Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments IQ scores for a two year skip?

My 7 year old has an IQ of 135, although the NVFR is 99.9% on the SB5. DC is working a few years ahead and I'm asking for a two year skip. Is this too much considering the IQ scores?

What are your reasons for seeking a two-year skip?

Acceleration is a frequent topic on the forums and is not based on IQ alone.

Are you familiar with the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS)? It is described here on Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, and is considered the gold standard for evaluating evidence for/against a full-grade skip at a given point in time.

The IAS is in its 3rd edition (2009) and is therefore sometimes called IAS-3.

There are three parts to the IAS:
1) Manual (re-usable paperback with process description, essays, examples)
2) Form (one form is completed for each child, each time an acceleration is considered)
3) Summary and Planning Record (one summary and planning record is completed for each child, each time an acceleration is considered)

The IAS is described on the website of the Acceleration Institute and is available from Great Potential Press. If your school is not aware of the IAS, you may wish to share this information with them.

The IAS recommends tests which measure student ability, aptitude, and achievement. This list is a roundup of these tests:

Ability
Most recent Wechsler or Binet, Woodcock-Johnson... or CogAT

Aptitude
Above-level tests such as ITBS, EXPLORE, or ACT

Achievement
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) or Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-ACH).

Have you read other discussion threads which list pros/cons of acceleration? This post, in a thread called Considering grade skip, contains a roundup of acceleration discussion threads, which you may wish to explore.

I wouldn't go for a double skip. Despite a high score in fluid reasoning if the IQ is only mildly gifted then that's what you're going to see and school needs all round high scores for a double skip. Maybe enrichment in the fluid reasoning areas of school (like maths and science). I'd be concerned once your child gets to middle school they'd struggle. To be honest, with such a high FR score that may have bumped up the IQ so maybe a single skip may not be ideal, either. Check out the IAS and be realistic with the answers. There's a big difference between being able to work a few years ahead and being able to literally be in a grade a few years ahead.

A lot would depend on the actual scatter within the IQ test as well as the quality of your DS' school and rather he is old/young for grade. Based on the limited information in your post, I would hesitate to skip two years. If such high NVFR only results in a full scale IQ of 135, then it means that either his verbal IQ and/or processing speed is only high average or lower. Schools typically emphasize verbal skills and require reasonable processing speed. Based on the posted age, I am assuming that you want your DS to skip 2nd and 3rd grade and jump to 4th grade. The writing and executive demands in 4th grade are significantly higher in most decent brick and mortar schools.

I'm quoting the above to draw more attention to it. This is what I'm experiencing with my son. He has FSIQ of 132 (GAI 141). His score is brought down by slow processing speed and working memory. However, he has ADHD dx so we have some wiggle room for academic accommodations.

He is in virtual charter school that offers a blended option, so I can chose his environment for each individual subject. I choose his grade level for each subject. I can also chose his level of accommodation for each subject. I did subject acceleration in grade 2 and 3. He skipped from public elementary school 1st grade to charter school 4th/5th grade for his 2nd grade year. 3rd grade year he did grade 6 with higher level supplements.

He is 9 now, would be entering 4th grade. We did formal grade skip acceleration to 7th grade. He'll be taking 2 middle school classes, 2 high school classes, and 1 will be either high school or college - awaiting instructor approval. However, he will have accommodations available for ADHD in each class. The high school classes can be done at half-pace, meaning one semester is spread over two semesters. 2 of his classes wil have no required writing, no written homework. If he gets approved for the college class, he'll have accommodation for private test room, time-and-a-half on tests, extended time on assignments, and a note-taker (that's me).

He is intellectually capable of the material, but his processing speed, working memory, and slow writing would prevent him from participating in these classes if not for the ADHD dx and parent involvement. My role is to be aware of his asynchronies and abilities so I know when to push him and when to stop, break it down, and teach a lagging skill. My role is to teach organizational skills. ("Organizational Skills Training for Kids with ADHD" <-- book is worth its weight in gold!)

For reference, his processing speed when optimally medicated is 50th percentile. Unmedicated it's approx 20th percentile.

For your son, I would recommend preparing him for a skip over a couple of years. The difference between grade 3 to 4 is significant and the difference between 5 to 6 is often troublesome. Subject acceleration might give you an opportunity to teach him the study skills separate from social skills and academic organization skills. When he can keep up with the non-intellectual / executive demand of higher level work you'll be better able to make a grade-skip decision in confidence.

All school districts are different, but you might find it easier to advocate for one grade skip now, and another one later. You can even use the success of the first skip to support further acceleration.

As to the IQ, I am no expert and can only speak anecdotally, but I think 135 would be near the minimum for a double skip. Is it do-able? Certainly, especially if the kiddo is motivated, but I'd be hesitant to do a two year skip for an IQ much lower.

Best of luck,
--S.F.

What do you mean by "working a few years ahead"?

Is your child actually doing the work of students a few grades above age-grade placement in a classroom setting? In a homeschool setting?

Or is it that the grade equivalent on a standardized achievement test is a few grades above the age grade?

If your child is actually doing the work of students a few grades ahead and excelling *in a classroom setting* then they are probably ready for a skip.

If your child is doing the work the work of students a few grades ahead in a homeschool setting and excelling, you're going to have to carefully evaluate whether that will actually translate into being successful with the same work in a classroom setting. For example, when homeschooling it is easy to provide a degree of scaffolding that is not available in a classroom.

If your child has test scores that place him a few grades ahead (meaning that they are in, say 3rd grade and the grade equivalent score is 5.5 or something), this does not indicate readiness for 5th grade work. It just means that the child has mastered (or more accurately--*may have* mastered) the material on the test to the same extent that an average student in that year and month has. Average students have not mastered grade level material.

I would get a copy of the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual. You don't need to get the forms if you're using it for your own information. It lists many issues to consider when doing a skip and explains the reasoning behind the recommendations.

Also, keep in mind that it's not just about academics. Executive function and social issues play a huge role in the success of a skip. In fact our experience was that the academics *still* weren't challenging enough after a two year skip, but the EF demands and social issues were challenging. We went back to homeschooling after that year. This coming year my son will be entering high school (after doing high school/college level work at home for two years) with his age mates in the fall--his choice, purely for social reasons.

I would also not do a two year skip all at once.

Unless the school is unusually pro-skipping I wouldn't even mention a two year skip. A one year would depend on school attitude, achievement and social issues more than IQ probably.

It's a good strategy if you want a one-year skip and the school is anti-skipping. Suggest two years, settle for one.

At our anti-skipping school, you'll immediately get dismissed by administration asking for a two year skip (and they'll probably have a good laugh when you leave). Asking for a one year skip gets placated. I don't know a single case of skipping in our large (700 students) elementary.

Not all schools are the same, but unless there's a very clear history and path for a single year skip, I'd stay away from asking for a double. A double skip also has a higher chance of success taken in two steps.