Elizabeth’s teacher suspects boredom and asks how the school psychologist should respond. The best approach is to:

• A. Assess Elizabeth with an individual intelligence test to see if she should be in a gifted-education program.
• B. Provide extra challenging worksheets without formal assessment.
• C. Conclude she is bored and needs more stimulating material in class.
• D. Move her to a different classroom immediately.

Answer: (A)

When a teacher suspects boredom, the main step is to gather objective information about the student’s cognitive abilities to guide any placement or enrichment decisions. An individually administered intelligence test provides a standardized measure of cognitive skill that helps determine whether the student is operating at a level that might qualify her for gifted services. This approach moves beyond impressions and classroom behavior to establish a data-supported profile of strengths and potential needs.

Using formal assessment helps distinguish genuine under-challenge from other possibilities such as misalignment between interests and material, attention or learning issues, or social-emotional factors. If the results indicate high ability, the team can consider appropriate options like enriched curricula or acceleration within a clear, policy-aligned plan. If not, other supports can be explored without misclassifying the student.

Providing extra challenging worksheets without a formal assessment may address surface signs of boredom but won’t verify eligibility or ensure appropriate placement. Moving to a different classroom or simply concluding she needs more stimulation also bypasses careful evaluation and could disrupt learning or misallocate resources. The formal assessment option offers an evidence-based, ethically sound way to determine the best path forward.