Non Match between School Grades and Cognitive Ability
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q:
My son is in seventh grade and consistently scores above
average on the ITBS yet makes below average school grades.
This year ITBS GE ratings 10-13, STAR reading 12.9 and 91
percent in verbal of the cognitive ability test. He does not
meet the qualifications for gifted courses but is clearly
not challenged. It is hard for me to motivate him to do the
"little things" like completing homework assignments yet he
easily gets the highest grade on tests and has read more
than ten chapters ahead of the class. The low grades are
beginning to effect his esteem and are prohibiting him from
sports. What do I and the school need to do/read/understand
so that his grades start matching his ability?
A: The Iowa Tests of Basic
Skills (ITBS) offer educators a diagnostic look at how
their students are progressing in key academic areas, and
offer diagnostic data that can be used to create
intervention groups and to drive curricular decisions. This
is an achievement battery, not an intelligence test. It is a
collection of tests in several subject areas, all of which
have been standardized with the same group of students at
each grade level. This makes it possible to use the scores
to determine skill areas of relative strengths and
weaknesses for individual students or class groups, at the
same time to estimate year-to-year growth.
Your son's case is really tricky as he is in between a
regular and a gifted program. There is also limited
information given to understand the reason for him to
perform below average in school. Somehow, I feel that he may
benefit more from a program for the gifted. However, the
school is probably being quite strict about the intake of
students into program. Perhaps, the best thing for you to do
is to approach the school, and discuss this problem. Your
have a proven reason to believe that something is not right
when your son is doing above average in the ITBS, yet below
average with the school grades. There may not be a suitable
program in the school tailor made for your son but perhaps,
in subjects that he has shown above average grades, he could
be allowed to be included in the gifted program.
Another alternative to be “heard” is to test him on an IQ
test – one that is accepted by the school. I feel that he
may prove himself here. You may also want to get someone to
help him with the school subject at home. Sometimes, tutors
are able to motivate children in ways that teachers are not
able to due to the numbers in class. He may then look at the
subjects differently and may develop interest. Pushing him
to keep doing something he is not interested in is not going
to help. He needs to find the lessons meaningful in order to
enjoy learning. School subjects can be very dry and
especially if teachers are not very good in instilling
interest in students, it would just be a downward trend for
some students.
So, firstly speak to someone in authority at school and make
yourself heard – nothing else, teachers may start to pay
some attention, which can probably get your son a little
more interested! Then try the other methods I suggested.
Here's wishing you all the best.
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