Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Question about Test Prep

Our GT Coordinator had me go to a meeting in February to learn about the Credit by Exam system in our district for skipping grades, suggesting that maybe DD8 should take them this summer for 3rd grade. We could have put her a grade ahead without questions when we entered public school due to montessori having her ahead 1 yr. DH was set on having her with her age due to size and her dramatics (which I now suspect to OEs after reading up and doubt it is maturity-maybe some). I am sort of kicking myself for believing the "differentiation" rhetoric and also having a bit of GT denial. I didn't deny she was smart just didn't realize to what extent. I have seen some of the 3rd graders this year and I can see how cocky they are and why staying back may have been good from the point of not dealing with these kids when she is too young, regarding bullying,etc.

I still think we may not want a whole grade skip but wouldn't mind math acceleration. The district apparently requires you to take all of the CBEs even if you only want subject acceleration. Or more likely I was told the easiest way was to follow the system and take the whole battery of tests. I hate sending her in cold to 4 days of testing knowing that she hasn't been exposed to some material in the science and soc. studies area. I worry she'll get frustrated and shutdown vs just trying to figure them out. So I wanted to do some minor prep. Trust me not hot-housing, I am not structured enough for that, can't even do it for myself. More like exposure to having to reason out a question and show her she can do it vs teaching her specific things. Her abilities are much higher than her confidence and she will many times act like she "can't" do something but then figure it out a few minutes later.

I was wondering if anyone has used the Bright Education website for test prep. and if they are legit or just a scam where they send you to free state websites.

http://brighted.funeducation.com/

Also wondering what test to pick. The CBEs are totally not like the TAKs (Tx). I was thinking that ITBS (which I took as a kid) or the CA tests or maybe even the SATs that were given at her montessori in K and 1st would be a good. Our "prep" will most likely consist of a few hours of messing around. I've never been a studier.

Note: I'm just toying with this idea and need to have a good talk with DD8 and the counselor's first. DD8 may not even want to do the tests. It's hard to tell, she definitely still reminds us that she is supposed to be in 3rd grade and went so far as to tell a neighborhood kid she was held back. Which is sort of funny, actually and perfect for her Chameleon personality. I was rolling my eyes. By Jr High, they test her and place her in at appropriate acceleration level. So I'm really only worried about Elem. at this point.

bump

i don't have an answer for you, but hopefully someone else does. sorry your post got lost

I do not have an answer for you, and I am not really well versed in all different test.
My kids tested through the talent search and they have never prepped, apart from getting to know the format of the test. My son never prepped for math SAT ad he scored 690, missing the SET by 10 points. The following year he did do some sample questions and his score was 790. Were we stupid not to prep him a little - I think we were.
Read the book - What High Schoold Don't Tell You.

Thanks, my main question was about the website being a scam so I'm guessing no one knows. I myself haven't prepped for a test ever but I look back thinking how stupid I was partying all hours for all tests with the exception of the GRE. Funny enough the test where I slept the night b4 had better scores ...

My purpose in prepping was for test format but also just to see the types of science/social studies questions/material that it is expected for the kids to know in a concise format vs a long state document or having to read a text book. I mainly wanted to show her how at a 3rd grade level full knowledge isn't necessarily required if she just thinks through all the options. Funny enough this is due more to her personality than anything else. My DD4 I have a feeling I wouldn't be quite so worried since she works through her frustration more. Also, DD8 has had two years of no challenge at all so we are working back into challenging situations.

If you are in Texas, I would wait and skip her to fourth, not third. Third is a really hectic, crazy, year there preparing for their first TAKS test - unless the school is set up to be quite different.

If a child is ahead and there is no really wonderful GT or advanced program, it would just be test prep, test prep, and more test prep.

I am not sure where you are, but this is the case. Second grade is very flexible; third is just nuts. Fourth is constant writing and the students have to be ready to write very well because that takes up quite a bit of their time. We loved fourth grade. We also had a very good advanced program at our school in third - although it was very hectic and stressful.

For second graders, there are more allowances, but once the administrators see third grade, the worry is that the student knows how to pick a multiple choice question correctly.

The strange thing is that the exceptionally bright students (which our school had quite a few of) were the most stressed about this. The students who should have been stressed really were not worried and did not pick up on it. Of course, the really bright kids did not miss any questions on the exam and probably were never going to do so.

Yes we're in Tx. Right now we're in 2nd. So you're recommending to skip 3rd and go straight to 4th? (that's what we'd be doing if we took the tests this year. Just trying to make sure that I understand the recommendation. I knew 4th was a lot of writing and that 3rd was a pain with TAKs, you must learn the strategies, etc. (just hearing from friends).

We really should have skipped 2nd (or just entered her in 2nd last year) I think but we were clueless. I really wouldn't mind her having math acceleration and to just bide her time in critical reading/writing. It all seems to go so slowly but DD8 doesn't mind this since there is more socializing/day dreaming time. Our district has so far said to take the Math CBE she needs to take all the tests. I worry that sending her in cold to the other tests could start the road to a stressed test taker. I definitely need to do more investigating on just taking the Math CBE as a first option (even if we have to pay a fee) since there would really not be stress issues with this test since we are about 75% done with Aleks Lv 4 and after reviewing the 3rd grade math TEKs she really does know these pretty well.

Yes, if they will let you skip third - go for it. We were in Austin at a high performing school and they were really good writers by then so fourth was really fun. They began by writing realistic fiction and go through all the genres.

My daughter is a perfectionist so she takes all the time allowed on the tests. She has only ever missed one question and made a perfect score (4) on the writing, which is rarely done. She practically wrote a novel.

We are now in a different state with different criteria, but she still asks for extra time so she can go back and defend all her answers because there is space to write that. I am glad that I am not grading hers. She writes in every possible space given.