APS Gifted Referral Form

[Anonymous]

We know our child should be referred, they are crazy creative and above level in math and reading, and Arlington requires a referral form answering questions for like examples of how they surprise you with their knowledge or challenging problems. I know my kid has surprised me but it’s now like I took notes?? How do people fill this form?

[Anonymous]

How would you suggest they handle it? Just take your word for it?

You sit down and come up with examples, ask people who spend time with your child to help think of examples, and then you take the time to write them down in answer to the questions.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t fill it out. Our child was referred based on test scores.

[Anonymous]

Our child was referred based on test scores but we filled it out because said child is so underwhelmed and bored in school that we did not want to leave anything to chance. I don’t think anything will change even once identified - it will still be the same terrible curriculum - but it seems to matter more when they get to middle school math options, or so I’ve heard. If the test scores speak for themselves maybe the examples matter less.

Have others at APS in upper elementary found math and reading instruction to be augmented? Ours does not appear to be at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We know our child should be referred, they are crazy creative and above level in math and reading, and Arlington requires a referral form answering questions for like examples of how they surprise you with their knowledge or challenging problems. I know my kid has surprised me but it’s now like I took notes?? How do people fill this form?

I took notes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t fill it out. Our child was referred based on test scores.

Test scores? We haven't had any testing yet. Do you ask for testing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child was referred based on test scores but we filled it out because said child is so underwhelmed and bored in school that we did not want to leave anything to chance. I don’t think anything will change even once identified - it will still be the same terrible curriculum - but it seems to matter more when they get to middle school math options, or so I’ve heard. If the test scores speak for themselves maybe the examples matter less.

Have others at APS in upper elementary found math and reading instruction to be augmented? Ours does not appear to be at all.

OP here, this is partly what we are pushing for gifted. Child is in K and is so bored all day. Seems to spend a lot of time alone on the ipad (is there a way to check how much time they are logged on?), and actually asked if they could move to 1st grade.

They have fun at recess and have lots of friends in class, but basically taught themselves how to read last year, and mastered all math skills, and is just idling while teacher is focused on her large 27 student class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would you suggest they handle it? Just take your word for it?

You sit down and come up with examples, ask people who spend time with your child to help think of examples, and then you take the time to write them down in answer to the questions.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t fill it out. Our child was referred based on test scores.

Test scores? We haven't had any testing yet. Do you ask for testing?

No, they do it for all students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child was referred based on test scores but we filled it out because said child is so underwhelmed and bored in school that we did not want to leave anything to chance. I don’t think anything will change even once identified - it will still be the same terrible curriculum - but it seems to matter more when they get to middle school math options, or so I’ve heard. If the test scores speak for themselves maybe the examples matter less.

Have others at APS in upper elementary found math and reading instruction to be augmented? Ours does not appear to be at all.

OP here, this is partly what we are pushing for gifted. Child is in K and is so bored all day. Seems to spend a lot of time alone on the ipad (is there a way to check how much time they are logged on?), and actually asked if they could move to 1st grade.

They have fun at recess and have lots of friends in class, but basically taught themselves how to read last year, and mastered all math skills, and is just idling while teacher is focused on her large 27 student class.

In kindergarten? That's going to be a tough sell. Lots of kids are ahead in K if they had a strong preschool experience and those same kids don't necessarily stay ahead of the pack by grades 4-6.

Kindergarten teachers do a lot to differentiate. There's open ended writing and reading. Math extension games. Maybe it's a teacher issue, but I'd be surprised if APS flags your kid as gifted for being somewhat ahead in K unless they're clearly doing advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child was referred based on test scores but we filled it out because said child is so underwhelmed and bored in school that we did not want to leave anything to chance. I don’t think anything will change even once identified - it will still be the same terrible curriculum - but it seems to matter more when they get to middle school math options, or so I’ve heard. If the test scores speak for themselves maybe the examples matter less.

Have others at APS in upper elementary found math and reading instruction to be augmented? Ours does not appear to be at all.

OP here, this is partly what we are pushing for gifted. Child is in K and is so bored all day. Seems to spend a lot of time alone on the ipad (is there a way to check how much time they are logged on?), and actually asked if they could move to 1st grade.

They have fun at recess and have lots of friends in class, but basically taught themselves how to read last year, and mastered all math skills, and is just idling while teacher is focused on her large 27 student class.

I’m sure that others will chime in to tell you that lots of kids don’t really get much academically out of K, but academics are not really the point of K. There’s a good portion of life that’s about learning what to do with yourself when you’re bored. The gifted kids will self direct themselves into other interesting activities or learn to do so.

[Anonymous]

They wont do gifted until second grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child was referred based on test scores but we filled it out because said child is so underwhelmed and bored in school that we did not want to leave anything to chance. I don’t think anything will change even once identified - it will still be the same terrible curriculum - but it seems to matter more when they get to middle school math options, or so I’ve heard. If the test scores speak for themselves maybe the examples matter less.

Have others at APS in upper elementary found math and reading instruction to be augmented? Ours does not appear to be at all.

OP here, this is partly what we are pushing for gifted. Child is in K and is so bored all day. Seems to spend a lot of time alone on the ipad (is there a way to check how much time they are logged on?), and actually asked if they could move to 1st grade.

They have fun at recess and have lots of friends in class, but basically taught themselves how to read last year, and mastered all math skills, and is just idling while teacher is focused on her large 27 student class.

I’m sure that others will chime in to tell you that lots of kids don’t really get much academically out of K, but academics are not really the point of K. There’s a good portion of life that’s about learning what to do with yourself when you’re bored. The gifted kids will self direct themselves into other interesting activities or learn to do so.

Unless they get parked in front of an iPad, that is. In which case none of that happens. Seems like a valid thing to wonder about.

[Anonymous]

A couple of thoughts:

- APS does gifted referrals for music and art 3rd grade and up, not before, regardless of source of referral.

- From K/1st (this varied with the pandemic, but you can check in ParentVUE or with the teacher) they start participating in standardized test every year, and these start in fall. Several of the kids who are identified early on were automatically referred due to exceptional test scores (NNAT, CogAT).

- If your child is truly gifted, you have observed unusual abilities and know them without having taken notes (give this some thought).


- Every child is bored sometimes in class, this does not necessarily mean much, especially in K!


If your child is thriving socially, has learned to read, and is doing well, halfway through K, take a deep breath. You can check whether they have taken a standarized test yet - and discuss your thoughts with the teacher, and your school's gifted resource teacher.
A lot of kids in APS enter K in an advanced stage, but sometimes it balances out quickly.

[Anonymous]

I don't think they rely a lot on the answers to those questions. DD was referred for art and I said that she got into my makeup and did really beautiful eyeshadow look. For other stuff I think I included some insightful comments she had made. It wasn't a big deal.