Since GBRS is so important, is there anything I should do now to advocate for my first grader?
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Anonymous
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My 1st grader got a 154 on the NNAT. I think this child should be in AAP. The child is NOT currently being taught above grade level per the report card but I looked up the guided reading book and it appears to be a 24. Child isn’t getting level 2 services currently.
I do think this is the type of child who would get a high gbrs (very articulate) but I definitely think the child needs to be in aap. Any suggestions on what I can be doing now to help make sure this happens? |
Anonymous
| volunteer to be a room mom- there is never more competition than second grade. Use and occasion you can to kiss the teacher's ass, again welcome to second grade in FCPS |
Anonymous
| Don’t complain to the teacher about how smart your kid is and not being challenged IMO. |
Anonymous
154 score of NNAT means the child will be in the pool of kids flagged for AAP. During summer work on reading and math skills which will be helpful when he starts second grade. The teacher will have his file and based on 154 score, she will already think he has critical thinking skills and perception matters a lot. Complete the weekly assignments on time and nicely. |
Anonymous
Some schools don't do much for Level II. DS was not identified in first but was in second. He had a higher reading group and some extra math worksheets. It wasn't anything exciting and he was never marked as working above level. None of the other parents had mentioned Level II services in first grade but several asked the group of collected parents if anyone else had received a letter that their child qualified for Level II services and what did it mean. I suspect that question would have been asked in first grade in a similar environment had the school offered Level II services in first. DS classroom had work they were all assigned and then there was a list of extra work they could do when they completed the assigned work. I would suggest reminding your child to complete that work when they were done. DS would bring home short stories he had written and illustrated during this time as well as other extras. They were nothing exciting but it was a quiet, creative use of his free time. His GBRS mentioned that his Teachers saw him reading extra books on subjects that they were discussing in his free time. We hadn't told him to do anything in particular. We had told him that he should find something quiet to do if he finished his work ahead of time and not announce that he was done, that some kids find it harder then he does and to let them do their work. |
Anonymous
the OP should absolutely remind the teacher about the kid's NNAT score. The more often they do this the better because the teacher may let it slip her mind. It will absolutely ensure that your kid gets the GBRS that you deserve |
Anonymous
| Just supplement math and reading this summer with workbooks at or above grade level for your kid. There is plenty of time for your kid to demonstrate what they can do in 2nd grade. The teacher will notice their ability level. You don’t need to do anything special. Ignore the snarky posters. |
Anonymous
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Op again. My oldest childhood is currently in middle school had a terrible GBRS but the tests helped get the child into AAp, which was definitely the right fit and had done really well.
Since GBRS matters more now I’m just trying to get an idea on how to avoid a low GBRS. |
Anonymous
| If your child scores above 150 in NNAT and Cogat, then GBRS matters less. If child scores close to 132 cutoff in both the tests then GBRS can make or break the case. |
Anonymous
Not true. I know several kids last year with mediocre GBRS that scored above 145 on both NNAT and CoGAT and didn't get in. I think GBRS matters. I also think the evaluation is extremely non-transparent and subjective. |
Anonymous
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Not every school offers level II services for 1st graders - at least my daughter's school didn't. She scored high nnat and even got a feedback from her teacher saying she is performing one grade level above. This prompted us to explicitly apply for level II services (FCPS/school generally sends a notification to apply) in 2nd grade. However, I learned that all 2nd grade students took an assessment test at the start of the school year and the kids who scored well were placed into advanced math and my daughter got in.
So, please reach out to your teacher regarding level II services for 2nd graders and apply. Even if the school doesn't do an automatic selection, your reference will force them to assess your child, provided the school offers level II services. Honestly speaking, level II in 2nd grade isn't much different from Level I and your kid probably learn a lot more by self ex: khan academy, IXL, Kumon, home teaching etc. Even AAP math doesn't feel advanced until around 5th grade. So you are not really missing anything not being in advanced math in 1st or 2nd grade. But getting into AAP does make a difference in the long run. |
Anonymous
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Please share some tips to make sure GBRS is good.
My child is very advanced in reading, has completed reading Harry Potter and is one grade ahead in math. I gave him a few sample Cogat questions and he knew all the answers. NNAT score is 160, do I still need to worry? |
Anonymous
haha. are you me? my kid scored 160 in NNAT and also finished harry potter in first grade - she is in 3rd grade now  . From what I see in this forum, there is more emphasis on cogat than nnat also GBRS is more important than we realize . My kid scored well above the cut off in cogat as well. I recommend getting an a book from amazon that has two sample cogat tests and it should be more than enough - just teach the kid to slow down and pay attention to details.
In my opinion, GBRS is subjective and depends on the teacher and how the student is responding in the class. Please encourage your kid to be proactive in the class, raise hand and answer questions when asked, do the class projects with extra interest and research so your kid stands out in the class etc. If the teacher(s) notice that the kid is smart and eager to learn, the kid is most likely to get good GBRS. I never bothered to find my daughter's GBRS, but I assume it is good based on her teachers feedback. As a parent, we cannot argue with the teachers/school about our kid being smart and instead focus on the positive outlook. |
Anonymous
PP here - if your kid does something impressive outside the school, you can share with the teacher. Good teachers usually like to get to know more about their students and their interests, but it shouldn't be overbearing. For example, my daughter writes poems and and she usually shares the really good ones with her teacher - she is already in AAP, so it doesn't matter, but you get the point . The teacher usually encourages her to keep writing and occasionally shares her poems with the class.
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Anonymous
| Do you think it is the exception, not the rule, that no score is safe? |