APS - Are all students identified as gifted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS initially does gifted based off one test. There are children gifted in many other areas.

No that's not true. While there are screening tests, that's just to see who they look at. It's a holistic process, not just based on that test. Parents can nominate too.

I think this "holistic" process and parent nomination might have something to do with the N. ARL schools having a 30% gifted rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS initially does gifted based off one test. There are children gifted in many other areas.

No that's not true. While there are screening tests, that's just to see who they look at. It's a holistic process, not just based on that test. Parents can nominate too.

I think this "holistic" process and parent nomination might have something to do with the N. ARL schools having a 30% gifted rate.

They auto refer for any section of the cogat that’s 120+. It honestly doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to me that 30% of the kids in a particular school could meet that measure for one part of the test without a parental referral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS initially does gifted based off one test. There are children gifted in many other areas.

No that's not true. While there are screening tests, that's just to see who they look at. It's a holistic process, not just based on that test. Parents can nominate too.

I think this "holistic" process and parent nomination might have something to do with the N. ARL schools having a 30% gifted rate.

They auto refer for any section of the cogat that’s 120+. It honestly doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to me that 30% of the kids in a particular school could meet that measure for one part of the test without a parental referral.

No, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched, especially in area with highly educated parents. Sure, some of it could be parents pushing for the gifted label, but IQ is also (partially) inherited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Your quoting me. I had no idea ATS was that high. That's amazing.Like, I'm amazed that a data-driven school has an impossible gifted rate.

I'm a child psychologist and I worked in a summer ADHD program at my university. They used 140 as "gifted". Sometimes in the literature, 130 is used but never is 120 used. Ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Your quoting me. I had no idea ATS was that high. That's amazing.Like, I'm amazed that a data-driven school has an impossible gifted rate.

I'm a child psychologist and I worked in a summer ADHD program at my university. They used 140 as "gifted". Sometimes in the literature, 130 is used but never is 120 used. Ever.

120 is the beginning of an automatic referral, not an automatic identification. Additional data is collected to determine the eligibility and in which area(s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Your quoting me. I had no idea ATS was that high. That's amazing.Like, I'm amazed that a data-driven school has an impossible gifted rate.

I'm a child psychologist and I worked in a summer ADHD program at my university. They used 140 as "gifted". Sometimes in the literature, 130 is used but never is 120 used. Ever.

120 is the beginning of an automatic referral, not an automatic identification. Additional data is collected to determine the eligibility and in which area(s).

Is that APS-wide or school policy? I’ve never seen a number published by APS. 120 does seem low, what percentile is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Your quoting me. I had no idea ATS was that high. That's amazing.Like, I'm amazed that a data-driven school has an impossible gifted rate.

I'm a child psychologist and I worked in a summer ADHD program at my university. They used 140 as "gifted". Sometimes in the literature, 130 is used but never is 120 used. Ever.

120 is the beginning of an automatic referral, not an automatic identification. Additional data is collected to determine the eligibility and in which area(s).

Is that APS-wide or school policy? I’ve never seen a number published by APS. 120 does seem low, what percentile is that?

My dd had 122 for one of the sections and it was 92% for her age.

[Anonymous]

Curious if anyone is aware of a parent referral being ….rejected????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious if anyone is aware of a parent referral being ….rejected????

I know two families who parent referred in first grade and were rejected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Your quoting me. I had no idea ATS was that high. That's amazing.Like, I'm amazed that a data-driven school has an impossible gifted rate.

I'm a child psychologist and I worked in a summer ADHD program at my university. They used 140 as "gifted". Sometimes in the literature, 130 is used but never is 120 used. Ever.

120 is the beginning of an automatic referral, not an automatic identification. Additional data is collected to determine the eligibility and in which area(s).

Is that APS-wide or school policy? I’ve never seen a number published by APS. 120 does seem low, what percentile is that?

A referral at a 120 and above is an APS wide policy. This is in the 2022-2027 Local Plan for Gifted Education.

1-7.2.2 Gifted Services 1-7.2.2 PIP-1 Gifted Services
The principal with the support of the RTG of each school is responsible for the
screening and identification of students in need of gifted services using the procedures
adopted by the School Board in the APS Local Plan for the Gifted.

All students are considered each year for gifted services for specific academic
aptitude in English, History/Social Science, Mathematics and Science.

• Each school determines a need for gifted services at the elementary, middle,
and high school level.

• Students who achieve a benchmark score of 120 or higher on any subtest of
the universal ability assessment are automatically screened by the school
based screening committee for gifted services.

Entire Local Plan found here: https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-2027-APS-Gifted-Services-Local-Plan-Final-.pdf

[Anonymous]

Pp here asking about timing and we were notified today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be identified as gifted in one area but not another. DD2 is gifted in math but nothing else. DD1 is gifted in every single category. Who cares really? Out of all thing to hate about APS this isn’t one of them.

I agree the label in APS means nothing, other than your kid is not behind. The main reason to obtain the identification, however, is to enforce more challenging material, or as you go into middle and high school, placement in higher level classes. Still won't ensure an appropriate level of challenge for your child in every subject/class; but it can be helpful when arguing - I mean advocating - for your kid when it really matters.

The designation also makes you eligible for the governor’s schools in HS, which is the only real tangible reason to pursue it. The rest is just a mash-up of parental anxiety and weird competitiveness. But to answer the original question, yes, the vast majority of kids in APS have the designation. Especially North Arlington. Just think about the kinds of people attracted to the DC area for work and can afford to own a house in one of the most expensive counties in the country. This is their offspring.

Mind you, most of the kids with the designation aren’t actually *gifted* like in the sense of being prodigies. They’re bright, high-achievers with solid home resources.

The “vast majority” of kids in APS? So, you are claiming that well over half the kids in APS are identified as gifted? This is, of course, false.

Well the majority of HBW are gifted

The majority are identified as gifted in one or more areas. I know somebody whose child was identified as gifted in art but nothing else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In APS does gifted really mean average - there doesn't seem to be a specific hurdle. All of the parents we know have children gifted in something - almost like a participation trophy.

30% at some schools like Cardinal. There's magic in that water. Weirdly, that's not the gifted rate at ATS which is in the old McK space. So, must be something else...

The ATS rate is higher than Cardinal...what are you saying here?

Where do find gifted rates at schools? I've never seen that.