Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Question on testing

Here's some follow-up to the above article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/02/us/boy-genius-mother-says-she-faked-tests.html?pagewanted=print
and
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jun/05/kin-battle-over-genius-boy/

So then I guess what would the be the point of giving the SB-LM? I don't need to know if DS is over what can be defined by the WISC. I'm beginning to feel a little like my son would be used as a lab rat. Very uneasy about this.

OK. Since there isn't anyone in my state that really seems to have a handle on testing PG kids, I need recommendations. If GDC is going to cost me $2500. and you know a good person that charges $1000. even if plane tickets are another $1000. I'm still ahead.

Well, I'd recommend starting with what questions do you need to have answered.

Beyond general curiosity and the (common) feeling that you're in over your head with this kid and grasping at straws, what do you *really* need to know to help him? What information are you missing that is making it hard to serve his needs?

Then you can consider what testing will best help you answer those questions.

My guess is that at this point, achievement testing is probably more useful to you than IQ testing. You already know the kid is "wicked smart" and is almost certainly beyond the useful range of any test instrument that's out there. Unless you're looking for LDs, I can't really see a reason that further IQ testing would be of much help to you. What you need to know is how far along he is already so that you can figure out what sort of educational help he needs.

But of course, YMMV.

Kriston,

There is some question to whether or not UNM will allow him dual enrollment to their classes without a complete IQ test. The test that he had at 5 wasn't completed, they left out an entire section. They only tested to qualify him for their program.

His WJIII was completed. So in truth all I really need is an IQ test although You're right that the achievement test is a lot more worthwhile in my mind.

If he needs an IQ test to get into the program, then that's a good reason to do it. But I suspect UNM wouldn't accept the SB-LM anyway. I'd bet money that you really need a current test instrument.

I am often wrong, however...

No, I agree with you which is why I posedthe question in the first place. I couldn't see the reasoning behind having the LM done. I wanted to check on here in case there was a valid reason beyond the GDC wanting more stats (and more money)

Shari, have you considered Aimee? I highly recommend her if you are willing to travel.

http://www.davincilearning.org/

Kriston's right -- I cannot see a university accepting the SBL-M if they weren't happy with an incomplete WISC-IV from two years ago. Current test, absolutely. Make this clean and simple. Note that if they want achievement testing, they're likely to view two-year-old data as stale, too.

(And thanks for the recommendation, Cathy!)

Shari,
Sorry I don't know the whole back story but I hope it is okay to ask because I'm curious...
I'm wondering how you got the information that the university would require an IQ test. Was it somebody from admissions? They have a page on dual enrollment on their website and it looks pretty straight forward and typical. I'm guessing this is something different due to his age?

If it helps we were able to negotiate classes for a nine year old. What worked for us was advocacy from mentors backed up with ACT testing. I don't think it would have been possible without both, but with both it was quite easy. The situation you face may be totally different but I can imagine few admissions offices that accept IQ scores over a standardized test of achievement and the SBLM would be a huge risk in raising a flag. If they wonder how to interpret the score and ask anyone in the education department I think you run the risk of a very negative impression.

I think I may have inadvertantly confused a bunch of people. So a little background.

DS7 was tested at 5 using the DAS II. The test wasn't completed as the school district was simply testing to qualify. The school that he is scheduled to start on Monday is a charter school located on the campus of our local University. The program is designed to allow for dual enrollment for kids that need college courses.

Because my DS is a student at the charter and because of his age, the college is requesting his IQ testing results. If the DAS II had been complete, I believe it would have been enough. The portion he took had some ceiling issues.

When I spoke to the GDC, they wanted to give my son the WISC IV, followed by the SB-LM. The woman I spoke to gave me a reasonable argument (she'd obviously made it before) as to why they wanted to use the LM as well as the WISC. I asked the question on here because I wanted to find out if there was a legitimate benefit to taking the LM. The LM was never intended to be submitted to the college.

The college has not requested achievement testing or any other sort of screening. My thinking is that if I'm going to have this done, I want just that....DONE! I don't want to be told two years from now that I need something else. So my thought was if I took him to a place that was aware of testing a PG kid, that I would get everything I need and never have to worry about it again. The ACT or SAT or EXPLORE are easily accessible and fall into a different category in my mind. They certainly fit much better into my budget! When the time comes my expectation is that he will participate in those.

But the laundry list of tests that the GDC suggested was quite long and quite expensive. So I was just trying to get some other opinions, since I don't know enough about testing to make a decision.

There! Hopefully we're all together now. After speaking to several of you privately and your posts on here this whole thing is just making me uneasy. I don't want to pay for a test simply to help the GDC continue in their pursuit of statistics on an archaic test. So now I'm shopping for a new testing center!