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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]I don't think many of the WISC "sample questions" or "practice tests" that one encounters are actually legitimate - not to mention that it would be highly unethical for anyone to ever give out actual questions. Sure, there might be some "this is the type of thing you might encounter" which might make the questions less of a surprise and less unfamiliar but it still isn't going to necessarily ensure better performance.  
 
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You are incredibly naïve.  This now goes on on a regular basis.  There are prep classes for the GT program and TJ that use tests that used to be under "lock and key".  it is unethical.[/quote]

Yes, it's unethical - but are those classes actually effective, though?  Any metrics on scores before and after?  Unless there's a demonstrable gain, it really doesn't matter much.  If anything I'd wager most of the folks offering prep classes are probably scammers - many of whom probably don't even have the actual test materials.[/quote]

Why is it unethical? Is buying a house in a W cluster unethical?  Is taking your kid to museums unethical? Putting him in basketball camp unethical? Having a private tutor unethical? How about hiring an educational consultant?

It would be unethical only if these prep classes used the actual test materials, which was not available to anyone else.  They use test prep books.  The kind that you can buy and make your kids do exercises from. And it is no way similar to the test that MCPS administers. It is more like SSAT - the kind that private schools use for admissions. So the tests they take is not at all similar to what MCPS administers. English prep is a slew of long reading comprehension passages and vocabulary, what MCPS tests is basically analogies.

Yes, the test prep folks give a pre-test and other subsequent tests to your kids, invariably they do poorly on the pre-test because they are harder than the subsequent tests. How do I know that? I know my kid, he did not do any homework that the test center assigned and had a 30% improvement by the second test.

I would guess that at the cost (approx. $ 1K), the people who are going for these preps are serious about education and can afford it and have already decided to go to HGC.  So, pretty self selected (just like JHU-CTY). Approximately, 30% of the prep class gets in (higher than the 15% of regular applicants - but again - this is a self selected group of high performing kids).

The benefit - I felt that my kid learned to actually sit and focus for few hours and that helped on the day of exam,  also, he learned some test taking skills and practised on the scantron sheet. I feel that he got some enrichment for basic math and english - just  not very useful for the test - but definitely useful for mastering these subjects.  If your kid can sit and do some worksheets at home there is nothing more that these prep course teach.  Another thing - this is coaching and not tutoring. So they will show you how to tackle a question, but they will not teach content.  If you are depending on your kid being taught  by these test preps centers, you are mistaken. They will coach on how to take the test. Kids are expected to master content by themselves.

BTW - what the test preps make the kids practice do not look anything like the sample questions that the school system hand out.

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