They do use the IAS and they do have an acceleration policy. They also have a gifted policy, which they updated the day AFTER I had a meeting with them and pointed out some of the accommodations they said they make that I know can't possibly be true. Of course, they didn't bother telling me they changed the policy.
The thing is, they don't offer the gifted program until second grade, so they don't do testing until the end of first. There is no set grade on the acceleration policy, but they won't do the tests he needs to come out with a decent IAS score to make the case for acceleration.
I think their resistance has more to do with me. I'm not narcissistic. It's a small school, and I think they're used to being able to give the same tired lines to parents and parents accepting them as the way it is. Unfortunately for them, I am not that parent. I understand education and policy. I have a doctorate in education and have taken the very classes that have taught me what is and isn't acceptable. I have written a Thesis that included sections about IEPs, IDEA and 504. I have written doctoral papers (not my dissertation) that have examined these areas as well.
I say this not to brag about my knowledge, but to show my breadth of knowledge in the very areas they are trying to feed me lines about makes me more difficult to work with. They aren't used to parents knowing these things. In fact, when I pushed for a 504 for his Celiac after he was glutened so badly we had to go to the ER, the teacher actually asked me, "How do parents find this stuff out?"
I wanted to say, "I have a brain that works and am willing to continue learning despite your obvious resistance to it." Because I have sent an article about anxiety in gifted kids after I was told they don't see anxiety in him. It went unread.
