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    #238611 05/31/17 11:05 AM
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    Johnny Offline OP
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    We have a meeting scheduled tomorrow to discuss the results of testing and possibilities for my DS4. We are meeting with the Lead Psychologist for a fairly large district, school psychologist, and I am guessing school admin.

    He has had an IQ test, don't know the results, just know it was enough (+1 standard deviation) to move to step 2.

    Step 2 was reading writing and math testing, unknown results.

    DS4 just finished his year in a public school 3-6 Montessori class as a Pre-K student. As a Pre-K student he is with 3-6 year students for AM sessions and only Pre-K students for PM sessions.

    This past year, all cognitive work was at a K level or higher.

    If he remains as Pre-K we will also have to pay tuition.

    In K he will have his current teacher for the full day. She has offered to have him in her class unofficially for the full day if this testing process didn't work out, he just would not be participating in K specific activities like gym, music, K only field trips. We would end up doing this scenario if we get push back on early K, but I don't know why that would be preferrable, rather than just push for K officially.

    My goal is to get him into K for the school year next year. I am fine with PK, K, K if he isn't ready for 1st grade. What I want to avoid is PK, PK, K which is the default for him right now.

    I think admins are hesitant on whole grade skipping unless they are 100% sure. So what points would they make to keep him in his current situation. I just want to be prepared with information, so this goes as smoothly as possible.





    Last edited by Johnny; 06/01/17 10:44 AM.
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    Hi! Welcome! In my opinion, to be prepared you need to get a copy of the test results and get interpretations of them. You also need to know what the district's acceleration policy is so that you know what they are prepared to offer.

    I would also suggest that you take time to clarify exactly why you want the skip. From a been-there-done-that perspective, there is a limit to how much grade skipping can be done (and THEN WHAT?! 😳 ). My nieces and nephews are "gifted", but they've been able to get differentiation / continuous progress acceleration without a grade skip. They're doing fabulously and are well-rounded social kids. My son has had social problems and is has been obsessed with acceleration. He's in 4th grade now and it's turned into near-disaster. Do I put my elementary student into high school? or college? or ???

    In my opinion, if a child is thriving in the current situation, don't accelerate. Save the "big guns" for when things are going badly and your child really needs to go up a level.

    What behaviors are you seeing that make you concerned about another year of Pre-K? Why do you feel better about repeating K than pre-K?

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    Since they haven't given you the test results regard this as a fact finding meeting not a decision making one (on your part). At the end explain they have had x time to consider the results and you will respond by y time. It is easy to get steamrolled into an unwise decision. Plus 1 standard deviation isn't that much but he could be plus 3 for all they have told you and it makes a big difference. If you can pay $7000 without extreme hardship try and leave that out of the decision making process but be aware you paying them that $7000 might be a big part of their dwcision making process.

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    Johnny Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by sanne
    In my opinion, if a child is thriving in the current situation, don't accelerate. Save the "big guns" for when things are going badly and your child really needs to go up a level.

    What behaviors are you seeing that make you concerned about another year of Pre-K? Why do you feel better about repeating K than pre-K?

    DS4 is did fine in his current Pre-K class.

    Why do I prefer PK K K over PK PK K?
    In Pre-K he has his AM montessori teacher and in the afternoon he has a different teacher. The AM is all montessori, just what you would expect. The PM situation is more non-traditional he may come home with crafts or worksheets, but nothing like a plan that his AM teacher sets up for DS4. Also in Pre-K the student must go down for 90 minutes nap time, which he rarely does now.

    I will also add that paying tuition plays a non-zero part in this decision as well. But I do think he would benefit for a K environment. He was already doing all K work in PK, so I think the transition is much smoother in this situation PK to K because he has already been in class with many of the kids, and the teacher would be the same for him this year.


    If DS4 was just about 60 days older, he would make the age cutoff for K with no testing needed. smile

    Last edited by Johnny; 06/01/17 10:45 AM.
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    Originally Posted by puffin
    Since they haven't given you the test results regard this as a fact finding meeting not a decision making one (on your part). At the end explain they have had x time to consider the results and you will respond by y time. It is easy to get steamrolled into an unwise decision.

    Thank you, that is a really good thought to help us define the situation, and gives us the opportunity to think this out with more of the facts.

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    I would suggest to emphasize the only 60 day age difference and that he doesn't nap. He's closer to K developmentally as well as intellectually. But at the $k and K level, schools tend to not be so interested in the intellectual part. They're looking at developmental. How are his fine motor skills? Is he able to cut with scissors? Does he need a nap? Can he put winter clothes on by himself? Can he put on his shoes by himself? Etc. Do your best to prove that he's developmentally ready and won't require special assistance or attention from the teacher due to lagging skills.

    I'd suggest framing your case as "K is more developmentally appropriate for my son" rather than "look at my brilliant child who deserves more", as the latter will set teeth on edge and create resistance for many years to come. I'd also be prepared for the "what about middle school and puberty?" argument because that's likely to be used against a grade skip. A great reason to focus on the only 60 day difference - if the skip is no reversed he won't be dramatically younger.

    I'd suggest to NOT offer your thoughts that it'd be okay to repeat K. Don't tell them that because he might be in a situation next year where repeating K would be awful for him. On the other hand, you're keeping great perspective that even something that appears drastic to most (grade skip) is reversible.

    Last edited by sanne; 05/31/17 06:13 PM.
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    Originally Posted by sanne
    I'd suggest to NOT offer your thoughts that it'd be okay to repeat K. Don't tell them that because he might be in a situation next year where repeating K would be awful for him. On the other hand, you're keeping great perspective that even something that appears drastic to most (grade skip) is reversible.

    So saying we are open to him doing K would be viewed as a negative? Or would it be a bad thing because my son might not take doing K twice well?

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    The concern is that you may be open to that now, but decidedly not open to that in a year.

    Don't forget about the power of doing it for a trial month and reassessing. If he thrives in K as you expect, it will be harder for them to take it away at that point. If he doesn't, you've left a pretty easy out for everyone involved.

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    Originally Posted by Johnny
    I think admins are hesitant on whole grade skipping unless they are 100% sure. So what points would they make to keep him in his current situation. I just want to be prepared with information, so this goes as smoothly as possible.
    Some points schools have made to discourage skipping:
    - Focusing on lack of soft skills. Ironically, kids need appropriate challenge in order to develop certain soft skills.
    - Focusing on a child's social and interpersonal skills matching the child's chronological age, rather than the target grade level.
    - Focusing on handwriting.
    - Focusing on potential future concerns, such as driving a year later than classmates.

    More pros and cons of grade skipping in this old post.

    Ultimately, the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS) is a helpful tool for discussion of a potential full-grade acceleration.

    I'll add that a financial motivation, as expressed in the thread's subject line and in your OP is NOT a sound reason to accelerate a child.

    Remain focused on your child's needs. Kids need both an appropriate challenge and academic/intellectual peers in order to develop necessary life skills and mental health. Focusing on your child's needs can help keep a family (or a school) from prematurely deciding on one pet solution to the exclusion of all other ideas. Solutions can be discussed, rated, and ranked as to which may be the best fit at a current point in time.

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    Originally Posted by ElizabethN
    Don't forget about the power of doing it for a trial month and reassessing. If he thrives in K as you expect, it will be harder for them to take it away at that point. If he doesn't, you've left a pretty easy out for everyone involved.

    Are you saying that if there is push back, suggest to put him in K as a trial month, and then offer to reassess?

    That is something I don't mind either, that is why I also don't mind PK, K, K. So I don't mind offering that up as well.




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