Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Regions PSSA score for advocacy?

Has anyone in PA used PSSA scores to help advocate for classroom accommodations? DD10, in 5th, has consistently tested high in math ability.

In 5th grade they pretest the kids for every math chapter, and split them into 3 groups by ability.

They did this in 4th, and my DD often would test into the middle group, where she didn't seem as stimulated, and would not "rise" to the occasion, only doing what she needed to get by, though she always got A's on the tests. Also complaining of math being boring. When she tested into the high math group, she seemed more excited and stimulated by what they were doing.

Her math ability was identified as superior on her GIEP (using testing from 2nd grade - SBV and Woodcock Johnson achievement) but school team has stated she'll get put into the group that she pretests into, no other considerations...

I am told that in 5th, the "high" math group also gets different types of instruction, enrichment, etc., though each group is tested at the same time on the same material at the end of the chapter. (They use Houghton Mifflin Math).

I tried to explain at her GIEP meeting that I thought she might do better, be more stimulated, with the types of instruction in the high group, maybe she'd rise a bit more with that different instruction, and could they perhaps look to her other scores as evidence of her overall ability, and not use her chapter pretest exclusively? No go.

Now we have gotten her 2010 PSSA scores in from last spring, and she tested advanced in both Math and Science (also in Reading). I don't have the scores in front of me, but I think she got only 2 or 3 wrong in each subject (math & science).

So, back to my original question: has anyone in PA ever used PSSA scores to advocate for classroom accommodations for their child? I'm hoping to get them to look beyond her erratic chapter pretests to her learning style, and her math potential that consistently tests so high (and may need different coddling that she may not get in the "average" group... sorry for these lame group labels I'm using - I'm not sure what they call them in school).

thanks for any input,

I have no answers to your question, but have tangential thoughts.

If the goal is "get her into the higher group," and the stumbling block is "she doesn't have previous exposure," give her previous exposure (get a copy of the book and prep her for the test).

If the goal is "get her into the higher group," and the stumbling block is "she knows the material, but doesn't pretest well for some reason," figure out the reason and see if it's amenable to change. Since she does fine on the post-test, and if it's not lack of exposure holding her back, an explanation of the benefits of scoring well may be enough. It's a fine line between "this test doesn't count, so don't worry about it" and "there's no reason to try to do well," and it's possible that the attempts to do the first have been interpreted by her as the second.

Thanks for the insightful tangent, AlexsMom I think the stumbling block is more like the second example, so talking to her about trying on the pretest is a good idea.

Further, it's my understanding that she may learn better from the types of instruction given in the "higher" group (the enrichment assignments often approach the material in ways that excite and stimulate her more, and they are not given in the "middle" group), so even though she may not know the material well at first, she may learn better with the type of instruction given in the "higher" group that she didn't test into.

I think I need to get a better understanding of what's going on, and so will chill for now.

Will update after next pretest!
Thanks so much,