Dd's (4th grade) school uses the Connected Math and uses the CM end of the year test as pretests to determine if the student should be accelerated. Dd has never been exposed to CM and isn't verbally strong (VCI 124 vs. PRI 151) so she doesn't do that well on these tests.
Is it common for gifted programs to use this sort of testing to determine math placement? Wouldn't something like MAPS be less biased towards students who aren't as strong verbally? Or not great at explaining their thinking or how they solved something?
For instance, dd can look at a multi-step story problem and do the problem in her head but when you ask her how she solved it she can't explain it. She says she just knows this is the answer. The teacher wants her to be able to explain her thinking in writing and how she solved it.
Dd's school doesn't use MAPS. I looked into EXPLORE and SCAT. Personally I don't want her to spend 4 hours testing on the EXPLORE, she doesn't enjoy test taking and I can see her fatiguing or viewing it as a negative experience. I don't like the format of SCAT, but may considerate but it doesn't help with DYS qualification so I'm not as interested.
I'm considering having the psychologist who did her WISC test do the WJ IV. Personally I'd like to just know where she's at with her achievement, but I would also like to use the data to help advocate math acceleration. Would the WJ be a good achievement test that most schools are familiar with and may help with getting her accelerated? Or do schools that stick strictly with pretests don't care what outside achievement (or even talent search) results show?
Last edited by mountainmom2011; 10/21/15 04:44 PM.
