Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Test Recommendation

Laura,

If you think your DS should get >433, ask him if he was satisfied with the test. When my DD asked me what she got for her score and later she said, she did not know the time was running out and she missed 6-7 questions. She wanted to take it again (she hates it when she score <90 on anything).

Your DS might not have finished the questions as well. If that's the case, he can retake it. (JHU name has a lot of weight and easier for advocacy, in my case at least). Otherwise, formal IQ testing will be good but the principal will weigh in his teacher's recommendation as well.

In our school district, we have IQ testing for students nominated for TAG and they already know who has high IQ anyway and another IQ test won't change their mind.

We have 4 other kids in my DD's class who are ahead in their class and my mission for this fall is to organize them and get CTY or EPGY online class for them while other kids do regular class. You may want to check where his classmates LOG are and may be easier to advocate along with other parents.

So SharonM brings up a good point - another reason to want an individual IQ test, such as WISC with Achievement test such as WJ-ACH or WAIT is to try and predict the future - are you seeing a bright and early kid who is likely to have lots of peers in his current grade, at least once he gets to high school and the other kids mature a bit more, or a 'Thomas Jefferson'-type who is peerless, and sitting all alone, but have a better shot at peers in an older classroom.

Take a look at Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual, it's the only research based look at 'will acceleration be a good thing' and guess what? To fill out the Scale, one needs IQ and Achievement data. 'Out of level' testing is a nice bonus too.

So yes, get those tests. CoGat is a good screener, but like any IQ test, a snapshot of just one day, and like any group IQ test - more likely to miss some divergent thinkers than an individual IQ test.

Peace,
Grinity

Once upon a time I grew up in a place where my son's ability/scores would be either the norm or maybe slightly higher. I now fantasize living there again so this wouldn't be so much of an issue!

So, no offense in depreciating his CoGAT - I really want to *know*, not inflate his scores or think he's more gifted, able or whatever. I want his best fit with opportunity to reach his fullest potential - whether it's gifted by definition or just super bright.

We now live in a small mountain resort town where education, while important, isn't as competitive and doesn't have many resources for bright & gifted students. We have a 50% latino population which brings our scores down and has the admin crazy to bring them UP - all the focus is on remedial rather than proper G&T - and in class differentiation. They do try, but they're overloaded with potentially not making standard and therefore losing funding. G&T gets 20K/year, for grades k-12.

In fact, there is NOTHING for summer programming either - I was thinking of spending a month to do summer camp next year where I received my graduate degree (in CT) - as they do offer a 3 week "gifted" program (the requirement is to be in 95% or higher on standardized testing)... both DS8 & DD7 make this cutoff.

I appreciate all the candor in helping me identify and understand what it is I have on my hands and finding the best place for DS8... and my daughter, as her scores are identical to her brother's at the same age!!

So I gather to further access his ability, depth and potential - to see if he's just bright vs. gifted (and needing something more now & down the line)... is to take the plunge and test.

I am sad because I know our situation doesn't fit the giftedness here on these boards, but we also don't fit the "norm". While our experience isn't having a 3yr. old read at a 2nd grade level... we experience DS8 reaching milestones early, being far more mature than his peers, far more developed with thoughts, reasoning, math ability - and quite frankly, my support system has become very small as most think I'm bragging vs. processing what I have... and they don't want to hear how DS8 is always excelling.

So I appreciate all your patience with us and stellar advice!

This morning I was thinking to give it all up and just let him be - be super bright and somewhat bored. ???

Laura,

Your kids sounds like at least MG. I wouldn't give up if I were you. SIG at Yale would have been really great for them. Last year when we were in NY, we drove to New Haven and showed my DDs the school and hospital where I did my postgrad. I am not sure the kids get inspiration that early in age, but sonner or later, they will get the message: success in education leads to success in life.

Take the plunge and test. Go for it.

Thank you Peter. I was looking at SIG at Fairfield, where I did my graduate - for next summer. They had amazing class choices both of which my kids were EXCITED about. I'm not excited about 45 min. on the Merritt sitting in traffic!

This summer DD8 will be starting "Mad Science" camp next week and then a Wilderness Survival Camp in Aug. They are for grades 3-5, so I think that he will LOVE those. But that origami class would had been RIGHT up his alley as my house currently overflows with 28 different types of origami... he's a factory and produces them over & over & over. With tinfoil, colored paper, white paper... almost eerie!!

I have an appointment to have Dd8 take the WISC & Wood/John.

Will most likely need some help interpretting those scores later in Aug!