Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments What to look for in a GT magnet school?

You've got a great list of questions already from the replies above. The one thing I'd add is to do your best to talk to other parents whose children have attended the school - hopefully families who are currently enrolled. We decided to not send our ds to our district's HG program based on what we heard from other parents. In our case, the district's program really is for HG kids (it has a cutoff that guaranteed that), but we found that the input we heard from other parents wasn't what we were looking for in a school experience for our ds. For a different family, it might have been just the right fit, and we've known several families who were very happy there, as well as having known several families who purposely left after a year or two.

I found it very difficult to make decisions about schools just based on a one-time tour and talking to teachers/administrators, other than very broad ideas about vision etc.

polarbear

ps - ha! I thought of a question. I'm guessing you'll be putting your ds in the lottery no matter what, just to see if he gets a spot. I'd ask if your ds can spend a day at the school this spring if he's chosen in the lottery. Our kids are in a private school, but before they were admitted they had to spend a day there with the students who would be in their grade the next year. That gave us good info on how the school would work for our kids.