DD6 is in first grade and the gifted program. The gifted program involves being pulled out for a couple of hours for Language Arts and Math. For the rest of the day she's in a regular first grade class, where she has been gradually expressing her boredom and frustration with not learning anything. So, at her behest, we had a meeting to review her IEP last week, with the goal of getting her promoted to 2nd grade.
Here are some things we learned:
- The gifted class is made up of 1st-3rd graders, and the gifted teacher says each kid does work one grade level up, differentiated for each individual. Work almost never comes home from this class, so we have little information to support that except what DD shares, though she has indicated that they're doing multiplication and division, which is 3rd grade work. She also indicates they're all doing the same thing. This is interesting, because DD is the only 1st grader in the class, there's one other 2nd grader, and the rest are 3rd graders. This means my daughter is working 2 grades above level in math, one other child is working one level above, and the rest are doing grade-level work.
- DD was tested for suitability for 2nd grade, and with more than half the school year remaining, she scored a 58% on a math test for what she's supposed to know at the end of 2nd grade. Reading skills were off the chart, though comprehension was near the 2nd-grade baseline (I never did well at this at the elementary level, either, because who cares what color the dog was?). I don't know what these results told the people in that room, but they told me that 2nd grade was the right challenge level.
- G/T teacher indicated that DD still wanted the teacher to stand by her a lot and help her through the math, an indication of a lack of maturity to work independently... to which DW said, "Of course she needs more help, you're doing multiplication, she's never seen this before, she's your only first grader!" 1st grade teacher indicated DD works independently with no problems.
- Principal stated unequivocally that a grade skip was not an option, that the district doesn't even do it. We reached out to the district to verify, because they have a process for it outlined in their documentation. Yes, they do have a process, but the district person who would have final say, when questioned, indicated that she would ignore the parents and trust the "experts" around the room, because they know how children develop. Said experts recited a slew of misconceptions about gifted children during that meeting. The principal even tried to pretend they have a number of children like DD in each classroom, at which point I was forced to point out she's the only one in her entire grade level receiving gifted services.
We agreed to allow the first grade teacher to work with the gifted teacher to come to some accommodations for DD in the 1st grade class, and meet in six weeks to discuss the outcome. But I pressed them to commit to a six-week trial in 2nd grade if the results are unsatisfactory, and again, the principal dismissed that option out of hand.
So... given the information we've received, my confidence that they even know anything about gifted children at all is at a new low. And if this doesn't work, given the institutional hostility towards the concept of grade-skipping, I feel our only alternative will be to go back to homeschooling. It's this "enrichment" or nothing. The sad thing is, DD really likes the gifted program.
Am I just being overly pessimistic here? Your thoughts, please.
As a footnote, when DD got home from school that day, she plopped herself in DW's lap and eagerly inquired, "Am I going to second grade now?" When she got her answer, she quietly cried.
