Gifted programs in NoVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What are the chances of our kid getting in GT program in FFCPS once we petition for a re-take? He scored 1 point shy of the 130 cutoff

I didn't know you could do a retest. Everyone on the board seems to have paid for a third party test and submitted those results on the appeal. That's what we did. Our sone was 2 points over the cuoff.

I think you might have a better chance if they had been just abouve the cutoff, but you never know. It seems like a good investment.($400) esp. if you get in as a result.

So you paid for your son to get tested privately vice via the school system?

I'm confused by your "didn't know you could do a retest" vs. "submitted those results on the appeal[u]" comments.

[Anonymous]

You cannot retest the CoGat or NNat. The school does not accept that. But you can have your child take another test and submit that as evidence that your child is gifted. Most parents who do this have their kid take the WISC - either at George Mason or privately. These scores can be submitted as part of the paperwork that the parents submit or they can be turned in on appeal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot retest the CoGat or NNat. The school does not accept that. But you can have your child take another test and submit that as evidence that your child is gifted. Most parents who do this have their kid take the WISC - either at George Mason or privately. These scores can be submitted as part of the paperwork that the parents submit or they can be turned in on appeal.

I guess these parents quickly turn to the WISP test right after learning the scores so that they can take care of the paperwork in time by Spring?

I also heard that even if a kid is not automatically in the pool, that the can get teachers to refer their kid?

[Anonymous]

It sounds as though the OP is more interested in Fairfax than other districts, but I wanted to point out that Arlington does have gifted services. It does not, however, have special schools for G&T kids.

[Anonymous]

You can re-take Cog-at or NNAT, either at school (Fairfax County will let DC take the test one more time) or George Mason, however, cannot be re-tested within 1 year. You can appeal or re-apply if the scores are higher. But, your best option is to have solid scores from WISC or Stanford Binet for appeal process/re-applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot retest the CoGat or NNat. The school does not accept that. But you can have your child take another test and submit that as evidence that your child is gifted. Most parents who do this have their kid take the WISC - either at George Mason or privately. These scores can be submitted as part of the paperwork that the parents submit or they can be turned in on appeal.

I guess these parents quickly turn to the WISP test right after learning the scores so that they can take care of the paperwork in time by Spring?

I also heard that even if a kid is not automatically in the pool, that the can get teachers to refer their kid?

Actually while the teachers can refer the child, it is probably best if the parent does a parental referral. Any parent can refer their child for evaluation, regardless of the CogAT or NNAT scores. The scores are only one of five items the evaluation committee looks at: Test scores, GBRS, work samples, parental/external recommendations, and "demographics".

Test scores are any approved data, and can include WISC

GBRS is the school's estimate of the giftedness, and is called the gifted behavioral rating scale

work samples, and school performance are self explanatory

Parental/external recommendations: You get a chance to evaluate your kid. From what I was told, it is really helpful to give examples. In my case, I talked about the discussions DD and I had on my work as a scientist. Recommendations are from outside people such as Sunday school teacher, piano teachers, sporting coaches, counselors (not affiliated with the school).

Demographics is affirmative action and basically acknowledges, for example, a smart ESL child might not have good parental support or good test scores.


These factors are included for each child, not just parental referrals. Everyone who cares about AAP should put together a good packet.

In my DD's case she missed the pool by 10 pts (all scores were around 120). GBRS was high: 14 (out of 16). She had excellent work performance, and good recommendations....she started AAP today.

Not all 2nd grader test well, even if they belong in GT --- that is FCPS's view point. Some will argue, but I have to agree....my DD gets nervous in testing situation, also the AAP program is to try and include anyone that is potentially gifted, because in the second grade, children are still developing.

FCPS seems to have on of the more inclusive programs nationally

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot retest the CoGat or NNat. The school does not accept that. But you can have your child take another test and submit that as evidence that your child is gifted. Most parents who do this have their kid take the WISC - either at George Mason or privately. These scores can be submitted as part of the paperwork that the parents submit or they can be turned in on appeal.

I guess these parents quickly turn to the WISP test right after learning the scores so that they can take care of the paperwork in time by Spring?

I also heard that even if a kid is not automatically in the pool, that the can get teachers to refer their kid?

