Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Nominator?

Our psych. is urging me fill out the DYS application for DD11. I am just not sure who to use for the nominator form. The only teacher who really "got" her was her third grade teacher so that would have been 2 years ago. I wonder if that information would be too old. Her middle school teachers only saw her 45 minutes a day (in a class of 25 kids) so I can't imagine they really have anything to say. Perhaps if you all throw out ideas I could come up with some other person to approach.

We used DD's OT, who wrote a great letter for us, with specific examples of how DD was beyond her years in her ability to read and assimilate information from reading. I would expect that a middle school teacher would be fine, if she has one that she has a good connection with. Don't get too hung up on this part; I don't think it makes a huge amount of difference.

First, don't worry about finding the perfect person. I think that if you have the qualifying numbers, you are pretty much in. Second, 45 minutes a day is plenty of time, especially over the course of a school year. There is probably at least one middle school teacher who thinks highly of your DD - you need to ask her specific questions about all her teachers. We used a current teacher just so everything was fresh, etc. While DS was in mid-elementary so his Nominator was his homeroom teacher, DD was in 7th so we used one of her middle school teachers. It is a bit harder when you have many to choose from but I started with the teachers who have nominated her for various school awards/honors, then gave preferences to the ones from the current year and who were enthusiastically vocal (to other teachers and students) about DD's work products. I think you go with a teacher who thinks your DD stands out from the other students in his/her classes.

Good luck but you really don't have to worry - I think it's really a question of hitting the numbers.

Just wanted to say.... wow, you have a psych that knows about DYS? That's really great.

We asked our piano teacher too. He has been teaching DS7 since he was just shy of 5 years old. He knows him pretty well, not only in music but in other areas too.

When I think about asking DD11's music teacher, I just laugh. DD is monosyllabic during her lessons. I think he'd be VERY surprised to see her IQ!!!
I'm going to check with 2 of her 5th grade teachers. They were amazing. Our middle school teachers are so removed from the parents. I can't even imagine emailing them.
What kind of questions are on the form? Do they ask for detailed responses?
George C - the testing psych is great. Wish I could afford to use her all the time, but she doesn't take insurance. She just returned from the SENG Conference and is all fired up. How great is that??

Anyone have an idea of how extensive the nominator form is? I"m trying to decide who to ask for DD (probably last year's teacher, with whom she had a great connection), but don't want to over burden her.

Thanks!

The DYS Application Checklist says it consists of the questions below. I have no reason to think it's more than this.

1. Describe your relationship with the applicant.
2. Describe an incident that speaks to his/her advanced abilities.
3. How does this applicant’s academic abilities compare to other young people with whom you interact?
4. The Davidson Young Scholars Program is designed to provide parents of profoundly gifted young people with individualized assistance in the areas of educational advocacy and planning, social/emotional, and talent development. Please tell us why this applicant could benefit from the Young Scholars Program.

I provided thoughts on the last topic, as I'm unclear why a teacher would know what assistance parents would be seeking.

What Cranberry listed above are the questions for the nominator. I also provided the answer for the last question to the nominator. We asked my DS' piano teacher as the nominator, because he is very familiar with DS' music talent as well as other areas.

Thank you! Somehow I missed that the checklist supplied the information!!

Thank you!!