Not gifted, but wants to learn

[Anonymous]

I don't think my son is gifted, but he has incredible executive function skills and loves to work hard. He is a rising second grader and said school was too boring last year and he hopes it is harder next year. Over the summer, he wanted to learn 2nd and 3rd grade math, so we're currently on multiplication and division.
I really feel like he would benefit from being in the AAP program, though his NNAT score was just around 120. What are the chances that a child that is not actually gifted, but interested in working hard and learning, can be placed in the AAP program? My older daughter has learning disabilities, so this is all new to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think my son is gifted, but he has incredible executive function skills and loves to work hard. He is a rising second grader and said school was too boring last year and he hopes it is harder next year. Over the summer, he wanted to learn 2nd and 3rd grade math, so we're currently on multiplication and division.
I really feel like he would benefit from being in the AAP program, though his NNAT score was just around 120. What are the chances that a child that is not actually gifted, but interested in working hard and learning, can be placed in the AAP program? My older daughter has learning disabilities, so this is all new to me.

Wait and see what his cogat score is--it could be considerably higher. His NNAT would be too low to qualify if it's his highest, but mid to high 120s plus really good teacher ratings can sometimes get in. Also there are level III services that can provide advanced options within a school if he doesn't qualify for the AAP center.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t think he’s gifted but simply would benefit from the program, he falls into the category of nearly every other kid who didn’t get a 132 or above on the nnat. I agree that you should wait and see what happens on the cogat but if he doesn’t get a 132 or above on it, he’s with good company. Lots of kids think the work is too easy and lots of parents would prefer if their kids were in aap.

[Anonymous]

No he can't. Everyone wants better resources for your kid. Get in line. If he doesn't score high, he doesn't qualify and shouldn't be in the program.

[Anonymous]

For many bright kids, 1st and 2nd grade can be full while they wait for the other kids to be caught up. For everyone, 3rd grade is a bug step up and when school really starts.

This is specific to Fairfax. In school districts around the country, at 3rd or 4th grade, that's when things really ramp up. For some students, it's treading water until then.

[Anonymous]

Don't listen to these naysayers. My kid had a 118 CoGat and got in because she's a lover of learning, creative, and a very hard worker. Prep for the CoGat and he'll get a good score and a good GBRS if he loves learning and works hard. He totally belongs in AAP. Very few kids are actually gifted in AAP. They are just smart, and so is your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No he can't. Everyone wants better resources for your kid. Get in line. If he doesn't score high, he doesn't qualify and shouldn't be in the program.

It's holistic. If he doesn't score high, but the AAP selection panel thinks he belongs in the program, he will qualify for the program.

OP, if your kid is a bright, motivated student who enjoys learning, but is not gifted, he will be exactly like the majority of kids in AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to these naysayers. My kid had a 118 CoGat and got in because she's a lover of learning, creative, and a very hard worker. Prep for the CoGat and he'll get a good score and a good GBRS if he loves learning and works hard. He totally belongs in AAP. Very few kids are actually gifted in AAP. They are just smart, and so is your kid.

This is inaccurate. The scores tend to be clustered with the mean score a few points above the cutoff point of 132. Yes some kids do get admitted with lower scores but it's not accurate to say that very few kids are 'actually gifted.'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to these naysayers. My kid had a 118 CoGat and got in because she's a lover of learning, creative, and a very hard worker. Prep for the CoGat and he'll get a good score and a good GBRS if he loves learning and works hard. He totally belongs in AAP. Very few kids are actually gifted in AAP. They are just smart, and so is your kid.

This is inaccurate. The scores tend to be clustered with the mean score a few points above the cutoff point of 132. Yes some kids do get admitted with lower scores but it's not accurate to say that very few kids are 'actually gifted.'

CogAT and NNAT aren't IQ tests, so a 132 score doesn't imply that the IQ would be in the gifted range. Also, the tests are normed assuming no prep, but many people in this area are earning inflated scores from prepping. About 10% of FCPS kids score 132 or higher per local percentile rankings. After you account for prepping, a smaller percentage of the kids have a true score of over 132, which still doesn't mean IQ over 132.

