Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Brand New To GT Programs- Please Help

Hello,
I apologize if these questions have all been asked in the past, but I searched and didn't see them. My son is currently in 5th grade at a school that does not offer GT programs, but he has been accelerated into 6th grade math. We are moving this summer to Fairfax County, VA where there are supposedly excellent GT programs. My son is very high-achieving and has scored very well on the achievement tests that he has been given. For example, last year he received a perfect score on the math section of the WASL (Washington's standardized test). He also just brought home a math score for the NWEA that was 247 (based on the 6+ math survey even though he is in 5th grade). According to the scale that I found that would put him at just above the median for an 11th grader. After doing some research, I convinced his school to give him the CogAT test in preparation for our move. I got the scores today and from what I can tell, they aren't high enough to qualify for the GT program in VA. He got a 128 or 97% Verbal, 125 or 96% Quantitative, and a 106 or 68% for non-verbal. He had never been given anything like this before and the administrator of the test had never done it before either. Also, he was given a level F test which looks like it is usually used for 7th-8th graders. Could this impact scores? With scores like this should I pursue GT programs when we move? Is there anything else that you would recommend that I do? I am really completely new to all of this and totally confused so any help or suggestions would be very welcome!

Hi and welcome. Unfortunately I can't help as I am not familiar with the tests and scoring, but I am sure someone who is familiar with these tests will be able to help so hang in there. I just wanted to say welcome.

I'd look at getting an individual IQ test if you can afford it. The CogAT is not an IQ test and highly gifted kids can get scores that do not correlate well with their IQs on group tests. The CogAT correlates well with IQ for avg kids, but your kid is presumably not avg. Anecdotally, our younger dd (age 8) came out right at one SD above the mean on the CogAT (Composite score in the mid 80s percentile wise). On IQ tests, she is highly gifted or possibly profoundly gifted (99th-99.9th percentile). We are waiting on her current testing to know for sure where she falls.

I found info that supports what Lauren said and is more specific to Fairfax County.
http://www.fcag.org/gtfcps.html
P.S. You may also want to ask on the Fairfax County Association of Gifted Yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FCAG/

This is concerning:
http://www.fcag.org/index.html

Thanks so much for all of your incredibly helpful responses. After reading them I think that I will go to the school district with his test reults, as well as the other information that they request, and see what they tell me. I did re-check the websites for the school district and it seems that his CogAt scores were just under the criteria for the gifted centers, but definitely high enough for the gifted instruction that is offered in the school(plus, given the info. in Inky's post, that may unfortunately be the only alternative available in the near-future anyway). Plus, as it was pointed out, it seems that the CogAt is just one of many criteria that they use, so it is hard to say what the district will tell me when looking at all of the information we provide them with. We are also having his current teacher fill out a gifted behaviors survey, so hopefully that will help as well. It is just reassuring to know that I'm not pursuing something that will get his hopes up, but that he really has no chance at. Thanks again for all of the help!!

You should look at this for the full info on how to qualify for FCPS GT as an incoming new student:

http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/gt/identificationrol4.html

I checked out that web page for the FCPS. One of the items that concerns me is that a record of previous GT services is required. Do you know what they do if the previous schools haven't offered GT services? The best we have had was skipping him a grade in math, but that isn't considered GT services, is it? I feel like all of this is a completely different world than what we have been dealing with. It is rather overwhelming. But, if there is some way that we can keep him challenged, it will all be worth it!!

I would call and talk with the program coordinator (Carol Horn). She should be able to give you some straight answers as to what the best way to go about trying for admission to the GT program would be.

I can't imagine them denying a student GT services simply because their previous school did not offer them.
The minimum test score for being submitted into the pool of candidates this year was 132 on the NNAT or on any one subtest of the cogat. However, parents whose children did not meet the minimums were able to submit a referral form and have their children included in the pool of candidates for consideration.
They consider so much more than just the test scores.

Have you already selected an area to live in?
If not, consider the "base" schools as well as the elementary and middle GT center schools that are assigned when you start house hunting.

Best of Luck!