Riverside Insights Launches the CogAT® Next-Step Planning Tool

Earlier this year, we shared the exciting news that the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) extended its Grade 2 Universal Testing Contract through the 2025–2026 school year, continuing its commitment to fair, research-based, and equitable gifted identification across the state. This means every Arizona public school can once again participate in state-supported universal screening using the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) from Riverside Insights.

Now, Riverside Insights is taking the next step – literally.

The new CogAT® Next-Step Planning Tool helps educators move seamlessly from identification to instruction. Built directly from students’ CogAT results, this free resource instantly generates ready-to-use lesson guides, activities, and grouping recommendations tailored to each learner’s unique reasoning strengths.

Why this matters for schools, teachers, and parents

• For schools, the Next-Step Planning Tool bridges the gap between assessment data and classroom application, making it easier to provide equitable enrichment opportunities and align gifted education with district-wide instructional goals.

• For teachers, it offers actionable insight into how each student thinks, not just what they know. The tool supports differentiation by giving practical strategies that address verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning—all essential for nurturing critical and creative thinking.

• For parents, it represents a meaningful step toward ensuring that CogAT results are not just numbers on a report, but the foundation for understanding and supporting each child’s potential.

Best of all, the CogAT Next-Step Planning Tool is available at no additional cost to all CogAT customers.

This new tool reflects the shared goal of identifying and developing potential in every child – a value at the heart of both ADE’s universal testing initiative and AAGT’s mission to support gifted learners statewide.

To see the tool in action, watch the short introduction video from Riverside Insights here, or learn more and explore the Next-Step Planning Tool on their website.