Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Enrichment troubles

My DD12, currently in 8th grade, has a GIEP. She takes two 9th grade classes this year as part of her coursework (math and spanish) I asked the school to evaluate where she stands in regards to the state standards in ELA. On one test, she scored proficient overall (the target for Pennsylvania standards). In the subcategories half were proficient and half were advanced. I argued that according to this test, she meets the standards set for by Pennsylvania for 8th grade ELA and she needed something more. The school wanted more data so they did another test. Mostly same results, if anything they were slightly better. The school is offering enrichment opportunities for her within the classroom, but it is at the sole discretion of the teacher. Teacher will provide alternative assignments when DD has mastery, but they refuse to tell me what school considers mastery. They will also not add this to her GIEP. I am very frustrated. Have been doing well working with this school but now we have a new principal and I think she's hindering the process.

Is the school going off of the PSSA? Unfortunately, I don't think that the PSSA Proficient would get you very far in some districts. I just looked up our district 8th grade results from last year, and 93% were proficient or higher (advanced) in reading, 95% in math. If your district is similar, then almost all kids show mastery and you need some other measure by which to show your child needs something more.

How did she get originally get the GIEP? Our district requires you to have 130+ FSIQ on the IQ test of their choosing. While I realize that this doesn't really comply with the state standards, I was just wondering how they initially IDed your daughter. Maybe there is something in the original testing/ID that you could use?

Have you referenced the state curriculum frameworks? There are specific learning standards listed for each grade, in each content area. Rather than looking at proficient or advanced standing, you could ask the question, has this student mastered the learning standards in this content area for X grade? Or is that what they were allegedly doing?

I find that I prefer end-of-course assessments, in general, in determining the appropriateness of any given placement. If she can pass the end-of-course assessment for eighth grade, then ninth grade coursework in that content area may be appropriate for her.

Original testing to get the GIEP was done six years ago, so that testing doesn't help.

School is not going off the PSSA scores. The did Plato benchmark and CDT. According to their results, she has mastered the standards for her grade. But their plan to offer enrichment is too vague.

It usually is. "Enrichment" often seems to be a nonsense word thrown out at parents to placate them.

A GIEP, on the other hand, cannot be a jumble of nonsense buzzwords. It needs to contain items that are directly measurable. So my first question would be, what does the IEP say? If it's full of nonsense, then that can be your trigger to review it, because they did it wrong. Otherwise, you can still ask for a review, because it's not enough, although I believe they don't necessarily have to honor your request in that case (which can vary depending on local laws or the individual personalities involved). Or, at the very least, you can start thinking now of what measurable items you want to see in her IEP for next year.