Anonymous
Post 01/13/2016 10:39     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In pool kid at our school received letter on Saturday. I'm guessing the school did not send letters to everyone else. It is Wednesday and we've received nothing. I'd like to have something in my hand, so we can definitively say not in pool. Otherwise, a tiny voice in the back of our heads asks whether it was lost in the mail. Regardless of my kid's status, I'd like to see how badly my kid did. He did poorly on the NNAT, yet he's pulled out for enrichment and getting 4s in core subjects and a few in specials. Go figure. His teacher said she is baffled by his performance on tests, because she says he grasps and applies concepts quickly, and is able to explain concepts to her and other children. Sigh.


Are you going to refer? I was in your place -- kid did relatively poorly on NNAT yet is in top reading and math groups and pullouts at school -- and I had a WISC done back in December to see if AAP was something I should even be thinking about or whether I was delusional. Kid did well on WISC (97th percentile). She later got an in-pool COGAT score, but with the WISC in hand I would have referred as long as her COGAT was above 120. If I were you I would refer and plan to get a WISC later if an appeal is needed.


Thank you, PP. I do feel delusional. The kid does not test well. He's my oldest and I don't know how he really stacks up. He does a lot of things differently than other kids, but he's my kid, so of course I pay more attention to him and think he's great. I've been procrastinating on writing the referral, because of this. I have samples and jotted down thoughts, but ... yeah, I keep wondering if I'm delusional. We haven't had him take WISC or anything. In the end, I just want him to be in the best learning environment for him not his parents' egos.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2016 10:24     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:In pool kid at our school received letter on Saturday. I'm guessing the school did not send letters to everyone else. It is Wednesday and we've received nothing. I'd like to have something in my hand, so we can definitively say not in pool. Otherwise, a tiny voice in the back of our heads asks whether it was lost in the mail. Regardless of my kid's status, I'd like to see how badly my kid did. He did poorly on the NNAT, yet he's pulled out for enrichment and getting 4s in core subjects and a few in specials. Go figure. His teacher said she is baffled by his performance on tests, because she says he grasps and applies concepts quickly, and is able to explain concepts to her and other children. Sigh.


Are you going to refer? I was in your place -- kid did relatively poorly on NNAT yet is in top reading and math groups and pullouts at school -- and I had a WISC done back in December to see if AAP was something I should even be thinking about or whether I was delusional. Kid did well on WISC (97th percentile). She later got an in-pool COGAT score, but with the WISC in hand I would have referred as long as her COGAT was above 120. If I were you I would refer and plan to get a WISC later if an appeal is needed.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2016 10:09     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
In pool kid at our school received letter on Saturday. I'm guessing the school did not send letters to everyone else. It is Wednesday and we've received nothing. I'd like to have something in my hand, so we can definitively say not in pool. Otherwise, a tiny voice in the back of our heads asks whether it was lost in the mail. Regardless of my kid's status, I'd like to see how badly my kid did. He did poorly on the NNAT, yet he's pulled out for enrichment and getting 4s in core subjects and a few in specials. Go figure. His teacher said she is baffled by his performance on tests, because she says he grasps and applies concepts quickly, and is able to explain concepts to her and other children. Sigh.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 18:28     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No letter here either, and NNAT under 132. I thought FCPS was chronically short on funding, so wouldn't giving parents the scores well ahead of time help to avoid potentially unnecessary referrals? It seems like they are creating more work for everyone (parents and staff) by doing this. It is also beyond me why the results of a test taken electronically need this long to become available. Shouldn't that be almost instantaneous? Even if you have to compare the county-wide scores, since it's all electronic, it seems like it could be done fairly easily.... Sigh....


I don't get it either. I bet a lot of people wouldn't refer if they got the scores back and they were less than stellar.


Yep, this is us. NNAT was 122, and a WISC done a few years back for ADHD diagnosis had less than stellar scores as well. The teacher told us at the parent teacher conference that we should refer, so we did. But if we got a bad CoGat score we would not refer.

At this point we are done with the referral package but still no CoGat score. So we will submit tomorrow without the scores.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:48     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:Tuesday, Jan 12 and the postman already left - still nothing.

What is the point of FCPS' compressed deadline on the parent referral if they can't even give out scores to parents in all the schools in a timely fashion?

FCPS says 1/15 is a "hard" deadline and no extension, etc. etc. I bet they will allow for late entries on a case-by-case basis due to slow scores being mailed out.. which means all this just works to undermine the credibility of FCPS.


They 100% will NOT allow for late entries unless your AART specifically states it upfront. For example, a few years ago when my other child was in 2nd grade the AART said she was off on Fridays so if we wanted until Tuesday (her next day in the school), that was fine since she wouldn't get anything until then anyway. Otherwise, the deadline is hard and fast and has been set for the entire school year so there is really no excuse to not have a packet ready to go either way.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:40     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:No letter here either, and NNAT under 132. I thought FCPS was chronically short on funding, so wouldn't giving parents the scores well ahead of time help to avoid potentially unnecessary referrals? It seems like they are creating more work for everyone (parents and staff) by doing this. It is also beyond me why the results of a test taken electronically need this long to become available. Shouldn't that be almost instantaneous? Even if you have to compare the county-wide scores, since it's all electronic, it seems like it could be done fairly easily.... Sigh....


