What is

Above-Level Testing

Above-level testing was developed in the early twentieth century by Dr. Leta Hollingworth, sometimes called the “mother” of gifted education. Younger students are given a test that was developed for older students, in order to identify if a student is eligible for a gifted learning program, deciding whether or not a student is ready for subject-matter acceleration, determining what a student is ready to learn next or assessing whether or not a student is ready to skip a grade or proceed to the following grade.

Above-level testing refers to an important tool for assessing the educational needs of academically talented students. Accurate and precise assessments of what students already know are necessary to ensure that gifted students are challenged in school and taught only what they do not already know.