COGAT Testing in Kindergarten Makes My Thoughts Spiral

 It's that time of year, where the littlest people in our schools come and test for the Highly Capable Program.  Most kids we test have been prepped hard.  I hear exclamations like, "Oh! I love paper folding!" They are more than ready for these tests that are supposed to be conducted sight unseen.

I wonder about the kids who have never seen an analogy and sit the test.  What are the odds that this unprepped student gets to come to PEP or SAGE?  If you look at the data in my school district, certain demographics are qualifying more and more and other demographics are being left behind. 

 Are there long term ramifications of this?  Will the students in the gifted program go farther in life, if they have studied for the test, worked so hard to qualify for a program that is supposed to be based on innate ability?  Is there really such a thing as innate ability or is that a made up construct?

All of my students work very very very hard.  They are often times at the top of their class, but not always.  They go to Kumon and Art of Problem Solving and Russian Math the way other kids go to soccer or baseball. Many of my students compete in rubics cube competitions, Math Olympiad, and get excited for spelling bees. 

Does this ultimately end in more money or more power or a better life?  Does Harvard mean a better life? If it does, many others are being left behind. But my kids won't get into Harvard from just having good grades and good test scores.  They need to develop an app that everyone uses, invent a new drug, find a solution to a complex problem, or almost become famous to get into one of those top universities.  Can you do this if you are in math competitions and worried about rank any more than if you are on a baseball field hitting a ball far and hard?  Neither seems to be the right answer.

How do we help students get ready for life in a well rounded way? How do we teach them to be kind, helpful, gritty, resilient, thoughtful, and hardworking as well?  

In the end, what truly matters? How much money you make or the legacy of family, friends and kindness in your wake? Is there a way to teach both to all students? I will try, one student at a time. One at a time.