Are you sure the MAP test alone can requalify him for the gifted program? In our school district, qualifying for gifted programs requires a score based on a matrix of input (ability, achievement and teacher recommendation)...
The same applies where I live with a caveat. If a child is testing advanced on the NCLB annual tests and that parent pushes for it, s/he is placed in the accelerated/GT classes without the GT identification. If the child hits the 95th percentile on any one part of a group achievement test and doesn't hit that # on an ability test, s/he is generally still ided as gifted if, again, the parent pushes. This is done either through using an alternative measure for the second piece needed (a teacher or parent rating form) or through giving the CogAT and OLSAT in quick succession or repeatedly until the 95th percentile is hit on one subtest. (One of our local districts and some of the schools within that district are more known for doing this than others. Some give the CogAT once and that's it for your one ability test ever.)
Point being, there are some districts that are pretty liberal with GT identifications and some that will place kids who don't have identifications into GT classes anyway due to achievement. Of course, the reverse is also true. We've seen some serious tight gate keeping that makes in darn near impossible to get underachieving HG kids and 2e kids into GT programming.
