This is my first post here, but I need some help so I apologize for not doing a introductory post first.

I would like any advice on appealing a decision to not place my 3rd grade daughter in gifted programs.

In Georgia, she needs to score 96% or above on an ability test (Otis Lennon or Naglieri), 90% or above on a creativity test, and 90% or above on the total math or total reading of the ITBS. My daughter scored a 97% on the creativity test (PAC?), her NNAT2 score was a 158, and her ITBS score was an 89% for Total math, and somewhere about 80% (can't recall exact) on total reading. She was given the ITBS one-on-one and was not ill or anything. I do know, from the teacher giving the test, that she did all of her math in her head.

She does well in school with all As and is considered by her teachers to be very highly creative.

She is the youngest of 6 kids who all had similar ability and achievement profiles in elementary, and had their achievement test scores rise dramatically in middle school. All the others scored in gifted levels on the WISC or Stanford Binet, all far higher in perceptual and quantitative areas than verbal. She has two siblings with Aspergers. She has taken the Cogat in 1st and 3rd grade and her nonverbal is far higher than the verbal and quantitative. This is also similar to several of her siblings.

I don't think she has Aspergers - she's just too witty. But she has the similar blunt-to-a-fault problem.

I am appealing her lack of gifted placement based primarily on the 158 on the Naglieri. But if anyone can offer some other ideas or thoughts to argue an appeal for this sort of child, I would truly appreciate it.

The elementary school gifted program accelerates some kids in math and other subjects. But it's still a pull-out program and my next older daughter had no problem with the gifted program at all -- and I don't think my youngest has any less ability to do the same.

Karen