I don't get it either. I bet a lot of people wouldn't refer if they got the scores back and they were less than stellar.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:34     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OK, here's a dumb question, but I really can't figure it out:

If we receive a letter saying that DD is in the pool, do we still have to turn in the parental referral form?

Or is the referral form just an extra "boost" to her chances?


If your kid is in the pool, you don't have to submit anything.


True, but you have the OPTION of submitting additional materials you want the screening committee to review. At a minimum (and considering the short amount of time left), I would do the parent questionnaire which is different from the referral form - http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/packet/Fillable_AAPParentGuardianQuestionnaire.pdf. Whether or not it will actually "boost" her chances is the great unknown.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:33     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:OK, here's a dumb question, but I really can't figure it out:

If we receive a letter saying that DD is in the pool, do we still have to turn in the parental referral form?

Or is the referral form just an extra "boost" to her chances?

In normal years a referral is not needed or encouraged for in pool kids, though also not prohibited. However, the parent questionnaire and supporting materials can be useful. This year is different. Referrals were suggested early to anyone interested to ensure that the child's name was on the list for review one way or another by the 1/15 deadline. Some parents still may not receive word before week's end. In short, though, the referral isn't required if you get a pool letter.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:32     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
No letter here either, and NNAT under 132. I thought FCPS was chronically short on funding, so wouldn't giving parents the scores well ahead of time help to avoid potentially unnecessary referrals? It seems like they are creating more work for everyone (parents and staff) by doing this. It is also beyond me why the results of a test taken electronically need this long to become available. Shouldn't that be almost instantaneous? Even if you have to compare the county-wide scores, since it's all electronic, it seems like it could be done fairly easily.... Sigh....
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:28     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:OK, here's a dumb question, but I really can't figure it out:

If we receive a letter saying that DD is in the pool, do we still have to turn in the parental referral form?

Or is the referral form just an extra "boost" to her chances?


If your kid is in the pool, you don't have to submit anything.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 16:26     Subject: Re:So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
OK, here's a dumb question, but I really can't figure it out:

If we receive a letter saying that DD is in the pool, do we still have to turn in the parental referral form?

Or is the referral form just an extra "boost" to her chances?
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 15:42     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Tuesday, Jan 12 and the postman already left - still nothing.

What is the point of FCPS' compressed deadline on the parent referral if they can't even give out scores to parents in all the schools in a timely fashion?

FCPS says 1/15 is a "hard" deadline and no extension, etc. etc. I bet they will allow for late entries on a case-by-case basis due to slow scores being mailed out.. which means all this just works to undermine the credibility of FCPS.


I agree we received my daughter's score on Friday of last week and had enough time to contact a person that will write a recommendation letter as well as taking our time filling the questionnaire. It seems unfair that some parents get so much time and you still haven't received your packet. I would start filling out the questionnaire if I were you, I'm sorry PP.


Thanks for the concern - not a problem for me because while I haven't received the score, I sent in a parent referral before heading out of town for Christmas, so my child will be 'evaluated' regardless. It's just that I want to know the score to set up my own expectations and I can see the parent body at my school complaining up and down because they will get the info on Wed. (or later) and have to turn things around by COB on Friday.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 15:40     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:Tuesday, Jan 12 and the postman already left - still nothing.

What is the point of FCPS' compressed deadline on the parent referral if they can't even give out scores to parents in all the schools in a timely fashion?

FCPS says 1/15 is a "hard" deadline and no extension, etc. etc. I bet they will allow for late entries on a case-by-case basis due to slow scores being mailed out.. which means all this just works to undermine the credibility of FCPS.


I would be blaming your school at this point. It sounds like the testing office sent scores to the schools countywide on Tuesday or Wednesday of last week.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 15:31     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Anonymous wrote:Tuesday, Jan 12 and the postman already left - still nothing.

What is the point of FCPS' compressed deadline on the parent referral if they can't even give out scores to parents in all the schools in a timely fashion?

FCPS says 1/15 is a "hard" deadline and no extension, etc. etc. I bet they will allow for late entries on a case-by-case basis due to slow scores being mailed out.. which means all this just works to undermine the credibility of FCPS.


I agree we received my daughter's score on Friday of last week and had enough time to contact a person that will write a recommendation letter as well as taking our time filling the questionnaire. It seems unfair that some parents get so much time and you still haven't received your packet. I would start filling out the questionnaire if I were you, I'm sorry PP.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2016 15:24     Subject: So who didn't get CoGAT / Pool Letter yet?
Tuesday, Jan 12 and the postman already left - still nothing.

What is the point of FCPS' compressed deadline on the parent referral if they can't even give out scores to parents in all the schools in a timely fashion?

FCPS says 1/15 is a "hard" deadline and no extension, etc. etc. I bet they will allow for late entries on a case-by-case basis due to slow scores being mailed out.. which means all this just works to undermine the credibility of FCPS.