Benefit to pushing for Level III over Level II AAP in 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

My rising 3rd grader was not found eligible for Level IV AAP - test scores were extremely high in some areas, surprising low in others, possibly due to a condition he has (ADHD). We did have him take the WISC last week to get a clearer picture of his strengths and weaknesses, but have not submitted this to the school. According to test results, he is High Average and Superior in 3 out of 4 subtests, so there is no doubt he's a bright kid. The school decided prior to this that he should get Level II services in 2 subjects. My question is: is it worth it to request that they reconsider him for Level III? I've heard that our school's Level III services are a bit lackluster, but my sources are only rumor mill sources. My motivation is that I don't want him to get bored or disinterested in learning, and so we'll take any extra bit of challenge for him we can get. Anyone ever been in a similar situation? TIA.

[Anonymous]

I'm not clear what you're asking. If Level III services are lackluster, are you willing to settle for Level II because you think they'll be better? In your situation, I would request the highest level he seems to be qualfied for, enrich where needed if what the school provides isn't keeping him engaged, and parent refer for Level IV next year if it seems like it would be a good fit for him. From that perspective, it might be harder to justify why he needs Level IV if he's only had Level II and you didn't (dare I say) push for Level III.

[Anonymous]

I'd go with what his teachers decide and take it from there without getting caught up in levels. If you feel a change is needed as time passes, perhaps you can share your test information with the teacher. From my son's experience at a very good, now AAP center school, Level III can be inconsistent, depending on the availability of the AART. This is something that FCPS has plans to address (as of the latest AAP study), but at this how much enrichment kids get in Levels II and III is kind of random. By 6th grade my son and his friends often chose to skip their Level III pull-outs because they didn't like the teacher and they didn't enjoy the material. ( I didn't learn this till later).

I should point out that my son took all honors in middle school and almost got straight A's. Next year he'll be taking classes with AAP kids in high school (there are no AAP only courses there) and I'm sure he'll do fine. How intense your classes are in grade school should not be a show stopper as long as learning is encouraged at home.