In the News: Naglieri General Ability Tests

October 25, 2024

The Wall Street Journal article explores how New York City is reevaluating its approach to gifted and talented programs in kindergarten. Dr. Dina Brulles, one of the authors of the Naglieri General Ability Tests, was quoted on the importance of meeting advanced learners where they are rather than reteaching material they already know.

Dr. Brulles, who has led gifted education programs across multiple school districts and universities, emphasized the need to provide early learning opportunities that challenge students appropriately. Her remarks reflect her ongoing work to help schools identify and support gifted learners through fair, research-based assessment practices. The article underscores the importance of designing programs that nurture children’s potential from the start and promote continued academic growth.

October 17, 2025

The Florida Association of School Psychologists (FASP) presented Dr. Jack A. Naglieri with the Legend of School Psychology Award during its 2025 annual conference. This distinguished honor recognizes individuals whose careers have shaped the practice and principles of school psychology through innovation, leadership, and advocacy.

Dr. Naglieri was honored for his decades of work advancing fair and valid assessment practices, including the development of cognitive and nonverbal measures that allow educators to identify students’ abilities accurately and without bias. His research and test development have influenced how school psychologists and educators understand intelligence, learning, and potential—leaving a lasting impact on both research and practice in the field.

October 2, 2024

The article discusses the efforts of the Garfield Re-2 School District to enhance support for their Gifted and Talented (GT) students. It highlights the district’s initiatives to identify gifted learners more effectively, including the implementation of the Naglieri General Ability Tests. These tests provide a fair, nonverbal measure of student ability, ensuring that all learners—regardless of background or language experience—have the opportunity to be recognized for their potential.

District leaders and teachers shared how adopting the Naglieri General Ability Tests has helped them uncover strengths in students who might otherwise be overlooked through traditional identification methods. The article also notes the district’s professional development efforts to help educators interpret test data and design programs that challenge students appropriately. Garfield Re-2’s commitment reflects a broader movement toward equitable and research-based practices in gifted education.

August 8, 2024

A recent Denver7 article highlights the efforts of several Colorado school districts to better identify gifted students from diverse backgrounds, with the Naglieri General Ability Tests playing a key role in that process. Despite nearly a decade of universal testing, gifted programs in many districts still tend to reflect disparities across race and income. The piece explores how schools are taking meaningful steps to change that.

Educators and administrators describe using data in new ways to spot untapped potential, training teachers to recognize gifted behaviors across cultural and linguistic differences, and adopting cognitive assessments like the Naglieri General Ability Tests to measure reasoning rather than knowledge. These changes are helping schools create more inclusive identification practices and expand access to advanced learning opportunities for all students.

June 12, 2023

As a member of the National Working Group on Advanced Education, funded by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Dr. Dina Brulles collaborated with leading experts to produce a national report aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion within gifted and talented programs across the United States.

The working group, formed in spring 2022, convened four times to develop both a policy and practice agenda for school and district leaders, as well as a research agenda to guide future studies in the field. Dr. Brulles’s contribution reflects her ongoing commitment to ensuring that identification and programming in gifted education are equitable, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of all learners.

January 12, 2023

Dr. Kimberly Lansdowne was named the recipient of the Dr. Sanford J. Cohn Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 by the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented (AAGT). This recognition is given to individuals who have dedicated their time, skills, and resources to furthering gifted education.

As a co-author of the Naglieri General Ability Tests and Founding Executive Director of the Herberger Young Scholars Academy at Arizona State University, Dr. Lansdowne has spent her career advancing programs and practices that support gifted learners. Her work emphasizes developing environments where exceptional students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The award celebrates her lasting contributions to gifted education and her continued commitment to empowering both educators and students.

November 1, 2022

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) announced that Dr. Dina Brulles was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Ann F. Isaacs Founder’s Memorial Award in recognition of her distinguished service to NAGC and gifted education. This honor is presented annually to individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to the field.

Dr. Brulles, co-author of the Naglieri General Ability Tests and a long-time leader in gifted program development, has worked to expand access and improve identification practices for students from all backgrounds. Her leadership roles within NAGC and her collaborative work with schools and researchers have strengthened the organization’s mission to support equitable and effective gifted education nationwide. The award reflects her ongoing dedication to advancing the field and empowering educators to recognize and nurture student potential.

April 19, 2021

Students from Willie J. Middle School in Moultrie, Georgia, actively participated in data collection for the development of the Naglieri General Ability Tests. The collaboration between the school and the test development team ensured that a diverse group of students was represented in the research, strengthening the reliability and validity of the assessments. This partnership reflects the ongoing effort to create fair and accurate measures of student ability across varied learning backgrounds.