Hi everyone!

My DS13 is HG and is currently in 7th grade in our small public school. He was identified in 3rd grade (a bit late, due to significant speech issues). Our school district recognized that he was a great student but never truly appreciated his abilities until 6th grade. DS is a very hands-on kid who loves science, technology, engineering and inventing complex motors and machines. When he expressed extreme boredom and frustration with the 6th grade science curriculum, the district did a basic online science assessment and found that he was way, way, WAY ahead of others his age and the current science curriculum didn't even come close to meeting his needs. They moved him to a self-paced science class (mainly involving online lessons). Unfortunately, his joy for learning science has faded. Who wants to learn chemistry by just looking at pictures and computer simulations? He wants the labs and the opportunity to actually mix those chemicals!

Earlier this week, my husband and I were called into a meeting with his Gifted coordinator. She and the vice principal presented a proposal: they want DS to skip 8th grade next year and go straight to high school (9th). Apparently, all of DS's teachers (not just science) have reported that he is so far above his peers that they do not think they are meeting his academic needs. Even the advanced classes are not helping, as he is far above the others in those, too.

I was shocked to hear them offer this out of the blue! They mentioned that their only concerns are social in nature. DS is quiet and a bit shy. He is well liked, but prefers to stick with just 4 of his closest friends. The principal said they were concerned about how he would handle being away from his friends and in a completely different school building.

In the event that we decide not to skip the entire grade, they offered the option of sending DS to 9th grade for just a couple of classes each day. He could return to 8th grade for lunch and special classes. They suggested that he consider accelerated biology and chemistry classes with labs. In addition, they said he could choose a couple of other classes that interest him (maybe a programming, architecture, or engineering class) and spend 1/2 of the day in the 9th grade setting and 1/2 in the 8th grade.

In order to even consider these options, I must find a way of overcoming my own, personal bias against grade skipping. I was moved from 3rd into 4th grade as a child, and it was a terrible, stressful experience for me. I swore I would never even consider allowing my children to grade skip. I can't believe I am even considering this option right now!

My main motivating factor right now is DS's frustration level. He is exhausted by the repetition in his current classes. He spends much of his day doing busywork to allow his classmates to learn concepts that he understands in 15 minutes. He told us that he needs a change. I know I must do something to help him--and soon.

I am hoping some of you might have experiences with grade skipping, particularly with teens. Are there questions I should ask before making this decision? Are there issues I need to consider as we discuss this? Do you have any experiences or advice to share?

I feel quite lost, and I find myself wishing that I had been given a book of instructions when I gave birth to my son! Then, I could just follow the step that said, "If your son is bored to tears every day in middle school, you should _____." That would make this a whole lot easier!

Thank you for any input you are willing to share...

jellyb