runs gifted services through its Office of Advanced Academics and Talent Development. The NNAT® is the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning test that uses shapes and patterns instead of reading or math. APS gives the Third Edition, the NNAT3.

This guide is for APS families, especially of 1st graders, who want to understand how the fall test connects to gifted screening in the spring.

What APS says about gifted screening

APS uses ability tests as universal screeners at several grade levels. All 1st graders take the NNAT3, and 9th graders who do not have an ability score take it too. 2nd graders take the CogAT, as do students in grades 3 to 8 who do not yet have a CogAT score.

Students who reach a benchmark score on the universal screener are automatically screened for gifted services and do not need a referral form, unless their parents opt out. APS does not publish that benchmark score. Everyone else can be referred by a teacher, a parent or guardian, a community member, or the student. A student can be screened once a year and must be enrolled in APS.

How the decision is made

APS uses what it calls a holistic case study. A school committee (a classroom teacher, the Advanced Academic Coach, an administrator, and others who know the child) reviews ability test scores, achievement data, teacher observations, an optional parent information form, and work samples. Students can be identified in language arts, math, science, or social studies starting in kindergarten.

If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal in writing to the principal within 10 instructional days, and then to the central office. Identified students are served in cluster groups in their regular classroom, supported by the school's Advanced Academic Coach.

Why the 1st grade score matters

The NNAT3 score is the main way a 1st grader enters screening without anyone filing a referral. If your child does not reach the benchmark, you can still refer them yourself before April 1. APS's cover letter says the NNAT3 is not pass or fail and is one piece of information among several.

Questions Arlington parents should ask

1. What day in the November 4 to December 4 window will my child take the NNAT3?
2. Did my child reach the benchmark for automatic screening?
3. If not, how do I submit a referral before April 1?
4. Who is our school's Advanced Academic Coach?
5. Which data will the committee look at besides the NNAT3?
6. When will we hear the committee's decision?

Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you turn those into one clear conversation with the Advanced Academic Coach.

How to prepare without adding pressure

APS notes that the publisher has no official practice items, and that students practice during the test session itself. Some families still want their child to have seen the format before. Keep it short: 10 to 15 minutes a day. At the 1st grade level, the NNAT® uses pattern completion, reasoning by analogy, and serial reasoning, as our NNAT® question types guide explains. Before test day, do at least two full timed practice tests so pacing is not a surprise. Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising. See how to prepare for the NNAT® for more.