New to the idea of magnet programs, our 4th grade son showed us his Cogat scores yesterday. He will have the option to join the magnet program.

Our school district houses its magnet program in a designated school between grade 4 and 8. The student would leave his/her current school and classmates, and will need to adapt to a new environment.

On one hand we certainly like him to be more challenged in academics, on the other we worry about his development of social skills. Any parents facing the same dilemma? If so, any experience/thoughts to share? Thank you.

Hmm. Can't speak about your specific magnet program. My child has been in one 1-5th grade (not a gifted magnet) and will be in one 6-12th grade (also not a gifted magnet). So twice I have chosen magnet over zoned school. My son is pretty resilient and makes friends quickly. He left his zoned school afte preK and K and didn't look back. It helps that the magnet programs for us are still within 2 to 3 miles from our house so going to play with friends was still quite easy (both old friends and new friends).

What I have done with the major educational decisions for him (including a grade skip away from a beloved best friend) is to ask myself the following questions

1. Is what he has working?
2. Is what I am looking at a bit better?
3. Will staying harm him in the long term?
4. Will switching gears take some work and feel uncomfortable in some ways and is that such a bad thing?
5. Knowing him as only his parents know him, what is my gut saying (about the education part of it, we can figure out the other issues as they arise or not).

I wouldn't change any decision or change for him so far. I would like to change some of my inaction (looking at you kindergarten year). But he appears to have survived that despite my inaction.

My son had the opportunity to attend our district's gifted school from 2nd - 5th grade. We chose to keep him at the school he was in in Kindergarten/1st, for several reasons. He did just fine, they accelerated him a year in math from 2nd grade on, and did a great job of differentiating in other areas. He is now in the middle school gifted program (6th grade), which was brand new this year, and at the school he would have attended anyway. Most of the kids in the program did go to the elementary gifted school, but that doesn't seem to bother him, he gets along with pretty much everyone. All in all, we're glad we kept him where he was - it's a Title 1 school, so a low income area - but incredibly diverse, and I think it's been great for him.

Our daughter has changed schools several times. Social adjustment was a concern, but what we've found is that instead of losing friends, she just seems to collect more of them. So she's still in contact with friends from a couple of old schools (though she's maybe not as close) as well as having friends from her new school.

Now, this is going to depend on your child and their strengths. Shoot, DD went on a shadow day at a local private school and told me "I just made 5 new friends!" In fact, she makes better friends at a place that's more appropriate academically.

Still, I was told point blank by a school psychologist early on that changing schools would be terrible for my daughter's emotional and social health... and my husband (who grew up a military 'brat') just laughed.

We've had a bit of bad luck needing to switch our sons school a few times in the past 3 years. Each time he adjusted wonderfully.
Take your son to the magnet and see what he thinks, his buy-in at this age will mean a lot.