Hello all!
Need some advocacy advice and tips! My son, who has dysgraphia and dyspraxia, also gifted, is in the accelerated honors math program at his middle school. He is in 7th grade and is finishing up Algebra I. He has been in accelerated math since 4th grade. He is slated to move on to Honors Geometry next school year. However, the school is offering a summer e-school geometry course this summer that will fulfill the requirement of geometry. Technically, it is only open to those finishing 8th grade and above, not finishing 7th graders (rising 8th graders) like my son. However, since the accelerated honors 7th grade students are supposedly ready for geometry next year, and are slated to move on to geometry, the school is "piloting" a program for the rising 8th grade honors math students to take the summer geometry e-course. This "pilot" program started last year and this the second year of it. When I called to inquire I was told that, in order to be allowed to take the course, the student has to "fit a certain profile." [Here we go, right? I bet that "certain profile" does not include an IEP for a learning disability.] So, I persisted with the curriculum director to have him tell me exactly what the placement rubric is. My son got all A- grades last year in Honors math (93s each quarter). This year, my son got a B the first quarter; an A (95%) the second; and, it looks like he is getting at least a 95% this quarter and who knows what he will get for the last quarter as that has not started yet. He is also in Honors Science and is getting As (95%) there consistently. The curriculum director is telling me the "profile" is that he has to have 98%s overall in his honors math and in his honors science and has to have "teacher recommendations. Now, to be perfectly honest, my son wants to take this course for the mere reason that he hates geometry and would LOVE to get over it with in a 8 week summer e-course and move on to Algebra II because he loves Algebra (I hate math and Algebra so I can not relate to that but I can relate to trying to get a class you do not care for over quickly in the summer). He decided not to do CTY this summer and I think this is great idea to do this instead. However, I am getting a strong feeling from the school that they do not want him doing the course. The curriculum director actually seems quite against the course in general, saying studies show that middle schools who do this type of thing get "burned out" etc. I think the pilot was started last year by a different director and so that may be why this director seems overall against the idea in general.
Nonetheless, I persisted. So, now, we have meeting next month with the IEP team, as well as the curriculum director and the middle school principal to discuss my son being permitted to do the summer geometry e-course.
My questions for all of you fine folks are:
(1) How hard should I push for my son to do this? My husband, a math guy (an engineer) seems to think our kiddo will have no problem with this, that it is a good idea and that he should definitely do it. My husband did something similar when he was in school and did not regret it. It is one course over the summer, plenty of time in the day to work on it. Husband or tutor can teach my son the material if he needs more one-on-one instruction. I think it is great idea because why waste a whole summer playing video games when you can get geometry out of the way to free up your schedule in the future to take college level math courses or other electives, languages etc.
(2) How do I push for this? I think my kiddo substantially meets the requirements. He has had As in science since he started middle school. He has mostly As in his honors math classes, too, with the exception of a B grade in 1st quarter. However, The B first quarter is a problem I suppose. There were a lot of problems 1st semester. For example, my son got lyme disease and that hurt him.
I'll be honest, my suspicion is they do not want him doing the course because he has an IEP. Just my suspicion. I am sure none of the kiddos who did it last year have IEPs for any disabilities.
Advice appreciated!
Last edited by Irena; 04/04/19 12:11 PM.
