Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment A few questions about DYS application

Hi
I have a few questions on the DYS application. I have been avoiding the DYS application for at least 2 years, oops! My ds12 has qualifying achievements scores from Explores and ACT. I'll have SAT later this spring. He more than qualifies on his Achievement test. We have an appointment set with a psychologist that works with only GT kids to talk about potential testing for him. I don't have IQ testing. I don't really want IQ testing but I might just need it. I am think of just applying with portfolio items and testing only if they need more information. His ACT scores & Explore scores are high enough, I would guess at the least they will just ask for more information. I think his work is sufficient enough to show his abilities. I have no reference to normal grade level work. DH and I probably are not impressed with work others would consider very impressive.

I'm wondering a few things from those more experienced in the process. Letters of recommendation, Do they really only want one? I have 2 teachers that really get my ds12. They both can offer different perspectives about him and I hate to have choose between them. Can I send 2 letters of recommendation?

Second, I have work from ages 4 to 12 for him. Should I consider summiting stuff from each year of school? For example, I have handwritten samples from 5 yrs old. Where he was supposed to draw a picture for his journal. He used the drawing space to write a paragraph about his weekend. I have a short stories from age 6. I have science projects from 7 or 8. Once he hit 9 yrs old almost all of his stuff is typed on the computer. I do have copies with teachers comments and scores on it. I have papers (10 pages or so in length) from age 11 - "Sir Isaac Newton: Great Science" and another "Atomic Structures and Their Role in The Periodic Tablet."
I can copy pages from his math notebook from this year. He is in Algebra 1, I don't know if that is consider 2 years ahead or not. It took until 11 to get a grade skip for Math. He skipped 2 years in Math. What is the normal grade level of Algebra 1? I could give him some Geometry or Algebra 2 questions to work and submit that. I also have his World History Blog that he currently is doing.
Is it helpful to have a range of years of work and his current work? Do the type of samples I'm talking about seem appropriate? I'm a nervous wreck about getting this together. I think I suffer from Impostor Syndrome more than ds12,UGH! I really want to avoid the IQ testing. DS12 has asked about getting IQ testing done. He has never cared, but this year a teacher told him scores he had on a test and now he is curious. He has never know a score on anything until she told him! I am concern about how a number could impact him. There is NO way to test him and not have him understand exactly what test he is taking. Of course, The cost of testing is high. I'd rather use that money to pay for activities for him.
I'm thinking his portfolio could be enough with his Achievement scores. We are so used to his level of work I don't think we gauge it well anymore.

Ok Thanks for any and all input!

Jtooit

I'd send the extra letter, as it will probably help paint a more full picture of your son. I wouldn't send items more than about 2-3 years old, unless they're really spectacular, and none as far back as 7 years ago. Instead I'd provide a full narrative of his progression, early milestones, etc. in your written portion of the application. Get creative on ways to show what he can do and what he knows; for example, lots of parents submit videos of their children speaking in depth about areas of interest.

Regarding math, I'd provide samples of his current schoolwork. These will not count against him, as I understand it, especially since Davidson must be familiar with the problem of not getting enough acceleration. I think having do some more advanced work is a fine idea.

Thanks for the replies.
Some of the earlier work I am torn on it. It's handwritten work, which I don't have a lot of handwritten work, and it's complete stories with great plots, developed story line, perfect spelling and grammar. It is easy to see how far ahead of his peers he was even at 5. On the other hand it is old work. He is strong in Math, but not in his placements. I think I will copy his math from his current notebook and give him some higher level work sheets to do for them. Even after the skips in Math, ds says, "I only get things wrong when I don't give attention to the details". He can mostly definitely do more. I might be able to talk him to making a video on his flip cam for me, If I beg:) He strengths are fairly well rounded but Reading/Writing and Science are his real stand outs. I think his writing in Science and just his fiction works are probably the best display of his talents.
Hence why I wanted the Science teacher and the English teacher to both wrote letters for him. I think I will send both. The English teacher has 3 grown HG to PG children of her own. She said to me this morning to get going already! It can't be all in head, right?
Thanks again, I'm just need a push off the ledge to jump in and go already!

I love this forum.

Thanks
Jtooit

Hi Jtooit,

We have two Young Scholars, the youngest was accepted last year around this time. I haven't looked to see if the application has changed since then, but we sent in several letters of recommendation for her.

She has test anxiety and her score was not representative of her IQ based on the letter the tester wrote, so I felt we needed a very strong portfolio. We sent samples from age 5 through 8, only choosing items that seemed extreme.

In terms of math, I would have him work on something at the highest level he can, unassisted, and add that to the portfolio. The more handwritten work you can include, the better, IMHO. Best of luck and well wishes to you during the application process!

Incogneato

PUSH

Smiles,
G

Lol Thanks Grinity! You are my second PUSH today. His GT writing teacher has 3 grown up GT kids of her own ranging from hg to pg. She told me to get on with it already today. Just what I needed to hear. She is one of his letters of recommendation, Yay!

Our district has the kids in the gt program using computers from 8 or 9 onward. He has very little handwritten work in any subject other than Math. I do have typed papers that have been graded. I have papers first to last draft with handwritten comments by him and the teacher on all of the drafts. He usually needs minimal revisions and his teachers handwritten comments do reflect that. I hope that is sufficient. I suppose I could have him write a paper by hand, too. His papers are normally at least 10 pages in length on the computer. It would be an unpleasantly long task for him to write by hand. My dh (the math whiz in the house) is going to give him a higher level math worksheet this weekend. They didn't do any acceleration in Math until last year. He got back to back skips in Math.

If all else fails, I can go through with the testing. My dh & I have a meeting with the gt psychologist in a few weeks to talk about possible testing. It's not off the table to consider testing. I can't imagine DYS would not at least ask for more information based on the achievement scores from ACT & Explore.

Thanks Again! I can feel the motivation and courage creeping up:)

Jtooit

I sent in multiple recommendations... I guess I'm paranoid. It worked out fine. Best to you.

Corrected typewritten papers are perfectly fine for a 12 year old...particularly with process notes from the teacher. Particularly if the paper is 10 sheets long.
Smiles
Grinity

What's funny I don't see his papers as that long or over the top. Everyone else that reads them does Shows what a good judge I am!

Update! Thanks for all of the input and support. I love this place! We ultimately ended up doing WISC-IV after meeting with the GT psychologist. I have all of the portfolio information gathered should they ask for more info. The psychologist made very strong points about why testing would be good for us as his advocates. He was so correct in that line of thinking. I feel super relieved to finally have it all on paper. I can stop second guessing where DS's LOG might be.

After waiting for his full report on WISC-IV, I submitted his completed DYS application this morning and now the long wait begins, Sigh.

Hooray for you! Once you got the ball rolling, you sure got a lot done in a short period of time.