Gifted programs, options

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have ideas for how to approach DCPS for providing FAPE for a profoundly gifted child? Our zoned school is not appropriate for our child’s academic needs. What can the school system provide in this case?

[Anonymous]

Does your child also have a disability?

[Anonymous]

IDEA, the federal law governing IEPs that requires FAPE does not include giftedness as a disability. There is no requirement that school systems provide gifted programming and DC does not do so.

[Anonymous]

MCPS, FCPS. DC doesn’t recognize giftedness as a special need.

[Anonymous]

Being gifted is not a disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your child also have a disability?

He has an ADHD diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your child also have a disability?

He has an ADHD diagnosis.

If his ADHD requires specialized instruction, you can try to get an IEP or 504 for that. You aren't getting anything for giftedness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your child also have a disability?

He has an ADHD diagnosis.

And in what ways is he not accessing the curriculum?

[Anonymous]

There is no public school system (or even private) that would ever be able to adequately meet the needs of a profoundly gifted student. “Gifted” programs are typically only providing curriculum that is one year advanced and only meets the needs of high achievers. This is why most profoundly gifted students are homeschooled. Your best bet would be to put your child in a Montessori school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no public school system (or even private) that would ever be able to adequately meet the needs of a profoundly gifted student. “Gifted” programs are typically only providing curriculum that is one year advanced and only meets the needs of high achievers. This is why most profoundly gifted students are homeschooled. Your best bet would be to put your child in a Montessori school.

Montessori is often disastrous for profoundly gifted kids.

Plenty of kids in this category do well in public or private school.

[Anonymous]

Can I offer some lessons learned from parenting a kid who was "different" in that way?

The biggest gift our kid got from the public school system wasn't academic. It was social. It's really hard sometimes for gifted kids to fit in socially, but gifted adults are going to have to fit in enough to hold down a job. Public schools don't only teach academics; they teach kids how to manage relationships with diverse groups of kids and adults, and that's something you can't get with homeschooling or segregated programs for gifted kids.

[Anonymous]

Private schools might be better equipped to differentiate for your child. They have smaller class sizes and more resources. DCPS will do absolutely nothing for your child.

[Anonymous]

There are no gifted programs. Assuming that the ADHD actually interferes with his access to the curriculum, FAPE would mean that the special education should be geared towards his access to the appropriate level of materials/classes in the actual curriculum. For example my DS is very gifted in ELA but produces single-sentence answers, so his supports involve extra oversight to make sure he understands expectations and the assignment is broken down appropriately into chunks. For math he is high-average and FAPE means he will be placed in the appropriate MS math class (on track for Algebra in 8th) even though his Iready stinks (because he always tanks it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools might be better equipped to differentiate for your child. They have smaller class sizes and more resources. DCPS will do absolutely nothing for your child.

They won't differentiate but the baseline standard will be much higher at the top privates.

My kids are not profoundly gifted but I would say they maxed out the DCPS curriculum (Algebra 2 in 8th, 99% PARCC scores, each subject every time they were tested 3rd through 8th, 98-99% in all subjects in middle school.

They went on to a "Big3" high schools (Sidwell, NCS) and they were/are probably at the 85% in their respective classes in terms of academic ability. These schools draw from all over the DMV (far and wide) and get some real academic outliers. Profoundly gifted? No; but a decent peer cohort of impressively bright and motivated kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I offer some lessons learned from parenting a kid who was "different" in that way?

The biggest gift our kid got from the public school system wasn't academic. It was social. It's really hard sometimes for gifted kids to fit in socially, but gifted adults are going to have to fit in enough to hold down a job. Public schools don't only teach academics; they teach kids how to manage relationships with diverse groups of kids and adults, and that's something you can't get with homeschooling or segregated programs for gifted kids.

This is the right answer. Gifted kids get a whole lot of nothing for their giftedness later in life. The best thing you can do is help your kid with social skills by sending them to school and give them the chance to excel in areas in which they have a strong interest.

The first part of their career will allow them to show the skills they've developed and their intellect. The next part will be more about managing and collaborating. Help them to rise above their future colleagues by giving them the skills they'll need to work and play well with others.