Hi, I plan to appeal for a gifted placement decision for my 1st grader. Any suggestion is deeply appreciated.
Our school district uses cogat and ITBS. Her cogat score is 155 (99%), and ITBS math is 99%, both are very good. Her ITBS reading score is only 90%. However, we are confident this score does not reflect her real reading level. First, due to COVID, this year's exam was online. She ran into some technical issues in the middle of the exam. Second, she took ITBS a year ago, and her reading score was 98%.
My questions:
1) The main reason I want to appeal the results is that I am afraid my kid will be hurt by this "failure". Her older sister is in the gifted program. She is highly sensitive and inevitably has some sense of sibling rivalry. I am deeply worried that if she's not admitted, she won't be able to process this well. She likely will see this as herself not as smart as her sister, and lose her confidence for years. Should I mention this concern to the committee? Or will that sound too desperate for the appeal?
2) Is the ITBS score a year ago solid evidence for the appeal?
3) The school district does not accept the teacher's recommendation letter, so I will be the only person talking about her reading level. She started reading by herself at 4, and chapter books at 5. At 6, she finished 7 of the Oz books. Now, just 7, she is reading the original novel of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Is it appropriate to list these in the appealing letter? Will this cause negative feelings (make me sound like a tiger mom)?
4) I sincerely see her more gifted than her older sister if comparing their performance at the same age. Is that a valid argument? Or does that sound biased or even exaggerated?

Thanks!

I would also appeal.

As for the reasons, those you've given may be important to a family but not to a school.
You might want to consider that research shows ALL children need and benefit from having:
- appropriate curriculum placement, to provide a challenge in their zone of proximal development (ZPD),
- intellectual peers.
For typical children, these needs may be met in the typical classroom, however for gifted pupils, special planning may be needed to provide the challenge level of curriculum and intellectual peers.

Here are some links to old posts, which may help you plan your presentation as you advocate to change the school's placement decision for your daughter.
1) challenge level curriculum (2016)
2) intellectual peers (2016)
3) roundup of general advocacy info (2014)

IMO, a reading list is great as long as you are emphasizing that the reading selections and choices are the child's own, and that she enjoys her reading.

In regard to Tiger parenting, it is important that children do not develop an idea that they must perform at a certain level to please their parents. They must not perceive a need to engage in sibling rivalry to compete for the parents' attention, approval, or acceptance. In other words, a parent would want a child to know that it is fine, natural, normal, and expected that one may be more accomplished in an area and have a lower level of achievement in another. A focus on personal best may help a child develop resilience. A healthy attitude reminds us that in each setback, disappointment, or failure, a person can learn something positive. If a person does not learn to embrace this, they may, unfortunately, develop an unhealthy fear of failure... sense of perfectionism... refusal to try anything they are not guaranteed to be instantly successful with... and this results in procrastination and underachievement.

These articles may provide further encouragement and pointers for advocacy:

Stop the shaming: Why we must advocate for gifted children now
by Dr. Gail Post
April 13, 2021
Gifted Challenges
When gifted children are not identified as gifted
by Dr. Gail Post
December 1, 2017
Gifted Challenges