ACPS TAG

[Anonymous]

I was hoping to get more info about TAG classes for 4th and 5th grade. DC didn't qualify-- was on the bubble but had challenges with test taking post pandemic. I understand honors classes are open enrollment in middle and high school. Debating an appeal, but worried about pushing DC with more work/ homework, for what may be little benefit.

[Anonymous]

It’s not really worth it, unless your child is truly unchallenged by the work in their class right now. TAG is a bit of a joke and pointless because then anyone can take Honors classes in middle school. Yet another ACPS failure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really worth it, unless your child is truly unchallenged by the work in their class right now. TAG is a bit of a joke and pointless because then anyone can take Honors classes in middle school. Yet another ACPS failure.

Child is bored in class, but not sure extra work makes sense either.

[Anonymous]

It does matter for math. Children are accelerated a year ahead so by sixth grade, they enroll in 7th grade math. I would try again for 5th—it will take some catching up, but if child is truly gifted/ahead it’s worth it. And not everything is about the future. My child has loved TAG—smart kids, moves faster. Creative projects/writing in English. For me, it’s about the here and now.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't hurt to appeal. If your kid decides it is too much busywork, you can always disenroll. If you want to submit additional test scores from a psych, ask for an extension when you appeal.

As for the pros and cons of TAG in ACPS - many school districts are struggling with the lack of diversity or disparity and the curriculum being a lot of extra work for little additional credit or gained knowledge. It has us wondering whether GIA or TAG is worth while. These comments from students from a high school in NC to this article to be very illuminating about the pros and cons of TAG programs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-gifted-programs-what-theyd-like-to-study-and-the-value-of-a-dollar.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't hurt to appeal. If your kid decides it is too much busywork, you can always disenroll. If you want to submit additional test scores from a psych, ask for an extension when you appeal.

As for the pros and cons of TAG in ACPS - many school districts are struggling with the lack of diversity or disparity and the curriculum being a lot of extra work for little additional credit or gained knowledge. It has us wondering whether GIA or TAG is worth while. These comments from students from a high school in NC to this article to be very illuminating about the pros and cons of TAG programs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-gifted-programs-what-theyd-like-to-study-and-the-value-of-a-dollar.html

I remember a PTA meeting seven or eight years ago when a ACPS TAG person from central office came to talk about the program. The issue of the lack of diversity in the program was raised. He responded that ACPS had a plan to increase diversity in the program. That never happened in our school. The blame for lack of diversity in the program should fall completely on ACPS administration.

But ACPS clearly wants to get rid of it. The management of it has been completely chaotic for the last few years. It won't exist in 2 to 3 years.

[Anonymous]

It is worth it for my kid _ both math and LA. For LA, it is not about extra homework, it is how many books DC has been assigned to read, and finally learning grammar in both grades.

[Anonymous]

ACPS has implemented AVID and Young Scholars in certain schools to provide college prep programming to identify talented and gifted students from historically underrepresented groups. But there hasn't been much transparency about the effect these programs are having on the disproportionate representation in TAG programs so I also would not be surprised if in a few years that the TAG program is scraped all together.

[Anonymous]

NP: How would TAG work for a kid who is very smart but has trouble staying focused and working independently? (DC is 2e).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ACPS has implemented AVID and Young Scholars in certain schools to provide college prep programming to identify talented and gifted students from historically underrepresented groups. But there hasn't been much transparency about the effect these programs are having on the disproportionate representation in TAG programs so I also would not be surprised if in a few years that the TAG program is scraped all together.

My impression is that AVID doesn't have any relationship with TAG. AVID is a college-readiness program aimed at children who would be the first in their families to go to college, and the ideal AVID candidate (from AVID's perspective) is the B and C student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was hoping to get more info about TAG classes for 4th and 5th grade. DC didn't qualify-- was on the bubble but had challenges with test taking post pandemic. I understand honors classes are open enrollment in middle and high school. Debating an appeal, but worried about pushing DC with more work/ homework, for what may be little benefit.

Appeal. A mom in my neighborhood likes to brag about how she bullied and pestered ACPS to get her kids in TAG when they didn't even come close to qualifying. Our ES doesn't give homework because it isn't equitable so I think that depends on the school.

[Anonymous]

I did not know an ES will not assign homework because it is inequitable. Is this a school-wide policy or just teacher specific? FWIW, my DC is assigned homework 4 nights a week and if GIA special project is not finished at school, that is additional homework.

I am wondering about 2e kids as well. Does anyone know the answer? Should parents advocate for subject-specific differentiation to be incorporated within the IEP? I am guessing that parents just have to supplement on their own because the school's priority/focus is addressing the areas where a student is learning challenged and not so much where they are gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP: How would TAG work for a kid who is very smart but has trouble staying focused and working independently? (DC is 2e).

It really depends on the school. I have friends who have had really bad experiences. Based on their experience at our zoned school, we decided not to send our child to ACPS. (DD is gifted and has ADHD and is in speech therapy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP: How would TAG work for a kid who is very smart but has trouble staying focused and working independently? (DC is 2e).

It really depends on the school. I have friends who have had really bad experiences. Based on their experience at our zoned school, we decided not to send our child to ACPS. (DD is gifted and has ADHD and is in speech therapy).

I did three years before pulling my kid from our elem, whose damage I'm still undoing.

[Anonymous]

How would TAG work for a kid who is very smart but has trouble staying focused and working independently? (DC is 2e).

It's not going to be a good fit for a while who can't work independently. Especially TAG language arts.