Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Orleans-Hanna interpretation question

First, let me say that my children are not super gifted like many of yours are, but they are bright, and I am trying to figure out the Orleans-Hanna algebra readiness test.

My son took this test in 5th grade and had a raw score of 92. Half of this score seems to be based on grades, the other half based on the test. His top-half (grades) score was 48. The test half was 44. I'm just curious where this puts him on a percentile level, and I might add that it seems to me the percentile is useless inasfar as the top half is concerned. It seems to me only the bottom half actually measures anything.

His year-end MAP-RIT score put him at the 95 percentile. I was disappointed in this as it was a drop from mid-year, and it is my feeling that he has received very little math instruction (his school encourages the students to use "fraction calculators" so they won't strain their brains adding or subtracting fractions).

Anyway, I've searched the Internet for this info without any luck. Does anyone have any guidance as to what this score means?

His school is doing something different, which I approve of. They are splitting Algebra I into two parts to be taught over two years instead of one. The brighter students are either going to take a pre-Algebra course in sixth grade or else just jump into the first half of Algebra I.

A neighbor's child, who is gifted and a real whiz at math, jumped straight into Algebra I in sixth grade this year and she has struggled with it. So I think the school is trying to find a way to challenge the brighter kids without getting them in over their head.

I do find it very odd that there is no percentile ranking charts floating around on the Web. There is a space for percentile rank on my son's report, but it is blank. Oh, well.

We are moving and won't be a part of this new program. So we're trying to do everything we can to get the right placements for our kids in their new schools.