Gifted services APS

[Anonymous]

I’ve seen all the threads on gifted services in aps and have had my own experience with the program being lackluster. But the gifted services person at our school is willing to work with us to provide our elementary student with some individualized support. Does anyone out there have your own examples of what this has looked like for your own kid? I’m not looking for the standard aps approach - I understand the model. I’m looking for specific examples of where your kid may have really lucked out with someone who believed in them and was creative, and what that engagement looked like. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

It's easy for math - let the kid do Beast Academy/AoPS/EMF Math/Mathacademy online for their math class.

[Anonymous]

Was your child allowed to do that independently in class?

[Anonymous]

How equitable. Your school is actually providing gifted services, while all the other schools just ignore gifted kids.

[Anonymous]

OP, don't rely solely on a gifted resources teacher. Unfortunately, even the one that was well meaning and seemed to show interest to us a while back was unable to execute because of a variety of limiting factors, both personal and systemic, which left us even more disappointed and several years in the hole of lost development. If you get the support you need at school that's great but try involving your kid and yourself in activities that actual gifted kids participate in such as Odyssey of the Mind, FIRST or VEX robotic competitions, Math or Science Olympiad, competitive chess, certain individual sports, etc. I would add orchestra/band but unfortunately they don't seem to be very good or serious in Arlington. A lot of development your kid will get depends on the support and friendly competition of the peer group around them. With that in mind, join or organize teams/orgs that are merit and success driven and avoid those that have gone down the equity/inclusion rabbit hole since the reason you're asking this in the first place is because of misguided policies (first inclusion, later equity) at school. If your school has that unicorn PTA president that cares about the high end of educating our kids, maybe you can ask them for money to help start one of these activities at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, don't rely solely on a gifted resources teacher. Unfortunately, even the one that was well meaning and seemed to show interest to us a while back was unable to execute because of a variety of limiting factors, both personal and systemic, which left us even more disappointed and several years in the hole of lost development. If you get the support you need at school that's great but try involving your kid and yourself in activities that actual gifted kids participate in such as Odyssey of the Mind, FIRST or VEX robotic competitions, Math or Science Olympiad, competitive chess, certain individual sports, etc. I would add orchestra/band but unfortunately they don't seem to be very good or serious in Arlington. A lot of development your kid will get depends on the support and friendly competition of the peer group around them. With that in mind, join or organize teams/orgs that are merit and success driven and avoid those that have gone down the equity/inclusion rabbit hole since the reason you're asking this in the first place is because of misguided policies (first inclusion, later equity) at school. If your school has that unicorn PTA president that cares about the high end of educating our kids, maybe you can ask them for money to help start one of these activities at school.

The gifted coach is often stretched thin-- there are over 100 identified "gifted" kids at a lot of the APS elementary schools. It is unrealistic to expect the gifted coach to provide individualized instruction or plans to one child.

[Anonymous]

My kid is advanced, but not gifted. He is tracked with the gifted kids and receives services. What this looks like is once he hit a certain benchmark in Lexia, he used Lexia time to read a set list of books. When he finished them, he could free read and the librarian helped him find challenge books.

My younger kid is gifted and likely 2E, but hasn't started services yet. He's board to tears. We're trying to give him more challenging work, but differentiation is tough in younger elementary when they aren't strong readers and writers yet

[Anonymous]

It's a crock of sh*t. It was all political at my kids' elementary school. Parent push. Donations. Lobbying for it, etc. My kid had teachers advocating for his placement, scored super high on CogaT, etc. and basically told there was no space. Space was taken by kids put in there at 5-6 years old in Kindergarten.

Meanwhile, my now Senior scored a first try 36 ACT, 5s on all of his APs, straight As at a tough private and has had 4 top 10 college acceptances.

What is funny--is a letter came from APS at the end of 8th grade saying he qualified for GT in all subjects----just as he was out the door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a crock of sh*t. It was all political at my kids' elementary school. Parent push. Donations. Lobbying for it, etc. My kid had teachers advocating for his placement, scored super high on CogaT, etc. and basically told there was no space. Space was taken by kids put in there at 5-6 years old in Kindergarten.

Meanwhile, my now Senior scored a first try 36 ACT, 5s on all of his APs, straight As at a tough private and has had 4 top 10 college acceptances.

What is funny--is a letter came from APS at the end of 8th grade saying he qualified for GT in all subjects----just as he was out the door.

He didn't miss out on anything. Gifted Services in APS is a joke. They do nothing and it only exists because it is state law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, don't rely solely on a gifted resources teacher. Unfortunately, even the one that was well meaning and seemed to show interest to us a while back was unable to execute because of a variety of limiting factors, both personal and systemic, which left us even more disappointed and several years in the hole of lost development. If you get the support you need at school that's great but try involving your kid and yourself in activities that actual gifted kids participate in such as Odyssey of the Mind, FIRST or VEX robotic competitions, Math or Science Olympiad, competitive chess, certain individual sports, etc. I would add orchestra/band but unfortunately they don't seem to be very good or serious in Arlington. A lot of development your kid will get depends on the support and friendly competition of the peer group around them. With that in mind, join or organize teams/orgs that are merit and success driven and avoid those that have gone down the equity/inclusion rabbit hole since the reason you're asking this in the first place is because of misguided policies (first inclusion, later equity) at school. If your school has that unicorn PTA president that cares about the high end of educating our kids, maybe you can ask them for money to help start one of these activities at school.

Not all "gifted" kids are gifted in music. It's odd that you only deem top-notch music groups worthwhile for a student looking for more academic challenge. I guess that's also why you conditioned "certain" individual sports - some aren't good enough for the gifted kid, or the stereotype "nerdy" academic kid who typically isn't very athletic in the first place? And the PTA suggestion doesn't work at a school without a wealthy PTA.