I am extremely concerned about a new development in our school district, so I'm coming to you all for some thoughts/suggestions.
My HG DS11 will be moving to middle school next year, and we thought he would finally have access to our district's "Challenge Classes." Challenge Classes are our school's version of Honors Classes (for grades 6-8). These classes typically include 20-25 of the grade's highest learners. (The group is too large and too many kids are included, but that is another discussion altogether.) Challenge Classes move at a more rapid pace and do a lot of project-based, independent learning and intensive writing. In 6th grade, students in our school have historically been able to take Challenge Reading, English, and Pre-Algebra (which is considered "Challenge," because the rest of the 6th graders just take Math 6).
The problem: We just received a letter in the mail indicating that Challenge Classes would no longer be offered for 6th grade in our district!!! I am beside myself!! The school is moving to a "block schedule," with 84-minute classes for math and ELA (English-Language Arts) next year. The principal is trying to tell me that these longer classes will give DS11's teachers plenty of time to provide enrichment for him!! I know better--my son has been promised enrichment for years, and never received what he needed. He is bored to tears and probably in need of acceleration at this point. I am so sad for him and considering other academic placements for him, given this recent turn of events. His gifted designation gives him access to very little in our school--only a weekly 1 hour pull-out. Everything else MUST be documented in that GIEP, or it simply will not happen in our school.
I have a scheduled GIEP meeting for DS11 later this week. I will be holding the meeting, even though I'm not even sure I will send him to our school next year. Can any of you offer ideas of specific things I should include in his GIEP, given the changes our district has implemented? Any particular language I should use (as our GIEPs tend to be extremely general and unhelpful unless I insist upon the inclusion of some specific goals). I am not as familiar with goal-writing for GIEPs as I should be, and I am not sure about what to request to ensure that my son receives the challenges that he so desperately needs. Finally, the guidance counselor told me that, given his gifted designation, I can push and have DS11 tested using the Iowa to see if Pre-Algebra is appropriate for him. I hate that he has to prove himself yet again through additional testing!! Is it appropriate that I ask them to include a math goal that specifies his inclusion in Pre-Algebra, given the fact that he has not done their required testing yet?
Any thoughts or suggestions would certainly be appreciated! I am very concerned about this change and feel that our brightest students are consistently failed in our district! I feel that I need to get as much as possible in writing at this time, but I am not sure just what to request.
