Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment EXPLORE Prep?

I realize that the wagons are probably circling here as we are likely stressing out the talent search programs as to our intentions given that they didn't follow IRB protocol. For me, the fact that I am not getting any response is making the problem significantly worse. Some response -- even a 'we are looking into whether we messed up and need to apologize and change tactics' -- is better than being ignored.

I can call numats Monday. I may not be the voice of reason right now.

Given that most of the major talent searches have now been called by one of us, they are starting to figure out that people know and are not happy. I suspect the directors of the various centers are trying to connect and figure out what happened and formulate a response. It would be my hope that one of them could post here and let us know what happened, and how they intend to respond and change things for the future (i.e. get IC and give the survey after the test).

I very much value our GT centers and organizations, and the various talent searches, and don't want anyone's head. It would go a long way, however, for them to be forthcoming with information, a plan, and if appropriate, an apology.

Cat

Good point.

For anyone whose child took the Explore test in years past do you have any idea if your child got a "survey" before the test? I know it's been a while, but any recollections you or your child might have could be helpful.

Dd12 can't recall but I expect that her more recent experiences with taking the SAT and ACT through talent search as well as the EXPLORE at school this year are fresher in her mind. As she told me, they couldn't give out those types of surveys during the SAT/ACT talent search testing b/c most of the kids in on those testings aren't talent search kids and it would be offensive and weird to ask only the talent search kids about intelligence while ignoring the high school students who are there as well.

I've probed dd10 a bit more as to what the survey entailed and she recalls four types of questions:

* her opinion about whether you can change your intelligence
* her opinion about which subjects she is better in (math vs. reading, for instance)
* what subjects she thinks her parents or teachers think she is best in
* what her class placement looks like for various subjects (pull-out, subject acceleration, etc.)

Of course, I'm not sure that her recall is perfect. She does think that the same type of survey was given last year when she took the EXPLORE, though.

I know DS was asked questions like that last year when he took the Explore. I'll have to ask him about this year. He said they did ask questions. Thinks like "what is your fav subject? What do you think you're smart in?" etc.

My DD said that last year she was asked questions at the end of the test, but this year they asked questions at the beginning of the testing session. She also said that they were given the questions in written form but that they were also read aloud.

Thanks everyone for telling us about your prior testing experiences. From what we have heard, it sounds like this instrument has been used for a couple years at least. This is purely a guess, but I wonder if they initially gave it after the test and informed parents via the "personality test" info that is currently discussed. Perhaps the questions morphed over time, and no one thought to change the consent (not suggesting this is okay, but understandable). If someone then failed to adequately instruct the proctors that the survey needed to be taken after the test, we could end up where we are, not via any intentional acts, but via a number of small oversights.

Once again, I hope one of the directors of an Explore talent search will post here with some summary of what they have found and propose. Perhaps if you are in touch with a Director via your own inquiries, you could tell them about this discussion thread, provide the url, and encourage them to post. I will do so as well.

Cat

I've communicated via email with our regional talent search at this point and spoken with someone at ACT who is in charge of the elementary student talent search. Our talent search region seems to be ambivalent about this survey as well and tells me that they shred and do not use the results.

The guy at ACT was a bit ruffled and said that the talent search regions were in charge of gathering IC and that, if this wasn't worked out, they would not be providing the Explore anymore for use in talent search.