cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that FCPS GT/AAP and a private school would be a comparison (unless it was Nysmith or Edlin which are private schools for gifted kids).

A child who is bright and learns quickly would do well in a private school or in a program where academics are ahead of the norm...but a child who is actually gifted needs more. Many private schools do not have enough kids in any particular grade level to group children by ability. They may claim that their curriculum is advanced, but a gifted child would still be ready to move on before the rest of the class.
Gifted children are not just ahead of the game, they are deep thinkers, and deep feelers. Of course, they learn quickly and can handle an advanced curriculum, but they may be light years ahead in one area and behind in another, or they may be light years ahead in all areas, but need help reigning it in because their brain moves too quickly. It helps a lot to have teachers that are equipped and experienced in sorting kids like this out and providing both challenge and support.

11:02 here -- I should have just quoted this post. Very well put!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gifted children are not just ahead of the game, they are deep thinkers, and deep feelers. Of course, they learn quickly and can handle an advanced curriculum, but they may be light years ahead in one area and behind in another, or they may be light years ahead in all areas, but need help reigning it in because their brain moves too quickly. It helps a lot to have teachers that are equipped and experienced in sorting kids like this out and providing both challenge and support.

just curious - do you have gifted children?

[Anonymous]

Yes. One confirmed through testing and one (younger) whom I suspect would test even higher than the first.

[Anonymous]

I have a 4th grader in the center and for her there is no doubt that the clearest benefit is the peer group. The curriculum is fine, she could even go more quickly, but that is not a battle I care to fight. And since we can't afford any of the secular private schools around here, it's the best option we have available to us. The difference in the base school in having teachers and other support staff (like counselors) used to dealing with the needs of gifted kids makes a HUGE difference.

[Anonymous]

You know, I keep hearing about the advantages of the peer group at AAP Centers. Somewhat, but not so much. My DC is still somewhat of an outlier. Depends on what your childs strengths are.

[Anonymous]

It's January 25 but we have not received the test scores. Is it normal? Is there a deadline? Should we complain?
School GT keeps saying the scores will be send out soon.
What is your opinion?

[Anonymous]

I'm 12:44. Yes, 14:45, my kid is still an outlier at the center. But she is not as much of an outlier there and she has friends. She had no friends at our base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 12:44. Yes, 14:45, my kid is still an outlier at the center. But she is not as much of an outlier there and she has friends. She had no friends at our base school.

11:02 here -- same thing for my DC. Far, far better than our base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's January 25 but we have not received the test scores. Is it normal? Is there a deadline? Should we complain?
School GT keeps saying the scores will be send out soon.
What is your opinion?

We don't have our scores either...but I have a first grader, so it is not an issue of deadlines, just an issue of curiosity.

[Anonymous]

We finally got 1st grade test scores on Monday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something about what you wrote stands out to me. If your son is partially deaf, does he not have an IEP? Does his IEP state that he needs accomodations for testing? I cannot imagine how a child who is partially deaf could be expected to do his potential on a test given orally. Was he given accomodations? If not, I would address that in your optional papers that you submit.

Anonymous wrote:My son did not do as well as I thought he would on the CogAT and Naglieri. He has all outstanding grades, the teachers tell me how bright he is, how he works well beyond the grade level in math, etc. Plus he is bored in math and reading. Consequently, we are doing a parent referral. I am writing this post for all parents whose children were not automatically referred as a result of their test scores but who believe that their children are not sufficiently challenged in the regular curriculum in the hope that it helps people. My son is also partially deaf and I recently learned that one of the tests was given orally, which he does not process well.

We are having him take the WISC at George Mason. They told us that they are trying to get everyone who gets an appointment before February 4th should also be able to get the results before that date so that they can be submitted with the parent referral. Assuming he does well on this (and our AAP coordinator at our school told us that kids tend to do better on the WISC because it is in an individual format rather than group testing), we will submit the results with the parent referral. If he doesn't get in, we'll try again next year (they get to take the CogAT and Naglieri over in school one time). I am hoping that with his grades, his (hopefully) better WISC score, and his teachers saying that he needs to be further challenged, that this will be enough. If anyone has advice about what has worked in putting in items for the parent referral, I would appreciate it.

No, he does not have an IEP. He does have a letter from his doctor regarding his hearing results showing moderate hearing loss in one ear which stated that he must sit in the front of the classroom. Was the school supposed to do an IEP based on this? I really don't know about such things as we only joined the school last year. Should I still bring up his hearing loss in the referral? Unfortunately, our WISC test was cancelled today due to the snow so we'll just be relying on the parent referral without the new test results. Has anyone else succeeded getting their kid into AAP without submitting new test results? If so, what documentation did you submit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something about what you wrote stands out to me. If your son is partially deaf, does he not have an IEP? Does his IEP state that he needs accomodations for testing? I cannot imagine how a child who is partially deaf could be expected to do his potential on a test given orally. Was he given accomodations? If not, I would address that in your optional papers that you submit.

Anonymous wrote:My son did not do as well as I thought he would on the CogAT and Naglieri. He has all outstanding grades, the teachers tell me how bright he is, how he works well beyond the grade level in math, etc. Plus he is bored in math and reading. Consequently, we are doing a parent referral. I am writing this post for all parents whose children were not automatically referred as a result of their test scores but who believe that their children are not sufficiently challenged in the regular curriculum in the hope that it helps people. My son is also partially deaf and I recently learned that one of the tests was given orally, which he does not process well.

