We recently moved to TX from PA where my son, age 9, had been subject accelerated in math since Kindergarten. He is supposed to be in 5th grade math, but the district we are in doesn't allow for subject acceleration in elementary school, even though he aced the end of fourth grade STAAR test that they gave him. He is very anxious and upset by this, and I am frustrated. Has anyone else had this happen? I have an email and phone call into someone at the district level to request a meeting to discuss a plan for him, but I haven't heard back yet.
To agitate things, he missed the required criteria score for gifted here by 4 points on the CoGAT; students need to score a 126 or above on 2/3 sections. He scores 146 (99%ile) in math, but 122 (92nd %ile in verbal) and 117 (86th %ile) in non-verbal. I am not that upset by this as it is a pullout program for 2 hours a week mainly focused on ILA. In 6th grade the only GT class that is available is ILA, and that clearly is not his strength. However, he really wanted to be in the program.
A few things worth mentioning...he has had an ASD diagnosis since he was 4, but is high functioning and requires no support. We are however working on a 504 plan because he has a bit of trouble with reading comprehension, and needs to strategies in place and documented. Previous speech and language therapist thinks he is hyperlexic as he learned to read fluently at 3.5 years old, but his comprehension is not nearly as good as his actual reading ability and fluency. I would agree wholeheartedly with that "diagnosis".
Previous formal testing results (privately done in 2017) include:
WISC-V: Full Scale IQ 124
WIAT-III: Mathematics Composite158 (>99.9%ile )
My question is where do I go from here? He is clearly talented in math, but I feel like this new district is holding him back in more ways than one. He has asked me if he can take a 5th grade math class online in lieu of his current class. Should I look into that? And if so, what programs would you recommend?
Thanks in advance!
