Did anyone get in on appeal WITHOUT a WISC

[Anonymous]

When you submit the work samples, have your child write a few sentence paragraph showing their thinking. If possible help guide them towards using descriptions that match HOPE/GBRS/the 9 strategies.

People always think these things don't matter, but my (to my eyes) unimpressive test-wise kid got in this year, and I do think a solid parent packet helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

Yes. FSIQ is the same as the COGAT (128) but DC's verbal score and fluid reasoning score were 130 and 129, so we are using the WISC and submitting as both are in the "very high" range. I was obviously hoping for higher, but I still think these are good scores that paint a strong picture of DC in those important categories. DC was brought down slightly by processing speed, the tester commented in the write-yup that DC was a perfectionist and meticulous in trying to get everything right, rather than doing it quickly -- which is not a surprise to us. The WISC write-up as a whole also had some good anecdotes about DC's personality while taking the test. I'm not sure if any of it will matter, but we will try.

We are writing a strong letter, updating with work samples that show more creative thinking than what the school submitted, and using the entire WISC report. I know that this board often advises that only WISC scores of 130+ should be submitted, but we are going to go with our high 120s and see what happens!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

Yes. FSIQ is the same as the COGAT (128) but DC's verbal score and fluid reasoning score were 130 and 129, so we are using the WISC and submitting as both are in the "very high" range. I was obviously hoping for higher, but I still think these are good scores that paint a strong picture of DC in those important categories. DC was brought down slightly by processing speed, the tester commented in the write-yup that DC was a perfectionist and meticulous in trying to get everything right, rather than doing it quickly -- which is not a surprise to us. The WISC write-up as a whole also had some good anecdotes about DC's personality while taking the test. I'm not sure if any of it will matter, but we will try.

We are writing a strong letter, updating with work samples that show more creative thinking than what the school submitted, and using the entire WISC report. I know that this board often advises that only WISC scores of 130+ should be submitted, but we are going to go with our high 120s and see what happens!

My child's FSIQ score was also brought down by the processing speed. As a result, the examiner also provided the GAI score, which was 4 points higher than the FSIQ. Just curious if that also happened to you? I'm not sure how common that is. I plan to emphasize the GAI score in the appeal, especially since the examiner said that score was a better representation of my child's intelligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

Yes. FSIQ is the same as the COGAT (128) but DC's verbal score and fluid reasoning score were 130 and 129, so we are using the WISC and submitting as both are in the "very high" range. I was obviously hoping for higher, but I still think these are good scores that paint a strong picture of DC in those important categories. DC was brought down slightly by processing speed, the tester commented in the write-yup that DC was a perfectionist and meticulous in trying to get everything right, rather than doing it quickly -- which is not a surprise to us. The WISC write-up as a whole also had some good anecdotes about DC's personality while taking the test. I'm not sure if any of it will matter, but we will try.

We are writing a strong letter, updating with work samples that show more creative thinking than what the school submitted, and using the entire WISC report. I know that this board often advises that only WISC scores of 130+ should be submitted, but we are going to go with our high 120s and see what happens!

My child's FSIQ score was also brought down by the processing speed. As a result, the examiner also provided the GAI score, which was 4 points higher than the FSIQ. Just curious if that also happened to you? I'm not sure how common that is. I plan to emphasize the GAI score in the appeal, especially since the examiner said that score was a better representation of my child's intelligence.

Yes, the GAI is 130 and the FSIQ is 128 -- only a two point difference. Our examiner told us (not in the report) that the difference was not statistically significant and therefore they did not write about it in the report, but we persuaded them to list the GAI score on the last page with all of the other scores, and we will emphasize it in the letter. I am pleased that DC's strongest categories were verbal reasoning and fluid reasoning, and I am trying to emphasize those scores.

I do think that having the same FSIQ and COGAT is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows that DC is consistently in the top 10 percent / top 5 percent in all standardized tests. DC also has a very good HOPE score and I hope that new work samples will help. I recognize that DC is still likely very borderline, but we are trying our best to put forth a compelling application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

Yes. FSIQ is the same as the COGAT (128) but DC's verbal score and fluid reasoning score were 130 and 129, so we are using the WISC and submitting as both are in the "very high" range. I was obviously hoping for higher, but I still think these are good scores that paint a strong picture of DC in those important categories. DC was brought down slightly by processing speed, the tester commented in the write-yup that DC was a perfectionist and meticulous in trying to get everything right, rather than doing it quickly -- which is not a surprise to us. The WISC write-up as a whole also had some good anecdotes about DC's personality while taking the test. I'm not sure if any of it will matter, but we will try.

We are writing a strong letter, updating with work samples that show more creative thinking than what the school submitted, and using the entire WISC report. I know that this board often advises that only WISC scores of 130+ should be submitted, but we are going to go with our high 120s and see what happens!

It looks like your DC has a strong chance! Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Just curious, did your child get their results back?

Yes. FSIQ is the same as the COGAT (128) but DC's verbal score and fluid reasoning score were 130 and 129, so we are using the WISC and submitting as both are in the "very high" range. I was obviously hoping for higher, but I still think these are good scores that paint a strong picture of DC in those important categories. DC was brought down slightly by processing speed, the tester commented in the write-yup that DC was a perfectionist and meticulous in trying to get everything right, rather than doing it quickly -- which is not a surprise to us. The WISC write-up as a whole also had some good anecdotes about DC's personality while taking the test. I'm not sure if any of it will matter, but we will try.

We are writing a strong letter, updating with work samples that show more creative thinking than what the school submitted, and using the entire WISC report. I know that this board often advises that only WISC scores of 130+ should be submitted, but we are going to go with our high 120s and see what happens!

It looks like your DC has a strong chance! Good luck!!

Thank you! I think DC is very borderline, but this board has been immensely helpful as we navigate this process. Hopefully, the appeal is something that can help a borderline kid -- another set of eyes looking at the application, another letter emphasizing why your kid would really benefit from the AAP curriculum and can do the work, and another opportunity to give work samples. I am optimistic, but not getting my hopes up because the process as a whole seems so uncertain and subjective for kids who have "good" everything but not stellar test scores.

If DC does not get in on appeal, we will try again next year and see what happens then.

Good luck to everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Even with very good scores and being in pool, we are thinking of not investing in WISC. Would a good WISC be good to get it for a DC who was in pool and not getting selected? I've lost confidence in the system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:128 COGAT here (very high in verbal, more average in quantitative) and very strong HOPE scores (3 always, the rest almost always). Our DC is registered for the WISC next week. I feel like, if she scored above 135+, it would be a new data point that we could point to (in addition to submitting a new letter and work samples). Plus, I think a full-fledged IQ test like this is interesting -- for AAP purposes and just for general knowledge of your child's strengths.

I understand it is a cost commitment and time commitment, but I think it's worth it for kids whose scores are borderline.

Even with very good scores and being in pool, we are thinking of not investing in WISC. Would a good WISC be good to get it for a DC who was in pool and not getting selected? I've lost confidence in the system

If the test scores were good enough to be in the pool, then I don't think a WISC is necessary. Did you get the packet from your school's AART? You need to identify why you think your DC was not selected (low HOPE scores, average work samples, etc) and then bolster those areas on appeal. I think a WISC can help demonstrate that a kid with borderline test scores actually can perform highly enough for Level IV. For your kid, that's most likely not the committee's concern.

The process is very difficult.