This is anymonous right? :S
Speaking from a classroom teacher's personal point of view.... I don't see the gifted students in many public schools getting the type of learning I recieved when I was a student in school. I've heard the 40% -50% argument before, and there is some truth to students recieving a higher leveled instruction because most teachers aim for the class norm when planning. However, there is a lot more available assistence for students on the lower end of the bell curve (more small group, more materials, more instructional time, etc...) It seems as though the "gifted" students are left to fend for themselves at some schools.
I went to a private school when I was a child and it was not unusual to find a 4th grader taking 10th grade geometry. I think when parents bring this type of possibility to the school, it falls onto the regular classroom teacher's responsibility and this teacher is more concerned about students failing state tests because it is on their teaching record. Schools are more concerned about failing students because they can loose funding.
