should you prep for iq tests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never said that this was for AAP. As a matter of fact, I am sure my child has very high IQ. The point is, what is the effect of prepping, and is it worth doing it if people in your area are doing it.

My child is in AAP, and unfortunately AAP is a bit slow for child's pace. So far it is the best the child has been in, and from what I gather from teachers and counselors in the area, it is as good as it gets in NOVA. Many private schools will either not accelerate enough, or will only want to deal with 'model' children. That makes public school a better choice, because it helps relax the child.

As per more acceleration, I don't know if I want to push the child further, or just leave the child alone. An IQ test may help me make that decision, and if I want to compare my kid to others who have been accelerated, I want to compare them using the same standard, so I can make an informed decision.

So if little Johny and little Lucy got 155s on their IQ tests and thrived in an accelerated environment, but also prepped for the IQ tests, and my child got a 145, but did not prep, can I use Johny and Lucy as comparisons? Would my child get to go from a 145 to a 155 with prepping, or little Johny and little Lucy were going to get that score regardless of their prepping?

This is a practical question, not an ethical one. I'm not sure why so many of you are so worried with other people 'gaming' the system. Only one poster asked: Why do you need to know? Most of the rest of you jumped and pointed fingers.

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

[Anonymous]

The same answer applies for this thread as well as the "why do people appeal thread".

FCPS is trapped in this vicious cycle wherein AAP includes too many kids, which in turn waters down both AAP and gen ed. This makes the parents of the top gen ed kids want their kids in AAP, since with both systems watered down, their gen ed kids aren't getting their needs met in gen ed and are fully capable of handling watered-down AAP. Of course people with above average kids in FCPS want to prep, appeal, or do whatever it takes to get into AAP. At this point, any above average kid can handle AAP just fine, but will probably be bored in gen ed. This cycle has been repeated for the last 15 or so years, and over the course of that time, the AAP population has risen from about 5-6% of the student population to 20%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

True that FCPS does not test IQ. However, the NNAT and COGAT are used as substitutes. Either way, getting a higher score on these tests makes it easier to get into AAP than if you didn't. Like i said, there's always a possibility that my kids "do not belong". I do not care. I think they can manage and I monitor to make sure they do. Others' opinion on this is immaterial to me. With 2 kids through having gone through AAP (total 8 years), we've seen just one kid drop out because they coulfn't keep up.

Your argument that "if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong" is unverifiable because you either prepped before the test and therefore did not know what the scores will be if you did not or you did not prep and do not know what the scores would be if you did.

Also, since AAP is inclusive, what's wrong with prepping, getting in and maximizing your child's academic experience at FCPS? It's not like you are taking away someone else's seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

True that FCPS does not test IQ. However, the NNAT and COGAT are used as substitutes. Either way, getting a higher score on these tests makes it easier to get into AAP than if you didn't. Like i said, there's always a possibility that my kids "do not belong". I do not care. I think they can manage and I monitor to make sure they do. Others' opinion on this is immaterial to me. With 2 kids through having gone through AAP (total 8 years), we've seen just one kid drop out because they coulfn't keep up.

Your argument that "if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong" is unverifiable because you either prepped before the test and therefore did not know what the scores will be if you did not or you did not prep and do not know what the scores would be if you did.

Also, since AAP is inclusive, what's wrong with prepping, getting in and maximizing your child's academic experience at FCPS? It's not like you are taking away someone else's seat.

Because it is not necessary. You are just putting added stress on your kid in first or second grade, which is f*cking stupid. You do not know how our system works; we are a rich county in a rich country. How your kid does on the CogAT has nothing to do with lifetime success.

I know. I barely graduated HS, went to a crappy college and did well. Transferred to a good school. Got into a top grad school in my field. I am now probably in the to 5% of earners in my field of science. And I have a job I enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

True that FCPS does not test IQ. However, the NNAT and COGAT are used as substitutes. Either way, getting a higher score on these tests makes it easier to get into AAP than if you didn't. Like i said, there's always a possibility that my kids "do not belong". I do not care. I think they can manage and I monitor to make sure they do. Others' opinion on this is immaterial to me. With 2 kids through having gone through AAP (total 8 years), we've seen just one kid drop out because they coulfn't keep up.

Your argument that "if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong" is unverifiable because you either prepped before the test and therefore did not know what the scores will be if you did not or you did not prep and do not know what the scores would be if you did.

Also, since AAP is inclusive, what's wrong with prepping, getting in and maximizing your child's academic experience at FCPS? It's not like you are taking away someone else's seat.

Because it is not necessary. You are just putting added stress on your kid in first or second grade, which is f*cking stupid. You do not know how our system works; we are a rich county in a rich country. How your kid does on the CogAT has nothing to do with lifetime success.

I know. I barely graduated HS, went to a crappy college and did well. Transferred to a good school. Got into a top grad school in my field. I am now probably in the to 5% of earners in my field of science. And I have a job I enjoy.

