GBRS rating are assigned by class teacher with a huge influence from AART teacher. My DS' school tells us GBRS is based on comparison with other gifted children. This means a child with GBRS 1 at gifted threshold while one with GBRS 16 is a super-genius. So a top child at entire 2nd grade level in the school may get GBRS 1 or GBRS 16. Here is the issue- Most other schools score GBRS differently. They compare each child against his/her peers at the grade level at the school. They say that a top child at entire 2nd grade level in the school is obviously gifted and will be somewhere in 12-16 range on GBRS.
Our school tells us that a child with all "O" in 1st/2nd grade, 130+ in NNAT and top of his class can get GBRS anywhere from 1 to 16. We are also told that even GBRS of 4 or 6 is excellent and clearly indicates that the child is obviously gifted (though not a genius) and should be eligible for AAP. To summarize, our school has a stricter interpretation of GBRS and compares each child to genius children in the population. Other schools give GBRS rating based on comparison with peers at the same school. Have any of you heard of this before? |
Bizarre, PP (and pretty unfair to the kids -- although the selection committee may know that your school is doing it that way).
At our school, the GBRS is determined by a board that does NOT include the child's teacher. In fact, the board may not even know who your child is. |
20:08: what wou are reporting is not consistent withh fcps guidelines: http://www.fcps.edu/dis/gt/packet/Fillable_AAP%20GBRS%20with%20Commentary.pdf
From this, gbrs of 4 (minimum score) probably means gifted behavior fairly is ever observed. Gbrs of 16 means gifted behaviors consistently observed. |
Do grades really matter all that much? I have to be honest, my daughter is in the AAP program (got in the pool and accepted with no appeal or extra information necessary) and while she had a GBRS of 13 and did very well on her testing (Sorry, don't remember the exact score) her grades were by far not all O's last year. She consistently had three N's every grading period in paying attention, completing work on time and things like that, and her actual academic grades were better with a few O's, G's and even a couple of S's.
I always hear that these kids have all O's or whatever, but mine certainly didn't. I should also add that she is doing quite well in the program this year academically, although she still gets a couple of N's in those "completes work on time/pays attention" items. |
Well, brilliant children can be especially messy, disorganized, and not pay particular attention in class (especially if the teacher is explaining something they already know.) My DC had issues with not finishing work, so I asked the teacher to see if my child was actually goofing off or helping the other kids do their work. It was the latter. I explained to DC that helping other kids was okay, but only after your own work was done. Problem solved. |
This describes my child. The teacher does NOT like her. She got 130 and she was independently tested above the 98% for IQ. However her GRBS is only ten. I feel quite pessimistic about her chances at GT. |
I take it you will appeal if your child doesn't get in the first go-round. What was the independant test? WISC? something else? Good Luck to you.
Good Luck to everyone this week! |
At our school, the teacher absolutely filled out the GBRS. Not sure I have posted on this thread, but we entered the pool last year automatically. Naglieri was in the high 120's. CogAt ranged from 128-148. GBRS (filled out by teacher and AAP) was a 9. All 0's and G's. Son was disorganized, finished work quickly, but then tended to distract others. Though no part of the GBRS includes behavior, I feel ours was clouded by that. (based on a meeting we had with his teachers, explaining how he would mature, and would coast in this year on parent referral). We parent referred this year. I will be curious to find out this year's GBRS (done by a different teacher). |
Just want to make a comment, have 2 FCPS graduates, one was in GT center for grades 3 - 8 and one was not. By the time they get to high school, this all doesn't matter and by the time they are in college it matters even less. there are social reasons for keeping kids OUT of GT that parents should keep in mind. Students in GT are with the same kids through 8th grade then they go to high school, often times with kids they have never had classes with. makes it more difficult socially. My child who was not in GT, had classes with and was close friends with the same kids through elementary middle and high where the GT child had to make all new friends in high school. Might just be our pyramid but something to keep in mind. Teacher quality is really the most important thing to keep in mind, my GT center child had a horrible third grade teacher while my non-GT child had the greatest 3rd grade teacher ever. best wishes. |
I agree that so much depends on the teacher a child gets. Having said that, I think each pyramid is different. In our pyramid, Louise Archer is the main GT elementary which has 3 classes of GT students, so the kids are not with the same kids throughout 3-6 grades, let alone through 8th grade. Having three classes of kids in the same grade is pretty typcial at any school. Once these kids reach 7th grade, most go on to Luther Jackson, while some will go to Kilmer. When they get to Jackson, they will mix in with some GT students from the Mosby Woods Center as well as some from the Mantua Center plus any student from Local Level 4 that goes to a center. So they are hardly traveling with the same kids from 3rd through 8th grade. |
Thank you, 7:51, for taking the time to post (with a breath of fresh air) about your experiences with GT and non-GT environments. You provide a well-needed practical perspective for all of us on this thread who may tend to put too much emphasis on the GT decision. Thank you so much! |
Yes 7:51 for putting it in perspective for us worry warts. Of course, we want what's best for our children, but sometimes we think we know what's best but it turns out it really is not that big of a deal. |
Has anyone been notified yet if their child got into the program? Got a VM from the AART teacher today saying DD got into level IV services. Is this the only notification or should i expect a letter from FCPS? |
what school is you DD if you don't mind me asking? |
You'll get a letter stating which school is your AAP Center. And it will have a form for you to complete with whether you will, in fact, be placing your child in the AAP Center or not. (Or if your base school has a local level 4 option, you will have to pick whether you want to stay where you are or go to the center). It will also give you the date of the AAP Open House.
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