Hi Debbie 1996 - I did have a very bad experience with BCD. And to be fair, it is possible my daughter did more then 21 days of Math. I am just working off what she brought home from school, not much. I have heard good things about the Middle School Math program. The new Math teacher is impressive.

BCD is probably a good school. But, I would not recommend the school for advanced/gifted children because the school does not have the resources and does not accommodate for advanced/gifted kids.

Gifted kids need stimulation in addition to challenging course work. BCD does not ability group or allow students to move up a grade level for Math or Reading. BCD uses boring work books and flash cards, no projects. Even the Art and Music classes are boring (i.e. recorder lessons).

Also, I disagree that BCD is grade levels ahead. First the IOWA test is not an accurate measurement of grade level competency and it cannot be used as a tool to compare BVSD schools since they don't take the IOWA test. Second it does not even make sense that BCD is ahead when you look at the daily schedule. BCD students go to school fewer days per year and fewer hours per day. Plus BCD students miss half a day every Friday for assemblies and hours during the week rehearsing for those assemblies. There is one teacher for Science and Technology who is expected to split her time among 400 kids, so they barely have any Science. I don't consider a ton (and there is a lot of it) of Art, Music, Choir, Reading Buddies, Library diversity in curriculum. Although I do love the French and Latin.

I have observed that young children flourish using the Core Knowledge curriculum. I love the way the CK system all works together. For example, last year my first grader learned about the early American Colonies, American Revolution and Lewis and Clark in her History class. So in Art, the teacher taught them to distinguish between the art of the Plains and Nomadic Native Americans. And he taught the class in a full size teepee! They made Native American shields and instruments in Art class, which were displayed in a fantastic art exhibit. The History and the Art all tied together. It was so fun and so stimulating the kids absorbed every bit of it and were inspired to learn so much more.

I don't know much about middle school and whether the CK curriculum is rigorous enough to meet their needs. These days middle schoolers are working at such a high level. I would guess that the BCD IB program in middle school is quite good.