Not everyone has Affirmative Action on their side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

True that FCPS does not test IQ. However, the NNAT and COGAT are used as substitutes. Either way, getting a higher score on these tests makes it easier to get into AAP than if you didn't. Like i said, there's always a possibility that my kids "do not belong". I do not care. I think they can manage and I monitor to make sure they do. Others' opinion on this is immaterial to me. With 2 kids through having gone through AAP (total 8 years), we've seen just one kid drop out because they coulfn't keep up.

Your argument that "if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong" is unverifiable because you either prepped before the test and therefore did not know what the scores will be if you did not or you did not prep and do not know what the scores would be if you did.

Also, since AAP is inclusive, what's wrong with prepping, getting in and maximizing your child's academic experience at FCPS? It's not like you are taking away someone else's seat.

Because it is not necessary. You are just putting added stress on your kid in first or second grade, which is f*cking stupid. You do not know how our system works; we are a rich county in a rich country. How your kid does on the CogAT has nothing to do with lifetime success.

I know. I barely graduated HS, went to a crappy college and did well. Transferred to a good school. Got into a top grad school in my field. I am now probably in the to 5% of earners in my field of science. And I have a job I enjoy.

Fair enough. Congratulations on your success! However, your choices would have been wider if you did have a great education. Most people that "barely graduate HS and go to crappy colleges" do not do well. You are an exception, not the rule.

Education is 2-way. It depends on the kids' ability as well as on the teachers'. Based on what I hear, GenEd at most FCPS schools suck. Why shouldn't I try to avoid that?

I for one, would like to see how my kid fares in AAP before I decide if it's a fit for him or not. What's wrong with that? It's not a "one-and-done" situation where we just don't pay attention to the kid after they get in. We constantly monitor to make sure that it's a good fit. It's also easier to get your kid into AAP during the normal cycle rather than later (at least that's my perception).

And "prep" is not some awful "9-5" weekends and all evening classes. It's just buying a couple of books with test samples and having your kids do it. It's also knowing what is needed for AAP well before it's testing time and gathering materials to support your referral letter, it's interacting with the teachers to make sure they think well of your child as well as know how your kid is doing in class. It's a combination of all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP. Valid question. You should be comparing your child to Johny and Lucy. My personal belief is that while intelligence is innate, success is a result of training and practice. Because of that belief, I don't care to test or want to know my child's IQ. I can determine their limits based on my personal observation. I don't need an uninterested psychologist telling me what that number. Even if I know, how does that translate into math or other ability? What's the practical use of this number called IQ?

Applying that to the context of FCPS, if the school wants to "test" my child, I will prep to make sure my child gets past the established benchmark. So hypothetically, if the cut-off was 150 and my child scored 151, I'm good. Maybe my child would have scored only 145 unprepared and not made the cut but since my personal belief system emphasizes effort over innate intelligence, I don't spend much time pondering those what-ifs. If others feel that I'm "gaming" or "cheating" that's their prerogative and a lot of people on DCUM certainly exercise their prerogatives .

If my child does not do well in this new environment because they do not belong there, i will move them down to the appropriate level but I will determine when and why, not some school administrator.

You have very good points, and a viewpoint that I had not completely considered.

thanks!.

The premise is flawed, though. In FCPS, IQ is not measured (CogAT is not an IQ test). And there are no cutoffs (except for in-pool, which is meaningless). There are almost as many parental referred kids has in pool.

I would argue if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong. Why? Well, that means you 1) did not score well on the tests, and 2) did not demonstrate gifted behavior in the class room. The FCPS process is designed to be inclusive.

My DD was admitted with CogAT's 10 points below benchmark. But, she demonstrated advanced analytical capacity (in language and math). It was not until high school that we discovered what is going on: ADD and ASD (mild). Her bench mark in a neuropsych test was all over the place. But showed analytical and verbal in the 99.9th percent. But, the working memory was in the 20th percent. Pre Aderall, her PSAT scores were the equivelent of 1150. With Aderall, she was up 300 points.

True that FCPS does not test IQ. However, the NNAT and COGAT are used as substitutes. Either way, getting a higher score on these tests makes it easier to get into AAP than if you didn't. Like i said, there's always a possibility that my kids "do not belong". I do not care. I think they can manage and I monitor to make sure they do. Others' opinion on this is immaterial to me. With 2 kids through having gone through AAP (total 8 years), we've seen just one kid drop out because they coulfn't keep up.

Your argument that "if you have to prep to make it in, you probably do not belong" is unverifiable because you either prepped before the test and therefore did not know what the scores will be if you did not or you did not prep and do not know what the scores would be if you did.

Also, since AAP is inclusive, what's wrong with prepping, getting in and maximizing your child's academic experience at FCPS? It's not like you are taking away someone else's seat.

Because it is not necessary. You are just putting added stress on your kid in first or second grade, which is f*cking stupid. You do not know how our system works; we are a rich county in a rich country. How your kid does on the CogAT has nothing to do with lifetime success.

I know. I barely graduated HS, went to a crappy college and did well. Transferred to a good school. Got into a top grad school in my field. I am now probably in the to 5% of earners in my field of science. And I have a job I enjoy.

Not everyone has Affirmative Action on their side.

I can assure you: everything I accomplished, I did on my own. Maybe there was a little white privilege (my parents could pay the tuition at a crappy school). But no affirmative active. You see, I am not a racist fool, like you.