Round two... ding!
Last year we enrolled our DD in kindergarten, where she was quickly identified as a candidate for gifted services, though those aren't available until kindergarten unless the child scores in the 99th percentile on an IQ test. They do this to keep parents from hot-housing their child by prepping them for three years for kindergarten, only to see them fall behind in a G/T program at an accelerated pace, so that makes some sense, though it makes you wonder why they felt the need to set the bar so ridiculously high. During screening for the gifted program she scored in the 98th percentile, which is pretty much what we expected.
Anyway, we argued for skipping her to first grade, where we were absolutely stonewalled by the staff. They promoted a program of enrichments instead, until she'd be eligible for the gifted program the following year, so we tried it their way, and it was wholly inadequate. With her attitude towards school and learning quickly eroding, we pulled her out and home-schooled her for the year. We took her back to school for first grade this year, where her age put her under a far more reasonable set of requirements for G/T, and she passed with flying colors. So now the plan was for her to spend a couple hours each day with the gifted kids doing math and LA, and doing other subjects and recess in a first grade class that we were promised would still involve differentiated assignments.
Well, here goes round two, because the differentiated material in 1st grade doesn't seem to be happening. She's bringing home assignments that are well below her ability levels, and she's venting frustration that she doesn't learn anything in her first grade class. So now I've asked for a meeting to, once again, discuss skipping her a grade level.
The good news is, while this is still within the same school district, it's a new school with a new staff, so there's the potential there that someone in a higher place might not be as closed-minded to the idea. And, having gone through this once before, I can anticipate some of their (bad) arguments and prepare for them.
One of the arguments that has been proposed before is this concern of "gaps." I know that this isn't some invisible boogie-man to be feared, because this can be tested for, and she can be offered compressed studies to correct any that are identified. My question is, does anyone know what tests should be used to identify any such gaps for first grade?
