Anonymous wrote:I spoke with central as the comments were conflicting with the system documents I read.

--all Grade 3 student in the field test schools will be reviewed for academic need regardless of completing an application
--all Grade 3 students in field tests schools will receive an outcome letter about the review and recommend system next steps (recommendation for assessment, enrichment and acceleration is meeting student needs at this time)
--all Grade 3 parents will have the ultimate say of being considered for and not being considered for moving forward in the assessment process – continue into assessment, decline assessment (process will stop) or request assessment if not initially recommended

Kim Testa
ps. fyi- This meeting mentioned below is open to all.

MCCPTA GT Liaison Training and Parent Information Night
Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, 7-9pm
Location: MCPS Carver Auditorium, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

Agenda:
MCPS Presentation:
Hear the MCPS message about the Choice Study as it relates to elementary school programming and the system's proposed 3 year response plan for elementary to high schools.
Hear the updates for Math 4/5 and Math 5/6 student programming.
Hear plans to work collaboratively with fellow MCCPTA and GTA members on strategies to support students and respond to questions about schools through a liaison to liaison approach.
Speakers:
Ms. Meredith Casper, Director of MCPS Division of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction
Ms. Lori-Christina Webb, Executive Director for the MCPS Chief Academic Officer
Ms. Siobhan Alexander, Director of MCPS Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team

Advocacy Update from the Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County

Speaker:
Ms. Michelle Gluck, President, GTAMC

Advocacy Priorities from MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

This is a great opportunity for parents to get first hand information on the Choice Study response plan and what parents and students can do to voice their opinions. Please share with your school communities.

Lang Lin
Chair, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Iris Masucci & Kim Testa
Anyone attend last night's meeting and willing to share what they learned? TIA
Vice Chairs, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure its fine to test everyone but I still have my doubts that this is going to affect the students that actually attend the program. Parents aren't applying since either a) they live in a hole and ignore the many calls, emails and letters b) can't logistically get kid to transportation c) kid does not want to leave home school d) kid not interested

This program is great but its is a commitment

I've been thinking about this barrier to participation in the HGC programs and how it contributes to unequal representation of gifted kids from low-income families. We have a family at our neighborhood school with bright kids that should apply to the HGC. I know that they have one reliable working vehicle, and that the single parent uses that vehicle to get to and from a long day at work, leaving in the morning before the kids are up and arriving home after an afterschool program would be closed (and couldn't afford an afterschool program anyway). There's another adult in the house who currently gets the kids up and on and off the school bus to the local school but doesn't have a reliable car. How would this family be able to make an HGC work? The local school (where the current HGC bus stop is) is not walkable (2 miles away down a busy road with no sidewalks). The HGC is actually closer (1.5 miles) but again, there's not a safe way to walk it. There's no public transit option. I'm sure there are other kids in similar situations. Expanding gifted options to more schools would help, but as long as there are magnet schools, there are going to be significant barriers to entry for certain families, and the emphasis on trying to reach out to underrepresented groups doesn't seem to address these barriers (although reducing the first barrier to getting into the testing group is also a good step -- just doesn't address this issue).

Good post from PP. As a single mom this would be really tricky. I'm assuming the morning drop off is easier for most parents as it's earlier and possibly on their way to work but there's no way I or many others could make the pick up in the afternoon and get in a full day of work at an office and the pick up location (location) is too far for DC to walk safely.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure its fine to test everyone but I still have my doubts that this is going to affect the students that actually attend the program. Parents aren't applying since either a) they live in a hole and ignore the many calls, emails and letters b) can't logistically get kid to transportation c) kid does not want to leave home school d) kid not interested

