Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy IAS - what above level test for the scoring?

Thanks for your post Grinity!

LOL - those who know me would be laughing at the thought of me as an unschooler - I'm more in the middle.

I've been told by GT that school doesn't subject accelerate either but perhaps w/ objective numbers from IOWA something could be worked out.

I'm about ready to give up and just HS him...then I could teach each subject on his level. Such a tough decision... I hate advocating but w/ the WISCIV scores and hopefully (fingers crossed) great WJIII scores, I'll have objective numbers and not be labeled as one of those moms.

Dazey

Just wanted to comment, back to the original question: the poster from the other board provided that the school used the WIAT for his son at two levels - 1st grade (his current level) and 4th grade. He tested out in the 98th% on grade level (with some scatter) and then ranged from 9th% to 50th% on 4 th grade level. The dad wants a skip to 2nd for the rest of this year with moving into 3rd next year. I think the achievement scores support that.

My understanding of the IAS is that it isn't to be used as a clear cut pass/fail test. It is meant to be used a as a guide, as a starting point for discussion. The manual, as I recall, points out how a score that does not support whole grade acceleration may in fact still indicate that the child would benefit from subject acceleration. When we had our son tested at U of Iowa, where the IAS was developed, the psychologist (director of the testing center there) told us that we could use the IAS *without* above level testing and just eliminate that score total from the overall total (adjust all the categories for final score down by the points not tallied). I believe that the scale is intended to be flexible in that way.

My understanding about a successful grade skip is in keeping with your thoughts, Dottie. That a successfully accelerated child will still be in the top of their new class. You want challenge, not misery!

Another thought - the Woodcock Johnson is not really a great achievement test for gifted kids. It is designed for the purpose of identifying learning difficulties. It is the one our son was first tested with and one that schools are very familiar with, but not the best when looking for achievement scores in the GT population (from what I've read on hoagies and elsewhere).

After lots of reading on these threads I'm looking forward to having my son do EXPLORE testing during next school year. I hate the thought of too much testing, though. I've written the principal an email requesting a meeting whether the Stanford tests are back or not to discuss differentiation and compacting. It is definitely what my son needs now. Not another grade skip. I've read that most gifted kids advance two years on achievement testing for every year of schooling. Hopefully that will show up now that we've had test/re-test for my son. If the school can see that his achievement moves faster than their curriculum perhaps they will let him move ahead more quickly.

Dottie, one can take the SCAT anytime after you register?

I'm confused about how to use the SCAT. If you take SCAT for CTY they give you a score with percentiles. What do those percentiles mean? Is your child being compared to other kids in grade level? Or is this an out of level test?

Thanks Dottie! I went back and looked at the score sheet I got for DD. She missed the cutoff for the summer classes by 2 points on the verbal (her strength) but it looks like she was pretty much in the middle of the pack. She may do better next year...she was really nervous about the testing center. It's nice to know that was on an above level test and compared to other bright kids.

No, I was mistaken. I went back and looked and the report I got had no percentiles on it. I must have been remembering something another poster said about CTY scores.

Now, it just has raw scores and scaled scores and the table showing the cutoffs for programs. That is why I wasn't sure about the level of the test.

Hmmmm. Thanks, Dottie! That's what I wanted to know. I wonder why they stopped reporting that? And how does one use the SCAT for the IAS without the percentiles?

I am not considering a skip for DD at this point. I was more curious than anything. I'm sure you understand, Dottie