Thank you Dottie, that is what I thought, I guess I was really looking for confirmation that an ed psych report doesn't always give the full picture. Certainly, his behaviour is different than what I thought "optimally" gifted would be! When I looked at Deborah Ruf's levels, I ended up at Level 4 to 5 for him, so who knows what the true picture is?
We have a six year cycle for secondary school here. The first three years lead to the Junior Certificate State Exam. Then most schools opt for a Transition Year (TY) which allows kids to mature and explore a wider curriculum than the exam system can provide. Years 5 and 6 are preparation for the Leaving Certificate on whose grades college entry depends. There is the option of skipping TY, but it would mean changing schools. All schools in Ireland are mixed-ability, with support for learning disabilities, but none at all for gifted. However, we have a brand new government who have pledged to look at the supports in place for gifted learners...so there is hope on the horizon.
I wish we had some of the options available to you in the US, but I guess that also depends on your state and your district. It just seems as if you are so much further along the road than we are!
