cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?

[Anonymous]

Is this cut off 130 apllies to all age group range in 2nd grade or will there be any consideration for younger kids?

[Anonymous]

PP, I think second grade is second grade. By that age range, I don't think they see huge differences in the kids because of a few months like they do in preschool or kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Looking at the report we got from the CoGAT, they do use "national age scores", so I think kids are being ranked against kids in their age bracket (not sure how narrow that bracket is). My DD is young for grade (August) and her percentile scores were definitely lower for her "grade scores" vs her "standard age score".

[Anonymous]

My DS has got 129 in both NNAT and COGAT does he need a referral or do they have some kind of consideration for the + or - scores?

[Anonymous]

Have people gotten CogAt as well now?

[Anonymous]

My child got 140 on the NNAT but didn't do so well on the CoGat. I realize he made the cutoff this year but will the low CoGat affect his chances of being admitted to the GTC?

[Anonymous]

16:44. My DD is a third grader at the GTC. Her NNAT was 150 but all CoGATs were low 120s. He's probably fine. I would send in work samples, certificates, etc.

I didn't realize it but at DD's school they read the CoGAT to the students. Auditory processing is NOT her strong point to put it mildly LOL and she is highly visual. So the NNAT played to her strengths. I think this is pretty common and they recognize it. So I would try not to worry too much. A 140 NNAT is extremely high.

[Anonymous]

I also don't personally know of a single family that appealed their child getting in that didn't get their child in. Not saying they don't exist, just saying that from my casual, non-scientific observation - you push, your child gets in.................

Well, poster 8:09 on 12/20 on the first page of this thread appealed and neither of her children got in.

It's nice to be confident in your child's abilities, but I'm not sure how you can be certain your child "sailed in fairly easily" unless the test scores were off the charts. There are a LOT of 98th & 99th percentile kids in the screening pool. Many children in the pool are not admitted. All you get at the end of the screening process is a letter stating whether your child was found eligible, nothing about how they ranked among the candidates.

My DD was in the screening pool and is now in the GT Center, and I have no idea if she "sailed in" or if there was any debate over her file. Her test scores were strong, as was the rest of her file, but I don't know what went on in the screening room.

According to FCAG, about 60-70% of children in the screening pool are admitted, and about 50% of parent-referred children are admitted. I don't know the breakdown of how many of those are initially rejected but successful on appeal versus how many are admitted in the first go-around. I also don't know how many parents choose to go forward with appeals if their children are found ineligible initially.

So it's very hard to say what the odds of success are on appeal. But it's not as simple as "you push, your child gets in." The process is very formalized and done on the basis of the paper file - you are not in there lobbying for your kid. My friend is an FCPS school psychologist and participated in the file review/selection process last year, and as she explained it to me, it is very structured, with multiple people independently reviewing each file and making a recommendation. Certainly the strength of the file you put together for your child is hugely important, as is working with the school, but you can't get your child in by sheer force of will.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting, PP. I have a friend whose child got in one year. He was very gifted, but they had no idea whatsoever. he had been a middle of the road student before that, but just aced the tests. From her experience, I assumed if the kids made the screening pool they got in. I wonder what differentiates a child like hers who, it turns out, was not at all challenged but no one had figured it out before as he was in the middle groups n his classes, not the advanced classes. He is apparently doing better in GT than he was in "regular" classes.

[Anonymous]

Can someone speak to what a parent should put in a file if referring? My DS was just shy of the 130 cutoff on one CogAT, although cum CogAT was 121 and NNAT was lower. Is it smart to have more IQ testing done if you think these scores are low? His grades are excellent and teacher referrals should be strong. What kinds of work samples are helpful to submit? Are reference letters important? What can a parent do to improve a child's chances?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know whether the NNAT scores from Kindergarten count for anything? My DS got a 132 in Kindergarten, but his score for 2nd grade was 116.

Wish I could remember his CogAT score. Guess I'll wait until I get home.

And I'm also curious about what to put in the portfolio. I've been working on the parent questionnaire, but am finding it hard to find samples, particularly since video is not allowed. I'm still going to provide a URL for some of his videos and describe his projects (he loves doing stop motion movies).

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what's going on with the screening room? I was told by one of the GT teacher that they are looking at scores with 80-90% strengthes, if you have higher NNAT (say 130 + or -)but lower CoGAT, chances are very less. Since this is the ability test, scores should be very fair play.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what's going on with the screening room? I was told by one of the GT teacher that they are looking at scores with 80-90% strengthes, if you have higher NNAT (say 130 + or -)but lower CoGAT, chances are very less. Since this is the ability test, scores should be very fair play.

I have NO idea what this is supposed to mean.

First of all, a 130 NNAT score is more like 98th percentile. Kids in the 80th to 90th aren't even IN the screening pool; those are referrals. But back to the screening pool -- the reason for administering two different tests is that not every child has the same strengths when it comes to testing, but those different types of children may be qualified to be in the Center. Hence the schools use two different ability tests so they can pull as many potentially qualified children as possible into the screening pool and then evaluate them on the basis of the other factors. The don't "discount" a high score on one test or subsection because some of the other scores are lower.

In any event, the scores are only one factor and they are not weighted more heavily than any other factor. I had a long conversation with my school's GT specialist just this morning about this. The committee is looking at a lot of things, not just test scores, and they place a lot of stock in what the child's classroom teacher and other FCPS teachers recommend for the child. They really do try to look at the complete picture for each child. (I am the PP who also knows someone who participated in the selection process last year and this is consistent with what she told me as well.)

[Anonymous]

I understand the letters responding to the out-of-FCPS applicants who applied in November have been mailed -- Has anyone received one? Thanks

[Anonymous]

I got a terible score