The school hasn't had a chance to meet your kid and figure this out for themselves and you've had no testing.
Totally agree. We want them to meet DS and we do want to get him tested. We haven't done it up to this point because it is part of the process of identification.
However since this is a long process, we've decided to get him tested this summer on our own.
I strongly recommend avoiding the WPPSI. It is a test designed for kids up to 7 and GT kids in the upper ages will hit so many ceilings that the test doesn't yield much helpful info. Did the SD request or require that test? If not, the SBV can be used in the K age group, otherwise, the WISCIV can be used only after 6 yo. There are massive ceiling issues on the SBV and WISCIV for the HG crowd that leads to problems anyway, but the WPPSI will magnify that and potentially mess up your results.
This was just the testing that I was able find. I've got quotes from $350 up to nearly $2k. If we submit the written request for early admissions, they'd perform their own test. We're trying to find out what they'd test so that we don't overlap. I suspect--but don't know--that he'd run into ceilings on WPPSI.
I sometimes think that we are forced to argue so hard for our kids that we end up talking ourselves into things trying to get our point across. Not saying you are heading there, but full grade skip of K isn't the only way to handle an HG kid in schools. Some stay at grade level with good teachers who differentiate, and some have happy times in K and skip later, and some get decent subject acceleration or other methods (ALEKS for math on computer in the classroom) that all works out. Even if the school sees the numbers you expect, meets your kid and still says no, it doesn't mean it will be a disaster.
Both DW and I agree completely. What was a little frustration on our end was the pat answer and very hard push back from the principal (who, incidentally had already talked to the assistance superintendent our us by the time I called). Compared with the director we met with who clearly expressed her recommendation and opinion but we still considered that meeting a positive one.
So, I understand where they are coming from and until either we provide them with more evidence we'll get standard answers. We'll just need to be persistent. They way that I left it was the principal was that we may request early admissions so that we start the process of testing, but we
may still elect not to.
JB