Did he blow it? Will the school think I'm crazy if I ask for something else? A test by a school psychologist? My son is crazy verbally gifted, but was just excited that he would be able to draw after he finished (thanks, test administrator for telling the kids to take their time!)

So I fear he blew through it. He said he was the first one done. Arg. Has you verbally gifted child ever done poorly on this test? On the verbal section, specifically? What did you do? I know I've read about HG+ kids not doing well on this test, but are they out there? How do you deal with it? Our state does a GIEP.

I don't know how he does on tests, he is only 7! Arg.

Ds took the scat a month or so ago and I told him over and over 'if you get to a really hard question just skip it and keep going'. I am pretty sure that he just hung on a single question in both sections and didn't move on (he said he got stuck on the last question in each section...)
Results were still good in verbal but not phenomenal, math so-so. But, I have to chock it up to a great day but a perfectionist kid... oh well.
Later that same week he took the CoGat for school, and the Naglieri. He got three parts of cogat over three days, is that what your school did? We have a long wait for results apparently...

Anyway, to answer your question - I think a lot of schools know that at these young ages, there can be lots of factors to keep a kid from scoring as expected, bad day, sick, poor admin, nerves, etc. The district we are in will retest, especially if you present other info such as school grades, work from home etc. that shows superior achievement or potential or drive.

Also, I have read lots of times on this forum examples of kids flying through tests and it just means they really killed it! So don't give up hope yet for this test

Finally, don't worry what the school thinks too much. You have to do what is right for your ds, even if it makes you seem a bit pushy...I have been reading a good book, 'Outliers', partly about folks that make opportunities and how that can make the world of difference in getting a 'chance' to live up to one's potential. You gotta make those opportunities for a 7 year old!

I guess I just hate this whole process... my son has a lot of anxiety (probably an un RX anxiety disorder...)... and so the test is hard for him, anyway. But I hate that a kids who is obviously gifted (like of you talk to him for 20 seconds, you can see the sparks flying out of his ears), and his teacher knows he is gifted, even the principal knows he id gifted, has to take these tests to get TAG services. I would love to just submit a portfolio if his work, and such.

You are right, he might do really well on the tests, and I'm just nervous because I know he can do really... They spread it out over two days--so yesterday was the verbal and today is the math. They took the NNAT already, so at least that is behind him.

Thank you Chris and Dotty! The support for parents who know and have been through this means so so so much to me. It keeps me going.

And I won't stop if he bombs these test, thanks for the support. I guess we shouldn't fear being 'that parent.' Because we do need to advocate for our kids.

He is perfectionistic, and can be down on himself emotionally... and that is why the TAG is important in his case, because I think the label would really help him understand why he feels so different from his peers.

I'll try to hang in there and wait for his scores. Man, I hope he killed it!

So, if Hoagies states so clearly that many HG+ kids do poorly on these tests, how do I take that information to the school? We qualify for the school psych to test him, because of our (lack of) income. But I don't know if more testing is good for my kids. Do I just wait for the results and then see? TIA!

I don't have better advice for you about the testing than what you've already gotten. I, too, would advise you to wait to see the scores before you worry. It may not be a problem at all.

I would like to address this:



I always say that I'd rather be "that mom" than have my child be "that kid." I can prepare myself for it and handle it; they shouldn't have to.

I'm glad you're not planning to give up. It is really, really hard to advocate! But keep up the good work.

Oh, and if I may address your child's perfectionism, I think that often the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on that count. I know that's the case in our house! I'm definitely wound a bit too tightly, and I have to fight it every day!

My advice, from one perfectionist to another? Relax as much as you can, especially about the testing. If he's already got an anxiety issue, your anxiety isn't going to help there. In terms of the big picture, allow yourself to make mistakes and show him that you're okay with it. Try new things and fail miserably at them--with a big smile on your face. I really think that this sort of modeling is the best thing you can do for perfectionism...for both of you!

Finding a challenge helps, too, but you're already working on that!

Best wishes for grand success!

