Some questions I would ask:
- What are the criteria for qualifying for the TAG program?
How your DS stacks up against their minimum requirements should be telling. It would indicate how likely he is to be in with true peers, or if he'll still likely be an outlier.
- What do students do in the TAG program?
It would take some parsing of their buzzwords by experienced advocates to decode their message here, but it can also be revealing. For example, if they say, "Students will receive enrichment, allowing them to think deeper about the things they're learning in the regular classroom," then that translates into, "Students will be doing some extra projects, which can be fun, but otherwise will be learning at the same pace as normal." If they say, "Students will be working one grade level ahead," then that means, "Students will be virtually accelerated one grade level, but will continue to learn at the same pace as normal."
And since pacing is usually THE problem for HG+ students, you can see how these programs tend to work out.
- How much homework do TAG students receive, and how does that compare with students outside the TAG program?
If there are significant differences in the amount of take-home work, that's a sign that this is a program for hothouse flowers.
