Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Differentiation? What is normal? (elementary)

Here are some interesting tidbits about our school. I am not sure what they mean but I find them a bit odd:

I was told that ATP program doesn't start until 3rd grade... and yet there is one for second grade. I was also not told about the differentiation math group at the end of last year when we specifically asked if there would be a test and resultant grouping in 2nd grade math. We were told that there is NO ability grouping in 2nd grade for math (and if my kid really was "so advanced that he was doing trig" then the teacher would "differentiate" somehow). I had no idea the group existed, that DS was given a test for it or was even being considered for it until teacher called to say he was in it. And it is grade-wide pull-out (all the kids from 2nd grade classes were tested for it and the ones who passed are in the group together, pulled out to a different classroom with a special math teacher). I am almost positive other parents do not even know now that their child was tested for this and that the group exists. I am not sure if it is "new" and that's why we weren't told last year or if they purposely keep it on the QT. I'm suspicious b/c a neighbor a few years ago (when I only had my oldest and he was like 3 or 4) once described the school as having a "don't ask/don't tell" philosophy ... In her case, her child was struggling and she felt she wasn't told about it or that it was a bad as it was. She felt you had to know the specific questions to ask to really find out about anything.