Reflecting on the article regarding the lottery for placement in the AIM program, I would suggest that placement determined by ranking of 8- and 9-year-olds on a 30- to 40-minute test also lacks validity.

For several reasons, a few percentage points are insignificant. In my teaching experience in third and fourth grades, I have seen little difference in academic performance or engagement between those who scored at the low versus the higher end of the 96 to 99 percent range on the GATE assessments. Consider also that intelligence, especially in children, is a malleable rather than a fixed trait.

Many factors influence how a child tests on a given day — anything from an upsetting morning to having access to practice materials similar to the test can impact results. The fact that some testing is done in a classroom without prior notification while others are tested individually with a private psychologist makes the difference of a few percentage points even less meaningful.

Certainly, any student not succeeding in school or disengaged in learning should be afforded the services they require. Let’s not allow quibbling about the lottery or debate about ranking detract from the real issues: what is the program’s purpose, how do we identify those students with a true need and assure that their needs are met and how does this program impact the district as a whole?

We need to aim high for all of our students!

Laura S. Anderson
Davis

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