Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School So howis it going?

I'm so sorry to those of you are experiencing a very rocky start to the year already.

DD is happy as a clam on this first day of school as an 11th grader. She has a new best friend who is 16 and is so like-minded that the two of them are spending every mutually free moment on Chatango and together (no, not romantic... it's more like they share the same basic brain or something). If only the bestie were also a study buddy. Ahh, well, we can't have everything I suppose.

She is excited about German and both of her AP classes (Physics and Lit), and has even expressed some interest in American Govt. since this is an election year.

Now, of course, it's early days yet. But I saw some very positive signs today that I've not seen in a loooooooonnnnnng time. She voluntarily took notes from her US History reading, voluntarily wrote everything out and took notes for Physics-- she even did practice problems without any reminders!! No stalling, almost no time off task. It was amazing.

We went to purchase novels for her AP Lit class and it was as though Christmas had come early. Her smile could have lit up Manhattan as I piled on the Camus, Hardy, Melville, and Austen.

None of this would be possible if she were in 7th grade right now. :shudders: I really can't imagine. Or maybe I just don't want to.

So sorry some of you are having trouble already. Sigh. 4 weeks into Kindy and ds is bored to tears. He begged for homework this weekend. He got his first "real" homework today which was to write his name 3 times and count 20. Ugh. I made him write his first and last name (he has a really short first). Then we counted to 20 by ones, twos, threes (and so forth) and then backward. I am trying to keep him enthused - but he keeps telling me it's like preschool. I think he's getting "aim tested" (does that sound familiar?), so really REALLY hoping we can get some help soon.

Well, dd#2 just had a math assessment and was tested on things she should know by now, things she shouldn't necessarily know yet, and then challenge questions. She didn't miss any and I'm hoping this means they will start grouping them according to ability soon to work at a higher level. For the past 2 weeks they have been working on the number line and dd is bored with it.

I skimmed that thread and do mean to read/respond. But what the heck is with the octopi etc lately? Lol. I must not have been paying attention to the right threads

I am kind of waiting to see if it's totally unrealistic to expect a semi-appropriate education for DD. It is a charter through the biggest homeschool umbrella here, so I teach her every Friday and some extras so about 27%. But it'll be interesting to see if they can accommodate her at all, if she loves going to this school, or if we just switch to the umbrella and homeschool... They do have a one day enrichment program at the same site on Fridays. And tons of support. I think this is why I feel so anxious right now--which way might it go? Having read so much I tend to expect problems but then again there are lots of gifted teachers there, but then AGAIN maybe we are fooling ourselves about what's possible and how crazy her focus is... Times like these I'd love to have any assessment done on her.

Anyway! Sorry for those of you struggling already, happy for the good parts!

::::::: sigh :::::::: dd8 third grade had her first round of MAP testing today. Its not looking good. She has gone from the 99th percentile to (if the score she gave me today is correct) the 72nd percentile in reading. Her score dropped 10 points from the spring as is now where it was at the end of first grade! She had a lot of anxiety this morning when I reminded her that she had a MAP test this afternoon. I am at a loss... with this score (198) she will be dropped from the gifted program which she needs. Our district does not take outside testing and her WISC was 130. She is defiantely under achieving and we are looking for root causes. I am wondering if maybe there is a LD in there. Her processing speed and working memory scores were significantly lower then her Verbal and PRI.

DS6 first grade starts MAP testing tomorrow. I fully expect his reading and math scores to be higher then hers. Math was the same in the spring. So far his homework has been rather boring to him. For math, they have them practicing writing their numbers and tick tallies. This is the kids doing 2 and 3 digit multiplication and showing an interest in long division! They have started reading pull outs and his reading level I think is at a guided reading level 'm' according to the book they are reading in class.

It all depends on which class. Science? All 100's and a teacher who informed me "the kid is brilliant". Literature? Three zeros in two weeks, all for work already completed but overlooked or forgotten to turn in, and his one test score (correcting grammar and spelling on sentences copied from the board) is a 61%. The rest are a mix of those two.

Dude, hope Jon takes you up on it. That is ridiculous.

My daughter has an IEP, but honestly, it's a joke. The only obligations in it are ones they wrote themselves. For example, earlier this year it said she'd get X minutes in a gifted class, because that's how many they'd scheduled. Later on they cut back the minutes, so they sent a new IEP for us to sign.

There's a section for the parents, but it's merely "comments." I got to put two sentences in there, and they say that DD working at grade level is inappropriate (note my reference to FAPE there), and significant accommodations are necessary in the regular classroom to meet her needs. Obviously, those "comments" are being ignored.

There's such an imbalance of power in this process it's ridiculous.

You call a discussion of the sources of the power imbalance -- tenured teachers working in a quasi-monopoly (yes you can go elsewhere, but only government schools are "free") "hilarious".

Dude, were I in your shoes, I really would get a lawyer and send the principal and district superintendent a letter that shows how they are out of compliance with state law. Your DD deserves better than she is getting. These problems can be solved.

We have had some rocky times with our public school in the past, but we are on track for the best year ever for DS10. They are showing a huge commitment to making the scheduling and content challenges of DS's education work well. His math (subject-accelerated) is more appropriate than it's ever been, and he's happy with it. There are signs that he's going to get individualized and meaningful science education ths year, which means a serious investment on the part of the school, initiated by them. He is placed with a teacher who is equipped to deal with all his interesting and unusual needs. I have the feeling that this public school is really, truly making a heroic effort for my kid.

That's why I know it's possible.

DeeDee

For us, it's so far so good.
DD12 is in 7th grade. She finally started Algebra even though she's been ready for at least a year. She said that the pace is on the slow end of the acceptable range but at least it's in the acceptable range for the FIRST TIME EVER. Keeping our fingers crossed that it will stay that way.

DD10 is in 5th grade. We had a great 504 meeting. I think that this year's teacher gets "it" as she was making suggestions for improvements to the plan that we had not considered. DD is adjusting to the increased work load that comes in 5th grade.

DS7 is in 2nd. He says that his teacher is is best yet.

I am guardedly optimistic.