Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Selective enrollment public city school v suburbs

I posted this in the elementary section but realize this might be a better section. Please forgive the duplicity:

I am trying to find the right educational fit for my 5yr old son. He's been identified as 2E: 145 GAI with sensory processing issues. He struggled in 2 preschools (anxiety, defiance, hating school, behavior issues) until we found one that was a good fit. We've learned along the way the classroom environment is hugely important for his success.

That brings me to the question of kindergarten. He just missed the cutoff for K this year which means next year he will be one of the oldest kids, probably the fastest learner and definitely the tallest kid in the class (he's already 49"). The two options I am considering is a selective enrollment public school for gifted in Chicago (assuming he gets in) and a public school in a very good district (Barrington, IL). Barrington has a traditional mix of abilities but it does have a gifted program starting in 2 or 3. The selective enrollment schools made up of all high achieving kids and typically accelerates the kids by 2-3 years.

Barrington is a beautiful suburb with large yards, forest preserves and the calmness of country life. Kids can run around the neighborhood. Chicago is vibrant with lots to do but we would be living in an apartment or maybe a very small house with no yard. He wouldn't be able to run around the neighborhood without me.

Thoughts from anyone who's been here before me?????

Any thoughts are appreciated

I would check the gifted school carefully to make sure he would really be "accepted" with his various issues. Some gifted programs seem more interested in the perfect high-achievers than than kids who may actually have very high cognitive ability but various quirks or disabilities. You can apply based on scores but once he is there you cannot hide things and you don't want a negative attitude from the staff. KWIM?

Our local "school within a school" gifted program happily took DD and told me it was not a problem that she was 2e but then once she was there it became clear that they didn't really know what to do about her issues. It wasn't that they were deliberately trying to make things difficult, but they were not going to go out of their way to accommodate her various quirks, either, or do any interventions so that she could make real progress.

You also want to check the gifted program in the regular school and see what the work or environment would actually entail. Sometimes it sounds great on paper (or on a website) but it's actually pretty meaningless in terms of what the children are given, or the amount of advanced instruction or time spent on advanced instruction or work.

In the suburb would you have access to museums, enrichment clubs etc? Bei.g able to get plenty of fresh air and exercise is a big advantage. From what i have read of gifted schools on this forum i would probably choose where i wanted to live first. I have also found that schools like workplaces can change completely overnight and can't really be counted on. Neighbourhoods change too but not usually so quickly and dramatically.

I am in the Chicagoland area and may be able to give you some advice. Feel free to PM me if you want more details.

We had a bad experience with one of the gifted schools in Chicago. I would depend on which one your son got into. We live in New Mexico now but just moved. Our schools now are more like suburban and both my HG kid and my 2e kid are thriving. CPS is just such a mess, I'd run as fast as you can to Barrington.

I'd keep in mind that barring the sensory issues (which are actually quite typical for HG kids though by no means universal of course) he sounds like a perfect candidate for acceleration, maybe early entry into first? I'd check which school might be more receptive for that. Even a gifted program, which by statistical necessity will cater more to MG than to HG kids ( there are just so many more of them around) might not work so well for an HG kids who is old for grade.

How good is each respective program that your DS might get into? Have you talked to parents of children like your son in each respective program? How likely is your DS to get in? How likely is it to meet his needs?

I am a bit skeptical of the quality of anything CPS - is it a "one size fits all" program, or do they consider the needs of each child?

Waiting to get into a gifted program that starts in 3rd grade, as is common for many schools, can be tough. Can you keep the love of learning alive? A HG+ can experience a great deal of boredom while waiting to be old enough to get in...if you go this route, you need to plan for this (outside enrichment can be a lifesaver, but you also may need to be prepared to partial homeschool if subjects become a huge mismatch). Also, if your DS is HG+, the gifted program you waited for may not be enough.

I would definitely look into early entry. You do not want him to be the oldest kid in class. HTH!

I looked back at your scores. They are not dissimilar to those of my ds. While GAI is HG+, FSIQ is closer to "optimally gifted." It can't be stressed enough that each kid is different. As people on this board like to say, you've seen one gifted kid, you've seen one gifted kid. But I will say that there is a sort of rule of thumb that GAI is indicative of raw reasoning ability, while FSIQ is more predictive of how the kid actually looks in a classroom. This is true of my kid. He started school this year for the first time after always being homeschooled. He is functioning like an optimally gifted kid, enjoying all his classes and doing well in them. Nothing is so hard that it's frustrating, and nothing is so easy that it's boring. He is in a college prep private school, for what it's worth. And he is 2e. He has dyslexia and dysgraphia. That doesn't mean you will have the same experience, of course. Just my two cents.

I don't know if my son is MG, HG or HG+. He's been good in the playbased preschool he is in now because there are 3 highly qualified teachers in the room that truly engage with the kids. They get that he's a unique child that needs some help with some sensory processing issues (he's a sensory seeker...needs to touch everything, moves quickly, doesn't have great body awareness) and they've forged a connection with him so he doesn't do the attorney style negotiating everything with them or the defiance because he thinks he is always right. He plays most of the time and works on social skills in a group setting. His teachers make him feel safe and loved and they are there for him when he struggles. Academically I can't say he's learning much -- he mastered all their goals 2 years ago.

To clarify on the CPS school, (assuming he tests well again) he would go to one of the dedicated gifted or classical schools. I am not that familiar with them and don't know anyone who currently sends their kids there, but I do know that something like 7 of the best performing schools in Illinois are actually CPS schools (albeit selective enrollment.) I am assuming that most kids who go there are MG, HG, or PG and the teachers therefore are more experienced with the idiosyncrasies of gifted kids. He'd be with alot of bright kids and I'm wondering if he'd thrive there, be challenged and not get as bored.

Barrington is a very good school district with high standards. I think I'm sceptical because of so many comments like "you know, you are probably going to have to home school him."

For school I'm leaning towards the city. For quality of home life I'm leaning towards Barrington.

There is no guarantee with CPS program. They have 4 tiers for various socioeconomic areas of the city so all kids have the opportunity. As much as I see this is much needed, my kid would stand out and possibly not see the challenge he needs from the program until high school. There are some high schools that are very selective and not listed (Northside Prep comes to mind).

I would absolutely check out Barrington but don't dismiss Schaumburg either. The magnet program is an awesome program.

[quote=puffin]In the suburb would you have access to museums, enrichment clubs etc? Bei.g able to get plenty of fresh air and exercise is a big advantage. From what i have read of gifted schools on this forum i would probably choose where i wanted to live first. I have also found that schools like workplaces can change completely overnight and can't really be counted on. Neighbourhoods change too but not usually so quickly and dramatically.]

The big museums are in the city. Plenty of culture in the burbs though!