Reply to Fairfax County Begins to Dumb Down Gifted (GT) Program to Support Diversity

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]PP If everyone deserves to be treated equally, then admissions to AAP and TJ should be solely based upon test scores. [/quote]

This suggestion appears to make sense and would be a perfect solution, except for the fact that it is possible to study the types of questions presented on the test enough that you can actually increase your score beyond what you could get without this kind of study focus. Some kids will do well on the test because they are truly that smart; some will only do well because they have been working and working on practice tests for a year or more before the administration of the exam. Which type of child do we want at TJ: the naturally smart child or the one who only appears to be smart because of the hours of test prep? Which child will benefit most from the program at TJ?

TJ should be a place for the smartest kids who are interested in STEM subjects and it should not matter whether you have parents who have the background and money to make you competitive. It is a public school and it should be serving the *truly* most capable no matter what their color or background.

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I guess it should be reserved for those who can score highly on standardized tests with no preparation or or drive.  Those who "study and focus" and simply "appears to be smart because of hours of prep" should be taught a lesson by not being admitted.  We should all discourage that kind of hard work for results by enforcing the notion that children should be limited by their inherent ability should not advance beyond it through smart preparation or individual hard work.  Lets make sure another Rudy never rises to the Notre Dame football team!  By the way, there are more factors that are considered besides standardized tests, such as grades and other academic activities, but again these may be clouded by those who choose to prepare in order to present the best application.[/quote]

The concern is that the test is being "gamed." Practicing test questions over and over enables someone to do well on a test, [b]but someone who does well on the test because of reading widely and being curious about many subjects is probably a better studen[/b]t. It is possible for a student without real aptitude to to learn how to take the test by taking practice tests over and over. They can get used to the questions and how they are asked and do well even if they haven't really learned the subject matter. And that is why the admissions committee also looks at grades, activities, and teacher recommendations. That is what helps the committee to find the students who will most benefit from TJ. [/quote]

Please provide a link to the data that supports the your assertion that  "someone who does well on the test because of reading widely and being curious about many subjects is probably a better student".  I could just as easily assert that a student who shows the drive and study habits to prepare for the entrance exam will probably do better in TJ or AAP since they are more organized, goal oriented, industrious, focused, etc.  Maybe they achieved good grades and scores through hard work, rather than a lazy approach relying on intrinsic ability.  Making generalizations as to those who do best, without offering any supporting data is an insult to everyone's intelligence.[/quote]

Why would someone with intrinsic ability have a "lazy approach"? "[S]omeone who does well on the test because of reading widely and being curious about many subjects" is probably also "organized, goal oriented, industrious, focused, etc."  A lazy child likely will not do well on the test.  I want our future doctors and scientists to have innate ability and curiosity along with the being goal oriented and industrious. I don't want my future doctor when I'm in a nursing home to be someone who just learned how to answer test questions really well! :)  [/quote]

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