Even if we assume this area has twice as many gifted kids as the national average, then 4-5% of the kids would be gifted. AAP accepts 20%. I think it's absolutely fair to say that only about 20-25% of the kids IN AAP are gifted, and the rest are bright, high achievers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to these naysayers. My kid had a 118 CoGat and got in because she's a lover of learning, creative, and a very hard worker. Prep for the CoGat and he'll get a good score and a good GBRS if he loves learning and works hard. He totally belongs in AAP. Very few kids are actually gifted in AAP. They are just smart, and so is your kid.

This is inaccurate. The scores tend to be clustered with the mean score a few points above the cutoff point of 132. Yes some kids do get admitted with lower scores but it's not accurate to say that very few kids are 'actually gifted.'

CogAT and NNAT aren't IQ tests, so a 132 score doesn't imply that the IQ would be in the gifted range. Also, the tests are normed assuming no prep, but many people in this area are earning inflated scores from prepping. About 10% of FCPS kids score 132 or higher per local percentile rankings. After you account for prepping, a smaller percentage of the kids have a true score of over 132, which still doesn't mean IQ over 132.

Even if we assume this area has twice as many gifted kids as the national average, then 4-5% of the kids would be gifted. AAP accepts 20%. I think it's absolutely fair to say that only about 20-25% of the kids IN AAP are gifted, and the rest are bright, high achievers.

Lol

I could have told PP that she'd get pushback. Throughout DCUM and even or especially on the AAP forum, mentioning giftedness is unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Lol
I could have told PP that she'd get pushback. Throughout DCUM and even or especially on the AAP forum, mentioning giftedness is unacceptable.

I have several kids in AAP. The gifted one is at the top of the class in all subjects and bored in AAP. The bright, motivated, non-gifted ones are in the middle of the road in AAP and about the same as everyone else. If you've worked with AAP kids in any capacity, it's blindingly obvious that most of the kids are bright, motivated, upper-middle-class kids, and nothing more.

[Anonymous]

If your child doesn't get in now, continue to enrich on your own. There's a second test offered I think in 4th grade, but I don't know if you have to ask for it or it's automatic if you didn't get in. If he doesn't get in the second time around, continue to enrich and them have him take honors in MS and in HS.

DD's BFF didn't get in the first time around and is now at TJ.
I can think of at least a couple of other kids I coached in a STEM extracurricular who weren't in AAP (to my consternation, because they were among my best students--better than many of the AAP students I coached). They're in HS now and doing spectacularly well.


Your son's desire to learn and work ethic will serve him better in life than "giftedness."


--former AAP parent (whose kid scored super high)

[Anonymous]

I suggest ordering a practice Cogat test on amazon to just get familiar with test. Sounds like your child is borderline.

I have 2 kids in AAP. Both scored high on Cogat and thriving In AAP. I’m sure I will get blasted for prepping or cheating. I think preparing your child for a test is the responsible thing to do, especially if he is borderline. Other parents do it as well although not all would admit it.

We have 2 friends whose kids scored 120ish and not in AAP. They are bright hard workers. I couldn’t help wonder why they didn’t get a damn book beforehand. It would have taken a weekend to go over the book.

[Anonymous]

And you should try to gather some impressive work samples.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suggest ordering a practice Cogat test on amazon to just get familiar with test. Sounds like your child is borderline.

I have 2 kids in AAP. Both scored high on Cogat and thriving In AAP. I’m sure I will get blasted for prepping or cheating. I think preparing your child for a test is the responsible thing to do, especially if he is borderline. Other parents do it as well although not all would admit it.

We have 2 friends whose kids scored 120ish and not in AAP. They are bright hard workers. I couldn’t help wonder why they didn’t get a damn book beforehand. It would have taken a weekend to go over the book.

Unfathomable? Really?