Seattle Schools Advanced Learning Testing Starting Tomorrow

This fell off my radar until a reader commented that she just got notice that her child's Advanced Learning testing is tomorrow.  Here is the schedule.

Eligibility testing began on October 26 and will continue through January 2014 for students whose applications were received by the October 3rd deadline. Most testing will take place at your child's school during normal school hours. There will also be some Saturday testing to accommodate overcrowded sites and private school families. This is the tentative schedule, which will be updated as needed. We will endeavor to schedule Kindergarten and First Grade students during the week at their neighborhood schools whenever possible, rather than on Saturdays. Families and classroom teachers will be notified several days prior to testing.

Comments

Anonymous said…
There are lots of schools not listed, are they to be scheduled later?
-Confused
Lynn said…
Most testing will take place at your child's school during normal school hours. There will also be some Saturday testing to accommodate overcrowded sites and private school families.
Anonymous said…
Just FYI, ALL second graders in south/southeast elementary schools will have all three sections of the cognitive test known as CoGAT administered in their schools in their classrooms. By testing all, it is hoped that children who may not be captured via MAP acheivement testing will be identified for their high cognitive ability or potential ability and thus put into the pathway of advanced learning opportunities to nurture that potential. Very gratifying to see the outreach Advanced Learning is undertaking to caputure stundents who need this intervention. I hope this becomes standard: the information gleaned from individual test results will be conveyed to teachers, parents and prinipals, and it should enable them to continue to nurture these students and help them realize on their potential.

-outreach matters
Anonymous said…
Hi outreach matters- thanks for this info. I have a second grader at a SE school, and this is the first I'm hearing about this. Do you have a source for this that I can refer to?

-southpaw
Anonymous said…
We got notification today for testing at 8am tomorrow. Less than 24-hr notice.

It says if we don't show up, they'll just reschedule us. I'm sure there are costs associated with a bunch of no-shows and added test dates, though. This district sure seems to throw money around... Sigh.

HIMSmom
Amy H. said…
Effective May,2013,or so, changes were made in the WA laws to call for assessment by multiple criteria and to require school districts to specify an appeal process. Here is the language I found online.
WAC 392-170-055 Assessment process for selection as highly capable student. (1) Students nominated for selection as a highly capable student, unless eliminated through screening as provided in WAC ((392-170-050)) 392-170-045, shall be assessed by qualified district personnel ((using a minimum of one measure for each of the multiple criteria in WAC 392-170-040. In order to be considered for final selection as among the most highly capable by the multidisciplinary selection committee following assessment, there shall exist evidence of one or more of the following characteristics:
(1) Evidence that the student scores in the top ten percent in cognitive ability as demonstrated by a standardized ability test;

(2) Evidence that the student scores in the top five percent in one or more specific academic achievement area; and/or

(3) Evidence that the student demonstrates behavioral characteristics for exceptional creativity));

(2) Districts shall use multiple objective criteria for identification of students who are among the most highly capable. There is no single prescribed method for identification of students among the most highly capable; and


Lynn said…
southpaw,

The information is here in the first paragraph of page two.
Anonymous said…
I found this interesting explanation and rubric for identifying "exceptional creativity" from another school district in Washington State:

Highly Capable Teacher Exceptionsl Creativity Checklist
http://www.dieringer.wednet.edu/ntms/documents/HighlyCapableChecklist.pdf

I have today that it seems a bit weighted towards capability and not aptitude leading to socio-economic bias. Not only that but often times people of advanced abilities may not demonstrate their full potential based on boredom with traditional classroom management and instructional methods.

Ann D.
Anonymous said…
"I noted that it seemed" not "I have today"

Auto- correct is not in my favor today.

Ann D
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the link, Lynn!
-southpaw

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