Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy How do you know when to push the school

We are new to the forum, so please be gentle!

DS7 sat the WISC IV and wound up with GAI of 144. DH and I were a bit shocked! We knew he was smart, and read ahead of his current grade, but we did not expect this. He did test lower (scored 9) on Digit Span and Coding. The psych suggested that we could help him overcome that be working on things that are more challenging. He suggested working on non-academics that he struggles with as well (soccer, baseball)

We met with his teacher and the guidance counselor a couple of days after we got the results and were cautiously optimistic. They said he would qualify for the GT program next fall, but for now they could maybe look to give him higher level worksheets for whatever the class was doing.

The school uses Guided Reading and they benchmarked him at P, or early 4th grade. He tested on the Woodcock Johnson at reading between 5.2 and 6.0. His teacher said she would go to the library to find him some higher level books.

It has been one week, and we have seen nothing. The teacher admitted that she only gets to read with him nnce a week, which I find unacceptable, but we struggled with that last year with a different teacher to no gain.

Our question is this...how long do we give them to get their act together and provide him with what he needs?

Thanks

First check whether their is a plan B because they may have no intention of ever doing anything. He is not misbehaving and above standard so he can safely be ignored while the teacher works with the kids who are lagging. Also find out about the gifted programme (you are lucky to have one) as it may simply be more work to keep the kids busy while providing little more challenge. If he is doing most of his reading alone ask if you can supply books. If she says yes, good, if not you may have a major problem.

There are schools that are interested in helping gifted kids. Just not many.

We are only a few months ahead of you - we found out our DD9 had a similar score last spring when she took the WISC at age 8. We found ourselves on a steep learning curve about giftedness!!! The first thing I did was get on this forum and read, read, read. I bought books on giftedness and scoured the Hoagies website as well.

DD's third grade teacher did her best to give DD extra challenges and DD was taken out for AIG work although formal AIG did not start until 4th grade. It just wasn't enough. Once we discussed "giftedness" with DD she began to open up about how unhappy she was at school. She was perfectly behaved at school and hid the unhappiness well. BUT, we have seen her lose hope and have more behavior issues as she gets more and more frustrated with school (also the teacher this year is awful).

Our experience is that the schools won't do much unless the parents become squeaky wheels. I have read so many stories on this forum of schools doing nothing for gifted kids for a variety of reasons: ignorance, lack of money, lack of time, even unwillingness to help (sadly). We went through several psychologists until we found one that took our insurance and was willing to fight for us. We are currently waiting to see if DD gets a full grade skip. She is already SSA in math and has AIG math and language arts, but all that still wasn't enough (our AIG services are rare and weak). Getting a grade acceleration here is hard even when your child has wonderful scores on many assessments. You may find it easier in your town. Hope so!! As an aside, we have looked at many charter schools (currently all full) and private schools as options. Be prepared to do more research about schools if yours doesn't work!!

Finally, it is so wonderful to be able to share on this forum. You may find that friends and family don't always "get it" when you discuss the trials and tribulations of dealing with your DS's issues.

We sort of need more info as in: which grade he is in now, what he is capable of doing at home (reading, Math), other interests (science, art, writing) and your expectation from school, etc...

And welcome to the world of Gifties in public schools!

First, check the school district's policy on acceleration and grade skipping (especially if he is doing at least 2 grades above level because it is very difficult to advocate if <2 grades and they will come up with excuses like everyone will level of in 3rd grade). Second, try to network and see if there are any other gifties in the school. It is better to advocate as a group than alone and you will find yourself a support group to lean on.

If there is no one else and there is no precedent before your DS, it will be an uphill battle. You should follow up with them after Thanksgiving break. I doubt anything will happen and You may need to meet with the principal. Make sure you have all the info about what can be done in your district and State and IAS (Iowa Acceleration Scale) before the meeting.

Good luck!

Thanks for asking this question Mr and Mrs P because we are in a similar situation. DS7 is in a great school with gifted instruction 30 minutes twice per week. He's grade skipped for just math. I want him grade skipped for reading, too, but it's taken a lot of "squeaking" just to get him a "reading buddy" to read harder books in the library twice per week. Also the librarian helps him pick out harder books, but he just reads them in one day anyway.

Fortunately our school administration is very knowledgeable and supportive of gifted needs. A full grade skip is always on the table, I just don't think my son is ready for that emotionally and socially. I just want him to be more challenged.

All I can say is keep doing what you are doing. You are his only advocate right now. Honestly, the more you squeak, the more likely they are to comply just to get you to shut up.

Good luck!
Siren

Part of what to do depends on where you are - you don't need to disclose it here, but I would become very familiar with whether schools in your state are required to do anything for a gifted child, and under what circumstances: http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/StatePolicy.aspx Also, I would become very familiar with the policies of your school and district. It sounds like they do have gifted programming that he will be able to access in the somewhat near future. After you know all of this, you will know whether your child has a right or whether you are actually asking for a favor.

Does your school utilize differentiation for reading instruction?

I believe most schools and teachers WANT to do the right thing, but there is a disconnect between good intentions and actual time/resources to do something for your DC. Also, some schools/teachers just REALLY don't understand that it is not OK to let the child who is already a good reader just "hang out" during the year, while the rest of the students learn to read.