This program is great but its is a commitment

I've been thinking about this barrier to participation in the HGC programs and how it contributes to unequal representation of gifted kids from low-income families. We have a family at our neighborhood school with bright kids that should apply to the HGC. I know that they have one reliable working vehicle, and that the single parent uses that vehicle to get to and from a long day at work, leaving in the morning before the kids are up and arriving home after an afterschool program would be closed (and couldn't afford an afterschool program anyway). There's another adult in the house who currently gets the kids up and on and off the school bus to the local school but doesn't have a reliable car. How would this family be able to make an HGC work? The local school (where the current HGC bus stop is) is not walkable (2 miles away down a busy road with no sidewalks). The HGC is actually closer (1.5 miles) but again, there's not a safe way to walk it. There's no public transit option. I'm sure there are other kids in similar situations. Expanding gifted options to more schools would help, but as long as there are magnet schools, there are going to be significant barriers to entry for certain families, and the emphasis on trying to reach out to underrepresented groups doesn't seem to address these barriers (although reducing the first barrier to getting into the testing group is also a good step -- just doesn't address this issue).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spoke with central as the comments were conflicting with the system documents I read.

--all Grade 3 student in the field test schools will be reviewed for academic need regardless of completing an application
--all Grade 3 students in field tests schools will receive an outcome letter about the review and recommend system next steps (recommendation for assessment, enrichment and acceleration is meeting student needs at this time)
--all Grade 3 parents will have the ultimate say of being considered for and not being considered for moving forward in the assessment process – continue into assessment, decline assessment (process will stop) or request assessment if not initially recommended

Kim Testa
ps. fyi- This meeting mentioned below is open to all.

MCCPTA GT Liaison Training and Parent Information Night
Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, 7-9pm
Location: MCPS Carver Auditorium, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

Agenda:
MCPS Presentation:
Hear the MCPS message about the Choice Study as it relates to elementary school programming and the system's proposed 3 year response plan for elementary to high schools.
Hear the updates for Math 4/5 and Math 5/6 student programming.
Hear plans to work collaboratively with fellow MCCPTA and GTA members on strategies to support students and respond to questions about schools through a liaison to liaison approach.
Speakers:
Ms. Meredith Casper, Director of MCPS Division of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction
Ms. Lori-Christina Webb, Executive Director for the MCPS Chief Academic Officer
Ms. Siobhan Alexander, Director of MCPS Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team

Advocacy Update from the Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County

Speaker:
Ms. Michelle Gluck, President, GTAMC

Advocacy Priorities from MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

This is a great opportunity for parents to get first hand information on the Choice Study response plan and what parents and students can do to voice their opinions. Please share with your school communities.

Lang Lin
Chair, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Iris Masucci & Kim Testa
Vice Chairs, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Thanks for posting. I am not sure I can attend this evening. If anyone plans to attend could you please take good notes and post a summary tomorrow? Thanks!!

Anonymous wrote:Sure its fine to test everyone but I still have my doubts that this is going to affect the students that actually attend the program. Parents aren't applying since either a) they live in a hole and ignore the many calls, emails and letters b) can't logistically get kid to transportation c) kid does not want to leave home school d) kid not interested

This program is great but its is a commitment

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

CogArt is light years harder than 2nd grade Inview! For starters, it's about 2 hours longer, and includes some truly challenging sections. Putting every kid through CogAt is not only impractical, it's plain brutal - not just for kids, but also for test proctors who'd have to monitor a bunch of whiny children not willing to sit through that test.[u]

Anne Arundel is giving the CoGat to all second graders this year. So far I haven't heard of any brutality involved in the test administration.
I really can't understand why anyone would be against at least evaluating all children. If you're so in favor of a meritocracy for HGC, then you should give all children the opportunity to show their merit.

Anonymous wrote:

CogArt is light years harder than 2nd grade Inview! For starters, it's about 2 hours longer, and includes some truly challenging sections. Putting every kid through CogAt is not only impractical, it's plain brutal - not just for kids, but also for test proctors who'd have to monitor a bunch of whiny children not willing to sit through that test.[u]

Anonymous wrote:I spoke with central as the comments were conflicting with the system documents I read.

--all Grade 3 student in the field test schools will be reviewed for academic need regardless of completing an application
--all Grade 3 students in field tests schools will receive an outcome letter about the review and recommend system next steps (recommendation for assessment, enrichment and acceleration is meeting student needs at this time)
--all Grade 3 parents will have the ultimate say of being considered for and not being considered for moving forward in the assessment process – continue into assessment, decline assessment (process will stop) or request assessment if not initially recommended

Kim Testa
ps. fyi- This meeting mentioned below is open to all.

