Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Active Threads

The material at the website of ISTE + ASCD may also be of interest.

ISTE stands for the International Society for Technology in Education.

ASCD stands for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.


https://iste.org/standards

Career scientist here. MD PhD path is a great one with lots of career options and can be a great way to get the residency and career that the student wants. It is also a highly competitive path. I'd urge you to pick 4-5 schools that have MD PhD programs where your DS would like to do the PhD and look at their requirements and suggestions for when to take the MCAT. Looking at the Univ. of Washington page ( see it here: https://mstp.washington.edu/mstp-admissions/admissions-overview/ ) they come right out and say "students who most enjoy and are most successful in our MSTP and thereafter are those with prior breadth and depth of research experience, clinical exposure, and community service." They tell you that all requirements should be completed before applying, Although it is a separate application, they link to the MD program to discuss the prerequisites and MCAT. Although you can find the admission MCAT scores on the MCAT website, UW provides a helpful grid of grades and MCAT scores here: https://www.uwmedicine.org/school-of-medicine/md-program/admissions/mcat To your actual question, UW reminds you "Many applicants take the exam during Spring of the year they apply to allow themselves time to retake the exam if they are unsatisfied with their initial scores. It is advisable for applicants to take the MCAT after they have completed all their science prerequisites. Please note that any previous MCAT scores are visible in your application and will be considered as part of the holistic review." Many of the MCAT test prep centers offer low cost practice tests and I'd urge taking one to see where the student is in preparation. When applying for MD PhD, it truly is "legs of a stool" GPA, research lab experience (not in classes), direct patient contact, and medically oriented volunteer work.. Lastly, the MCAT and GPAs for applicants and matriculants can be found on the MCAT website here: https://www.aamc.org/media/6151/download

Almost forgot to say that many schools limit what PhD you can pursue, so that is also something to check.

Students, Parents, and Teachers concerned about inflated grades and Equitable Grading may be interested to read this report.

Many may have noticed:
- schools abolishing class rank,
- policies which prohibit grade retention (failing or flunking or being held back, when a student remains illiterate and/or has not learned the material for the grade level),
- lowered academic standards, and
- other indications of the lack of rigor and accomplishment.

These practices, policies, and procedures tend to create a ceiling, thwarting the progress and development of gifted pupils.

Links - Equitable Grading - Fordham Institute Study
1) https://fordhaminstitute.org/nation...g-through-eyes-teachers#about-this-study
2) https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/equitable-grading-through-eyes-teachers
3) https://fordhaminstitute.org/sites/...grading-through-eyes-teachers-final3.pdf


Related posts which may also be of interest.
Over the years there has been awareness and discussion of various aspects of gifted pupils being negatively impacted by equal outcomes, capping growth at the top, grading strategies, data collection, and more. Increasingly, public school teachers have been evaluated and US public schools have been rated/ranked based on closing achievement gaps and excellence gaps.
1) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...ollection_is_used_to_for.html#Post240608
2) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...hy_is_advocating_so_hard.html#Post238229
3) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...45/Re_504_quick_question.html#Post234445
4) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...ted_and_the_Personalized.html#Post234120
5) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...Re_Nature_versus_nurture.html#Post238317
6) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...Teachers_at_the_High_Sch.html#Post238952
7) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...t_would_you_ask_Carol_Dw.html#Post244966
8) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...ting_money_teaching_chil.html#Post233943
9) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...0/The_Gifted_Left_Behind.html#Post136190
10) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...ing_Ground_for_Gifted_Ad.html#Post175672
11) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...245083/Grading_practices.html#Post245083
12) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...nions_On_Standards_Based.html#Post223370
13) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted..._to_deal_with_grade_repo.html#Post227347
14) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted..._Do_You_Get_to_Carnegie_.html#Post196481
15) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...ice_for_an_unhappy_1st_g.html#Post185072
16 ) https://giftedissues.davidsongifted...avior_problems_in_the_cl.html#Post174940

I'm wondering if giftedness can be identified on the basis of I-ready tests. My 8th grade daughter (13) has always scored very highly on those tests. She just got a 725 on her I-Ready Reading test, where the 99th percentile is 696. Doing the math, and assuming a bell curve distribution of scores, that would put her above the 99.95th percentile. She reads voraciously, constantly, and has always read stuff well above her age-level (eg. finishing the whole Harry Potter series at 6, and reading "Little Women" and Shirley Jackson at 7). He score in math is not as high, but is also above the 99th percentile. She's always gone to public schools in a poor inner city neighborhood, in which the teaching is abysmal and the classroom environment is completely chaotic, and we've never hot-housed her at home, apart from buying her books (which, at her rate of reading--2-3 each week--has been expensive). Anyway, can her I'Ready scores plus teacher assessments be sufficient to get her a gifted designation?

[quote=cloudpear]Hi all,

I recently learned about the Elements/Dimensions program in Bloomington, as well as Lighthouse School in [url=https://snowrider3d.com]Snow Rider 3D[/url] Frindley. My husband and I are considering a move to the twin cities, and so are trying to find out more about these programs for our sons.

Both programs look fantastic on paper, but we'd love to hear some firsthand experience. If there is anyone out there who is (or has been) involved with either of these programs, I would love to talk to you, either publicly or privately.

Thanks![/quote]
The Elements program is designed for academically advanced students in grades 2 through 5. It offers:

Enriched curriculum with greater depth, pace, and complexity.

Cohort-based learning tailored to meet high intellectual and social‑emotional needs.

Located at specific schools like Oak Grove and Ridgeview.

Placement is highly competitive—students must score in the top 10% on achievement tests and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), plus receive strong teacher recommendations.

Hi Lydia! Sorry for the late response. A lot going on over here recently. Anyway, yes, this is essentially an expansion of the NNAT, in an attempt to respond to some of the criticisms of that test with regard especially to overlooking verbally-strong learners. Not much of a track record yet in that respect, but the original nonverbal section should be pretty much equivalent to what it has been historically.

Think about requesting flexible grouping, project-based learning, curriculum compacting, and access to Khan Academy and other enrichment resources from the school. Your daughter's reported strengths can support enrichment requests even if she hasn't undergone official testing.