Anonymous wrote:Write a letter describing your observations of your child and have it ready in case you need to appeal.

Was the HP book report for a school assignment? You could include that in the appeal as evidence of reading and writing level. What other books has your child read at school? It helps if the teacher has been seeing all year that the books the class reads are not challenging for your child.

No, it was reading at home but it was used in a book report for school (recently so after GBRS scores were done). Also reading other chapter books and is interested in the biographies (loves the "Who is . . .? books and the choose your own ending history books).

Write a letter describing your observations of your child and have it ready in case you need to appeal.

Was the HP book report for a school assignment? You could include that in the appeal as evidence of reading and writing level. What other books has your child read at school? It helps if the teacher has been seeing all year that the books the class reads are not challenging for your child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford WISC, go for it. The result will help you to make better decision whether you should appeal of not. The CoAgt and NNTA scores sometimes conflict with GBRS, thats why you will need additional factor such as WISC score.

You should know that the WISC costs around $400, so I wouldn't do it just to see how he does. Only do the WISC if you think your child would do well and be happy in AAP, because even if you have the WISC done, he still might not get in (9 is pretty low). I have one child in AAP and one not.

Don't do the WISC just to see if you can use it for an AAP application. Use the WISC because you want to know how your child's strengths and weaknesses regardless of their AAP status.

My older is in Gen Ed and my younger is in AAP. We did get the WISC for the younger one and was amazed at how much information was in there so we paid another $400 to get our older one tested.
Probably one of the best things we could have done as it now helps us better navigate their very different educational needs.

I'm not going to do the WISC (OP here). I think I have a pretty good grasp of DC's strengths and weaknesses. I am also seeing things at home that the teacher is not (understandable in a group of 26 children). For example, DC was rated not reading above grade level, though at the highest DRA for 2d grade (but was rated above grade level for math). I absolutely disagree. DC just read the first Harry Potter and understood it. Did a very solid book report on it and when we watched the movie was able to recall Chapter names and details. That's just one example. DC gets mostly perfect scores on her word studies, too. Also, the report cards are mostly 4's with some 3's. So, I'm still confused by the rating but also think it's just wrong (again, not a genius but I expected slightly higher).

Is it worth appealing with my own thoughts/views, as well as including additional samples (and w/o any further testing)? Or would that not matter at all? I am fully expecting a "no" letter given the rating received.

And before anyone says to "know your child" and "maybe he's not cut out for it", I get that. I do. But, I think DC can handle it. That said, I'm not going to spin my wheels if there is no chance. We'll move on and see what the future brings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford WISC, go for it. The result will help you to make better decision whether you should appeal of not. The CoAgt and NNTA scores sometimes conflict with GBRS, thats why you will need additional factor such as WISC score.

You should know that the WISC costs around $400, so I wouldn't do it just to see how he does. Only do the WISC if you think your child would do well and be happy in AAP, because even if you have the WISC done, he still might not get in (9 is pretty low). I have one child in AAP and one not.

Don't do the WISC just to see if you can use it for an AAP application. Use the WISC because you want to know how your child's strengths and weaknesses regardless of their AAP status.

My older is in Gen Ed and my younger is in AAP. We did get the WISC for the younger one and was amazed at how much information was in there so we paid another $400 to get our older one tested.
Probably one of the best things we could have done as it now helps us better navigate their very different educational needs.

Very good point. You would be surprised and amazed at the results that help explain how kids process information and calls out strengths/weaknesses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford WISC, go for it. The result will help you to make better decision whether you should appeal of not. The CoAgt and NNTA scores sometimes conflict with GBRS, thats why you will need additional factor such as WISC score.

You should know that the WISC costs around $400, so I wouldn't do it just to see how he does. Only do the WISC if you think your child would do well and be happy in AAP, because even if you have the WISC done, he still might not get in (9 is pretty low). I have one child in AAP and one not.

Don't do the WISC just to see if you can use it for an AAP application. Use the WISC because you want to know how your child's strengths and weaknesses regardless of their AAP status.

