OP here. Thank you to all for their responses and perspectives!

Send her to public to get speech therapy on the government's dime. That's part of what taxes go for.

I've always preferred "normal" to "average," and I have always considered the "normal range" to run, roughly, from the 20th to the 85th percentile.

It is tempting to use test scores to compare, because numbers are easily compared and there is no grey area about whether 60 is better than 40 — it simply is. As a PP notes, school admission offices are generally very savvy about weighing the non-numerical parts of an application. If a school works well with "average" students, and most schools do, then "average" students should do fine there.

Peter
_____________________

Disclaimer: The anonymity here makes me uncomfortable; it's easy to be uninformed, personal, or simply mean-spirited if people don't identify themselves. For that reason, I have an account so you know whose words you're reading. I have more than 20 years' experience as a teacher and administrator in independent schools, and I have counseled hundreds of students in finding their next schools. I hope I can be helpful to some folks. If you don't like something I've said, you're in good company — there's a long line of past students and parents ahead of you. If you want to chat further, please feel free to contact me offline: peter <at> arcpd <dot> com

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that's average. I have a friend whose son had significant learning issues and he scored a 75% He also got waitlisted at first. Since she's only 3, I definitely wouldn't worry, as it could be a testing flaw, but I would definitely keep an eye on it.

Why? It's within the average range on a Bell curve, less than one standard deviation below or above the mean.

+1. It seems some folks are convinced that the only reason their kids didn't score in the 90+ percentile range is due to learning disabilities. Yes, that could be the explanation for a few kids, but not most. There has to be a range; not everyone will be a top scorer on these things.

Right. I think OP's question is whether a student who is truly average (in terms of the "general population") is out of place at a D.C. private school. I doubt the school will release the average test score, but maybe. Parents who can afford pricey tuition are, I'm guessing, generally above average on a Bell curve b/c they earn money in a manner that requires an above average level of intelligence. There are always exceptions. A school should be able to accommodate learning differences and "average" IQs. I wouldn't put so much stock in one score, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that's average. I have a friend whose son had significant learning issues and he scored a 75% He also got waitlisted at first. Since she's only 3, I definitely wouldn't worry, as it could be a testing flaw, but I would definitely keep an eye on it.

Why? It's within the average range on a Bell curve, less than one standard deviation below or above the mean.

+1. It seems some folks are convinced that the only reason their kids didn't score in the 90+ percentile range is due to learning disabilities. Yes, that could be the explanation for a few kids, but not most. There has to be a range; not everyone will be a top scorer on these things.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that's average. I have a friend whose son had significant learning issues and he scored a 75% He also got waitlisted at first. Since she's only 3, I definitely wouldn't worry, as it could be a testing flaw, but I would definitely keep an eye on it.

Why? It's within the average range on a Bell curve, less than one standard deviation below or above the mean.

OP here: ok, let's put mostly ok with it then. We really just want her to be happy in school and not feel overwhelmed. I should have noted that she receives regular speech therapy from both a private source and from our local school district and is enrolled in a hippie preschool. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:
We applied to good, but not the most elite privates for our 3 year old, but our child tested in the 55th percentile on the WPPSI. S/he has some speech issues that appear to be impacting processing, but we are not certain. In the event that our kid is is actually just average (we are ok with it, we are successful academics), I am asking whether s/he could do OK in one of the area PK through 8 schools. Thanks.

I find it odd that you felt the need to note that you are "successful academics." Pretty sure if you were really ok with being average you would have skipped that part.

If you can pay full tuition, "average" becomes "amazing!"

OP here, thanks everyone for their kind responses, we appreciate it.

I don't think that's average. I have a friend whose son had significant learning issues and he scored a 75% He also got waitlisted at first. Since she's only 3, I definitely wouldn't worry, as it could be a testing flaw, but I would definitely keep an eye on it.

My son was tested at 3.5 and at 5 for admissions and his "IQ" went up 20 points in that time. He wasn't a particularly early talked and IQ testing at 3 (or even 5) is a joke and a crap shoot. And the schools know that. Don't worry about the test results - the admissions team members are typically very good at picking students who will be successful at their respective schools