Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Help with DYS application & EXPLORE score

My DS9 had his IQ tested at 8. Then he took EXPLORE this year. Both IQ and EXPLORE scores meet the DYS requirement. Then I started to look into the applcation process recently. I feel that I don't know whom to ask for a recommendation letter.

DS9 used to be the public school and he didn't do well. Now he is a gifted school. He is happy there and makes many good friends. The social problem has been improved greatly. I understand that the gifted school can't solve all the problems he had in the public school. His school report says that he doesn't put forth his best effort and doesn't follow the instructuion. His classroom teacher just doesn't think that he shines. She didn't make any comment when she saw EXPLORE scores. Maybe it is not a strong score to her at all although it meets DYS requirement? Or most kids in the gifted school can meet DYS requirement? Anyway, based on her reaction, I am pretty sure that she won't write a recommendation letter if I ask. Who else can I ask for?

I would go ahead and ask her. The letter is a form she would have to fill out online and email to them. Maybe she did not make a comment about the Explore scores because she really doesn't understand them. Is this the type of school that knows about the EXPLORE test? My DS attends an HG school and I don't think his teacher knows about the EXPLORE.

If you really don't feel comfortable with her, ask a coach, enrichment teacher, psychologist (not the tester) or friend. I struggled with this a litte too but when I asked his teacher, she emailed me back the same day telling me it was done.

Just do it. Good luck.

I wrote something, but Deonne said it better.

EXPLORE is used in this school for 6th/7th graders. I asked the teacher about the test I signed up DS. She said that she knows what this test is about. I showed her not only the score but also the percentile among all the 3rd graders taking EXPLORE at the same time from CTD. Actually the test result was surprising to us because we didn't expect that DS can meet DYS qualification. According to the teacher's feedback from the classroom, neither did we feel confident that he can perform well in EXPLORE. That is why I am puzzled.

I could ask private music instrument teacher to write the recommendation. She really knows my DS and will write a good one for him. But many questions on the template doesn't seem to be possible or applicable for her to answer, as she only teaches one music instrument.

I wouldn't assume she won't recommend him or that she wouldn't write a great recommendation letter. I'm not sure there's a reason why she would have said anything about his EXPLORE scores? Do you know what the requirements are to get into the program he's in? Maybe he's in with a bunch of other DYS level kids, so she's used to seeing high EXPLORE scores. Maybe she just didn't see any reason to mention them. Maybe she hasn't even seen them... honestly most of the teachers my kids have had pay very little attention to test scores outside of the tests they personally give in class.

You can probably get an idea of what the level of giftedness of the students is in the gifted school by looking at the requirements for admission. OTOH, I don't know that that would predict a good recommendation or not from any one teacher.

I think that the worse thing that could happen is she'd write a horrid recommendation not recommending him, and Davidson would ask for another recommendation or something more in addition to her recommendation. Although we haven't run into it with Davidson, we've been in a similar situation with other programs where our kids' teachers wouldn't write a letter of recommendation, and the program administrators in those instances let us provide alternate recommendations. So in this case, I'd give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, and also give Davidson the benefit of the doubt - send her the form, get the application turned in, and see what happens!

polarbear

Dear Xiangbaobao-
My DGD6 was accepted to DYS recently and her parents chose her private violin teacher to write the letter of recommendation. Because DGD had been a student with this teacher for over 2 years and was learning music theory as part of each lesson, they thought it would meet the requirement for an academic recommendation.

As far as I know, there are only a couple of kids in this gifted school get into DYS. Most people there don't know DYS when I ask. When we first met the teacher, I asked if she could help DS come up with a project to do for DYS application.(I was thinking protofolio option) She told me that she doesn't know what DYS is. That is why I signed up EXPLORE. DS is the only child in his grade who took EXPLORE this year. In the past only very few students took EXPLORE in the lower school of the gifted school. There is no data point for comparision. The baseline IQ for admittance to the school is 125. I don't know how many kids are HG or PG. Also I once discussed DYS with the principal. He told me that DYS would not help you much since you are in the gifted school already. He sounds like that they know better what to do with the gifted kids than DYS. All these makes me wondering if it is worthwhile to ask the teacher for a recommendation letter or even apply.

I'd ask the music teacher. In general, gifted schools or programs have a lot more children close to the minimum entry point than children who are well above it. If I were going to guess, I'd say that your ds is likely not attending school with a ton of DYS qualified kids. I'd suspect that the teacher didn't react to the scores for a reason other than many other kids being at the same point.

I think it would definitely be worthwhile for you to apply. I read through some of your former posts and I think your DS and your family are exactly who the DYS program is designed to serve. The principal may know how to address the needs of most of the kids at your DSs school, but your DS's IQ is almost two standard deviations above the schools baseline student. This school has likely not seen many (if any) students as high as your son. I would say that your DS is still likely bored in his gifted school. Please don't be discouraged by their negativity. You should apply.

Grandma Sarah -- thanks for your information. I will ask the private music teacher and she once wrote a very good recommendation letter for DS in the past.

Deonne -- Thanks for reading my old post and giving encouragement! We have exchanged ideas with the teacher several times in this school year regarding how to help DS pay attention in the classroom and do his best. Unfortunately we have not seen much progress yet. He either reads books by himself while the teacher is teaching or jokes around. His classroom assignment and quiz usually don't have good quality. That is why we are surprised that his scores meet DYS. We have been wondering how much he has actually learned at the school based on the school report card. But on the other side, he performs well in contest/competition. The more challenging the task is, the more motivated he is to do a good job. I am not sure if he is just not mature enough to realize that he needs to prove his capability in his daily work or he just doesn't care about it. We have exchanged ideas with the teacher several times. But so far he is not making much progress. I wish that I could understand what is in his brain and help him not to under-achieve.