My older is in Gen Ed and my younger is in AAP. We did get the WISC for the younger one and was amazed at how much information was in there so we paid another $400 to get our older one tested.
Probably one of the best things we could have done as it now helps us better navigate their very different educational needs.

I think lot of people here miss the point of GBRS.

It's not determined by the teacher alone. It starts with the AART Teacher. Each school has a dedicated AART Teacher.
This teacher goes to second grade classes on a few occasion and give the kids a small problem to solve. Based on their performance, methods used to solve the problem, if their thought was out of the box etc.

In addition to this, AART also gets feedback from class teachers and fill up the GBRS.

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford WISC, go for it. The result will help you to make better decision whether you should appeal of not. The CoAgt and NNTA scores sometimes conflict with GBRS, thats why you will need additional factor such as WISC score.

You should know that the WISC costs around $400, so I wouldn't do it just to see how he does. Only do the WISC if you think your child would do well and be happy in AAP, because even if you have the WISC done, he still might not get in (9 is pretty low). I have one child in AAP and one not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

You would figure but that's not always the case. Case in point, a scheduled meeting w/ the AART who didn't know DC (or younger sibling) both of whom everyone else knows.

Did the AART say, "I don't know your children and I have never seen them in class"?

AART wasn't that tone deaf. AART did mention that they covered a few schools, was very busy, asked for our DC's name at the beginning of our scheduled parent meeting to discuss AAP process (we parents and DC share the same last name, DC would be the only 2nd grader to have that name) and didn't share any perspective or experience AART had w/ DC. When asked, our DC (who recounts every other teacher they've encountered, even ones from higher grades) didn't know AART's name or role. Hope that answers your question.

You are unhappy with the responses you received from the AART in a meeting. Luckily, everyone else in the school knows your children so they should get GBRS scores and commentaries that reflect their behavior at school. The AART is only one person who contributes to the GBRS; it sounds like there are plenty of others at school who see your children regularly and are able to provide input.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

You would figure but that's not always the case. Case in point, a scheduled meeting w/ the AART who didn't know DC (or younger sibling) both of whom everyone else knows.

Did the AART say, "I don't know your children and I have never seen them in class"?

AART wasn't that tone deaf. AART did mention that they covered a few schools, was very busy, asked for our DC's name at the beginning of our scheduled parent meeting to discuss AAP process (we parents and DC share the same last name, DC would be the only 2nd grader to have that name) and didn't share any perspective or experience AART had w/ DC. When asked, our DC (who recounts every other teacher they've encountered, even ones from higher grades) didn't know AART's name or role. Hope that answers your question.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

You would figure but that's not always the case. Case in point, a scheduled meeting w/ the AART who didn't know DC (or younger sibling) both of whom everyone else knows.

Did the AART say, "I don't know your children and I have never seen them in class"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

Good points. In addition, GBRS starts in K.

Really? Do they give a score that goes in to the kid's file? How does that work - take the average from 3 years of GBRS?

The GBRS is assigned by the AART every school year. Those students that have screening files prepared (either through the 2nd grade pool or through a referral) have a GBRS With Commentary prepared.

At our school, it's definitely a committee. 1st grade teacher certainly had input, not sure about K. In addition, DC's gbrs included comments from the art teacher and the Spanish teacher.

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

You would figure but that's not always the case. Case in point, a scheduled meeting w/ the AART who didn't know DC (or younger sibling) both of whom everyone else knows.

I doubt the principal even knows my kids' names.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child has been at the same school since K, there are a number of people who have been seeing the child regularly enough to have good observations to add. Even if the child has only been at the school for second grade, he or she has come into contact with the classroom teacher, the specials teachers, the AART, the school counselor, even the principal. Kids in an elementary school are not anonymous; the staff really get to know a lot of the kids and have appropriate observations to include in the GBRS.

Good points. In addition, GBRS starts in K.

Really? Do they give a score that goes in to the kid's file? How does that work - take the average from 3 years of GBRS?