Hi!
Debating school switch vs advocacy for DS Twin 1 with DYS qualifying score on wisc 4. Main issues at school are social and absolutely
no math challenge at all. Common core repetitiveness is making him uninterested.
My main area of focus is for the school is to accommodate math acceleration. Just realizing now that the Wisc 4 probably doesn't show his advanced math thinking? Any advice on best way to prove / advocate for math enrichment. I'm doing it all at home but he still has to sit through everything at school....

You need achievement data, not iq for that, especially since you have the wisc data. Explore, wiat, WJ, act or the like generally do well. Rish adverse schools will generally also want to see curriculum based-assessments.

Read Developing Math Talent by Assouline for guidance.

Do you have any achievement testing or work product from home which can illustrate to the school what level he is working on in math? In school testing would probably be best understood by the school.

While you can also share the WISC, it may be challenging to make your point with that alone. A child can have a high IQ or otherwise be high-ability, but be underachieving, so achievement testing may be more useful.

In my experience advocacy takes time and tons of patience, especially when you are advocating for outliers.

I apologize for your frustrations over Common Core math. We have had similar problems. I believe that it is challenging for teachers to truly differentiate when they are becoming familiar with the new standards themselves. Still, planning for advanced learners is something that is necessary. It is a misconception that the Common Core is challenging enough on its own - advanced learners will still need more.

I recently advocated for my DS7. The school administerEd the MAP test to see where his grade level is. I did provide his WISC -V test report but they did not really mention that when we met to discuss his individual plan on math. They seemed really focused on the MAP test results and assessment done by the math specialist.

I recently advocated for my DS7. The school administerEd the MAP test to see where his grade level is. I did provide his WISC -V test report but they did not really mention that when we met to discuss his individual plan on math. They seemed really focused on the MAP test results and assessment done by the math specialist.

I have decided not to advocate. In the unlikely event they made any accomodations they would probably sabotage them and take their displeasure out on my child.

Thanks everyone. We did do Wiat 3 over the summer. He was 99% then but the school has not made any changes. They are "allowing me" since January to do an outside of school math enrichment and show up an hour late once a week though. We subsequently did WJ4 back in Nov and at that point Broad math was only 80% with applied problems at 98%. He is bored to tears doing IXL. We tried EPGY over the summer and he made it half way through 3rd grade level in under a month.

He does enjoy and learn some from the once a week enrichment but he's not challenged that much there either. As soon as you loose him ( too easy) he checks out and stops listening.

Did you share the WIAT results with the school?

Have you checked your state laws on gifted education? Have you looked into part-time homeschooling (more than one day a week)?

Homeschooling him in math until you can get a program in place for him at school would be one option (it sounds as though you are doing this at least one day a week). In my experience, advocacy can take time (and there is no guarantee that the school will be flexible enough to meet your DS's needs). Your DS needs a school that is flexible.

We found IXL to be a bit slow for our DC - there is nothing wrong with it necessarily, but at a minimum, your DS probably needs to work above-grade (and possibly several grades up). EPGY has changed - DD used it before it changed to Redbird, but they kind of lost her during the transition with too many frustrating glitches. I am not sure if Redbird is still really geared towards gifted students, as some of the marketing looked as though it might be moving away from that (and we have moved on since then). Perhaps someone here is using Redbird and can comment.

I have a VERY similar situation with DS. I've also been though shades of the same with older DD...and she DOES check out.

How old is your DS?

DS is 7.5

We did share the Wiat results in the first week of school. I was really on the ball at first and then I just feel like its massive amount of effort for 1 child when i have 2 others that have their own needs as well. The school seems to step in when their are speech or social issues but no luck when you want to work ahead. And its not just work ahead its more like please don't let my child quit and stagnate and be labelled inattentive.

Im tired of hearing that he doesn't listen. He does listen. He just also THINKS a lot. ITS his favorite activity as per him.

His brother has been playing chess for a few months so we all went to the chess tournament. This inattentive kid of mine bought a chess workbook and sat in silence diligently reading and answering the questions for a solid 30 min on his own accord, while all the other boys including my other son who fits right in at school ran around not listening to the adults who asked them to calm it down.

Sorry for the vent. SOOOOOOO frustrated that my opinion of my own child is being ignored.

Part time homeschooling is the firs thing I asked for and it was a no. The boys are twins and it makes all options just a bit more stressful. Both very bright. But Ds2 should be well served with traditional gifted programming in school.

Depending upon your state laws, you many not have to ASK to part-time homeschool. You may only have to INFORM your school that you intend to do so. I know that this is the case in some states. It is worth looking into if you haven't already.

I understand your frustration and you are right to be concerned. If you choose to advocate at your DS's school, change will probably not happen overnight. Sometimes it is a matter of finding just the right teacher or administrator (gifted teacher or coordinator) who understands why your DS needs something different.

You mentioned changing schools. Are there schools nearby that might be a better option?

We are in the process of applying to an accelerated gifted school which is about 20 min away. It seems to be a very good option. Its expensive. It also will be a slight logistical issue at least for the next year when I would have 3 different school start times- with the 20 min drive in between.

He still needs to do his visit day. The initial interview/testing went well. The biggest concern at the gifted school is wether or not can he handle the freedom of switching classes every subject, not being with his twin, and not being so lost in thought at the end of every class that he doesn't move on to the next? I don't think that would be the case especially once he was comfortable in the new environment. But if they are basing their decision on a one day visit I'm not so sure. He can be very hit or miss with first impressions and he's very hard on himself, so once he perceives its not going well it will get worse.