Anonymous wrote:I think they should take the GBRS into account more. It is the only thing that measures actual performance. There should be a hard cut-off at around 10 or 11.
We should back up the teachers because they are the ones in the classroom all day and can really see how a child performs. Those GBRS categories do really get at the traits needed for academic success. Does anyone think it asks the wrong questions?

I do agree with you in some cases. But maybe the GBRS should be a combination of the K, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers input. In our child's case, her brand new 2nd grade teacher was out 3 months with a baby from Nov to Feb so how can she give proper input on the GBRS. She came in to meet with the AART to answer questions and the AART did the GBRS based on the answers to those 10 questions. Most of us know how we are when we first have a baby plus not even being in the classroom since Nov. How is that a true GBRS??

Anonymous wrote:I read this here alot, but the teaching is done to groups (in our case 30 kids no less); so I don't see why individual testing is so favored since there is no individual teaching. I mean they don't get their hands held one-on-one with a teacher. I can be pretty rough and tumble in those GT classrooms at times! Isn't group testing more consistent with group teaching. Put another way, since there's no individual teaching why is individual testing so favored by some around here?

There's no "rough and tumble" in the GT center classrooms we have been in, but perhaps ours have been/are the exception. In our GT center classrooms, there has been more small group instruction than entire-classroom-at-once lecturing. So I disagree that group testing is more consistent with group teaching. The point of the testing is to capture the child's strengths through a nationally normed instrument. If the goal is to mimic the GT center classroom environment, maybe we should do all testing in late May/early June in a heatwave with little-to-no functioning air conditioning.

I think they should take the GBRS into account more. It is the only thing that measures actual performance. There should be a hard cut-off at around 10 or 11.
We should back up the teachers because they are the ones in the classroom all day and can really see how a child performs. Those GBRS categories do really get at the traits needed for academic success. Does anyone think it asks the wrong questions?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that you should be able to submit "new" information and private testing on appeal. The appeal should just be a request to review the child's original file by a different panel of educators.

2nd grader doesn't do well in group testing and does better one-on-one. Or 2nd grader wasn't feeling well on day of FCPS-administered testing.

Those are but two reasons for "new" testing on appeal.

I read this here alot, but the teaching is done to groups (in our case 30 kids no less); so I don't see why individual testing is so favored since there is no individual teaching. I mean they don't get their hands held one-on-one with a teacher. I can be pretty rough and tumble in those GT classrooms at times! Isn't group testing more consistent with group teaching. Put another way, since there's no individual teaching why is individual testing so favored by some around here?

I think people are crazy to push so hard to get into AAP. Many of these kids will probably make up the bottom 1/2 of any AAP classroom. Better their child than mine.

I think people are crazy to push so hard to get into AAP. Many of these kids will probably make up the bottom 1/2 of any AAP classroom. Better than child than mine.

Anonymous wrote:Not only are many of these appeals frivolous and waste County resources, but the County has to allow some to enter via this backdoor method, and it dilutes the experience for all.

I don't get the "waste county resources". The people who are on the appeals committee normally sit in an office anyway and now just sit at a table reviewing documents. I am sure there are many more things going on in FCPS that are a "waste of county resources" besides reviewing documents submitted for AAP appeals.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that you should be able to submit "new" information and private testing on appeal. The appeal should just be a request to review the child's original file by a different panel of educators.

2nd grader doesn't do well in group testing and does better one-on-one. Or 2nd grader wasn't feeling well on day of FCPS-administered testing.

Those are but two reasons for "new" testing on appeal.

I don't think that you should be able to submit "new" information and private testing on appeal. The appeal should just be a request to review the child's original file by a different panel of educators.

AAP isn't a "right" like some of the parents on this forum feel.

Anonymous wrote:Not only are many of these appeals frivolous and waste County resources, but the County has to allow some to enter via this backdoor method, and it dilutes the experience for all.

There is no basis for this statement. Please provide detailed statistics that clearly support your assertion that those admitted on appeal "dilute" the class. Have you tracked their performance versus the pool admitted in the first round?

Point is, the process of evaluation is held in secrecy. When the rules of the game are unknown, there will always be uncertainty as to why and how decisions were made behind closed doors. I refuse to believe that a government "committee" can and always will make the right decision for me or my child. Accepting that "they are professionals and know best" is the line of a social liberal, but not for me. If the committee makes a mistake (they are people and it can happen) then who is there to audit them? If the process was open and consistent, then there would be less debate over borderline cases.

Not only are many of these appeals frivolous and waste County resources, but the County has to allow some to enter via this backdoor method, and it dilutes the experience for all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What these dragon mothers fail to realize is that their son/daughter is going to do just fine without being in the G/T program. If they are as academically gifted as they assert, they are going to have a fine experience, G/T or otherwise. They weren't accepted for a reason.

Can you imagine what some of these parents are going to do 10 years from now when their child potentially doesn't get into their school(s) of choice?

They get accepted for a reason with appeal.

You don't have to imagine. There probably many kids who got in G/T with appeal 10 years ago, and now don't get into their choice of college. Let me knwo if you see someting special.

Or maybe these parents are setting their child up for a second rejection - just for the sake of having the "G/T" label. Sad that the Type A parents in NoVa force the G/T center to have an appeal process.

Ironically, because of this, it's been flooded with kids who received the "benefit of the doubt." It's not really GT anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What these dragon mothers fail to realize is that their son/daughter is going to do just fine without being in the G/T program. If they are as academically gifted as they assert, they are going to have a fine experience, G/T or otherwise. They weren't accepted for a reason.

Can you imagine what some of these parents are going to do 10 years from now when their child potentially doesn't get into their school(s) of choice?

They get accepted for a reason with appeal.

You don't have to imagine. There probably many kids who got in G/T with appeal 10 years ago, and now don't get into their choice of college. Let me knwo if you see someting special.

Or maybe these parents are setting their child up for a second rejection - just for the sake of having the "G/T" label. Sad that the Type A parents in NoVa force the G/T center to have an appeal process.

Anonymous wrote:What these dragon mothers fail to realize is that their son/daughter is going to do just fine without being in the G/T program. If they are as academically gifted as they assert, they are going to have a fine experience, G/T or otherwise. They weren't accepted for a reason.

Can you imagine what some of these parents are going to do 10 years from now when their child potentially doesn't get into their school(s) of choice?

They get accepted for a reason with appeal.

You don't have to imagine. There probably many kids who got in G/T with appeal 10 years ago, and now don't get into their choice of college. Let me knwo if you see someting special.

Anonymous wrote:What these dragon mothers fail to realize is that their son/daughter is going to do just fine without being in the G/T program. If they are as academically gifted as they assert, they are going to have a fine experience, G/T or otherwise. They weren't accepted for a reason.

Can you imagine what some of these parents are going to do 10 years from now when their child potentially doesn't get into their school(s) of choice?

some with no personalities will not succceed, lamentably. Let's face it, high IQ alone, without more, means nothing. Maybe they can go on Jeopardy. Or marry a rich husband.