Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 21:42     Subject: cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
Those teaching my child in the new academic after school and outside school are teachers. They can speak directly and accurately to her current achievements since the submission. They are specialized in the area of these classes and are directly familiar with my child's recent achievements, which are notable. The fact that their opinions cannot be considered is a travesty. I have no one to write a letter that is not conflicted out. Again, those who have the direct, most relevant info. are the ones who are banned from submitting. This system is gamed and unfair. My child will suffer as a result.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 20:37     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
One more thing for 20:00. To counteract the GBRS, you can write your own letter as part of the submission mentioning very specific examples of your child's strengths that counteract the weaker areas of applicable. I would strongly recommend you do this in a manner that is respectful to the teacher. I found that part very hard, as I was frustrated. I had someone else read my letter to see if it sounded too emotional. With regard to school activities, unless the coaches are teachers, they can submit letters. In our appeal the lego league coach wrote a great letter for me (she was a parent). If the coaches are teachers, I would include a description of your child's experience, examples of work from those events if applicable, as well as commentary from the coaches.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 20:32     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
PP, the staff at the school really has their hands tied. Even if they agreed, thes committee might well not allow their submissions to be considered. I think the biggest reason for their limiting the school's reply after the GBRS is the sheer volume of requests. When I requested my file last year, they copied the whole thing, work samples included, so I could see everything. They are supposed to at the very least let you see the file, I believe. My AART was helpful in this regard. With regard to what to submit, I included letters from other teachers/coaches/family friends. I included some writing samples. I did not include the WISC, which if the scores are sufficient, would likely seal the deal. In the end, I held out hope that this year, we would have a better fit for him (teacher) and that it would all work out.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 20:00     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We are new to all this and do not understand many things. We met the school's gifted administrator. She is saying that the appeal is now between the FCPS and us and the school is not involved at all. In all our meetings with the classroom teacher throughout the year in the past, she indicated that my daughter has been one of the top performers in the class and is above her grade level in Math and Reading. However, she did not indicate so in her file. We are trying to meet with her if she can help my daughter's case some how but she does not want to meet with us. She is asking us to meet with the school's gifted administrator and we already did! I do not believe the school presented my daughter's case in a fair manner. My daughter is devastated with her rejection and with this mental state I am not sure how she would perform in WISC. Does any one know what can be done if we disagree with the GBRS and completeness/fairness of the school provided information? Thanks.


PP. We had a bit of an issue with this last year. I actually wanted to have my ds's music teacher submit a rec. She said she is not allowed. The only part the FCPS teacher is allowed to submit is the GBRS (depending on the school, the teachers usually have part in this, ours did them with the guidance counselor, I think). Right on the appeal form it says that additional info/letters from FCPS should not be solicited. The teacher's hands are tied there. If you would like to submit a letter highlighting your child's strengths, with examples to counteract portions of the GBRS you do not agree with

You mention the teacher did not indicate your daughter's performance in the file. Can you be specific. For us, last year, the weak area was a GBRS of 9, and what I deemed to be a weak work sample. I did ask ds' teacher if she could pull out some of his better samples, which she gladly did. I went through those and pulled out the ones I saw as really exemplary of my son's best work for the appeal. I also got letters from additional sources, coach, outside church school teacher, etc. We did not do WISC, and were denied on appeal too though. My thought was what I provided was not strong enough to counteract the 9 GBRS.

This year in 3rd grade, with a new teacher, and therefore new GBRS, he was accepted on parent referral without new test scores (still the county ones from last year). once again I asked the teacher for work samples (mark them "from school") which she gladly let me peruse, and copy.


Our child is in a very similar situation to the children above in terms of test scores, grades, and marginal GBRS. We had no input as to what work samples were included from the in school and we were very disappointed in the commentary to the GBRS. It clearly demonstrated that those wrote it do not directly know our child. Since the submission, our child has attended several outside (but school sponsored) academic events where she exceled, has been selected for an in school advanced academic program, has completed a new school art program, and has scored straight O's in every subject for third quarter (like the two prior quarters). If significant information was omitted from the application (I can clearly demonstrate omissions/errors in the GBRS scoring and commentary) or new achievements have occured at the school since the submission, then how can this new info. be submitted? It is the school that needs to document these new events--how can they not be involved? Anything I submit will only be second hand from a parent, unlike additional new information coming directly from her teacher or those coaching the new school activities. I am not an art teacher and cannot speak to the level of achievement or potential in my childs work in the art class she has taken over the last two months. How can the teachers who know my child's activities (new material) the best since the initial submission be heard for an appeal if they cannot submit letters of recommendation?
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 18:14     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
There are lots of good insights in the input from many of you. I will try to decouple the rejection from WISC. Because all her close friends have been selected, she is feeling awful! Hopefully she would get over this soon.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 17:46     Subject: cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
I'm not surprised that the teacher doesn't want to meet about this. At this point there is little that they can do/or change and there isn't much upside for them if they were to create a fuss about this. I think it's up to you now. The biggest thing i think for an appeal is the wisc. I also agreenot telling your dc much more about it. You don't want her to feel 'not smart:.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 13:08     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
I agree - I did not tell my child she was being considered for AP. When she took some IQ tests recently it was "to find out the best way you learn" not to qualify for something, or fail.

