We stay in Dallas Texas. our 7 year old daughter is in a GT program of school. We would like to apply for Davidson scholar program. She has already given a Cogat and ITBS. Can I submit this score to Davidson? Or do I have to do the testing that they have mentioned on there website.
I 'm not able to find any psycologist who does the IQ testing in our area. please can anyone help me.
Thanks

If you have qualifying achievement scores, you can apply with those plus a supporting portfolio. If you don't have qualifying scores on one of the listed achievement tests, the talent search tests are widely available and inexpensive.

I know it's not exactly super close, but someone mentioned on here that they had their child tested by someone @ UNT. I'd probably start withe SMU College of Education and see if they have someone on staff who does the testing or who can refer you to someone who does.

Hoagies's Gifted has a list of testers familiar with GT kids, and there's one in Denton and one in Colleyville (that's fairly close, yes?):
Psychologists familiar with gifted

Sometimes the school will do testing for you. You could show them the list of tests accepted by DYS and see if they're willing and able.

Whether you go with the testing you have and a portfolio or pursue IQ testing probably would depend on what her achievement and CogAT testing looks like.

For instance, I might try applying with a portfolio if the ITBS along with the CogAT was at the 99th percentile for everything especially if either or both was given above level (i.e. - they gave her the 3rd grade ITBS in 2nd grade).

If they were both given at the proper grade level and she didn't hit the 99th on everything, I would probably try to get supporting IQ scores personally.

I say this because I have one highly gifted daughter who is not DYS qualified and she had some pretty impressive scores on things like the ITBS at that age and a bit older. She took the 3rd grade ITBS in 3rd grade and came out in the 99th percentile on the entire thing except math (science total, social studies total, reading total, core total, composite, etc.). She was in the 90s for math, but not the upper 90s. She's never taken the CogAT, so I have no idea how she would have done on that.

Very high scores on grade level tests don't necessarily mean profoundly gifted. For my kiddo they did mean highly gifted, but not so much so that she is DYS eligible.

DCs enjoyed their testing sessions (WPSSI-III and WJ-III achievement) with Dr. Beth Lusby in Colleyville. She did a consult prior to testing to determine the reason for testing (to help chose the "right" test) and to get to know your family/child a bit. After the testing, she went over a full report with you and answer any questions.

The only downside is the cost. Have we known about universities offer testings, we probably would have checked them out. Nonetheless, we highly recommend Dr. Lusby.

Here is Dr. Lusby's website:
http://cagclp.com/

Hope this helps,
Mag

Welcome! How are things going for her at school and at home? How has parenting her been? Does she seem to fit in with the other kids in her GT program or do they look "slow" to you you or her?

What does she do for fun? Those interests might be the basis for a portfolio. Achievement testing can be much less expensive than individual IQ tests.
Smiles,
Grinity

Thank you all. Appreciate everybody's replies.


>>>>>If you don't have qualifying scores on one of the listed achievement tests, the talent search tests are widely available and inexpensive.
>>>>>>
Ok. I 'm quiet new to all this. Does the talent search test has to take with school's permission. Or I can arrange them separate.
Which test should be a goof fit for a 7 year old?

Grinity , frankly speaking a GT program in school is sort of a joke. Once in a week they pull our for just an hour. But just being in the program has certainly boosted her confidence level. So I 'm ok with it.
The GT co-ordinator doesn't provide any info or share any information . So what I have decided is "supplementing " her in home.
There is a charter school in our area. But they don't have a GT program but provides a challenging program. Still I decided not to put our daughter in there as being in a GT program certainly provides lots of advantages in middle school and High school.
I 'm also volunteering for a just started group who works for GT kids.


so overall I 'm unhappy with a school GT program and that's why I 'm trying her for a Davidson Institute.

Mag thank you so much for DR Lusby's website. I will make a call tomorrow.

You can enroll your child in a talent search on your own, typically.

Here's a link to CTY's talent search page.

There are a fair number of talents searches, if CTY doesn't seem like a good fit. You can probably find one that would both provide a good program for your child and provide you with scores to use with your DYS application by searching for "academic talent search testing".

Another option for IQ testing:

Tandra L. Tyler-Wood, Ph.D. at UNT administers the WISC for $250.

Associate Professor
Learning Technologies
G-155 Discovery Park
University of North Texas
Office: 940-565-2959

Duke TIP is another talent search agency for TX, beginning in fourth grade, so your daughter is a litte young for that. For future reference, see http://www.tip.duke.edu/ Duke accepts Cogat and ITBS at 95% and above.

Hope it all works out.

I think applying to Davidson is a great idea, but I don't have a clear picture exactly what you are hoping it will do for you. They have a lot of benifits, but in the end, every child is different and has unique needed.

So the Gifted Pull out is giving an emotional/social boost, but between it and the regular program something is lacking and you feel the need to supliment at home. Suplimenting at home works well for some families, and we have tons of idea if you need them.

Another approach that work well for some families is to request a full grade skip plus the 1 hour pull out, so that the child is getting used to the idea that school is for learning, and also that idea that sometimes learning take a bit of time/struggle/engagement. (Can you tell I like this sort of thing? I do!)

Part way in the middle is to ask for your child to go up a grade (or two if needed) for certian subjects.

Starting with testing to sort out 'how unusual' your child is is a great starting point.

Let us know how things turn out!
Grinity

DYS only accepts SAT, ACT, and EXPLORE for qualification purposes. EXPLORE has the lowest age cuts, and I'm unaware of any talent search that will test younger-than-3rd-graders.

If you eventually go that route, no school involvement is necessary; you sign up directly with the talent search.

One downside to grade skipping is that the achievement test cuts are age-normed (so a skipped or young-for-grade kid is compared against age-mates), but the talent search cuts are grade-normed (so they're compared against grade-mates).

Thank you alex mom. Thanks 2 cool4school. I will certainly call them.
Grinity Thanks . I will definitely update once I finalize something.
Now about Davidson , what I 'm expecting from them is a little more direction to me and her as well. Right now as school is no help I 'm trying to help her but sometimes I get overwhelmed.