COGAT FCPS- Please let me know if he has a shot!

[Anonymous]

Got my DS's COGAT score:
Composite VQN 140 (age score)
Age Stanine- 9
Age Percentile rank 99

We are new to FCPS and not sure what it takes to get into AAP. He is in the pool. Will this score be enough for him to get into AAP, or do I need to get many recommendation letters, etc?

Thanks much for the help.

[Anonymous]

Looks good, OP.

[Anonymous]

No shot at all. Only kids with scores in the 150s get in.

[Anonymous]

Don't bother with the above two responses. They are trolls looking to incite--best to ignore.

If you're actually asking the question, 140 composite is a great score and it isn't "automatically" thrown out because someone thinks the child was prepped. Many kids who are prepped fail to score 120 because young minds don't always grasp how to respond to a question when the question is slightly altered. (Unless you browbeat the child, which I don't think any parent or prepping class will do!) So, given that, I'd just make sure that you have a few samples of his work available for your child's AART to use in the package, especially if you're new to FCPS and they do not have enough credible samples of his work. I also think that for the AARTs will really start to focus on the kids who are in the pool in the next several weeks (the package isn't due to central until February) to gather sufficient classwork samples. At least that is what the AART in our school did for my older child once they understood who is in the pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't bother with the above two responses. They are trolls looking to incite--best to ignore.

If you're actually asking the question, 140 composite is a great score and it isn't "automatically" thrown out because someone thinks the child was prepped. Many kids who are prepped fail to score 120 because young minds don't always grasp how to respond to a question when the question is slightly altered. (Unless you browbeat the child, which I don't think any parent or prepping class will do!) So, given that, I'd just make sure that you have a few samples of his work available for your child's AART to use in the package, especially if you're new to FCPS and they do not have enough credible samples of his work. I also think that for the AARTs will really start to focus on the kids who are in the pool in the next several weeks (the package isn't due to central until February) to gather sufficient classwork samples. At least that is what the AART in our school did for my older child once they understood who is in the pool.

I reported the other response so Jeff removed it. Now there's only one inaccurate response -- your child does not need 150 to get in! That person is also a troll looking to incite!

[Anonymous]

Great response! It is good to see some levity. Apparently sarcasm is lost on this forum. Not everyone offering a differing viewpoint is a “troll.”

[Anonymous]

I have work samples from home, but do we need recommendation letters from other teachers, or coaches and how far do they matter?

[Anonymous]

If you have not already, take a look at the AAP Screening and Identification Video here:

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs

It has some helpful information. For some reason, I had to turn on the captions because the sound did not work.

[Anonymous]

30% of FCPS students are in AAP. It’s not a selective group by any means. Acceptance is not based on scores, but mainly hinders on excellent teacher recommendations. If you have a gifted child who is disruptive in class, this child will not get a good letter and will not get into AAP. It’s a teachers pet sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have work samples from home, but do we need recommendation letters from other teachers, or coaches and how far do they matter?

Letters can’t come from FCPS teachers. They must be outside school system. Just FYI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30% of FCPS students are in AAP. It’s not a selective group by any means. Acceptance is not based on scores, but mainly hinders on excellent teacher recommendations. If you have a gifted child who is disruptive in class, this child will not get a good letter and will not get into AAP. It’s a teachers pet sort of thing.

This is all wrong. All of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30% of FCPS students are in AAP. It’s not a selective group by any means. Acceptance is not based on scores, but mainly hinders on excellent teacher recommendations. If you have a gifted child who is disruptive in class, this child will not get a good letter and will not get into AAP. It’s a teachers pet sort of thing.

This is all wrong. All of it.

DP Exaggeration, but not completely false:
"30% of FCPS students are in AAP" - It's actually around 20% based on the stats put out by both FCPS dashboard and FCAG
"It's not a selective group by any means" - accurate
"Acceptance is not based on scores.... teacher recommendations" - quasi true. Teacher recommendations are important. High scores aren't enough if the GBRS is low
"If you have a gifted child who is disruptive...." - False. Many disruptive kids are accepted into AAP.

[Anonymous]

High test scores are usually substantiated by GBRS and class work samples--this is what FCPS considers a "holistic" review of an application. They will then move on to consider home work samples, outside recommendations and anything else that is submitted as part of the package. But, the most important items are: (1) test scores, (2) GBRS and school recommendation, (3) class work samples. The order of importance on the above three are hard to decode, and I'm sure is somewhat subjective for each reviewer that touches a child's application.

[Anonymous]

You got troll answers because I think you already know the answer with a 99% ranking. One of my kids had the same - but also other good scores.

[Anonymous]

None of us know exactly how the committee members use the GBRS, test scores, work samples, and other materials in the packet.

I think a kid needs to have a demonstrated need for advanced services in at least one subject, with at least two indications of giftedness in that area (scores, classwork, GBRS, etc.) But, the same kid also has to demonstrate that he or she can handle an advanced program in the other subject areas. At least this would explain some of the inconsistencies:

-Kid A is is all around good and could handle AAP in every subject, but doesn't demonstrate a need for gifted services in anything -> reject
-Kid B demonstrates giftedness in one subject but doesn't look like she can handle AAP in the other-> reject.
-Kid C with lower overall stats than the kids above shows a need for gifted services in say language arts. Kid isn't great in math, but has stats suggesting that he can handle AAP math -> accepted into AAP.

Of course, this is all just spitballing. The process is opaque, and none of us know how the decisions are made.