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Good luck! I think "we don't want to rehash last year" may be a pretty good starting point. Something like, "We hear you, and we're sure you're right for many children, but we already know from last year that our DD needs more"?

Do you have a bottom line, or a Plan B in case you get absolutely nowhere? Even if Plan B is much worse than what I'm aiming for, I often find it helps to know in my head what's the very worst that could happen - that is, to know what deal I'd just walk away from.

Sounds like you are tying to be reasonable with the school. Nice hasn't been the greatest system for us. Nice to the teacher, & principal yes. Firm and unyeilding with the district. That's our method. Education is trickle down. The district has the power so I fight at that level. I'm huge on knowing your district and state guidelines forwards and backwards. That way you can use their language. For example you could remind them that according to policy X, the school must provide each gifted student a FAPE (free and appropriate education). Or document Z says that acceleration is available. If there is a policy quote it page and line #. FYI- just because they say there is one agaist your request, doesn't mean there is. I'm finding in my district that they don't even know their own policies, misqoute the ones they do and out right lie on others. So request copies from your state board of education and your district. Your state policies trump your districts.

If you're state doesn't mandate what you want you can still use language they will get. "I'm looking to get a free and appropriate education for Johnny" or "If Johnny is operating at grade 5 in math and he is in the 2nd grade, explain how it is appropriate that he is doing 2nd grade math?" When they explain there side have your answer ready. There are really only a few responses they can give. I prepared my answers ahead of time.

You can also request they do the Iowa Acceleration Scale with you as a participant. Its suppose to be a good way to see if a student needs a grade skip or how close they are to one. May give you some leverage.

Good luck!!!

I'm just skimming posts here, but this caught my eye. No siblings allowed in the same grade? (What on earth do they do with twins? Indeed, I have twins, at a school with a rule that no siblings are in the same classroom. But there are 7 possible clasrooms, and they are all multi-grade, so there's never a problem.) It boggles my mind that having a sibling should have any affect on grade placement. Perhaps I misunderstand?

Wow, districts can be so different! Wouldn't it be great to have consistency across the board?

No mandates and the IAC wouldn't work. Yuck! You do have your hands full! In that case I'd show them how acceleration or a grade skip would really make their lives easier as well as being the right choice for the student. In the case of acceleration maybe create the plan for them where computer education can be incorporated for the acceleration. That wouldn't be hard for them to do. Or in the grade skip that you would do the lessons they think he needs at home to prove there aren't going to be gaps if the skip takes place.

Hopes for your success!!!

I haven't studied the IAS in depth, because we haven't needed it, but my impression was that it just provides recommendations and some directional thinking--not that it would "disqualify" anyone from any acceleration. Did I get the wrong impression there?

The IAS is based on research, and through the research it was determined that when one child accelerates into the same grade as an older sibling, statistically speaking, the skip is more likely to cause more problems than it solves. Does this mean a grade skip into a grade where an older sibling is present won't work? No, it just means that according to the research behind the IAS it is more likely to cause more problems than it solves. The IAS specifically recommends NO SKIP in this scenario and suggests instead the next best thing- subject acceleration. I only know this because I've recently combed through it.

It sounds like you are most concerned about them just relying on enrichment for your daughter. I would focus on convincing them that enrichment alone is not enough. Not sure if your daughter needs LA or math or both in terms of acceleration but there are materials out there (developing math talent book leaps to mind) that are very very clear that there are 3 prongs to meeting the needs of a gifted learned: 1. speed of instruction; 2. depth of instruction; 3. enrichment. It is a triad and without all three most G/T kids are not being challenged. Point out that a child with an IQ of 130 will learn material 8 times faster compared to a kid with an IQ of 90 (supposedly the pace most instruction moves at). Do not say anything bad about enrichment, simply say that you are not concerned about the enrichment piece, you are concerned about the pacing piece.

Do you have any of your own evidence that DD knows the material she might skip? If not, perhaps the focus should be on "before we focus on acceleration, we need to determine an appropriate placement - when can you test her to see whether one or two years is the right answer," etc.

Keep up on it. It took us nearly a full year of constant pressure to get movement by our school district, but it was worth it.

Cat

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For #1: Faster isn't smarter article
http://mathsolutions.com/documents/9781935099031_message18.pdf