Wow! Thank you for ALL your resoponses. I'm still trying to figure it out.
The differentiation program they have sounds great in theory. They pretest on every unit. Then, the kids are divided into 5 groups where each group is working at the level they need the most work in.
They have placed her with a teacher who they say "knows how to accelerate kids." They says he can bring through pre-algebra in 4 and 5 and then in 6th she could could take algebra...but she didn't seem sure about that point.
We live in CT...southeastern. The law here is: They are required to identify, but not provide services for gifted. They take a group test at the end of 4th grade to identify.
DD9 has decided that if she worked hard on the 4th grade material over the summer, then she will do well on the end 0f year 4th grade assessment given during the first week of 4th grade to all students. If she does well, and I will have to pester to get the grade as they don't send it home, then I will be certain to demand to see the 5th grade math book she is working in. I did tell her that there was no way that they would skip anyone and she WAS so disappointed. I felt so bad, like I was letting her down. She said she wanted to be with the 5th graders. She is very socially advanced as well.
When I talked about her social issues the VP started to listen. Never listened about her abilities...but when I told her that the kids were labeling her as the "smart girl," and relying on her to do their work and yelling at her when she didn't do it good enough (score a goal in gym while they sat back and yelled) or finish the whole math project while the rest of her group is fooling around.
The VP actually seemed concerned about that part. Interesting to me. She also seemed interested in her friends, how her close friends are at least a year older and she is accepted and loved by them. And she is tall. And she is with the older kids in ballet.
Those are the things she was most interested in. She hardly looked at the WJ scores. UGH!
Anyway. I have to figure this thing out. She did let me know that she too is the proud parent of a child who was making change out of $5 in Kindergarten and she was very happy with the level of challenge he was receiving. Ugh Ugh!
I will re-read all your posts in the morning! We have in-laws in from Vegas and it's been CRAZY around here!
