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Posted By: TuffToodle COVID Elementary - 07/19/20 10:30 PM
My DD and DS are both elementary gifted students (4th and 1st respectively). I am considering online programs for the fall because of COVID and I was wondering if anyone can recommend something that is computer adaptive and covers most/all subjects so we don't have to shell out for a million different programs. We have been with our local public school up until now, but even in person they were struggling to provide for DD and with the current situation, she will go nuts with another year of homeschooling if we don't find something good.
Posted By: chris1234 Re: COVID Elementary - 07/22/20 12:31 AM
k-12 is online and free in a lot of states, if you could get them into the right year for their level and supplement with other things this might save some $. just a thought.
Posted By: aeh Re: COVID Elementary - 07/22/20 04:20 PM
Likewise Connections Academy. Some states also have their own virtual charter schools (instead or in addition), using other curricula (CA, FL, MA, for example).
Posted By: aeh Re: COVID Elementary - 07/23/20 07:27 PM
If I am recalling your state correctly, you have something like a dozen options for online public schools, which would all be free, including multiple K12-powered schools, Connections Academy-powered schools, and those with self-made or cross-platform-curated curricula. If your objective is to be self-paced, you probably want to avoid the last category of online schools, although they also have the most synchronous facetime with teachers.

A few of the programs tout their GT programming, including SSA and ability grouping (I am including those with live teachers, not just computer-adaptive), but generally none of them have GT-specific programs until grade 3, and some are not until middle school. I would start by poking around your state GT parent association chats regarding local experiences with public online schools, especially regarding the flexibility of school administrators (who are still humans, and not bots!).
Posted By: puffin Re: COVID Elementary - 07/24/20 05:07 AM
As a homeschooler I wouldn't advise an online programme for a 1st grader of any IQ level.
Posted By: aeh Re: COVID Elementary - 07/25/20 02:06 AM
You may also wish to consider registering as a homeschooler. Your state does not appear to have particularly onerous requirements for transitioning to homeschooling, and mandates a fair amount of cooperation from school districts, including access to any curricular or co-curricular activities you wish to use within the district (unlike many states, they reimburse districts for classes homeschoolers take). You can even request their curriculum materials at no cost. It would be up to the district whether they would let you take multiple grades-worth of texts, and let your DCs work through them more quickly, but it would probably be worth asking. You might also ask if they have site licenses for any computer-adaptive instructional packages that you could access.

You would need to notify them fairly soon regarding homeschooling, though, as most states have deadlines in July or August (yours, I think, is August 1st).
Posted By: TuffToodle Re: COVID Elementary - 08/31/20 11:32 PM
Oh my goodness! Thank you all so much - somehow I must have turned off notifications in this post and I just assumed no one had ever answered me! Tonight I was doing some research on Beast Academy and some supplemental programs in case virtual schooling looks like it did last year and I remembered this post and decided to check in. I will look into the options you suggested. At least for the time being we're going to stick with the public school (the idea of rehashing their GIEPS with another school made me sick!) and see how it goes. If anyone has any suggestions on accommodations we ask for in a virtual setting I am all ears - especially when it comes to my ADHD DS. Thanks again
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