Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Test preparation for 2nd grade MAP???

Hi,

I'm curious to know everyone's opinion on test preparation for 2nd grade MAP testing (and CogAt)?

Let me start off by saying that I am not a big fan of standardized tests. As a former teacher I have bad memories of our school forcing us to spend hours and hours and hours doing test prep with our students instead of engaging and meaningful learning.

Right now, however, I am wondering if I should be "preparing" my son for the MAP test next year. If so, what? A good app for the iPad? A test prep class at one of those learning centers?

Here's the background:
My son is in the 1st grade. Last year we moved into a new school district chosen specifically because they have a very good gifted program. It offers so much more that most districts in our State (Illinois). In fact, many districts in my area have either scaled back or cut the gifted program altogether. For that reason, it's competitive -- kids have to score very high on the testing to get in. (i.e. in other districts the child might need to be in top 5 - 10%, but in ours it would be top 1 - 2%)

As with many gifted kids, my kiddo is not learning very much in school. He's young so the boredom factor hasn't kicking too much into high gear yet, but already I'm seeing behavior problems and academic underachievement. In fact, his report card shows average scores on skills he mastered 2 years ago. He races through things because of what I call the been-there-done-that-so-it-doesn't-interest-me factor.

I wasn't worried too much about the MAP testing before. I assumed his teachers would automatically see that he's gifted. But seeing how's he's coasting in his classes I'm suddenly a little concerned.
In the years ahead I think my son will engage in school if he's appropriately challenged, but checkout if he's not. I want to make sure he's placed in the program for his own happiness more than anything.

Given his recent academic underachievement (which is still above grade level), the MAP testing is suddenly important. Does anyone have any thoughts on it or recommendations?

Thanks,

Laura

My son was coasting and still scored top 1-2% on MAPS in 4K, K, and 1st. (He was the only 4K student to take MAPS, it's not routinely done in 4K). Toward the end of 1st grade he dropped in some areas to 3%, which is not alarming, but was one piece of evidence showing that he wasn't thriving in ANY way in public school.

I used to care very much, and maybe a few years ago I might have suggested some prep, but now.... no, I definitely do not recommend prepping for standardized testing. The gifted program is not a guarantee he will be challenged in school, nor that he would apply himself. I wish the answers were simple and clear "get into this district, this program and everything is going to be okay". Heck, I'd move to Nevada for the Davidson school if it was that straightforward.

Your son's benefit, or lack of, from any academic program rests more on his non-academic abilities than his academic abilities, IMO. His social skill, motor skills, executive functioning skills, leadership, self-advocacy, work ethic, resilience are hard to measure, but can make or break a school experience. Put your energy towards these things, because acceleration/enrichment/extension without the child possessing soft skills will cause disappointment.

Sanne,

Thanks for your response. I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts on the non-academic skills. It's why I haven't pushed academics and wasn't concerned with prepping him (or test scores) until now. My reasoning for wanting him in the gifted program is actually for the social/emotional things you hit on. I've learned from past experiences that he thrives in a good educational fit. Likewise bad educational fits lead to depression, anxiety and behavioral issues -- which, in turn, leads to self esteem issues. So...... my desire for him to be in the gifted programming is actually in consideration of the exact things you listed.

FYI...I'm in the middle of reading "No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control - The 8 Essential Brain Skills Every Child Needs to Thrive" by Adam Cox. If you haven't read it, I'd recommend it. From your post it seems like you could have authored it yourself.

Again, THANKS!

Laura

And on a more pragmatic note, unless they're giving the grade 2-5 MAP to second graders (which is, of course, possible), then he is not going to see any academic contents above 3rd grade or so, anyway, which, from the sound of it, he has already (or nearly) surpassed. In that case, it is the soft skills even more so that will be the difference between 95 and 98th %ile, since it will be pacing, attention, and self-monitoring that matter. Regardless of his performance on this instrument. at this one moment in time, it may be to his benefit to investigate the whole range of supports for academically advanced students. There may be multiple entry points to different tiers of supports, and instructional challenge in some subjects may be more important to him than in others.

Even if they do give the 2-5 level of MAP (which actually makes some sense for the population under consideration for GT programming), the substantive differences between topics he would have been exposed to if offered higher level instruction earlier and those in the differentiated first grade classroom are relatively smaller. Between first and second grade, you go from learning to read to learning to read more, and from adding and subtracting to 20, to adding and subtracting to 100. Not a huge leap on either score for a high-cognitive learner without other challenges. It sounds like the achievement criteria are from MAP administered throughout grade 2, so it's unlikely that math above single-digit multiplication would play much of a role.

And I am definitely not a proponent of prepping, beyond a passing familiarity with the format of the test, such as schools typically do in the weeks prior to testing. Definitely no prepping for the CogAT, or any cognitive or aptitude test. It's hardly a measure of the student's progress or response to classroom instruction otherwise.

Has he had cognitive testing? A lot of gifted children seem to do less well on the cogat (from reading here for years - NZ doesn't have it). Also did you check whether the programme was aimed at high ability rather than high achievinh?

Is the MAP and CoGat the only thing needed to get into the gifted program. I'm not sure what district you are in Illinois but ours after those two tests had testing with a psychologists which weeded the number down further. When my daughter started the districts magnet program she was one of seven. I know a couple declined joining the program at the time but there had to be 1500 kids in her grade in the district.

nicoledad, thats inorrect.. for the magnet, they continue onto the individual test. For building based services, they only use MAP and CoGat. The junior high Discovery program is also MAP and CoGat.

You are correct Frannie. I'm a bit out of touch since going to high school. But the magnet appears harder to get into than the original posters program.