APS - NNAT2 scores

[Anonymous]

Yes (but I'm not going to say what school).

Thank you for the responses, even if you insulted me. To be clear, I'm trying to work through my own feelings about this, and not discussing with my son at all. I specifically do not want to apply too much pressure to achieve amazing test scores if that's not in the cards, but just want to help him be all he can and wants to be.

[Anonymous]

My 2nd grader got a high score on the NNAT, but I've already been warned that GT services in Arlington ES stink so I'm not expecting much. The new APS model is push in vs. pull out, so in many schools the GT teacher is now just training the regular teachers about how to give the accelerated learners more challenging work as part of the daily routine. I'm actually surprised to hear that there are APS elementary schools that are still doing regular pull-outs b/c I've been told by our principal and GT teacher that this is going away across the entire system. And I am not convinced that any of this matters in the longer run. There was a thread here a few weeks ago about college acceptances across Arlington (from the September Arlington Magazine issue) and the crux of the thread seemed to be that Arlington does a terrible job placing kids into top universities and liberal arts colleges. Our efforts spent on elementary school GT services would probably be better spent investing in our high school programs, especially given the terrible overcrowding and no plans to build another HS. Without adequate HS capacity, all of our kids are going to be fighting for fewer spots on sports teams, clubs, etc.-- all things critical to college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader got a high score on the NNAT, but I've already been warned that GT services in Arlington ES stink so I'm not expecting much. The new APS model is push in vs. pull out, so in many schools the GT teacher is now just training the regular teachers about how to give the accelerated learners more challenging work as part of the daily routine. I'm actually surprised to hear that there are APS elementary schools that are still doing regular pull-outs b/c I've been told by our principal and GT teacher that this is going away across the entire system. And I am not convinced that any of this matters in the longer run. There was a thread here a few weeks ago about college acceptances across Arlington (from the September Arlington Magazine issue) and the crux of the thread seemed to be that Arlington does a terrible job placing kids into top universities and liberal arts colleges. Our efforts spent on elementary school GT services would probably be better spent investing in our high school programs, especially given the terrible overcrowding and no plans to build another HS. Without adequate HS capacity, all of our kids are going to be fighting for fewer spots on sports teams, clubs, etc.-- all things critical to college admissions.

Yes, the admissions stats were shockingly bad for elite colleges. I'm pretty certain there will not be fighting over clubs. But yes, if you want to have a better chance at UVA, move to Grundy or the like and excel there. Arlington is an intense area filled with hyper competitive folks searching for comparative advantages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader got a high score on the NNAT, but I've already been warned that GT services in Arlington ES stink so I'm not expecting much. The new APS model is push in vs. pull out, so in many schools the GT teacher is now just training the regular teachers about how to give the accelerated learners more challenging work as part of the daily routine. I'm actually surprised to hear that there are APS elementary schools that are still doing regular pull-outs b/c I've been told by our principal and GT teacher that this is going away across the entire system. And I am not convinced that any of this matters in the longer run. There was a thread here a few weeks ago about college acceptances across Arlington (from the September Arlington Magazine issue) and the crux of the thread seemed to be that Arlington does a terrible job placing kids into top universities and liberal arts colleges. Our efforts spent on elementary school GT services would probably be better spent investing in our high school programs, especially given the terrible overcrowding and no plans to build another HS. Without adequate HS capacity, all of our kids are going to be fighting for fewer spots on sports teams, clubs, etc.-- all things critical to college admissions.

+100

We moved here for schools. With a 5th grader now--we are seriously considering moving or going private for middle and HS. The MS is not challenging and incredibly over/crowded.

[Anonymous]

My Dd scored 80% in NNAT and went on to score a 148 on WISC-IV (it's now at version V). So take it with a grain of salt. She's in 99.9% in IQ

[Anonymous]

To the worried poster: I was a "gifted" child, with an IQ in the 140s, straight As, honors in college - all of it. My DH was a slightly above average student who barely got into college. He got a perfect score on the LSAT, went to law school at one of the top 5 schools, was executive editor of the law review, and clerked on SCOTUS. His career is far more successful than mine, and I did pretty well, too.

Your child is still developing, OP, and at his own pace. I wouldn't worry one whit about doing more than exposing him to diverse interests and encouraging him to work hard. And to keep reading, of course.

[Anonymous]

A major goal of using the Naglieri is to help get information about students who won't typically score as well on other types of assessments that may be more language based--ESOL students, students with disabilities, etc. Yes, scores are used as a guide and one piece of information to flag kids who may need extensions in the classroom, but the nature of the test in Arlington was originally to help identify underserved populations who were not as readily able to show what they know and are capable of on other more traditional tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes (but I'm not going to say what school).

Thank you for the responses, even if you insulted me. To be clear, I'm trying to work through my own feelings about this, and not discussing with my son at all. I specifically do not want to apply too much pressure to achieve amazing test scores if that's not in the cards, but just want to help him be all he can and wants to be.

New poster - does each school send them out on a different time line? I'm curious about the test results generally, but not out of concern about getting gifted and talented services (for which I doubt he qualifies). Any insight into the notification timeline would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Our school is sending them out later this week.

[Anonymous]

There is no ceiling on "spots" at a particular school. The issue is that some ES principals "don't believe in gifted". If your kid has scores like that, self-refer. If they deny access, appeal to the county office. S/he'll get in.

[Anonymous]

What is considered a high score on this test?

[Anonymous]

DC scored 51% I assume that means he's doing fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC scored 51% I assume that means he's doing fine.

I should have said, 51st percentile.

[Anonymous]

My DC scored 74th percentile which is still average. It looks like you're only above average with a 75th percent or greater. Fine with me. Don't need a test to know my kid is smart.

[Anonymous]

They sent our scores home. To the worried PP, this test looks at ONE aspect of a kid's skills/intelligence. An average score doesn't necessarily mean your kid has an IQ of 100. Relax. Some people aren't as good at spatial reasoning (I'm not and did very well academically & earned a PhD in a science).