My first post, so a brief background. Two DC presumed gifted, no IQ testing, in a strong public school, just now establishing early GT help at school, so this is all pretty new to me. I've spent a couple weeks of free time reading thru the forums and have a few questions about testing.

My main question relates to the CogAT. Some folks here seem to put less weight into that test because it misses a segment of gifted kids, and some indicate it may instead show high-ability but not-actually-gifted kid as gifted. Does that apply if you see giftedness from the various gifted characteristic lists, plus various over-exciteabilities and intensities, and if you know your child is frustrated with the slow pace of school, grasps things very quickly, makes mental leaps, etc? I feel like I'm somehow not supposed to really trust the result, while at the same time, I feel validated in my long-held suspicions.

DS9 took the at-grade-level CogAT in Nov (just recently got the results) and scored very high [edited to remove scores] (I now wish they had tested above grade level). The school does not officially start their GT until grade 4.His teacher is very supportive of his need for more challenge now. There's no formal structured plan for continued growth and assessment, just fit enrichment and differentiation in along with the regular curriculum.

If a student is capable of 5th grade work (to start with) in grade 3, when is grade acceleration in consideration? Wouldn't that be wise to consider before fall since 6th grade is a school switch? I suspect they are concerned with possible gaps, but he's was already exceeding several grade standards at term 1 and most at term 2. My concerns are with appropriate challenge to head off perfectionism and eventual possible fear of failure when challenged, and I don't see how something like growth in reading can be improved in the present context.

Is the main benefit of IQ testing at this point that it might establish a need to grade accelerate or push for earlier services?
Is IQ testing a necessity for the Iowa Acceleration Scale?
Is IQ going to be appropriate/accurate when tested on newly 9yo? I read that gifted kids are best tested age 4.5-8.

Last edited by longcut; 09/10/15 01:54 PM. Reason: removing identifying info