Actually while the teachers can refer the child, it is probably best if the parent does a parental referral. Any parent can refer their child for evaluation, regardless of the CogAT or NNAT scores. The scores are only one of five items the evaluation committee looks at: Test scores, GBRS, work samples, parental/external recommendations, and "demographics".

Test scores are any approved data, and can include WISC

GBRS is the school's estimate of the giftedness, and is called the gifted behavioral rating scale

work samples, and school performance are self explanatory

Parental/external recommendations: You get a chance to evaluate your kid. From what I was told, it is really helpful to give examples. In my case, I talked about the discussions DD and I had on my work as a scientist. Recommendations are from outside people such as Sunday school teacher, piano teachers, sporting coaches, counselors (not affiliated with the school).

Demographics is affirmative action and basically acknowledges, for example, a smart ESL child might not have good parental support or good test scores.


These factors are included for each child, not just parental referrals. Everyone who cares about AAP should put together a good packet.

In my DD's case she missed the pool by 10 pts (all scores were around 120). GBRS was high: 14 (out of 16). She had excellent work performance, and good recommendations....she started AAP today.

Not all 2nd grader test well, even if they belong in GT --- that is FCPS's view point. Some will argue, but I have to agree....my DD gets nervous in testing situation, also the AAP program is to try and include anyone that is potentially gifted, because in the second grade, children are still developing.

FCPS seems to have on of the more inclusive programs nationally

When is the GBRS data available?

[Anonymous]

Talk to the AAP resource teacher. Usually it is available on request after the package sis submitted to the county. Best thing to do it to get know know the AAP resource teacher, and the 2nd grade teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to the AAP resource teacher. Usually it is available on request after the package sis submitted to the county. Best thing to do it to get know know the AAP resource teacher, and the 2nd grade teacher

This is so true. The process seems to be somewhat political and there are definitely "favorites." In some schools the AART seems to bend over backwards for certain parents.

Not sour grapes -- my kid got in -- no thanks to our AART.

[Anonymous]

PP 6:44--very true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to the AAP resource teacher. Usually it is available on request after the package sis submitted to the county. Best thing to do it to get know know the AAP resource teacher, and the 2nd grade teacher

Are you saying the GBRS is sent with the package from the school and if you want to know what it is, you need to ask?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talk to the AAP resource teacher. Usually it is available on request after the package sis submitted to the county. Best thing to do it to get know know the AAP resource teacher, and the 2nd grade teacher

Are you saying the GBRS is sent with the package from the school and if you want to know what it is, you need to ask?

Yes, you can ask the school to see what was sent in about your child. This would include the GBRS score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talk to the AAP resource teacher. Usually it is available on request after the package sis submitted to the county. Best thing to do it to get know know the AAP resource teacher, and the 2nd grade teacher

Are you saying the GBRS is sent with the package from the school and if you want to know what it is, you need to ask?

That's correct and you do not get to see it until after the package is submitted from the school.

We never got to see our DC's work samples that the school sent. When I met with the AART to see the package, she "forgot" to bring them.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend that you try and see the GBRS if at all possible before the school sends out its file. (I know that is not easy to do.) We were surprised by our child's GBRS rating and it kept him out of the initial acceptance pool. He had received almost all O's on his report card, had scored into the referral pool, and the AART said he would get into program as well. We appealed with additional test scores and a strong parent letter. He was accepted on appeal. If we had seen the GBRS beforehand, we would have addressed the perceived shortcomings in our original parent letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids in the gifted center at Haycock are socially weird. Not at all true with the kids at Louise Archer. But I guess a profoundly gifted kid would fit in better at Haycock.

Apparently you don't have a child at Haycock. My daughter is in her second year in the GT program at Haycock and we have not encountered any more socially weird kids than we did at her base school.

I can't speak for the boys, but the girls are just like any other girls. They have sleepovers, and giggle about boys, and play sports, and instruments, and anything else you'd expect an upper-elementary girl to do. You wouldn't know that they were GT unless you saw their test scores and classwork or asked them about what their passions are. It is entirely possible to be highly gifted and have a well-rounded social life.

If someone has told you about a classroom full of asperger-like tendencies and recesses where kids only want to read and discuss principles of physics...it's simply not the case.