Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy What ?s should I ask to see if TAG is a good fit?

Hi, I am new to this forum but I am seeking advice from the vets here.

DS8 is a DYS in 3rd grade in a public school without any acceleration or differentiation. His district offers a TAG program beginning in 3rd grade, but DS did not qualify for TAG last year because he has slow processing & an anxiety disorder and therefore he bombed the timed test (NNAT2) to qualify. They would not accept outside private IQ testing. Thus, he missed out and he is languishing in a regular classroom for the next year waiting to test for the district TAG program again for 4th grade. This whole debacle deserves its own post someday!

Anyway, the district is having a TAG info meeting for kids who qualify for prescreening. Because DS scored 99th percentile on NWEA, he will be screened for TAG again via the NNAT2.

I am wondering if this is a program truly for gifted kids, or if it is really for high achievers and kids who love work, which is not DS.

What questions would you ask the teachers/coordinators of the TAG program to find out if it would be a good fit, if it is truly for gifted or more for high achievers and they call it "gifted"? How about what questions would you ask to see if this would be a fit for 2e kids like DS? Thank you for your advice!

Some questions I would ask:

- What are the criteria for qualifying for the TAG program?

How your DS stacks up against their minimum requirements should be telling. It would indicate how likely he is to be in with true peers, or if he'll still likely be an outlier.

- What do students do in the TAG program?

It would take some parsing of their buzzwords by experienced advocates to decode their message here, but it can also be revealing. For example, if they say, "Students will receive enrichment, allowing them to think deeper about the things they're learning in the regular classroom," then that translates into, "Students will be doing some extra projects, which can be fun, but otherwise will be learning at the same pace as normal." If they say, "Students will be working one grade level ahead," then that means, "Students will be virtually accelerated one grade level, but will continue to learn at the same pace as normal."

And since pacing is usually THE problem for HG+ students, you can see how these programs tend to work out.

- How much homework do TAG students receive, and how does that compare with students outside the TAG program?

If there are significant differences in the amount of take-home work, that's a sign that this is a program for hothouse flowers.

I agree with Dude that I would ask about the pace of instruction, but also whether individual students learn as a group or whether they are allowed to learn at their own pace. That is, if your DS needs to move faster in math, for example, possibly faster than the "middle range" of the gifted group - will they differentiate for him? Or are all TAG students instructed at the same pace?

We failed to ask this question about our school's programming beforehand, and although the G&T programming is far better pace than the general ed pace, it is often still too slow. So we have learned the hard way that G&T itself is only part of the solution.

Wow you are coming up with some GREAT things to look at...this program is at a magnet school, but I am wondering if it is for hothouse flowers or gifted kids. A lot of parents see this program as a status symbol whereas my son truly NEEDS to be with peers and is asking for harder work. Thank you and please keep the advice coming!

You've received great advice above. I'll just add two resources which pose additional questions for considering a learning environment:
1- Davidson database article: Choosing the right school for your gifted child
2- Center for Creative Learning: Dear School People, 25 tough questions which are more important than, "Is my child in the gifted program?"

If a DYS doesn't qualify then it may be achievement rather than giftedness that counts.

Or, as "pacing" is often mentioned, it could be that his slow processing and anxiety which kept him from qualifying on the NNAT may prevent his success in a gifted program which is faster paced?

I'd be careful to not assume that "slow processing" or anxiety would be reasons to *not* choose a gifted program for a student or to assume they would not be successful in a gifted program. "Slow processing" can mean a lot of different things... and it's important to probably be more specific (OP) re whether the
"slow processing" really means slow cognitive processing, or does it mean relatively low scores in processing speed tests on an ability test like the WISC? If it's the latter, it's not necessarily truly slow cognitive processing, and depending on the reason, accommodations can easily be made to allow a student to participate in and be successful in a gifted (or high-achiever) program.

It's also important to understand what the cause of anxiety is - sometimes with kids who have a need for accommodations *or* a need for acceleration become anxious, and a simple change such as giving them the accommodation or moving them into a higher-level of challenge program resolves the anxiety.

To the OP, if your ds has an issue that impacts him on timed tests, is it something that is diagnosed or documented? If so, I'd ask that he either be given an extended time accommodation on the NNAT or ask that he be given an alternative ability test. If he doesn't have a diagnosis or accommodations and you think that he does have some type of processing speed issue, I'd focus on getting that diagnosed and accommodated.

Best wishes,

polarbear

Thanks everyone so far. Lots to consider here. I have my first meeting with a parent in the district TAG program tomorrow. I knew I would get great answers here!

My son has a 504 due to his Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For him it is not merely a need for acceleration, but his anxiety is genetic. Moving him to a higher challenge classroom would not alleviate his anxiety. The 504 gives him extended time on tests and enables him to take breaks when needed throughout the day.

His processing scores were 9th percentile based on the WISC IV. When we finally got him privately tested, he fell apart whenever there was a timer. The district does not recognize slow processing as an issue (it is not part of the DSM) and therefore he has no accommodation for that.

I am working on getting him extended time when he takes the NNAT2 based on his 504. No confirmation from the district yet.

Indigo hit the nail on the head regarding concerns I have. He is a very slow worker in general, so we are concerned about the amount of homework and the pacing of the TAG program. Is this for hothoused kids who love work, or for truly different learners? I haven't been able to get to the bottom of that yet. I just don't want to throw my son from one bad environment into another one.