Jean Piaget's classic theory of cognitive development would imply that the higher-order items on the Kentucky state assessment would only be possible for students well into concrete operations or beginning formal operations. The implication would be that Kentucky fourth graders who are not fully concrete yet may be hitting a developmental ceiling on the state assessment. In the week following state testing in spring 2003, 87% (n=47) of the total fourth grade at one Kentucky elementary school was tested with the Piaget conservations tasks for number, liquid, mass, and area, and tasks involving group classification and class inclusion. Fewer than half the students passed all the conservation and classification tasks, and nearly 20% missed two to six tasks each. About 28% of the total were also in transition to formal thought. This fourth grade clearly had a wide range of cognitive developmental levels that may have an impact on the school's standing on the state assessment. (Contains 4 tables and 12 references.) (SLD)