I have a question about achievement versus IQ. In particular, my 6th-grade son has high achievement levels but tests with a relatively low IQ.
On entering fourth grade at a new school in Kentucky, my son scored a 122 on the Kaufman 30-minute test and about a 112 on the Naglieri. This was not enough for a gifted placement. He was later tested with the Wechsler at our request and score a 119, with a 126 General Ability Index. This still was not enough for a gifted placement, but his verbal index was above 140 and this was enough to have him placed in the gifted program. His processing speed was in the 33 percentile, and I suspect that he worked slowly because he knew he had "failed" the earlier tests.
Now for performance. He makes all A's but does not study other than to do homework. In fifth grade he took the Orleans-Hanna algebra readiness test and had a score of 92 (actual test score 88, but class grades bring this up or down). When given in 7th grade, a score of 75 or 77 indicates algebra readiness. His gifted teacher told me his was the highest score of all the students taking the test. In 2nd through 4th grade at Catholic school, his Terra Nova score was consistently 99th percentile, although not all his subtests were that high.
His former school used MAP testing, and his end-year MAP scores for 5th grade were Language 238, Math 243 and Reading 238. Based on 2008 norms, these scores reflect 99th, 99th and 95th percentile respectfully. His language score actually puts him in the 99 percentile for sixth graders and the 86th percentile for 11th graders.
The icing on the cake is that I recently went to his old school to get his Kentucky Commonwealth Accountability Test results. Both he and my daughter had "perfect" scores on their subject-area tests. He had the maximum possible 580 for each subject area (less for "on-demand writing"). I haven't been able to find any norm-referencing for these tests, but I have to assume this is highly unusual.
Now for the sad part. His new school doesn't recognize an out-of-state gifted assignment and so he had to be retested. A 120 IQ is required. This happened on my recommendation as well as that of one of his new teachers. His pre-screening Cognitive Abilities Test (Cog/At) placed him with a verbal score in the 81st percentile and a nonverbal score in the 86th percentile. This did not qualify him to take the full-scale IQ test, and we did not press the issue.
Now for my question: How is it that a child who scores relatively poorly on IQ tests is blowing out the top on every possible achievement test. How can a student score in the high-99th percentile in language on the MAP test and then rank in the 81st percentile verbal on the Cog/At test? It just doesn't make sense to me.
I have personally witnessed this child learn to read as a 4-K student and never have to be helped with a word more than once. I saw him teach himself to multiply single-digit numbers with two-digit numbers as a kindergartner. I saw him devour the Harry Potter series in the first two months of third grade (with unbelieveable comprehension). I don't know how to put a number to these anecdotal observations, I just know them to be fairly rare.
So what gives? Any advice? I really don't care about a "number," but I do worry he may not receive all the academic services he would get if he were labeled "gifted." He starts 7th grade next year, and students who remain in the gifted program lose their elective, so I'm not even sure the gifted label is all that important. It's just an irritant.
Thanks for slogging through all this. I'd love to hear any thoughts and advice board members might have.
