Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment COGAT "request" question?

Hi all! Please excuse my ignorance, but I have a series of stupid questions...
Can I request that the school give my DD5 the COGAT?
Or is this a test only given to higher grades?
If I do request it, do they have to give it to her?
I have been googling and trying to research the COGAT and other screening tests, as well as searching this forum, and I am just not able to find the answers to my questions so I resorted to bugging you guys.

And if any of your feeling froggy, I have one more question as well...
We are anxiously awaiting the results of TCAP (http://www.tennessee.gov/education/assessment/achievement.shtml), which should be back in a few weeks. Assuming the results reflect what we think they will (above average), can we use the results to advocate for any special accommodations and/or use to request the COGAT?

some background and insight into our ultimate goal, which might help you guys in answering my questions:
We have wanted to have her formally identified for many years, but just never seem to get around to it b/c of extreme lack of local resources, funds, time, etc. She has had many informal tests given to her, but nothing that we can really use to advocate for anything. The school principal is staunchly against grade skips and providing any gifted accommodations prior to grade 3. Before we moved from a big city to this small, rural town, we contacted the principal and he promised us that he would provide her with a harder curriculum and would challenge her for k-2 and then put her into the GT program in 3rd. But now that we're here, there has been no accommodations at all.
Recently she was given an "Accelerated Reader" test and determined to be reading and comprehending at the level of a 7.5 yr old. Previous pediatricians have told me that she seems to be "above her years". We took her to one-time, new-to-us family practice Dr. for her kindergarten shots and within 10 minutes were told "your going to have your hands full trying to get her through school. She is very intelligent for her years". Preschool teachers have told me "I have never seen anyone able to do this puzzle, but she just picked it up and did it in seconds. I also had to ban her from answering questions b/c she knows every answer". Most recently her martial arts teacher verbalized what we have been thinking all year (that she needs to have a full or partial grade skip to second grade) He says he feels as though the coursework is way too easy for her.

Okay, so one last question, if all these other people (and many other adults that we encounter) can see that she is...oh...advanced (?) How is it that the school can't see it!?
This is of special urgency for us, b/c as some of you may recall, my HG/PG DH was forced to drop out and get his GED b/c this same school would not accommodate him. If an individual here is not ND or learning disabled, the school simply "has no idea what to do with you". (BTW, they have used those exact words on my DH so I am not saying that just to me mean or anything.)

Is the teacher still picking on her?
Is she still demonstrating 'rage' at her classmates?
Is homeschooling an option?
how many hours a week is the gifted program that starts in 3rd grade?
What grade is she now? (age 5, right?)

I would play up the rage angle (her's not your's - humor alert)
and ask then for individualized IQ testing, and their whole battery of tests to find out why your little angle is raging. In otherwords, hang them by their own rope to get your free IQ test. It might not show her true self, but it most likely will.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

BTW - i don't know what a COGAT is, I just know that teachers and princlples care when a child is unhappy or acting out, and believe their own 'end of year' assesments more than anything nationalized or standardized. Start afterschooling and show them some of her work, ok?

G-girl

Well, the "rage" has "stopped" for the most part. I heard nothing else about it after I gave the teacher a handout with a list of facts on GT students. It was one of those lists that kind of looks like this:
GT trait:
Enjoys organizing things and people into structure and order
How the action is perceived:
May be seen as bossy, rude, or domineering.

GT trait:
Thinks critically; has high expectancies; is self-critical and evaluates others.
How the action is perceived by others:
Critical or intolerant toward others; perfectionistic.

GT trait:
Acquires and retains information quickly.
How the action is perceived by others:
Impatient with slowness of others

After I gave her this handout, she began giving DD5 the informal tests, such as "accelerated reader". Her understanding of DD's behavior also seemed to improve as I have no longer received notes about bossiness, etc. Each meeting since has been positive. Just yesterday, she was awarded the best conduct award for her class.
After our meeting (about 3 months back) the teacher recommended we "fast-track" her through the Little Readers (a list of 20 small books sent home as homework). We did this and she is now being given books labeled Above Level Readers. I was skeptical, but her idea worked and DD5's conduct improved. This is one of the many reasons we are looking into a partial or full grade skip.

The "rage" doesn't seem to be an angle I can use now, but could I possibly use the example above as leverage you think? (i.e. see she had problems, then we increased her workload and challenged her more and the behavior stopped)

BTW, I am going to homeschool her this summer. yea!
The gifted program that starts in 3rd grade is really nothing to get excited about. It is just a few hours a week and really isn't anything I think she will benefit from.

Hi,
I am no expert, but I am not a fan of the Cogat. I have found that it scores low. I would pursue individual IQ testing with a school psychologist.
Our children are similar, my DD5 is reading at about a 2nd grade level and she is changing and learning fast every day. The crazy thing is that we are sending her to K, it is a half day program with a second language component. I bet we last 3 months, but we will try it since her pre-K friends are there and she wants to try to be with them.

Our school offers the Cogat, but only your school can tell you if they offer it. No, I don't think you can demand the school test your child with the Cogat, even if they offer it. You might try an outside tester, or see what battery of testing the school psychologist can do (in case they do the WISC-IV instead of the Cogat for example).

I think that that is exactly the angle to use. I would request a gradeskip and individual IQ testing in writing from the principle or the 'Gifted Coordinator' if you have one, right now. Exactly based on the argument above.

I think it's great that you'll be homeschooling this summer! Enjoy!

I think it's great and really remarkable that the teacher started to 'fly right' after you gave her the article, and perhaps you can ask for a sit down with her, and ask her to describe her feelings as she started to see your daughter differently, and after she's listened to you, perhaps she'll be ready to write a little something for you to show the principle about how for your daughter, meeting her academic needs really is the best way to met her social needs.

Just a thought...
Grinity