Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Acceleration/Grade Skip concerns

but not with DS, with the gaining school. I should say that I don't know that there will be a problem, but am playing out worst case scenarios. Here's my question: Is it possible for one school to not accept the acceleration approved at a previous school?

Background: DSs current school has decided that acceleration/grade skip is warranted. DS (3rd gr) has taken formative tests for 1,2,3 qtrs of 4th gr and has been accelerated to 4th for academics for the last qtr of this year. He's doing great and loves it. We're moving to a new state at the end of the school year. His records and report card for the end of the year will show completion of 4th grade and promotion to 5th. His current school principal and 3rd and 4th gr teachers will each write letters to send with us to the gaining school detailing the decision making process and how/why the acceleration was done. (I can't say enough good things about the school and staff and handling of DSs situation.) DS isn't aware that he'll go to 5th next year, or if he is, he hasn't let on that he knows. We all decided it best not to tell him until we saw how he took the partial acceleration for the last quarter and how he dealt with everything. I think he suspects, but since he's always been subject accelerated, he very likely could just think that he'll do the same thing next year. The only reason we're not going with that again is that it's beginning to not be enough and we're not sure the gaining school would be amenable. We all decided that it's in his best interest to do the whole thing now and have him just begin a new school in a new grade.

Anyway, I'm still hesitant to tell him until we're sure the gaining school will 'accept' it. However, I also want to prepare him and not just spring it on him. But gosh, it would be awful to tell him one thing and then not have it pan out. Is that something that's possible or likely?

Thanks for any input.

I'd say it's possible but not likely. If it were me, I'd tell DS what the plan is and that there's a remote possibility the new school would not accept the plan. I'd also let him know you're prepared to go to bat for him if that's the case.

If his current school is stating completion of fourth grade what is the next school to argue? They aren't saying this is a third grader who should go to fifth. They are saying that he has completed third, and fourth and should go into fifth. I would think that would make it a lot easier for the accepting school.

Thanks. We probably will tell him with the "but" attached. I'm sure it's only anticipating the worst, but there are so many people here struggling with schools on behalf of their kids, that I think our situation surely must be 'too good to be true'.

True....oddly, I didn't quite think of it as completing 4th grade, but rather 'testing out of'. But they did say the records would show "completion of 4th grade", so maybe that'll be the clincher. We'll just have to wait and see and hope that all goes well. I think I'm stuck in the 'too good to be true' thoughts about our current situation and anticipating that the next situation surely won't be as great as what we have now.

Thanks!!

In our state, if a child moves and has "completed" one grade in a different state, it is mandatory that the child begin the next grade at the beginning of the school year unless there is a reason to be held back. it is how my brother skipped our lovely sept 1 birthday rule, as his birthday is sept 21. had the out of state rule not been there, they could've forced him to repeat 6th grade due to his birthday.