Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Arguing Ceiling Effect For Appeal

Yes, I did. I also asked him specific questions about InView. The last person we met with gave us false information on how the InView is scored. I asked him if the information we were given at the last meeting was accurate (even though I know it isn't). I want to have in writing if anyone I have spoken with actually understands the test they are using.

I find it extremely alarming the ones making decisions for gifted placement are not familiar with the specifics of the test.

I am going to follow up Monday to make sure I have answers before we go. When we spoke on the phone I told him I would follow up with him via email with my specific questions and concerns. He said he needed to read the InView manual to find out the answers for the test related questions.

Way to go!

LOL, once I asked for information before a meeting, and it was e-mailed approximately 10 minutes prior to the meeting, at which time I was already at school (to ensure I arrived on time despite traffic, train crossings, etc).

Smirky smiles seemed to suggest the timing was strategically planned, and I quickly made a note to ask, on future occasions, for them to send information prior to the meeting date.

Subsequently I learned from others that it was not uncommon for schools to fulfill requests in a bare-minimum way, which causes parents to create carefully worded requests.

FYI, if it's an official IEP or 504 meeting, you have a legal right to have paper copies of all evaluation reports (anything used in formal decision-making) 2 school days before the meeting. Ask for that specifically.

Yes, this particular set of meetings was related to G and acceleration. The school was reluctant to exceed previous acceleration precedent, and used a variety of tactics to stall the inevitable, testing our mettle in the process.

Although some say gifted comes under special ed law, we've not seen the same protections for G as for the 2nd e. The laws which do exist for G do not seem to have teeth, and policies can be rather quickly amended, while a school delays its decisions.

I often recommend printing gifted policies which are in effect at the moment, in case the district makes a change in the interim, resulting in a policy which is less favorable.

Another error I believe they are making is that they are violating the states gifted policy. It states that when a person is appealing the decision a group of people not involved in the original decision must be used. They are not doing that. We are meeting with the same people who make the decision. I am going to bring the policy on gifted programs, but bringing that into it may escalate the situation to something much more confrontational. I just want them to see how poorly this whole process is being implemented and hopefully make changes.

You've done great research.

Have copies, document who is involved in each decision, and be prepared to follow up with your state department of education if needed. You might ask them about the policy: their interpretation of the policy, when that policy might come into play, whether it applies to this situation, how they believe it applies, etc.

Bear in mind that if the school is out of compliance, they are the ones making this confrontational; Don't let them place blame, shame, or guilt on you.

Please tell us how it went.

He just emailed me:

I went through the InView teachers guide today and wasn’t able to glean much more info on the range and CSI (other than the range width is determined by the standard error of measurement).

He asked if I could call him tomorrow before our meeting, otherwise he will see us there. Keeping my fingers crossed!! I will update after the meeting.

Is it possible that the standard error of measurement might allow for the 1 point by which your daughter's score was shy of their cut score?

So we received a call shortly before our meeting. Apparently there was an error in how my dd's school calculated the scores for the rubric. My dd's was one of them so they have referred us to the curriculum director at district office as they have never had this happen before. I am not going to assume this means they will allow her into the program because at this point it is hard to ever know what they will do, but it certainly has made our case much stronger. I honestly don't see how they can deny her placement, but not sure how many kids it is going to effect either and what that will mean. Because we are in a state with no gifted policy, I'm not sure we have any real options regardless, but very hopeful they will do the right thing. Is there any legal recourse in a state with very lose gifted policies?