Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional SCAT

I am trying to remember the discussion/thread long long ago about above-level-testing and talent search.

Was it the SCAT that was considered a very good test? Or was there another one that was better?

sigh. there are sooooo many things to remember. I'm thinking about making the deadline on the 31 for the CTY program for Mite. I believe his WISC IV qualifies him, but want to make sure the SCAT will give us what we are looking for.

My DS took the SCAT in 3rd grade, It's very "aptitude" rather than "achievement." Easy because it's computer only, and "intuition" over computation.

CTY sounds good! Good luck! Call them on the phone if it's too hard, ok?

Trinity

We just got SCAT scores back last week. SCAT is the test designed by Johns Hopkins as an above grade level test. To qualify for the test you need a nationally normed test with a score (or sub score) in the 95th percentile or above. With this test in hand you can have your child take the SCAT which then looks at his ability against other children who scored in the 95th percentile. The child must qualify on the SCAT to be eligible for CTY programs. The national test is not enough. I think you need to be at least in the 50th percentile or above on the SCAT to qualify. I am not sure about the specific score.

My son took it in 2nd grade by computer and did poorly but because of his autism DX they allowed him to take it this year with paper and pencil in the RSP room of his school under the eye of a teacher he is comfortable with. This made a huge difference and he nailed the test this time around. There are still some courses left open. We will wait until next summer.

Before you can sign up for a course you will have to wait for the SCAT scores to be returned. This may mean this summer is too soon. My younger sister attended CTY as a teen. She has autism as well and enjoyed the program. She still talks fondly of it.

I'm glad you brought this up. I was going to ask if CTY allowed for accomodations. Mite needs an aide to sit with him and keep him on task.

He just finished some standardized tests on which last year he scored in the 31st percentile in math and 70th percentile in reading. We just got this years scores back. He was in the 88th percentile in math and the 99th percentile in reading!!!

He had a paraprofessional sit with him during the exam, which was on computer. She said she had to redirect him nearly every question, but that he would then look back with the correct answer. On the math test, she wasn't able to sit with him the last few questions...about 3-4 minutes she said. hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

In the meantime, I'm having him do Aleks.com and an ITBS prep course that is done on the computer, to give him practice at taking a test on computer. I think that was the other thing that failed him in math....that and the para said he wouldn't use scratch paper but would just read the question, look up and to the left, look back at the computer, eliminate 2-3 choices then look back to the left and then hit the answer.

I keep telling them we have to eliminate writing in math as well as language arts, but will they listen??


So, I'm wondering if CTY will allow him an aide, too?

We missed the May 31 deadline and will watch for the new one now.

oh and we are thinking about using the CTY math course, if he qualifies, and having him opt out of math at school. That opens up time for them to work on other things and also gives him a better chance and progressing in math.

they Ihis IEP team) still think that because his WISC verbal score was soooooo high and his perceptual reasoning is sooooooo low (average really at 90 something) he is an idiot in math. I haven't been able to get them to understand he's pretty smart in math, too.

I have read through the CTY summer info and they talk of having a copy of an IEP when a child attends CTY. They seem more then willing to work with special needs children. I think they also did say that an aid was allowed but must be supplied by the parent.

The CTY young children's math is EPGY which is Stanford's software. Stanford is cheaper but the math is the same. Stanford and Hopkins use different software for algebra on up and we are not there yet so I do not know which is better.

Stanford has a lower eligibility criteria for distance programs. You only have to hit the 95 percentile on one test. You don't have to do the talent testing (SCAT or EXPLORE).

The talent search does help a great deal with the school. I have been going round and round about math acceleration for my son and I have received a flat NO. He also didn't do well on GATE testing so he doesn't qualify for that placement. I delivered the CTY testing results and everything changed. They school councilor said she is going to see if she can GATE qualify him based on his SCAT scores. Either way it will change his classroom placement next year. It holds a lot of weight. The councilor was very very aware of talent testing and was quite impressed with the score. I have been dealing with this for 3 years and this and finally things changed today thanks to CTY and the SCAT. People are not looking at me like a lunatic mother anymore. It was a nice feeling. Finally!

thanks.

what's the url for standford's program?

here is the url for anyone else interested

http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/learning/apply.html

Actually that is another program which uses EPGY software. It is not the acutal EPGY website which is a part of the Stanford website. The URL is:

http://epgy.stanford.edu/

Willa,
Please tell me about this ITBS prep course.
Ania