Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment major decline in Achievement scores

aww.., Lukemac. I'm sorry for your stress and worries. What was the second achievement testing for? just the kind they do in school? Sorry I can't tell you about the testing, we've not been there yet.
If he's crying everyday tell the school. They took me out of class daily in second grade to teach a first grade reading group. I remember not loking second grade. Sometimes you gotta make some noise to be heard. Call the secretary. Make a phone conference appointment with the principal or teacher. Let them know that something about going to school is really bothering your kid.
Don't get ulcers. Afterschool. Stick with the three Rs. It doesn't take much to get and stay on track. Make studying a habit for 20 minutes to an hour or so a day most days. Read three times a week. Do a little math daily. Make a weekly writing goal. Make it a lifestyle habit. At least that's how I'm raising my kids regardless of the school. It's probably no surprise I'm saying teach your kid extra, I'd say that to most parents.

Thank you all!! Yes... Those were raw scores. I have the standard scores as well but can't multi task on iPhone to include them.
There is a lot going on aside from boredom... I know he gets teased a bit and we are working on that. He's very small and young compared to peers and it shows. I'm fairly certain he is add... Inattentiveness being the biggest issue. He also has a teacher that is checked out and doesn't really get him.
I don't really get him! His memory is ridiculous and I almost thought he had that weird memory thing that starts with an I.... And then he bombs the story recall. He could tell you what I was wearing on June 11, 2010! And what song was on the radio.... He seems to have lost his lust for learning in general this year.
His new thing is that he "hates" everything. I miss my curious inquisitive loving boy. He's emotional and anxious and back talking. He's totally changed this year.
The reason we retested was because we felt he was starting to lag... Not in the classroom... Well, we haven't seen a report card yet... But in his thirst to learn. He seems to have lost his luster. Does that make Sense???

Brief achievement 142
Broad reading 126
Broad math 135
Broad wl 126
Academic skills 143
Academic fluency 119

So a large decrease indeed!

A far fall from the >99.9 percentiles of yesteryear!

Lukemac, while these new scores aren't greater than 99.9th percentile, they are far from "fall off a cliff" type scores.. they are still very good! I think there's a very real possibility some of the effect you're seeing is simply that sometimes early testing scores *are* high relative to later scores... or you're seeing a child that has something else going on that's getting in the way of learning.

I'm was curious what his previous test scores were, so I peaked through the old posts... I noticed you had posted about a verbal/reading achievement test score that came in lower than expected earlier this fall (Gates McG? sorry.. forgot the name of the test already)... his scores on that test were 77-85th percentiles... which of course is lower than 99.9th on the WJ-III. Having two sets of lower than expected achievement scores, I'd be tempted to look into what's going on further and not just assume it's boredom with this year's class situation.

I would also wonder about this:


There are different types of memory, and having a photographic memory for events long ago isn't using the same brain processes that are required to process words read and then remember and/or put together what they meant. I have a dd who has a weakness in associative memory, and she has odd memory blips like what you've mentioned.

polarbear

Polar bear... I agree. Something is amiss. But what????

Some kids peak early and others peak later. Maybe he learned alot very quickly when he was 5 and tested and now is learning at a slower rate at age 7. I don't think I would use achievement tests in that way. I would just say- he's a bright kid, is he happy, is he learning something; and just leave it at that.

I'm not sure if I'm following the whole concept. So, a five year old tests and shows his achievement level is say at around 3rd grade level. After a couple of years of ?undifferentiated? school, he's in 2nd grade and has about a 4th grade achievement level? Without actual directed learning at his optimal level of learning, how would his knowledge and skills advance?

The question isn't what is wrong with the kid, but what is wrong with the placement and pacing and content at school? And why is school wasting 5-6 hours of his day every day under the functional lie that he is learning?

Dottie - thank you so much for taking the time to line it all up like that. I guess I need to wrap my head around having an MG kid versus a PG kid though his presentation is way more EG/PG then MG the reality is that it is what it is.
I want him happy. I want him learning and loving it again.
Thank you everyone else for your insight. I strongly suspect 2E stuff but very murky on what/why. Anyone with ideas I am open.
ZEN - I agree. I would have thought that years in school would have INCREASED scores as he is now exposed to so much more then when in preschool, but sadly... he either isn't exposed or it is not sticking. SOmewhat of a problem either way, no???

Seems he needs enrichment or a change in school setting before there are any viable conclusions. Achievement is not aptitude.