But they're not arguing with the results-- they're agreeing that she's way, way ahead, but saying that enrichment or a full skip is the only thing they can do, not subject acceleration.
I must have missed this. Have they said why? Perhaps the logistical issues surrounding subject acceleration in an elementary setting are difficult to overcome?
This is just what happened in my son's case this year. Getting the math acceleration he needed was logistically impossible. When you have 1000 kids who all have to go to Special Areas (PE Music, Art) and all have to get in and out of the cafeteria for lunch, all have to have an uninterrupted (by state law) 90 minutes language arts block and then add in the logistics of the fact that my son is in a program that is within the bigger school where half the day is in Spanish so the Dual Language classes have a completely different schedule. So there was no 4th grade class having math when he was having math or could have math when he had math or they couldn't move 3rd grade dual language math. It is just too complicated.
We then discussed and eliminated several online options that were approved providers for the district (he would stay in the 3rd grade class and do his math over on the computer when his class had math). They were fine providers...they just weren't quite right for him. Doesn't mean that online math acceleration might not work for tons of others.
So then the district gifted coordinator put the whole grade skip back on the table. For my son, I think it is going fine. He did know several children in his new class because last year he was in aftercare (and he is kind of a social butterfly who attracts people like a magnet). Also his best friend and my son attend and afterschool activity once a week together and used to do a Saturday activity together (we might start that up again). So he is still maintaining that relationship.
I haven't heard ANYTHING saying that this isn't going well. I am at the school daily to volunteer. He did get a D on an essay but even that doesn't mean that it isn't going well because I knew that was going to be the one area where he was going to have to work extra hard. Oh and Spanish too just because he was losing a year of vocabulary and comprehension.
It is much easier to subject accelerate in middle and high school because they ring the bells and change classes all at the same time and also there are additional online providers at the middle and high school level that are better fits (so that is an additional option). And in high school classes are already multi-grades (Spanish I can have any grade level of students) so it isn't so odd.
