Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments School w/in a School Experiences?

Can anyone share stories of school within a school programs? Have you been happy with them? Any regrets?

We're waiting to hear whether my dd has gotten into the program for 3rd grade.

TIA!

I have a cousin who's kids are at a school within a school program and she's delighted with the program. It's common for these programs to be housed in poorer neighborhoods, which she was a little nervous about at first, but that turned out to be fine. Her kids clearly are very happy to be who they are, which impresses me.
My cousin isn't on this board - which tells me that things are going well indeed!

Smiles,
Grinity

No experience yet, but DD will attend one next year. It is a magnet housed in a low-income school.

My DS7 is in a school-within-a-school program for HG kids. We transferred there mid-year, and I could not be happier. I think most of the GT programs in MN use the school-within-a-school model, which I believe gives the schools more flexibility. For example, unlike a charter school, they can set minimum test scores for entering kids.

Since I also had experience with a traditional school, I cannot see that there are any extreme differences in the school-within-a-school model, with the exception of the ability to group kids better by ability. The principal who runs the whole school is also in charge of the school-within-a-school, and the kids do specials with the same teachers as the other kids (gym, music). Our kids also go on some different field trips than the school as a whole.

The biggest difference for me was that my child is now with intellectual peers, learning at his level, and I don't have to advocate for more challenging materials all the time. There are still differences within a FT GT program, but the kids are grouped with peers, and the range of differences is nowhere near that of a regular classroom.

If you can, try to call some parents of kids already in the program. You can learn about the administration and other differences.

DD goes to a magnet program within a school, it is also in also in a poor neighborhood. They are separated from the general population for the entire day, except if they are staying after school for the after school care. That is where there have been issues between the kids zoned for the school and the magnet kids. It hasn't been bad, but interestingly enough there have been cases of some of the magnet program kids picking on the regular program kdis for being stupid.

Kerry - I'm glad your DD is enjoying her school. Wow does it ever make me feel sad to hear this!
Love and more love,
Grinity

My kids are at a school within a school. They do go to specials (art, music, PE) and recess/lunch with the traditional students. There seemed to be a lot more issues when the gt kids were in mixed-grade classes while the traditional students were not. This meant that the gt went to lunch, recess and specials with different grades every year. This had a huge isolating effect. Now the program has shifted to single grade classrooms the gt kids don't seem as insular. On the downside, they've lost the mentoring opportunities and some of the healthy ego-deflation that come with mixed-grades.

I hadn't thought of how this would work - thanks for bringing it up! One of my concerns is the smaller social pool for my dd, since she now has a lot of friends in the other second grade classes and some from other grades, as well.

We'll be doing the opposite of Grinity, because the SWAS program is in one of the wealthiest schools in the district, and we're currently in one of the poorest. I have my concerns about that, as well:)

Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming!