He did score above the cutoff (130) and the test was done by the school psychologist. Well, they told me that they don't allow any children in the gifted program who have behavior issues. They also said that there is a checklist of things the kids need to have other than high IQ including high leadership ability and high maturity/social skills to be included in the gifted program. They said that a socially/emotionally immature child like my son would not qualify for gifted programming because it is not determined by just IQ.
So...the cutoff is 130. Rough 2% if the population has this IQ. When they weed out the kids who don't behave perfectly (which is most kids?), the ones who don't have "high leadership ability," and aren't "highly mature," just exactly how many kids will be left for the gifted program? Or is that the point --- that they don't want one?
Speaking more seriously, Pennsylvania has laws about gifted IEPs, and if the school tested your son and found him to be gifted, it seems to me that they're legally bound to have an GIEP in place for him, which they don't seem to. What have they said about that?
Does the school keep low-IQ students out of special ed if their maturity, personality,or their behavior doesn't fit some arbitrary profile?
Here's what I found on PA gifted ed law:
A person with an IQ score lower than 130 may be admitted to gifted programs when other educational criteria in the profile of the person strongly indicate gifted ability. Determination of mentally gifted must include an assessment by a certified school psychologist.
(e) Multiple criteria indicating gifted ability include:
(1) A year or more above grade achievement level for the normal age group in one or more subjects as measured by Nationally normed and validated achievement tests able to accurately reflect gifted performance. Subject results shall yield academic instruction levels in all academic subject areas.
(2) An observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability.
(3) Demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one or more academic areas as evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio or research, as well as criterion-referenced team judgment.
(4) Early and measured use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communications skills, foreign language aptitude or technology expertise.
(5) Documented, observed, validated or assessed evidence that intervening factors such as English as a second language, disabilities defined in 34 CFR 300.8 (relating to child with a disability), gender or race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation are masking gifted abilities.
Maturity isn't there, and neither is behavior, so they may be flouting the law on this one. Leadership is there, but is only one of several qualities in a single category that contains the word OR, not the word AND.
I would consider printing the law out, sending it with a letter, and asking why the school appears to be flouting the law. Don't hand it to them; it has to be in writing or they'll probably ignore you.
