So the teachers don't usually differentiate instruction at all for children in grades K-2? Sounds like a lot of really bored kids.

Given the previous nasty PP, not sure why I am bothering. But not all gifted children are working above grade level in school work in K-2. Many are bored and checked out. For an ESL student, language arts (the primary focus of the K-2 curriculum) may still be an area of struggle. Like any other child, a gifted student may have undiagnosed learning or other disabilities (ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, dysgraphia. etc.) that keep them from working above grade level.

Also, my child was never given above grade level work to do in K-2, so how would a teacher see it?

Anonymous wrote:I guess this is a naive question, but shouldn't it be obvious to the first and second grade teachers which students should be grouped in the advanced programs? Won't it be the ones who are already working way ahead of grade level? It seems like a lot of complicated hoopla and make-work.

That's just crazy talk!

Don't you know that the teachers are instructed by the PRINCIPALS not to "label" any of the above-grade level kids as possibly gifted? The PRINCIPALS do not want their ace students leaving the school to go off to a AAP Center because it will take the school's Pass Advance SOL scores away.

And for the Local Level IV schools, the PRINCIPALS know that the Local Level IV is EXACTLY THE SAME as the Level IV AAP Center, so they don't want the student to go to the AAP Center, either, because they can stay with their "friends."

Like I said, yours is just crazy talk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess this is a naive question, but shouldn't it be obvious to the first and second grade teachers which students should be grouped in the advanced programs? Won't it be the ones who are already working way ahead of grade level? It seems like a lot of complicated hoopla and make-work.

someone will be along soon to explain that the teachers are inexperienced, don't know your (like you do), play favorites etc. etc.

correction - should have been: someone will be along soon to explain that the teachers are inexperienced, don't know your kid (like you do), play favorites etc. etc

Anonymous wrote:I guess this is a naive question, but shouldn't it be obvious to the first and second grade teachers which students should be grouped in the advanced programs? Won't it be the ones who are already working way ahead of grade level? It seems like a lot of complicated hoopla and make-work.

someone will be along soon to explain that the teachers are inexperienced, don't know your (like you do), play favorites etc. etc.

I guess this is a naive question, but shouldn't it be obvious to the first and second grade teachers which students should be grouped in the advanced programs? Won't it be the ones who are already working way ahead of grade level? It seems like a lot of complicated hoopla and make-work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really like the fact that they are moving the testing schedule to 1st Grade - that way parents have a couple of years to figure out if their child has a decent chance of making it into AAP.

A couple of years?

More like one year.

I wonder if the 1st grader aces the NNAT, then he/she can bow out of the CogAT.

They may change the rule where the kid must do well on both tests.

Well, since there is no rule now where the kid must do well on both tests, I would say that it will be the same.

Anonymous wrote:I really like the fact that they are moving the testing schedule to 1st Grade - that way parents have a couple of years to figure out if their child has a decent chance of making it into AAP.

A couple of years?

More like one year.

I wonder if the 1st grader aces the NNAT, then he/she can bow out of the CogAT.

They may change the rule where the kid must do well on both tests.

I really like the fact that they are moving the testing schedule to 1st Grade - that way parents have a couple of years to figure out if their child has a decent chance of making it into AAP.

Anonymous wrote:According to our AAP coordinator, the scores from first grade will be used as the NNAT score for AAP consideration when the child is in 2nd grade and the process begins. "No immediate GT action" means that the school will basically just file the score and it will not be used until the second grade screening pool is established.

This years first graders will not repeat the NNAT next year. They will have one NNAT score (1st grade) and one CogAT score (2nd grade) to determine whether or not they are in the 2nd grade screening pool.

No "immediate" action means it'll be another year before they complete the process.

According to our AAP coordinator, the scores from first grade will be used as the NNAT score for AAP consideration when the child is in 2nd grade and the process begins. "No immediate GT action" means that the school will basically just file the score and it will not be used until the second grade screening pool is established.

This years first graders will not repeat the NNAT next year. They will have one NNAT score (1st grade) and one CogAT score (2nd grade) to determine whether or not they are in the 2nd grade screening pool.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They are only testing 1st graders for information purposes. It will not result in any GT action, I believe.

According to the website (emphasis added):

http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/gt/

Testing Information

Beginning this year, the NNATII will be administered in first grade. Since it is a nonverbal measure that does not
require verbal or mathematical skills, it is well suited for first grade students. The results will continue to be used
for the second grade pool and for screening and selection for advanced academic services.

No immediate GT action.

Anonymous wrote:

They are only testing 1st graders for information purposes. It will not result in any GT action, I believe.

According to the website (emphasis added):

http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/gt/

Testing Information

Beginning this year, the NNATII will be administered in first grade. Since it is a nonverbal measure that does not
require verbal or mathematical skills, it is well suited for first grade students. The results will continue to be used
for the second grade pool and for screening and selection for advanced academic services.

Anonymous wrote:

Really? because someone responded before that a 130 needed to be achieved on both tests.

The cutoff info for last year is no longer on the site. In theory, the cutoff changes year to year based on the range of scores for that year. But the cutoff has been 130 on any one subpart for a few years in a row.

It will be interesting to see what FCPS does in regard to the NNAT being given to first graders.

They are only testing 1st graders for information purposes. It will not result in any GT action, I believe.

To: "Gosh, I hope you are kidding. "

No one is kidding here, don't you get it?