We do not have many "rights" where we live. I have 2 DYS who were excellent readers from a very young age. Our schools do use differentiated instruction, which can make a HUGE difference.

I don't actually think one week is very long to wait, honestly. But I've also come to see advocacy for my DC as an ongoing process. I realize that my DC are not any easy fit for P.S., even in the G&T program. So I am trying to look at the big picture.

Also, do you want your DS grade-skipped? Subject-accelerated? What is your goal?

I would go ahead and make appropriate level books available to your DS at home, while you figure out where you stand law and policy-wise at your school. In our experience, DD9 has almost never read sufficiently-challenging books at school - she did that at home. DS6 is having a very similar experience. What differentiated instruction DID do for them, though, was have them start to talk about the books themselves at a younger age, with other children, rather than be stuck while others worked on the mechanics of better reading.

Also, realize that a GT program may or may not be a "solution" to your DS's learning needs. Students that qualify for a GT program all differ from one another. Hopefully, your school approaches gifted children fully understanding this, and doesn't merely lump them all into the same "advanced" programming, assuming it meets the needs of all of them. It is better to instead view this population as a "special needs" population of its own, with every student having their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Best wishes to you and your DS!

My generic answer to "when do you push the school?" is, "when it becomes necessary."

Answering this question means evaluating how the current situation is affecting your DS. Does he like school? Does he like his teacher? Is he making friends? Is he displaying adequate work habits? Are there any behavior issues outside of normal age-appropriateness?

If school is still a positive or neutral experience for him, then it's no emergency. Otherwise, the more negatively it's affecting him, the more fiercely you should be pushing them.

"Providing him with what he needs"

This is the very early moments of a long journey for you and your son. What your DS needs does have to be identified and will change as he changes.

Working out where he is and what steps are next required is not always simple depending on each individual child, their strengths and weaknesses etc. it will be a process of you and the school gathering information, trying different things and working out a solution.

You can help by identifying what you think are immediate, short and long term goals. Higher level readers and differentiated worksheets are good immediate to short term goals. Aiming for single subject or whole grade acceleration or entry into a gifted program or school are moderate to longer term goals.

When you have discussions with the school it is useful to document a plan of when interventions will be implemented, who is responsible and how they will close the feedback loop by letting you know how they will communicate changes with you. It at least gives you a legitimate time frame so you know when something should happen and consequently how long you have to wait before asking what is happening.

If the school is appearing responsive that is good. A week is not a long time for schools which often do move at a pace we can find frustrating. A follow up email as a result of the meeting can ask how the teacher is managing with finding higher level books and can you help as you are happy to buy/bring in from home readers etc. ask if the teacher needs help with any other resources she has identified that might be helpful, workbooks, higher level textbooks etc as you are happy to provide them.

Mutual cooperation is good if you can get it. You may not but its a place to start while you work out what longer term goals you have nd the options for getting there.

Welcome!

You've received great advice already, including becoming familiar with your local laws and policies.

It may be less a question of time span, than of following a process for advocacy.

Have you seen the Guidebook on the Davidson Database?

You may have read this elsewhere on the forums... More advocacy tips:
- In this recent thread, several posts discuss reasons to not use the word "bored" when advocating.
- While in general there is good and bad in everything, a focus on negativity and disappointment may be seen as smacking the oobleck with a spoon and creating an unyielding solid... it works against advocacy.
- Focus on the positive, on the ideas set forth in the law and in school policies, and how the school can implement these to help meet your child's needs for intellectual peers and an appropriate level of academic challenge and pacing.

Wishing you all the best with your child's educational journey!

If I might join this thread, I have similar questions about my DD7 (1st grade, no IQ testing yet, reading level P on Fountas and Pinnell in January; high math sense, very intuitive, teacher has been made comments and is giving her a bit of enrichment), unhappy going to school pretty much all year (except for the social aspect).

After spending several weeks navigating the school system GT offerings for my DS9 (not easy), I am seeing there will not be much early elementary support for GT/acceleration/compacting, particularly with this Common Core transition period (and the "added rigor" of the differentiation it's "supposed" to provide) and expanded testing is being added. Attentions seem to be focused elsewhere. It also seems to be a more baseline GT/high abilities program, rather than, as Loy58 mentioned, a special needs unique child treatment.

Meanwhile, DD has been suffering through math (yet not wanting to go against the rules by learning ahead), saying she hates it because she knows it. I've seen no evidence of SSA in early grades. Even if it's offered for math, DD's advanced in reading and writing as well, though that as well is showing signs of slowing with her growing withdrawal. She's becoming more risk averse, failure averse, I presume from too little challenge.

How does one approach the school, who next? The GT teacher is not the decision-maker of who gets served (which starts in 4th). The kids' teachers don't pretend to be able to offer formal GT services, but do some differentiation.

Do I talk to the guidance counselor about her emotional issues -- the anxiety (hair chewing, emotional volatility at home) and not wanting to go to school most of the time? Do issues like that have any impact on whether health insurance will cover psychological testing (IQ), to check for proper accommodations? Does having emotional issues on record with the school work against acceleration? (Meaning, should I see outside counsel instead?)

Thanks!