To be accepted to the GT program, a child needs an IQ of 125 or higher. I am not sure if they accept outside testing, but will find out soon! The kids took the OLSATs a few weeks ago and the results are expected in mid-December.
Just in case he didn't do as well on the OLSAT, I'd go prepared with some info on how individual ability tests are a better measure of intelligence and
don't let them tell you that the OLSAT is an IQ test; it isn't. I certainly wouldn't bring up the fact that the OLSAT and IQ don't correlate fabulously for gifted kids if the scores aren't in yet, but I'd be prepared with that in case.
Here's a link from Hoagie's to get you started on that, should you need it:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests_tell_us.htm"...However, a small study noted a potential problem with the OLSAT and very gifted children. While the correlation between group and individual intelligence tests is quite high for average scores, in this study that correlation almost disappeared for gifted scores. This means that while an average child will score very similarly on a group IQ test and an individual IQ test, a gifted child may not score similarly at all. And the study suggests that this group test may even result in a negative correlation for some gifted children: the more gifted the child, the lower the group ability test score!..."
While this quote refers to the OLSAT as a group IQ test, I'd be cautious of applying the term "intelligence quotient" to a group test.
This group , obviously, isn't the ultimate expert, but I'd agree with their note that, "We've heard the OLSAT� referred to as a school ability test, a cognitive ability test or an IQ test. Your child's OLSAT� test score will give you an idea of how smart they are but it isn't an IQ score. An IQ test, such as the WISC� or Stanford-Binet�, done one on one with a psychologist is a much more comprehensive, and accurate, test of cognitive ability." If you call Pearson, they'd say much the same & they also publish the WISC.
A 25 point spread is huge and that is the difference between your son and the minimum entrance criterion for the GT program. It is likely that the majority of the kids in this program fall closer to the 125 end than the 150 end. That would be like saying that you can place those 125 kids in with kids who are in the 50th percentile (100) and expect that their educational and social needs will be the same.
Is the two hour/week pull-out all that is offered throughout the entire district or is that just at the one school he attends? Different schools in our local districts have different program and levels of service, for instance. Is subject acceleration an option at his school?