We are having him take the WISC at George Mason. They told us that they are trying to get everyone who gets an appointment before February 4th should also be able to get the results before that date so that they can be submitted with the parent referral. Assuming he does well on this (and our AAP coordinator at our school told us that kids tend to do better on the WISC because it is in an individual format rather than group testing), we will submit the results with the parent referral. If he doesn't get in, we'll try again next year (they get to take the CogAT and Naglieri over in school one time). I am hoping that with his grades, his (hopefully) better WISC score, and his teachers saying that he needs to be further challenged, that this will be enough. If anyone has advice about what has worked in putting in items for the parent referral, I would appreciate it.

No, he does not have an IEP. He does have a letter from his doctor regarding his hearing results showing moderate hearing loss in one ear which stated that he must sit in the front of the classroom. Was the school supposed to do an IEP based on this? I really don't know about such things as we only joined the school last year. Should I still bring up his hearing loss in the referral? Unfortunately, our WISC test was cancelled today due to the snow so we'll just be relying on the parent referral without the new test results. Has anyone else succeeded getting their kid into AAP without submitting new test results? If so, what documentation did you submit?

If you have an IEP, the school is required to make accomodations for both the classroom setting and testing. I think it would be worth looking into in your case. I would go ahead and submit the parent referral packet without additional test scores. You can still reschedule the WISC and have the results in before an appeal would be due, should you need to file one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something about what you wrote stands out to me. If your son is partially deaf, does he not have an IEP? Does his IEP state that he needs accomodations for testing? I cannot imagine how a child who is partially deaf could be expected to do his potential on a test given orally. Was he given accomodations? If not, I would address that in your optional papers that you submit.

Anonymous wrote:My son did not do as well as I thought he would on the CogAT and Naglieri. He has all outstanding grades, the teachers tell me how bright he is, how he works well beyond the grade level in math, etc. Plus he is bored in math and reading. Consequently, we are doing a parent referral. I am writing this post for all parents whose children were not automatically referred as a result of their test scores but who believe that their children are not sufficiently challenged in the regular curriculum in the hope that it helps people. My son is also partially deaf and I recently learned that one of the tests was given orally, which he does not process well.

We are having him take the WISC at George Mason. They told us that they are trying to get everyone who gets an appointment before February 4th should also be able to get the results before that date so that they can be submitted with the parent referral. Assuming he does well on this (and our AAP coordinator at our school told us that kids tend to do better on the WISC because it is in an individual format rather than group testing), we will submit the results with the parent referral. If he doesn't get in, we'll try again next year (they get to take the CogAT and Naglieri over in school one time). I am hoping that with his grades, his (hopefully) better WISC score, and his teachers saying that he needs to be further challenged, that this will be enough. If anyone has advice about what has worked in putting in items for the parent referral, I would appreciate it.

No, he does not have an IEP. He does have a letter from his doctor regarding his hearing results showing moderate hearing loss in one ear which stated that he must sit in the front of the classroom. Was the school supposed to do an IEP based on this? I really don't know about such things as we only joined the school last year. Should I still bring up his hearing loss in the referral? Unfortunately, our WISC test was cancelled today due to the snow so we'll just be relying on the parent referral without the new test results. Has anyone else succeeded getting their kid into AAP without submitting new test results? If so, what documentation did you submit?

BTW - I should have mentioned that his hearing loss is permanent resulting from the removal of a benign tumor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something about what you wrote stands out to me. If your son is partially deaf, does he not have an IEP? Does his IEP state that he needs accomodations for testing? I cannot imagine how a child who is partially deaf could be expected to do his potential on a test given orally. Was he given accomodations? If not, I would address that in your optional papers that you submit.

Anonymous wrote:My son did not do as well as I thought he would on the CogAT and Naglieri. He has all outstanding grades, the teachers tell me how bright he is, how he works well beyond the grade level in math, etc. Plus he is bored in math and reading. Consequently, we are doing a parent referral. I am writing this post for all parents whose children were not automatically referred as a result of their test scores but who believe that their children are not sufficiently challenged in the regular curriculum in the hope that it helps people. My son is also partially deaf and I recently learned that one of the tests was given orally, which he does not process well.

We are having him take the WISC at George Mason. They told us that they are trying to get everyone who gets an appointment before February 4th should also be able to get the results before that date so that they can be submitted with the parent referral. Assuming he does well on this (and our AAP coordinator at our school told us that kids tend to do better on the WISC because it is in an individual format rather than group testing), we will submit the results with the parent referral. If he doesn't get in, we'll try again next year (they get to take the CogAT and Naglieri over in school one time). I am hoping that with his grades, his (hopefully) better WISC score, and his teachers saying that he needs to be further challenged, that this will be enough. If anyone has advice about what has worked in putting in items for the parent referral, I would appreciate it.

No, he does not have an IEP. He does have a letter from his doctor regarding his hearing results showing moderate hearing loss in one ear which stated that he must sit in the front of the classroom. Was the school supposed to do an IEP based on this? I really don't know about such things as we only joined the school last year. Should I still bring up his hearing loss in the referral? Unfortunately, our WISC test was cancelled today due to the snow so we'll just be relying on the parent referral without the new test results. Has anyone else succeeded getting their kid into AAP without submitting new test results? If so, what documentation did you submit?

If you have an IEP, the school is required to make accomodations for both the classroom setting and testing. I think it would be worth looking into in your case. I would go ahead and submit the parent referral packet without additional test scores. You can still reschedule the WISC and have the results in before an appeal would be due, should you need to file one.

Thanks - I looked online and it looks like the IEP testing accommodation is for kids starting in 3rd grade for SOLs, but my child is in 2nd grade. How do I get him assessed. Is this something I contact the school about?

[Anonymous]

I would mention your son's hearing loss in the referral packet. You cold put a positive spin (i.e. how well he does even though he has a hearing loss) rather than apologizing for his scores because of it. Then, get the WISC done and have it for appeal. Schedule the WISC now, though, if you want to go to George Mason because they book up quickly during the appeal "season."