GT Appeal Hearing - Anyone have experience with one?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

My 6 yr daughter received her ineligibility for services letter about 2 weeks ago. I have worked with the resource teacher (very helpful and generous) at her school to get the appeal process going and the appeal board hearing is scheduled for July. There will be 5 panelists and it's supposed to take an hour. My husband and I will attend/present at the hearing and our kids will be in camp (which is good since no children are allowed at the hearing).

Any tips/pointers on how to have present an effective appeal case or what generally goes on at these hearings? I heard there are 4 evaluation categories - KBIT score, work products, math packet, teacher/parent evaluation. My daughter did well in some evaluation categories and borderline/average in some others.

Thank you for your help in advance.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I didn't think they started the GT stuff until second grade.

[Anonymous]

OP, what district are you in?

[Anonymous]

I am in PW County.

[Anonymous]

I am having a hard time with this one. Your child did not get into the program for a reason. Why are you going through such great lengths to fight for something that she is not ready for? She is six years old! When parents start pushing kids into something they are clearly not ready for, the kids suffer mentally and emotionally. I am a teacher and I have seen it. Be careful.

[Anonymous]

"borderline/average in some others" - translation is "your child is not gifted"

You will fight to get your daughter in but what happens to her when she suffers while there? Don't you think it will be obvious fairly quickly to her that she is below the other kids in skills?

There is nothing wrong with not being in the GT program. Not every kid is gifted.

[Anonymous]

"borderline/average in some others" - translation is "your child is not gifted"

Not the OP, but the problem is many of these evaluations are subjective. There are also a number of reasons why a student may or may not test well on any given day. None of the items mentioned by the OP are IQ tests or tests that are considered highly reliable indicators of giftedness. My DD is thriving in a FCPS GT Center when her CoGAT scores were "borderline/average" and not at all a reflection of her WISC scores.

Good luck OP. I wish I knew something about PW county, but I don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Not the OP, but the problem is many of these evaluations are subjective. There are also a number of reasons why a student may or may not test well on any given day. None of the items mentioned by the OP are IQ tests or tests that are considered highly reliable indicators of giftedness.

ITA. That's why FCPS does not solely rely on test scores. Talk about pressure on a child -- especially a 6 year-old!!!

To the OP -- I wish I could help, but I don't know specifics about Prince William County's GT program. You may want to contact the President of FCAG (www.fcag.org) and see if she might have a contact or two for you.