Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Portfolio Suggestions Please - are worksheets ok?

Hi, I also have no clue as to what to put into a portfolio.
My 9 year old son who just finished 4th grade cleared the minimum IQ score, but is a bit too low on the achievement scores. I simply think that he had never been exposed to beyond grade level work at the time, hence he didn't show "achievement" above 99.9th percentile. Also, his processing speed brought down the overall scores.

I don't have actual graded school work to submit. He simply isn't given the opportunity to do above grade level work in school. His full-time gifted program only gives the opportunity to go deeper into the curriculum, not to go beyond it. Also, handwriting is VERY difficult for him.

At home he works on science projects and math worksheets at least 4 years above grade level at. I don't know if his science projects are considered above grade level or not. His math worksheets are. He devours books. His Lexile is 1301.
Is it good to submit:
1. math worksheets
2. a chart of the hundreds upon hundreds of books, pages, and corresponding Lexiles
3. science projects - and video of him explaining them
4. video of him discussing articles he read in NY Times Science section, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics.
5. video discussing a book or books that he has read
6. video of models of molecules or DNA he has built along with explanations.

Worksheets, of course, are the easiest way to go. He can certainly show that he works on a high school level when given the opportunity.

Any suggestions or shared experiences would be helpful.


Woodcock-Johnson Ill Normative Update Tests of Achievement (Form A)
Woodcock Interpretation and Instructional Interventions Program, Version 1.1
Norms based on age 9-3
CLUSTER/Test Raw W AE EASY to DIFF RPI SS (68% Band) RR
BROAD READING 517 13-0 11-1 15-5 99/90 123 (120-125) 93
BROAD MATH 517 12-8 10-9 15-11 99/90 133 (129-137) 99
BRIEF READING 526 14-1 12-0 17-5 100/90 127 (124-130) 96
BRIEF MATH 528 14-4 11-11 19 100/90 137 (133-141) 99
MATH CALC SKILLS512 12-1 10-3 15-2 98/90 130 (125-135) 98
Letter-Word Ide 533 13-11 12-3 15-9 100/90 124 (121-127) 95
Reading Fluency 499 10-10 8-8 13-0 95/90 108 (104-112) 71
Calculation 530 14-10 12-3 >23 100/90 144 (137-150) 99.8
Math Fluency 494 8-10 7-0 11-9 88/90 96 (92-100) 40
Passage Compr 518 14-8 11-5 >30 99/90 122 (116-127) 93
Applied Problems526 13-11 11-7 16-8 100/90 124 (120-128) 95

This link was put up a by a forum member and it probably will answer you questions. I can't remember who put it up but it's a helpful link

http://www.giftedwiki.org/index.phptitle=Davidson_Young_Scholars_Program_application_portfolio

We did send in some worksheets (3yrs above grade level) as part of DD's portfolio. We also sent in a reading video and some pics of her doing unusually advanced things (100+ piece puzzles at 3yrs, etc.) She doesn't produce a whole lot of work samples, so I sent what I had. I don't think worksheets alone would be sufficient, but I would certaintly include them if you have them. Good luck! The link given above has some good ideas too.

Try this link. The one given above didn't work when I clicked on it.
http://giftedwiki.org/index.php?title=Davidson_Young_Scholars_Program_application_portfolio

Your description of your son's experience in school could be my daughter's, except at her school they don't even have a gifted program!

They came back to me and asked for more for the portfolio, and I had included worksheets that seemed to be several years above grade level. I spoke with Rebecca extensively, and she suggested video-taping my daughter doing some worksheets or puzzles and talking through the process. What they really missed from the worksheets, I think, was the metacognition and process.