We live in PA, in an affluent, well-educated neighborhood. Our local elementary school's 5th grade class has about 25-30% of its students in the gifted program.... However, the state minimum IQ is 130, meaning top 2%. I realize that IQ scores would tend to be higher overall in such a neighborhood, but how could there be such a big discrepancy??? My 5th grader was admitted to the program in 1st grade (she scored FSIQ 138 and GAI 142), and having gone through the process I do know that the admittance criteria are quite lax... they use a matrix system which in in the end allows for IQ levels considerably less than 130 to be routinely admitted.
It is quite frustrating, because my daughter who really needs enrichment and acceleration, again gets lost in another group of kids, which really do not extra enrichment and would probably be just fine in the regular classroom. In other words the GT program is being diluted and just used as a status symbol for those being accepted.
Is anyone else experiencing similar issues?
