GT/AAP Decisions: JUST THE SCORES, PLEASE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cogat 108
NNAT 111
Gibraltar 7
WISC 134
Accepted
3 years ago

This was in first attemp or during appeal.

[Anonymous]

If there's a WISC score for Fairfax County AAP application, does that always mean the admit was on appeal (because WISC is not necessary otherwise)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there's a WISC score for Fairfax County AAP application, does that always mean the admit was on appeal (because WISC is not necessary otherwise)?

No. Many families submit WISC scores as part of the parent referral (the initial referral and not on appeal).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there's a WISC score for Fairfax County AAP application, does that always mean the admit was on appeal (because WISC is not necessary otherwise)?

No. Many families submit WISC scores as part of the parent referral (the initial referral and not on appeal).

If the child is not in pool from the school administered test scores, (as was the case with the previous scores) many will do WISC as the pp indicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there's a WISC score for Fairfax County AAP application, does that always mean the admit was on appeal (because WISC is not necessary otherwise)?

No. Many families submit WISC scores as part of the parent referral (the initial referral and not on appeal).

I'm confused about the timing. Logistically, how does this happen? When do you find out that your school is choosing/deciding against referring your child? And there's time to get the WISC testing done and submit a parent/initial referral?

[Anonymous]

PP: it is part of the process. If you read the instructions, a parent can add any information to the packet...including wisc scores. Typically, there will be 3 -4 weeks between the in pool notices go out and the packages are due. You can get the kids tested in that period, even if they are in pool.

All that in pool means is the child scored above a cutoff on any subtest. The last few years, that cutoff is 130. There seems to be little correlation between in pool and aap admittance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP: it is part of the process. If you read the instructions, a parent can add any information to the packet...including wisc scores. Typically, there will be 3 -4 weeks between the in pool notices go out and the packages are due. You can get the kids tested in that period, even if they are in pool.
All that in pool means is the child scored above a cutoff on any subtest. The last few years, that cutoff is 130. There seems to be little correlation between in pool and aap admittance.

We have older kids and missed the entire GT boat. With a younger one coming up, I see I need an AAP education. Thanks for the info.

[Anonymous]

You need to know this: If your child is in the pool, you get a letter sent home about the same day as the test scores (separate envelope, from the county NOT the school) explaing that she/he has made the pool. If your kid is not in the pool, you get an envelope with test scores only (also from the county) but no notice that your child failed to make the pool. Even if your child misses the pool by one point, you are out of luck unless you take the initiative and figure out how to parent refer. It's on the website, but you'll never receive a letter explaining the process and it's easy to just miss all the deadlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to know this: If your child is in the pool, you get a letter sent home about the same day as the test scores (separate envelope, from the county NOT the school) explaing that she/he has made the pool. If your kid is not in the pool, you get an envelope with test scores only (also from the county) but no notice that your child failed to make the pool. Even if your child misses the pool by one point, you are out of luck unless you take the initiative and figure out how to parent refer. It's on the website, but you'll never receive a letter explaining the process and it's easy to just miss all the deadlines.

Ha. This is exactly what happened with one of our older kids. I was 100% clueless (you don't know about a pool you're not told about, right?) I was under the mistaken impression that GT meant truly genius (which DD was not in my opinion). 2 years later we had her tested for other reasons and discovered that her WISC scores should have been sufficient for the GT cutoff and she met every objective measure of "gifted." Maybe we'll get this all figured out by DC#4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to know this: If your child is in the pool, you get a letter sent home about the same day as the test scores (separate envelope, from the county NOT the school) explaing that she/he has made the pool. If your kid is not in the pool, you get an envelope with test scores only (also from the county) but no notice that your child failed to make the pool. Even if your child misses the pool by one point, you are out of luck unless you take the initiative and figure out how to parent refer. It's on the website, but you'll never receive a letter explaining the process and it's easy to just miss all the deadlines.

Our "in pool" letter came home with our child. Everything was there. Test scores, letter, everything. We didn't get anything separate from the county until the April acceptance letter. Your school's policy may be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to know this: If your child is in the pool, you get a letter sent home about the same day as the test scores (separate envelope, from the county NOT the school) explaing that she/he has made the pool. If your kid is not in the pool, you get an envelope with test scores only (also from the county) but no notice that your child failed to make the pool. Even if your child misses the pool by one point, you are out of luck unless you take the initiative and figure out how to parent refer. It's on the website, but you'll never receive a letter explaining the process and it's easy to just miss all the deadlines.

Excellent post!

Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) are responsible for presenting information to parents to inform about this process. Some schools schedule their AARTs presentation in January, to time it with the scores being mailed out and/or the in-pool notification letters being mailed out.

Note that a parent can simply refer the child, whether the child is in-pool or not.

The deadline for referring a child is February 3, 2012.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to know this: If your child is in the pool, you get a letter sent home about the same day as the test scores (separate envelope, from the county NOT the school) explaing that she/he has made the pool. If your kid is not in the pool, you get an envelope with test scores only (also from the county) but no notice that your child failed to make the pool. Even if your child misses the pool by one point, you are out of luck unless you take the initiative and figure out how to parent refer. It's on the website, but you'll never receive a letter explaining the process and it's easy to just miss all the deadlines.

Before a January panic sets in, I just wanted to add that we got our daughter's scores this year, and didn't get the pool letter until about two or three weeks later. I don't know if every school does it differently or what, but there ya go.

[Anonymous]

Is the score for being "in the pool" always 130? If so, those of us with first/second graders should be able to determine if a child is "in the pool" by just seeing the scores, right?

[Anonymous]

I can vary from year to year. But, for the last few years, it has been at 130. Bear in mind, being in the pool really does not mean much -- strong GBRS and 120 on all subtests probably has a better chance of getting in than one great subtest and average on the others, with a moderate GBRS.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to point out that an "above cutoff" composite CogAT score will not get a child "into the pool."

A child must score at or above the cutoff on the NNAT or on any one subtest of the CogAT.
If the compostite score on the CogAT test is above the cutoff, but none of the subtest scores are (which sometimes happens in the high 120 range), a child will not automatically be in the pool.