I would back off for a while so that the WISC is not connected, in your child's mind, with this rejection.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 11:46     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
pp here, one more thing. My son was/is wholly unaware of this process. He did not know we applied, or that he was rejected, or even what his test scores were for that matter. As far as how to help your daughter, I would try to keep her out of the loop for the appeal. If you decide to do the WISC, I would not connect it to being "accepted" for anything. Perhaps you could frame it as a fun thing, and not relate it to any rejection or appeal? If you are waiting for an appointment for the WISC, you could not mention it in the weeks coming up to it. I worry that it would be too much pressure for a 7-8 year old. In all things, I find if my children sense my anxiety about something, they become anxious as well.

FWIW, I think it is not uncommon in many schools for children to be above grade level in math/reading. I think for the AAP placement, there is more to it. For us, the real deciding factor to appeal, and parent refer this year was that our ds breezed through all work so easily, and his teacher mentioned many times that she had to stay on her toes to keep him moving ahead.

GL
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 11:38     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
Anonymous wrote:We are new to all this and do not understand many things. We met the school's gifted administrator. She is saying that the appeal is now between the FCPS and us and the school is not involved at all. In all our meetings with the classroom teacher throughout the year in the past, she indicated that my daughter has been one of the top performers in the class and is above her grade level in Math and Reading. However, she did not indicate so in her file. We are trying to meet with her if she can help my daughter's case some how but she does not want to meet with us. She is asking us to meet with the school's gifted administrator and we already did! I do not believe the school presented my daughter's case in a fair manner. My daughter is devastated with her rejection and with this mental state I am not sure how she would perform in WISC. Does any one know what can be done if we disagree with the GBRS and completeness/fairness of the school provided information? Thanks.


PP. We had a bit of an issue with this last year. I actually wanted to have my ds's music teacher submit a rec. She said she is not allowed. The only part the FCPS teacher is allowed to submit is the GBRS (depending on the school, the teachers usually have part in this, ours did them with the guidance counselor, I think). Right on the appeal form it says that additional info/letters from FCPS should not be solicited. The teacher's hands are tied there. If you would like to submit a letter highlighting your child's strengths, with examples to counteract portions of the GBRS you do not agree with

You mention the teacher did not indicate your daughter's performance in the file. Can you be specific. For us, last year, the weak area was a GBRS of 9, and what I deemed to be a weak work sample. I did ask ds' teacher if she could pull out some of his better samples, which she gladly did. I went through those and pulled out the ones I saw as really exemplary of my son's best work for the appeal. I also got letters from additional sources, coach, outside church school teacher, etc. We did not do WISC, and were denied on appeal too though. My thought was what I provided was not strong enough to counteract the 9 GBRS.

This year in 3rd grade, with a new teacher, and therefore new GBRS, he was accepted on parent referral without new test scores (still the county ones from last year). once again I asked the teacher for work samples (mark them "from school") which she gladly let me peruse, and copy.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 11:33     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
Sorry, I forgot to mention. I do not know what DRA is. The Cogat and NNAT were administered by the school. I guess these tests are the same for every child.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 11:20     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
We are new to all this and do not understand many things. We met the school's gifted administrator. She is saying that the appeal is now between the FCPS and us and the school is not involved at all. In all our meetings with the classroom teacher throughout the year in the past, she indicated that my daughter has been one of the top performers in the class and is above her grade level in Math and Reading. However, she did not indicate so in her file. We are trying to meet with her if she can help my daughter's case some how but she does not want to meet with us. She is asking us to meet with the school's gifted administrator and we already did! I do not believe the school presented my daughter's case in a fair manner. My daughter is devastated with her rejection and with this mental state I am not sure how she would perform in WISC. Does any one know what can be done if we disagree with the GBRS and completeness/fairness of the school provided information? Thanks.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 08:42     Subject: cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
did your school administer the DRA test to the fullest potential of the student or did the score max out?
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2011 07:30     Subject: cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
15:57: Definitely a talk with the teacher and AART is in order. Then you can see where your dc needs additional supportive information to present to the appeals committee. The report was turned in at the beginning of February... A lot of change could have happened since then.

Also, get that WISC test done.
Anonymous
Post 05/02/2011 21:20     Subject: cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
Anonymous wrote:15:57, I would take WISC and would talk to your DC's teacher and see what else can be put into the file (i.e., additional new strong work samples or other progress since last Jan/Feb) to support the appeal.

Best of luck with your appeal!


The teacher would be the same one who gave this low GBRS, right?

PP do you think the teacher's assessment was fair?
Anonymous
Post 05/02/2011 18:44     Subject: Re:cutoff scores for Fairfax County GT centers for this year?
>Anonymous

>15:57, I would take WISC and would talk to your DC's teacher and see what else can be put into the file (i.e., additional new strong work samples or other progress since last Jan/Feb) to support the appeal.

> Best of luck with your appeal!

Thanks for your advice.