Anonymous wrote:yeah, so my guess would be that it will now be based on parent referral, HOPE and samples from teachers. There will be even more variability in the admission process next year. I am guessing this is a move to make it more inclusive.

There's still MAP and VALLS, but I don't see how removing data points would make the process more inclusive.

Without NGAT or COGAT, more parents would be incentivized to get a WISC. If they disallow for consideration of WISC scores, it would disadvantage 2E kids who are more likely, when younger, to have difficulty consistently producing work samples that reflect their cognitive abilities (and thus also affect their HOPE scores). Either way, the result is not more inclusive.

But really what's the source. Sounds counterintuitive even for FCPS. It's only been a year of ngat. They could've dismissed testing last year. Aren't these contracts typically multi year?

yeah, so my guess would be that it will now be based on parent referral, HOPE and samples from teachers. There will be even more variability in the admission process next year. I am guessing this is a move to make it more inclusive.

I had been wondering how they were going to effectively evaluate language arts skills since VALLS doesn't provide much information compared to iready.

Anonymous wrote:Hope score and teacher recommendations only.

What is your source? This would be an absurd move. Is FCPS trying to sabotage the program??

Hope score and teacher recommendations only.

I have heard that the contract expired Dec 2025 and there will be no testing next year. The first graders already did not take NNAT and most likely will not be taking COGAT/NGAT next year. We should ask our AARTs to see if they know anything about it.

Are you talking about what's on the fcps website:

Fairfax County Public Schools now uses the Naglieri General Abilities Test (NGAT) to meet the Virginia requirement for a nationally normed ability assessment. This assessment will be administered in grade 2 and to select students in grades 3-7.

The NGAT replaces both the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) formerly given to all students in grade 2 and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3) formerly given to all students in grade 1.

From this site if you're interested: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs#:~:text=Fairfax%20County%20Public%20Schools%20now,all%20students%20in%20grade%201.

FCPS is slowly getting rid of most testing so I wouldn't be surprised it there its no testing next year!

I hope they get rid of it. The score results thread had a lot of discussion of surprising discrepancies in section performance. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1304994.page. I didn't post there, but my child also had a high discrepancy between section scores. Upon talking to other parents at our school, their experience was similar. They should just return to CoGAT. If they're truly trying to have all the 6th graders taking Algebra 1, a measure of how well a kid will do in AAP is how involved the parents are in supplementing, so the fact people can test prep shouldn't be seen as a problem.

Anonymous wrote:This would make sense that they’re just getting rid of all testing. It’s trending that way in FCPS.

They can't. Look at the state laws on programming for the gifted and look at what the Virginia BOE requires. They literally can't get rid of testing for AAP.

This would make sense that they’re just getting rid of all testing. It’s trending that way in FCPS.

Apparently nothing! Any confirmation would be great

they are done after one year? what are they jumping to now?

Heard rumors that there isn’t going to be any NGAT testing next year. Has anyone heard that?