Wow, Cricket2! How exciting! I'm hoping the GT Coordinator's efforts are a good sign for a great year ahead. I'll be following your story with interest.
Thanks
. We were ready to pull her out b/c her class size went from 18 last year to 30+ this year, they cut science and history in half to focus on writing b/c they apparently didn't have good writing scores as a whole for the school last year, and the accelerated in-grade math class she was in last year was no longer available to her. Too many kids tested as advanced in math and, with only three classes instead of the four last year, they couldn't do accelerated math for two classes and regular for two thus giving half of the kids the option to move through the curriculum faster like they did in 4th.
So, we were at the spot of dd having the GT coordinator for about 45 mins/day for reading class (which has about 16 kids in it) and then being in a huge class with everyone else and too much focus on remediation for my tastes for the rest of the day. I couldn't justify leaving her there for 45 mins of education a day. I was also worried about her continued achievement b/c it invariably drops when she is feeling like the school thinks that she isn't all that smart (when they group her with everyone from kids who are struggling to high avg kids).
The set up now is that dd and 9 other kids are being pulled for math by the GT coordinator as well. She will teach them math in lieu of being in the regular class. About half of these kids had been subject accelerating in math for a year or two already. The other half, dd included, had not. Dd has some high math scores (a 98th percentile on the WIAT and a good math EXPLORE from 4th - qualified for GT id for a 5th grader) and some high IQ scores (99+) and then a lot of other really erratic scores.
She will still be in the regular classroom for half of the academic instruction where I'm not sure that the writing instruction will go beyond teaching them more of the basics, but I'm going to have her using EPGY LAW as time allows to hopefully fill in some of that. Science & history in the homeroom will still be less than in years past, which is unfortunate. She will be in the GT reading class as before.
The math group with the GT coordinator is starting with the 6th grade Everyday Math curriculum instead of the 5th grade. I can't say that I love this curriculum, but the GT coordinator is gifted herself and a good teacher who understands dd's divergent thinking. If 6th grade math proves to be too much for dd, the back up plan is to have her stay in this class but work independently on EPGY math at a computer with headphones.
