Hello all!! I am so glad to be able to find this wonderful website. I am a mom of a 5 year old gifted child. We just got him tested 2 week ago and he qualified for DYS. We sent our application on OCT.1 and I got an email that says my application is complete. Question: How long does it take for an application to get approved? Does it really take a month or more? Do we get an email that says they are reviewing the application? I am just so excited for my son. Thank you all for taking time to read my post!!!

Yes, it takes a month, even when you have test scores and they don't have to evaluate a portfolio. Then it will take another few weeks before you have logins and have talked to an intake person and are allowed to sign up for online seminars (but there probably won't be signups until January for the spring seminars - but you can look over the fall ones and sign up for anything that's not full yet, and you can read the archived ones).

Hello all,

I'm in the process of applying for my 6yo DS now, and have a couple questions about the portfolio that I'm hoping some of the wise folks on this forum can answer. The subject line of this thread seemed appropriate, so I hope it's appropriate to just tag on here....


1) Do the 4 work samples need to cover most of the areas listed (math, writing, reading, science, social studies) in order for the application to be successful? or can it just be a couple of those areas?

2) Is the assumption that the work samples are very recent? For example, my son is 6 now, and while I have a few worksheets I suppose I could use, I also have a video of him at 2.5y making simple math equations (2+3=5) out of duplos...which seems maybe more illustrative? And also, I have a writing sample from last year in K.

He is (very) 2e, and it's hard for me to get him to "produce" samples that are really representative of his abilities - so right now I'm looking through what I have on hand and am wondering if those things will be enough.

I should add that his WIAT achievement scores (in 3 areas) are above DYS cutoff, but some literalness in the way he answered questions on the WPPSI (he was 5 then) appears to have pulled his WPPSI scores down (he was 5 then).

Thanks for any help with this! From what I've read seems like we could *really* use the support that DYS provides, if he can qualify....

bellybreathing - have you had your son tested on the WISC? Since he is now 6, he can. This might be a better option than trying to put together a portfolio. My understanding is that they want both achievement and IQ to be at the 99.9% or higher. While a few get in with portfolio and achievement scores, it is rare. I am not confident that many do when IQ scores are below cutoff and attached in same document.

With that said - many people have better luck getting their kids to do videos than worksheets. I think 2.5 yo doing math is awesome, but probably should be a more recent video - maybe something that shows his fast progression in math.

Hi qxp, thanks for your response. We just spent a lot of money on testing this summer and the psych had a specific reason for wanting to use the WPPSI-III at the time.... We don't have the resources to retest on the WISC right now, and given ds's attentional struggles I don't think that would necessarily produce the desired results, even though the psych commented that if we retested in a couple years when ds is more steady he felt his scores would likely be higher.

I hadn't thought about what happens when non-qualifying IQ scores are in the same report as qualifying achievement scores, so appreciate your bringing that to my attention. If anyone else reading has thoughts about this, I'd appreciate it! I'm pretty sure our psych would give us an abbreviated report but since he's really busy I don't want to put him through any unnecessary work....

I've also realized that this question is just the "tip of the iceberg" for me so I think I will start a new thread with my (million) other questions.

I have a similar question to bellybreathing. This summer we had my DS6 tested, and his WISC-IV scores are above the criteria for DYS. However we have not had any achievement tests done, so I will need to put together a portfolio.

1. Does each work sample need to show a different area listed (math, reading, writing, science, social studies), or can they be from the same area but different topics? For instance, in math showing addition and geometry.

2. Is one worksheet considered a work sample, or does it need to be multiple worksheets?

3. For worksheets to demonstrate something like math, can I just simply print out worksheets I find on the internet?

4. If doing a video, am I just showing him doing a math problem or two? Or talking about something that interests him?

5. Any other tips in putting together a portfolio? Things to avoid?

Thanks!

Unless things have changed, DYS sends out their emails near the end of the month. We got ours a few days before the end of the month. About a week after we returned the acceptance paperwork with our selected passwords, we were able to access the website.

I believe the applications are due the 1st of the month for review... was yours mailed Oct 1st... or fax'd, e-mailed or something similar that it would have arrived on the 1st?

If received after Oct 1st, it may be scheduled for November review.

Here's the FAQ link http://www.davidsongifted.org/young...rs___Frequently_Asked_Questions_381.aspx

Indigo applications are now online and are submitted directly so no more snail mail lag time. You even upload your testing right on the application.

Thanks for the update. I was wondering about that. It sounds very efficient.

I just got an email and they are asking for additional info. They are asking for recent achievement test, what does this mean for a kinder student? Any idea?

Did you send a recent (within 2 yrs) achievement test that meets the criteria on the site regarding DYS qualifications?

where can I get this achievement test? From the school? He is only 5 years old, do kindergarten have an achievement test? Thanks!!

You can submit results from any of the following achievement tests.

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-II (KTEA-II) Standard score 145+ (99.9th percentile) on at least one of the following sections: Reading, Math or Total Battery

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - II or Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III (WIAT – II or WIAT - III) Standard score 145+ (99.9th percentile) on at least one of the following sections: Total Reading, Total Mathematics, Total Written Language, or Total Composite

Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement-III (WJ-III Ach) Standard score 145+ (99.9th percentile) on at least one of the following sections: Broad Reading, Broad Math, Broad Written Language, or Total Achievement

You may be able to get one of these tests done by the school if they want the information for some reason - the school administered the WJ to my DS when he was in 1st to evaluate a potential grade skip.

Or you can likely get the testing done from the same person who did the IQ test.

Our school did the WJ-III achievement test with our DS then 5 yrs 9 months, because they were building a portfolio for skipping him over kindergarten into first grade. They had to norm it as kindergarten-9th month (end of K) because it doesn't have anything lower grade-wise, but it let them norm it age-wise as 5.9.

Those scores and a collection of his math writings and drawings were enough for DYS. We did not have an IQ test for him, and they didn't ask for it.