Quick background - DS7 is in 1st grade Montessori but we applied to have him go to the full time public gifted elementary next year. He was identified as gifted by PS but recommended for the cluster gifted program at the neighborhood school. He wasn't even put on the waiting list for the GT school. Really surprised after seeing his scores. On the OLSAT he was 98th percentile (133) overall, 99th verbal (137) and 93rd nonverbal (124) and the NNAT was also 98th (133). While they don't use private tests, his GAI on the WISC IV (scattered as it was) was 129 and the WJ-III was 143. And that is with him being 2E (visual processing/sensory-motor). I'm fairly sure if his vision were working correctly his scores would be higher (his processing speed scores are very low b/c of his vision, I think).

We didn't have all the diagnoses when we applied for the school. We can appeal but I wonder if I am wasting my time? I'm almost positive the teacher "recommendation" and progress report (Montessori report card) killed it for him. That and he is not in the public school system so no one knows him.

His teacher made no effort to be positive on the form she filled out. It was basically all the negative things about my son, which I think are the result of him being 1) bored 2) in the wrong environment and 3) 2E. He takes f o r e v e r to get anything done, complains about having to work on anything, says he doesn't want to do it...not good when the GT school is looking for kids who are "motivated" etc.

I will be calling the school to see what I can find out about why he was rejected and if these 2E diagnoses will help him get in. He NEEDS to be there. I just don't know if this cluster environment will work. I don't understand how one teacher manages both the GT kids and "average" kids in the same room. These teachers are supposed to be trained in gifted ed and have the support of the gifted resource teacher in the school.

Never a dull moment, right?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Ugh. I'll bet your wondering when something-- anything-- can just be easy for once, huh?

Will you try the cluster and let them see that he needs more than that?

I'm going to appeal first and see what happens. If not we may have to try the cluster for one year and see if they will take him next year.

Is that school taking kids on a triage basis? You know, the highest scoring first on down until all slots are filled? You'd think with your DS' scores he'd be a shoe-in.

One would think a gifted school would understand the behavior "issues" his former teacher so nicely pointed out.

Good luck with your appeal! Definitely bring up the vision, etc.

They don't let them in on just test scores - they use the scores plus the parent form, teacher form, and report card. Three people rate the whole "package" from 1 to 5 and the kids with the highest scores from the committee get in first (they start with the 5 5 5 kids, then 5 5 4, and so on). The top 125 get into second grade (the lowest grade in the school). I can't believe with his scores that they really passed him up.

I didn't call today because I wanted to get my emotions in order and not say something stupid or accuse them of being idiots LOL I may call tomorrow to talk to the principal to see if I can find out why he was denied.

I sent you a PM.

Thanks - I wrote back At least on my screen, it's hard to know when you get a message because the envelope blinks all the time!