Good afternoon! My son is starting 6th grade in the fall. We live in a small town consisting of two schools k-3 and 4-8. Up to the 6th grade there wasn't any opportunities for G&T or placement options. Starting with the 6th grade there is a special math class that substitutes regular math for which admission is based on the Cognitive Abilities Test. My son excels in math - always scored in top 97-99% on all aptitude tests. Has been invited to be part of CTY and tested at 91% math for 6th grade while in 4th. However, he historically does not test well on cognitive abilities and with those scores they place him in the "average" pile. I tried contacting school to see if he can be tested for admission into this special math class from which I believe he will benefit tremendously. (last year he was bored out of his mind in regular math and we supplemented heavily with Khan Academy). I got the answer that based on their policy he does not qualify for this class. When I looked on our state's DOE page - the guildelines for identification g&t students demand multiple measurements including cognitive testing and especially subject testing for particular class. Is there a way for me to successfully advocate for my child? I am very frustrated with the current policy, however, I am scared to make the wrong move as I have no experience with school communication, advocacy.
