She got a 122 on the OLSAT as well, in October, in a test given in a group setting during a week where she was extremely tired and distracted and lacking in sleep. On the same day she got a 95 in total mathematics (they require a 96 for GT).
They then gave her a Metropolitan Achievement Test. Her Problem-Solving score was 92, but her Procedures score was 56. This tells me that she has an innate ability but is underachieving due to bad attitude about school and a truly dismal math teacher for the last 2 years.
My understanding is that underacheiving gifted kids should not be pulled out of GT services because expecting LESS of the child is exactly the wrong thing to do.
This is not a child who is trying hard and not making it. This is a kid who very occasionally lifts a little finger, who basically does not try much at all, and gets low As and high Bs.
She can sign up for Pre-AP placement and get it, and she might get in the section where the GT students are clustered (or she may not) but she will be on the "Pre-AP" side of the teacher's roster rather than the GT side of the roster. The curriculum is basically the same for GT and Pre-AP in junior high.
So why am I wanting to fight this? I just feel like my kid is quirky and hard to deal with, and having the GT label helps teachers "get" her and know how to deal with her and get the most out of her.
I know she needs help in math; we will probably do Kumon or some other tutoring/enrichment this summer, because she is missing some skills.