Don't panic! I took my teacher credentialing exam and finished an HOUR before the next person. I was freaking out- scanning pages, certain I'd missed something. No... I was just that fast. I've always finished tests quickly but that was a major time gap.

It's very possible it was quick and easy for him and it made sense. If not you can always explore other options. But don't panic in the short run, see what happens!

I'm trying really hard to downplay the whole test, and not be anxious about it at all. But it is good to hear to chill out, too. I guess I funnel it all "here" so I might come across freakier then I am in real life

Thank you Kriston and CAMom. I'm really not overtly freaking out. And I know what you mean, CAmom, about finishing a test quickly and then thinking you must have missed something... because it was *too* easy. I am hoping that is the case.

Today I just told him to take his time and do well, and then we talked about all the animals he would see since the SPCA is visiting his school. Then we talked about cute furry animals for the next 10 minutes, with talking about the test for only like 30 seconds.

Thank you! I don't know what I would do without this board... And Kriston I really like that about not fearing being "that parent..." So true.

I hear you. I didn't think you were freaky at all. Just normal. (Well, for around here, anyway!)

I know what you mean about *around here*. But I swear if our children's needs were just met without us having to be all paranoid about how we come across, and constantly having meetings and repeating ourselves, and stating the obvious about our kids over and over, we would all probably be the most mellow bunch. It is just a weird mixture of protecting our kids and dealing with "the system" that makes us crazy.

And I like the school, and the principal and everything, I just don't know why educators wouldn't want to help these kids... and just take them for who they are...

Oh, sing it, sister!

Is money like a secret code for schools to express "community will," or is it money to cover their rears from the NCLB stuff? I hope NCLB gets taken apart in February at the latest.

I've known kids that
a) Haven't score high enough on Cogat, and did the next time
b) That haven't scored high enough on COgat, but a psych administered WISC and the child was DEFINITELY gifted
c) Hit high 90's on one section and 4% on another section.

A child may or may not do well with Cogat. I wish schools offered another option like portfolio.
Tammy

Our county does this, although I don't think they regard it as a separate option. There is a rubric something like '2 out of 5' areas they collect info in have to show exceeds peer group by 2 grade levels or deviations depending on whether they are looking at school work achievement tests, iq tests or outside-of-school work samples collected. And then I think at least one other area has to show exceeds, but not as high.
I know some places this is not true, but it certainly pays to ask. And keep asking until you are really speaking with the folks who know: the gifted teachers and assessment folks and program administrators.

Last year my ds came very close on some testing, scored really high on reading assessments and I was offered the option of sending in more info to support their assessment for the k-3 program. I brought in a bunch of his outside 'creative' work in and this does seemed to have helped his situation. Some of it was "real" writing, but also a bunch of drawings, paper constructions and other stuff, it all had a sort of story-telling theme going on.

Anyway, I like to share this in case there are folks out there wondering about this fuzzy area of id'ing.

My son has some amazing drawings and writings... I like the idea of a test to screen kids who might not be seen as gifted, and I like the NNAT for that. I was a Visual spatial kid and kind of languished in school for awhile (middle school?).

But I also think that individual IQ tests should be done by the school. My goodness, the kids will be there forever, why not invest a bit in our kids and find out about them?

And portfolios... as a third option/ piece of the pie.

I think I can appeal if he didn't do well on the test. I'd like to not have to do that, but I will. I wonder how long it takes to hear back from them?

Thanks for all the replies! It helps to hear that other kids didn't do well on this test.

Merry Christmas! Here are your test scores!!! We got the COGAT's and I should be beaming but am a little disappointed. I can say this out loud here. She only got a 135 in the Verbal section. I am surprised. Here nonverbal scores we much lower - 128 and 126. The overall was 132. She clearly did very well but.... My DH reminds me that she was sick that week and we considered keeping her home and probably would have but retesting is a MAJOR hassle so we figured what the heck. So we now have a NNAT of 135 and a COGAT Verbal of 135. Should be enough to get her in - fingers crossed. Now I can start worrying about the SCAT I signed her up for

Thank you Dottie. As I said fingers crossed. I have heard the cutoff for this year is 134 so we should be good. Happy Holidays!

