Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT)

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

NNAT Workshop

March 26, 28, & 29, 2007

NNAT Description

• The NNAT is a brief, culture-fair, nonverbal measure of ability.

• NNAT items assess ability without requiring the student to read, write, or speak.

• NNAT uses abstract figural designs and does not rely on verbal skills or achievement.

Use NNAT to ...

• Measure ability without verbal content

• Measure ability without speed requirement

• Measure ability without motor requirement

• For unbiased assessment

• Identify gifted minority children

• Evaluate students with hearing impairment

Advantages of NNAT

• Culturally fair content

• All nonverbal items

• Universal content

• No reading required

• Items do not measure achievement

• Little motor skills required

• Excellent psychometric qualities

• Administered in 30 minutes

NNAT Structure & Development

Structure of NNAT

• Seven levels

• 38 items per level

• Items selected based on item difficulty correlation to total

test bias analyses fit statistics

Level GradesA KB 1C 2D 3 & 4E 5 & 6F 7 - 9G 10 -

12

NNAT Development

• Each level overlaps with adjacent ones

• Each level tailored to a specific age

• Each level has excellent floor and ceiling

• Each level has several types of items

Progressive Matrix Structure

• Every part of the matrix must be related to every other

• Rows and columns must be combined

• The child integrates stimuli into groups and sees them as a whole

??

NNAT Item Clusters

• NNAT item types identified from past research (J. Carlson & C. Jensen, 1980; J. Naglieri & W. Insko, 1986)

• The NNAT has the following item types: Pattern Completion Reasoning by Analogy Serial Reasoning Spatial Visualization

• Note: These are NOT different types of intelligence

NNAT Levels and Clusters

Level PC RA SR SVA Yes Yes - -B Yes Yes Yes -C Yes Yes Yes YesD Yes Yes Yes Yes E Yes Yes Yes Yes F - Yes Yes YesG - Yes Yes Yes

Pattern Completion

2 3 4 51

??

Reasoning by Analogy

2 3 4 51

??

Serial Reasoning

2 3 4 51

?

Spatial Visualization

2 3 4 5 1

?

NNAT Sample Items

?

1 2 3 4 5

Sample

?

1 2 3 4 5

1

2

?

1 2 3 4 5

43

1 2 3 4 5

?

1 2 3 4 5

?

4

1 2 3 4 5

?

5

6

1 2 3 4 5

?

7

1 2 3 4 5

?

NNAT Scores

Score Types & Definitions

• Raw Score: The number of items answered correctly

• Scaled Score: A statistical conversion of the raw score that allows comparison of scores across levels

• Nonverbal Ability Index (NAI): A normalized, standard score

• Percentile Rank: Indicates the relative standing of a student in comparison with other students of the same age or grade

• Stanine: A normalized, standard score with a range of 1 to 9

• Performance Category: An indicator of student performance on the overall test or a cluster

Summary of NNAT Scoring

• Raw Scores are converted to scaled scores BY LEVEL

• Scaled scores are converted to NAI Scores BY AGE (in 1/4 year intervals) Percentiles and Stanines are provided for

Scaled Scores and NAI Scores Age Equivalents are given for Scaled

Scores

NNAT Reliability & Validity

NNAT Standardization

• Sample of 89,600 children

• Grades K - 12

• Similar to the US sample according to: Geographic Region Socioeconomic Status Urban/Suburban Ethnicity Type of School

NNAT Internal Reliability

Level Reliability NA .86 997B .84 1,649C .82 2,256D .85 4,671

E .87 4,633F .87 6,132G .87 2,329

NNAT Conclusions

• NNAT is a culture-fair, language-free measure of ability

• NNAT has excellent reliability and validity

• Brief administration time (30 minutes)

• Uses nonverbal items without achievement

• Normed on a large sample of children

• Accurate identification rates for gifted children