How to use: Select the student's month, day, and year of birth — age calculates automatically. Scroll down for battery age range compatibility and age vs. grade norm reference.
Date of Birth
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years · months
Battery age range checker
Enter a date of birth above to check battery compatibility — or .
Age vs. grade norms — which to use?
Standard practice: Use age-based norms for cognitive and most achievement batteries. Age norms compare a student to peers of the same chronological age — the most common and legally defensible baseline for FIE eligibility decisions.
When grade norms may be appropriate: If a student was retained, grade norms compare them to classmates they actually sit with rather than age peers they don't. This can be relevant when the referral concern is performance relative to classroom expectations. Document the rationale for whichever norm you select.
WJ-V and KTEA-3 note: These batteries offer both age and grade norms in the same administration. Many diagnosticians report both when retention is a factor, noting the difference in the body of the report.
Use age norms when…
- No grade retention history
- Comparing to same-age cognitive peers
- Cognitive battery (always age)
- Making eligibility determination
- Student is at expected grade for age
Consider grade norms when…
- Student was retained one or more years
- Concern is classroom-level performance
- Eligibility already established — monitoring
- IEP team requests grade comparison
- Supplementing age norms, not replacing
Age–grade reference table (Texas, Sept 1 cutoff)
Reflects typical placement based on a September 1 birthday cutoff. Students may fall outside these ranges due to retention, early entrance, or birthdate proximity to cutoff.
Why 2nd grade? Texas requires universal dyslexia screening in kindergarten and 1st grade (TEC §38.003). By 2nd grade, students who did not respond adequately to Tier 2/3 intervention have an accumulated data trail — screener scores, progress monitoring, RTI/MTSS documentation — that supports a referral for a full individual evaluation. This makes 2nd grade the most common FIE referral window for SLD in Texas elementary settings.
| Grade | Typical age range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 5–6 | Universal dyslexia screener required (TEC §38.003); begin Tier 2 supports if indicated |
| 1st grade | 6–7 | Second screener administration; WISC-V eligible at 6:0; Tier 2/3 data accumulating |
| 2nd grade | 7–8 | Most common SLD referral window High referral — K–1 screener + RTI/MTSS data typically available |
| 3rd grade | 8–9 | STAAR reading assessment adds performance data; continued SLD identification |
| 4th grade | 9–10 | |
| 5th grade | 10–11 | |
| 6th grade | 11–12 | Middle school transition; review existing eligibility at reevaluation |
| 7th grade | 12–13 | |
| 8th grade | 13–14 | |
| 9th grade | 14–15 | Consider WAIS-IV at 16:0+ |
| 10th grade | 15–16 | |
| 11th grade | 16–17 | WAIS-IV eligible; transition planning emphasis |
| 12th grade | 17–18 | Transition FIE; WAIS-IV preferred |