I think 135 on the CogAT is pretty good. The CogAT is just a screener and it is not at all good at distinguishing between MG and HG+, as I understand it. I mean, it makes the WISC and the SB-5--which aren't really intended to distinguish--look like fabulous tools for it!

I don't think you need to be disappointed in anything but the test itself on this! Her performance is strong.

The cogat is a screener only and whether he rushed it or not, did well or not does not help determone if he is gifted. My 158 IQ son scored in the 25% in his last Cogat. He, on the full WISC was in the 99.9%. We had to fight them on that due to his visual processing LD, he will never do well on a Cogat or any other group standardized test. Be careful of results on things like COGATS, they mean very little for some kids.

Well, they didn't mail out the results of the test, but something about him qualified for TAG. I don't know if it was his work samples or teacher recommendation, or his test scores, but he is in the TAG program and now it is time for IEP.

Thanks for the support! Now we go on to stage II and either stay at this school if they can step up and meet his needs, or switch schools.

Wonderful news! Thanks for the update and congrats to DS! Here's hoping TAG ends up meeting his needs.

Neato

Yes, congrats! We are supposed to get cogat results at the end of this month, I think. It would be sweet to just get a letter stating ds was 'in' instead, but I *bet* it won't go that way. I am pretty sure they collect data/work samples throughout the year and send any program updates in the summer for our county.

That is great news! Congrats to your DS. I second Neato in hoping the TAG meets his needs.

lan

Hey folks, a couple friends from dance school said they got their kids' Cogat and Naglieri results (both in the same county as us). We might get ds' today.

Without even having the paper in hand, my concern from their conversation is that I won't know what the heck the whole thing means. One of the moms didn't mention numbers, but she just said I'm going to set up an appt. with the teacher to get this figured out. A nice measured approach. It was the Cogat results for her dd, and she just said it was a lot of numbers. Is there a good explanation of these online somewhere (or will that come with the results?)
From this thread it sounds like there is one or maybe three big numbers, and they sound pretty similar to an I.Q. score. Is that what the Cogat is giving? (Hope that is not majorly dumb question

Same basic question for Naglieri - the other Mom, who is a teacher and obviously very serious about getting her child into the gt program, was really excited about the numbers her dd got, a 122 on the Naglieri. She was doing a pretty good imitation of one of 'those pushy moms' you always hear about, but frankly I wanted to pick her brain about it.
Actually she said "E. is up for the gifted program", as if every other child in the entire county was not up for the program. Hm.
Sigh, I just felt she was giving the whole thing a bad feel.

Anyway, I held back because the other mom was looking a bit uncomfortable (I think she had not gotten Nag. scores, so it wasn't a 1:1 comparison kind of discomfort). I tried to be simultaneously excited for Mom#2 and commiserating on the incomprehensibility of the whole thing with Mom#1...

So I would like to pick everyone's brain on this one - is the Naglieri "NUMBER" pretty equatable to an iq score? (at least for nonverbal stuff?)

Anyway, if this is all too vague, hopefully I will actually have the silly numbers in a day or two and I can post back. Just had to get that off the brain. Thanks!

Thanks Dottie, great info!
Yes, I wasn't too sure about 122 either - I know it's a very solid score, but the way she said it I thought, well, maybe I misunderstand the general breakdown on those numbers.
(The other mom hadn't even received Naglieri scores for her dd yet, so I am sort of hoping her girl slams the Nag.!
Her dd is a quiet sweet girl, and could certainly have more than meets the eye to her.
Don't get me wrong, I really like both moms and their kids are great too, but this one chat had me sort of backing away for fear of falling into a rabid 'scores' conversation!)

Our county generally goes with 98%ile too, with a bit of wiggle room for the 4th grade gt program, so that is what I am mostly focusing on...just hangin' around the mailbox...