Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Meeting next week to talk about dd5 in first grade

I have a meeting next week to discuss with the principal my dd5's placement in first grade (I hope).
I hope it's not just a nice chat about how they don't do that!

They are really cryptic, unnecessarily so, imo.
It seems like if they were just going to do this thing it could be done over the phone, but unfortunately, I guess they are going to give me the business.
(She finished K, and now is actually ready for first).

I am at a loss as to how to prepare for this, other than re-present the info I've already given them (mainly her wppsi test scores - 99%ile on both verbal and math). But I think they've also done a 5 minute assessment of her (5 minutes!!) and have a report from her K teacher.

Any ideas would be great -- should I go whole-hog and bring in writing and reading examples, drawings, anecdotes?
Boy am I tired of this.

One thing that has me on guard is the office admin who made the appointment for me said something like, "we have these test scores you sent, hmm, they're a year old"...
Why do people say stuff like that? Like I don't know my daughter could get different results the next day, even more likely next year? They're not a very subtle bunch over there...
If I didn't think the scores supported what I see everyday, I would not be pursuing this... as if I enjoy interfacing with this group of people so much I am making up stuff to come in and meet about. SHEESH.

Sorry-- venting.

Chris,
Good luck!! I hope you get what she needs.

Sheila

Good luck!
We only just managed to get a grade advancement for our daughter (for the fifth grade instead of 4th). We were able to, because she completed the 4th grade curriculum of home school (along with other outside advanced classes) concurrently with her 3rd grade brick-n-mortar classroom. We had to go all the way to the Asst Superintendent, because the principal just couldn't fathom how a child would need a grade advancement.
(If I hear "yes, but her age is...." one more time..!)
We had Woodcock Johnson scores showing achievement through GE12-13 across the board and other tests. The principal just couldn't see scores and her other outside work. It took going to the Asst Superintendent (with the principal's suggestion actually...).
No idea what is going to happen this year.
Good luck.

They test you with obnoxious comments to test your resolve. I agree that a phone call would be better, but this isn't nescessarily bad news.
I would bring
Originally Posted By: mnmom23
Originally Posted By: Grinity
Anyone go a link to the article 'What a child doesn't learn?'
http://www.wku.edu/academy/?p=430

although I would print it out and not expect them to read the tatoo version.

Smiles,
Grinity

During our meeting with the principal the other thing my husband did to combat the "BUT her AGE is..." problem was to say, "if it were simply an age thing, I wouldn't be standing here right now. There would be no need." Also, he would say "this is not the usual case" or "this is not a typical case"--trying to say it is different but avoiding the word normal or abnormal.

Good Luck again. Let us know how it goes.

If they say that thing about the test scores being a year old again, I would simply pretend ignorance of the actual meaning and say, in all innocence, "Oh, yes, she's learned so much more since last year!" Thus implying that the test scores would only be better if they were from now -- which is almost certainly the case, but not what they have in mind.

And take everything you possibly can, just in case you need it. It's much easier to leave lots of stuff in the folder than it is to show them something you left at home.

I can't imagine that they would be telling you she can't go into first grade if they already let her go to kindergarten -- does that seem like a possibility? What would they expect her to do for a year in between those? (Ask about internet college courses to throw them off balance.)

Ah, the kindergarten is another school, alas, so I have to do the uphill battle with the p.s. that I had to do with the private k. Sigh.

Just remembered this from the dr who tested dd, she said she's the 'second highest scoring person she's seen in her office in 20 years'. I have to take that with a grain of salt, but I am not adverse to rolling this out as a quote to the principal if need be.

Not a lot of time this weekend, but I will be sure to put together a few things, like a handful of the math problem cards from sequence-numbers game that dd is able to do on her own, etc. (the easy ones, but still!)

Comb their website for catch-phrases and mission statements so you can use their favorite words in your meeting. i.e. Of course, we all want dd to "reach her fullest potential while nurturing the whole child." etc.

ooh, good thought, thanks!