Hi,
We recently had both of our boys tested for early entry into our AIG program in Raleigh, NC. We are leaving private school to go back to the public schools as our private did not offer gifted education only leveled classes using Direct Instruction (I was never a big fan of it but necessary at the time.) Our kids start next week and will be evaluated for their learning styles, levels of independence, etc. for two weeks. At which time, they will convene a meeting with us to discuss the Differential Educational Plans they are suggesting for each child. I am quickly processing many books on gifted children and education now that I have real scores to go by. Previously, I had my suspicions, but nothing concrete enough for the school system (our is 16th largest in the US).
I am trying to be prepared at the meeting at the end of July so that I can adequately assess their offerings. I am having difficulties in understanding just "how" gifted my boys are and am hoping for some guidance from this board. My school seems to think it's no big deal, they can handle it, but I'm not as assured.
My oldest is 8, I thought he was high achieving but his scores said he was gifted. Here they are:
WISC IV (% means percentile)
FSIQ 135 99%
VC 134 99%
PR 129 97%
WM 123 94%
PS 123 94%
(psyc said he was very methodical and focused in his completion of tasks which slowed him down, ie perfectionism)
Woodcock Johnson, 3rd add.
Reading Comp 121 (91%) (vocab hindered him at 80)
Math 133 (99%)
Same kid has anger issues, flying off the handle easily though is doing better now that he's been home for the summer for a month. He's a very sweet kid, supremely athletic, short on patience, reads like a fiend, can do any lego project thrown at him, etc. Not sure how much of the temperment is gifted based or just that he's my son.
He's a rising 3rd grader, our system does AIG evals mid year 3rd grade requiring 90% or higher to then get the CogAt which helps determine referral into the gifted program. I didn't want him to wait for a year for identification as that's why we left the system in the first place. Do you think he can have his needs met in class via differentiation or should I push for single subject acceleration in math?
Kid #2,
This one we knew was gifted
. Here are his scores:
WISC-IV
FSIQ 143 99.8%
VC 128 97%
PR 145 99.9%
WM 141 99.7%
PS 92%
Woodcock-Johnson
Reading Comp 141 99.7%
Math 165(zowie--I'm awful with math) 99.9%
This kid is rising 1st, I know the system is interested in grade skipping. My husband and I are not so interested. We live in an affluent area, the school is comprised of probably 25% middle income, 25% mid-high income and 50% high income (if you are looking at a national scale). We don't want him to get too close to his older brother (they are almost exactly 2 years apart in age), nor do we want him to miss out of being valedictorian as the competition is fierce by high school. He is very comfortable with kids his age and older by 2-3 years. Last year, in private school, he did the NC 2nd grade curriculum and passed with 97-100% in all of his classes.
Any advice or further questions you would ask are greatly appreciated,
very excited to have a board like this,
Shannon Lora, Raleigh, NC
