[SENco-forum] CATS - 100 good reasons for buying-using please

-(

Unfortunately it perhaps only works for extremes.  My son's school
refused to acknowledge his SEN on the basis of a disparity which
wasn't quite so extreme (I think it was 90/111) - he was ultimately
diagnosed autistic (HFA) - they still refused to acknowledge his SEN
as did Education Welfare.  The publishers very neatly avoid commenting
on the meaning of such discrepancies. So to rely on it for SEN
purposes would not be wise.

I expect you are using the term loosely but I think I might make the
comment that no element of the test is about IQ.

You say "Without knowing IQ it is very easy to settle for 'average'
and education is
about getting all to reach their potential."

If only.  That's what education used to be about.  It's not school
policy any more.  Target setting means that the majority of schools
aim for average and that's all they are interested in.  Individual
need is irrelevant - in spite of lip service to the gifted and
talented.

As far as I could understand how my son's school used the CATS, it was
simply to foretell GCSE results ie as a benchmark for what children
would be expected to achieve.  Then the low achievers would be brought
up to whatever was necessary to achieve targets and those who fall
behind their potential would be more likely to be spotted.

:-(

But I imagine it's very useful from that point of view and a good way
to sell it to the Head!!

On 13/09/2007, SEN at tringham.net <SEN at tringham.net> wrote:
> Only 1.
>
>  Used in Year 4 it showed a huge discrepancy 90/141 for my daughter
> encouraging the school to look again for her previously hidden difficulties
> i.e. no longer a less than average child who rated no additional help, but a
> bright child who was really struggling.
>
>  I would have hoped that any of her 5 teachers might have picked up on this
> disparity without the test results, but it didn't happen.
>
> The verbal/nonverbal part was the first test to indicate IQ and show the
> difference between what was, and what should be.  There is precious few
> referrals to EP's for this and not everyone can afford £300 to have it done
> privately.
>
> Without knowing IQ it is very easy to settle for 'average' and education is
> about getting all to reach their potential.
>
> Sharon
>
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> 17:46
>
>
>