Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you bothering with an appeal. Your child will be advanced in the GE program. The AAP program is not all some would like to think. Sorry you wasted your money trying to create a perception for yourself. Your exhaustion is proof this isn't about your child.

in certain communities, and I'm sorry to single out the subcontinent and parts of Asia, this is a very big deal and a matter of honor amongst members of the community. If you don't get in you feel shamed and like a loser. So to many of us it may not be a big deal, but for the parents of the rejected kids, they feel like it it is detrimental to their status in these community because the kids of their friends did get in and make such a big deal about it. This is just the way it is.

In our GT center all GT classes are at least 85% Asian. I'm sure that somehow they game the testing system.

I too was very concerned that my private psychologist did not report the GAI for my child (whose profile is very much high VCI/PRI and lower WMI/PSI). I talked to the psychologist and she assured me that Carol Horn (who is in charge of Fairfax GT) disfavors the GAI, and any competent person can calculate it in a matter of seconds (I did this myself using the technical report). The psychologist felt strongly that the appeals committee wants to see just the VCI, PRI, WSI, PSI, FSIQ and the subtest scores, and advised me NOT to muck up the report with the GAI. So that's what we're doing, even though the GAI would place my child in the 99th percentile (compared to 97% on FSIQ). Also, I too am curious why Fairfax pushes GMU's grad student testers. Any one have any ideas on this? Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:If you're interested, here's WISC's Technical Report #4 which explains GAI:

http://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Special%20Education%20Services/gifted/WISCIVTechReport4.pdf

Thank you !! This is very help funl.
is the committe going to do the GAI calculation? as I don't see that in my DC's WISC report from GMU.

Thanks

If you're interested, here's WISC's Technical Report #4 which explains GAI:

http://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Special%20Education%20Services/gifted/WISCIVTechReport4.pdf

GAI--General Ability Index, A WISC IV index that only includes VCI and PRI sections. Some of the gifted kids may have low WMI(Working Memory Index) or low PSI(Processing Speed Index), thus results in sometimes large discrepency between VCI/PRI and WMI/PRI. In such a case, GAI would be a better indication of the kid's ability than FSIQ(Full Scale IQ) which considers all four sections.

I am going to ask the same question as 15:35. What is the GAI? Can someone help us,please?

I don't understand why people keep saying that liscensed psychologists would make up scores. They would lose their liscense so quickly their heads would spin.What I am curious about is why Fairfax County is so supportive of GMU. Why is it that when I was talking to the school about appealing they kept telling me my best option was to go to GMU?They never metioned anyone else.I decided to go with a private tester for personal reasons and was very happy with the personal attention we received.

PP: Another way to put it is the 130 WISC is more likely to represent the childs actual ability vs. a 130 CogAT....

Same old same old . . . people on this thread accusing the WISC of being a "bought" score. The fact is it is the Rolls Royce of IQ tests. If the county could afford it, this is the test they would administer to all second graders. A 130 on the WISC is more meaningful than a 130 on the CogAT or NNAT, and the county knows it. That is why so many get in on appeal with WISC scores.

No I do not. The assumption is, by going to GMU or a VA licensed psychologist, the test will be fair.

Anonymous wrote:The thing is the Committee is aware that the WISC is more reliable than NNAT or COGAT. The county would like to be able to give all children WISC, but can not afford to.

the thing is the Committee knows people pay $450 for a private tester to interpret the WISC results and when they are at odds with both the the CogAts and GBRS, you think they don't suspect that something is fishy?

Anonymous wrote:FSIQ 129. GAI 136. What think you?

What is GAI?
is it part of the WISC?

The thing is the Committee is aware that the WISC is more reliable than NNAT or COGAT. The county would like to be able to give all children WISC, but can not afford to.

Anonymous wrote:Hi! If you do a net search for "WISC IV Technical Report #3" or "WISC IV Technical Report #4" you will find, in PDF format, the technical studies that have shown that this form of the WISC is producing lower than 130 FSIQ's in gifted groups of children. It is very encouraging for us parents whose children have VCI/PRI scores in the mid-to-low 120's and WMI/PSI scores in the average range. That seems to be the profile that gifted groups are demonstrating in the studies that support the use of WISC-IV scores for academic placement. I have to believe that the appeals committee in Fairfax is familiar with these studies and understands the basic profiles of gifted chidlren. Let's hope, anyway! And good luck to everyone who is appealing!

I agree with this post. I have done a ton of research trying to decide if we should appeal with FSIQ of 132. I have read many articles stating that gifted students in centers for gifted kids are scoring around 123 for FSIQ on the WISC-IV and the makers of the WISC have suggested lowering the ceiling for gifted to 120.