Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Taking end-of-year tests for the next grade up

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Our school district tests all 5th graders on a pre-test of the 7th grade math materials at the end of 5th. I'm not sure if the test covers all of what they are to be taught in 7th grade math (I actually expect that it doesn't). Kids need to get 70% or higher to skip 6th grade math (CM 1) and do accelerated 7th grade math (CM 2xl) instead in 6th.

They also want MAPs scores or the state NCLB test scores at a certain point which seems to be in the 90th percentile range or a bit higher. Essentially you have to make the cut on two of the three tests to subject accelerate. I don't think that any one of these cut points is super high, but I guess that the assumption is that, if you make two of them, you will do well with the acceleration. I'd say that it appears that most, if not all, of the kids who are accelerating in math are doing well with it in that I don't recall dd mentioning anyone dropping out of the 7th grade math class this year.

The only time our district tests is for early entrance to first grade (skipping kinder). They require 90th percentile in reading and math to move up.

If you're not advocating for a skip but just subject acceleration, I think 80% is perfectly reasonable. There will be plenty of kids in that class that didn't score 80% on the end of the year test and were moved up anyway because that is the age-appropriate placement, particularly in elementary school.

I always tell people we know to push for 80% and accept 85% but to refuse 90%, especially if the test is multiple choice and less than 30 questions. I want wiggle room for gifted kids who may miss 1 problem for not reading the directions all the way, 1 problem for moving too fast and transposing numbers and 1 problem for overestimating the problem and not solving it with the "too easy" answer.