MCCPTA GT Liaison Training and Parent Information Night
Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, 7-9pm
Location: MCPS Carver Auditorium, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

Agenda:
MCPS Presentation:
Hear the MCPS message about the Choice Study as it relates to elementary school programming and the system's proposed 3 year response plan for elementary to high schools.
Hear the updates for Math 4/5 and Math 5/6 student programming.
Hear plans to work collaboratively with fellow MCCPTA and GTA members on strategies to support students and respond to questions about schools through a liaison to liaison approach.
Speakers:
Ms. Meredith Casper, Director of MCPS Division of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction
Ms. Lori-Christina Webb, Executive Director for the MCPS Chief Academic Officer
Ms. Siobhan Alexander, Director of MCPS Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team

Advocacy Update from the Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County

Speaker:
Ms. Michelle Gluck, President, GTAMC

Advocacy Priorities from MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

This is a great opportunity for parents to get first hand information on the Choice Study response plan and what parents and students can do to voice their opinions. Please share with your school communities.

Lang Lin
Chair, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Iris Masucci & Kim Testa
Vice Chairs, MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I understanding that MoCo doesn't give the CoGAT to all third graders? They limit who can even take that initial test?

Our non-MoCo Marlyand district tests *all* second graders. No need for teacher recommendations or parent involvement. All second graders receive the CoGAT and then anyone above a given cutoff (not sure what the number is) is given the Performance Series test and teacher evaluations.
It's not a perfect system, but at least you're reaching out to all kids and hopefully catching those really bright kids who may not have parents actively involved or might not currently work to their potential in the classroom.

All second graders in MOCO take the InView test. I am not completely clear on who will take the test in third. I guess whoever the school recommends. Additionally, it sounds like a parent can recommend their child as well to take the test. So no, its not everyone.

So, in order to be a universal testing instrument, inView uses a lot of pictures still in 2 no grade. The HGC test is a higher level test - it uses words, it's time pressured, and it is meant to differentiate at high performance levels.

I believe that the Cogat measures the time to complete the problems as a scoring criteria.

Very true. I know a few parents with smart kids who opted not to have their children tested

No, the HGC test does not do that. The kids are all in a big room and have a set amount of time. If they don't finish it counts against them because they do not have a correct answer. No individualized monitoring of how long it took X student to complete a particular section.

CogArt is light years harder than 2nd grade Inview! For starters, it's about 2 hours longer, and includes some truly challenging sections. Putting every kid through CogAt is not only impractical, it's plain brutal - not just for kids, but also for test proctors who'd have to monitor a bunch of whiny children not willing to sit through that test.[u]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I understanding that MoCo doesn't give the CoGAT to all third graders? They limit who can even take that initial test?

Our non-MoCo Marlyand district tests *all* second graders. No need for teacher recommendations or parent involvement. All second graders receive the CoGAT and then anyone above a given cutoff (not sure what the number is) is given the Performance Series test and teacher evaluations.
It's not a perfect system, but at least you're reaching out to all kids and hopefully catching those really bright kids who may not have parents actively involved or might not currently work to their potential in the classroom.

All second graders in MOCO take the InView test. I am not completely clear on who will take the test in third. I guess whoever the school recommends. Additionally, it sounds like a parent can recommend their child as well to take the test. So no, its not everyone.

So, in order to be a universal testing instrument, inView uses a lot of pictures still in 2 no grade. The HGC test is a higher level test - it uses words, it's time pressured, and it is meant to differentiate at high performance levels.

I believe that the Cogat measures the time to complete the problems as a scoring criteria.

Very true. I know a few parents with smart kids who opted not to have their children tested

No, the HGC test does not do that. The kids are all in a big room and have a set amount of time. If they don't finish it counts against them because they do not have a correct answer. No individualized monitoring of how long it took X student to complete a particular section.

CogArt is light years harder than 2nd grade Inview! For starters, it's about 2 hours longer, and includes some truly challenging sections. Putting every kid through CogAt is not only impractical, it's plain brutal - not just for kids, but also for test proctors who'd have to monitor a bunch of whiny children not willing to sit through that test.