What's your impression of gifted/talented services in Arlington elementary schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can certainly relate. Our daughter (in first grade) receives gifted services for both math and language arts. more simple addition worksheets for a kid who is interested in and capable of doing multiplication. focus appears to be on "critical reasoning" -- as in, let's draw pictures to show *why* 5+12= 17. it's extremely frustrating because there's active resistance to her doing any math beyond simple addition and subtraction. I'm not convinced the GT services in APS (or at least at our school) differentiate between high achievement and giftedness -- teaching pedagogy seems not to take into account that gifted kids learn differently (and often non-sequentially). we're starting to think we've got to shift our kid to private school too...

Except that I keep hearing form private school parents that it is even worse -- no on is allowed to do anything different because then everyone would want their kid to be doing it too. So at least of elementary, private schools will not accelerate a kid to a totally different curriculum that is above grade level. Have you heard of a place that will?

Nysmith or Edlin School

[Anonymous]

If you think you can do so much better, why don't you homeschool?

[Anonymous]

To the OP - What exactly do you want? Arlington schools have a philosophy of teaching kids at the same level and asking more probing questions to higher achieving kids. There are different spelling and reading groups within the same class. The pull out services are meant to introduce different concepts and thoughts, but are not meant, in any way to teach at a higher level. If you want accelerated learning, that is not really offered in Arlington. FYI- this does not change in middle school either. There are different levels of math classes, but English, science, history are all taught at the same level.

If your kid is gifted in language arts, your kid has plenty of opportunities to read more difficult books and write more interesting materials. I certainly see significant differences in the work product of kids when they have open houses/ writer's nights in my kids' north Arlington school.

I looked into private schools options - your kid will learn the same materials with more homework.

I think you really need to ask what is your end goal - if you are worried that your kid is bored, that is an unfortunate part of any school, unless you are going to hire a private tutor. Even kids in AAP are always complaining about being bored because different kids are always at different levels. There are very talented kids graduating from Arlington schools - these kids are not being stifled or disadvantaged in comparison to kids in surrounding areas. Also, the kids from Arlington that go to Thomas Jefferson do not achieve any less even though they have not been exposed to advanced learning in elementary or middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP - What exactly do you want? Arlington schools have a philosophy of teaching kids at the same level and asking more probing questions to higher achieving kids. There are different spelling and reading groups within the same class. The pull out services are meant to introduce different concepts and thoughts, but are not meant, in any way to teach at a higher level. If you want accelerated learning, that is not really offered in Arlington. FYI- this does not change in middle school either. There are different levels of math classes, but English, science, history are all taught at the same level.

If your kid is gifted in language arts, your kid has plenty of opportunities to read more difficult books and write more interesting materials. I certainly see significant differences in the work product of kids when they have open houses/ writer's nights in my kids' north Arlington school.

I looked into private schools options - your kid will learn the same materials with more homework.

I think you really need to ask what is your end goal - if you are worried that your kid is bored, that is an unfortunate part of any school, unless you are going to hire a private tutor. Even kids in AAP are always complaining about being bored because different kids are always at different levels. There are very talented kids graduating from Arlington schools - these kids are not being stifled or disadvantaged in comparison to kids in surrounding areas. Also, the kids from Arlington that go to Thomas Jefferson do not achieve any less even though they have not been exposed to advanced learning in elementary or middle schools.

I am not the OP, but I am interested in the bolded part above. The gifted resource teacher at my sons' school said that Swanson does differentiate in middle school. She had a name for it, but I can't remember what it was. It sounded to me like it was a full program that was almost like tracking in that if your student was labeled as gifted they would go through middle school with other kids who were also gifted. She said that is also trickling down to the elementary school level where the gifted students would be put in classes together as well. I know Arlington's gifted program is subject specific so I am not sure how that would all work, but she thought it was important that my son was identified by the time he got to middle school for this reason (he's in 4th now).

[Anonymous]

NP here who is also interested in what's offered at the middle school level. (I posted earlier today asking about what "intensified" courses were offered at the middle school level.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really like the "why" questions. Not for first, but for third grade it's been great. It can teach critical thinking and persuasive writing. And it has helped my child understand the rules better by explaining.

+1 on the "why" questions and critical thinking. My DD loves the "why".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP - What exactly do you want? Arlington schools have a philosophy of teaching kids at the same level and asking more probing questions to higher achieving kids. There are different spelling and reading groups within the same class. The pull out services are meant to introduce different concepts and thoughts, but are not meant, in any way to teach at a higher level. If you want accelerated learning, that is not really offered in Arlington. FYI- this does not change in middle school either. There are different levels of math classes, but English, science, history are all taught at the same level.

If your kid is gifted in language arts, your kid has plenty of opportunities to read more difficult books and write more interesting materials. I certainly see significant differences in the work product of kids when they have open houses/ writer's nights in my kids' north Arlington school.

I looked into private schools options - your kid will learn the same materials with more homework.

I think you really need to ask what is your end goal - if you are worried that your kid is bored, that is an unfortunate part of any school, unless you are going to hire a private tutor. Even kids in AAP are always complaining about being bored because different kids are always at different levels. There are very talented kids graduating from Arlington schools - these kids are not being stifled or disadvantaged in comparison to kids in surrounding areas. Also, the kids from Arlington that go to Thomas Jefferson do not achieve any less even though they have not been exposed to advanced learning in elementary or middle schools.

There is no accelerated learning in Arlington? Even for math? In FCPS anyone can have accelerated learning in math up to one year above. I can't believe nothing is offered in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here who is also interested in what's offered at the middle school level. (I posted earlier today asking about what "intensified" courses were offered at the middle school level.)

My child is at Williamsburg and it's a joke. No differentiation whatsoever that we've detected.

[Anonymous]

NP here who is also interested in what's offered at the middle school level. (I posted earlier today asking about what "intensified" courses were offered at the middle school level.)

There is differentiation, but it is much more subtle. There are higher level math classes. Kids that were in FLES in elementary go to transitional Spanish until they hit a language arts option in 7th. I know that several science-advanced kids are in a special cluster (not advertised.) None of this is a formal AAP program, of course. Even though my kid was identified as "gifted" in elementary, I'm frankly sick of thinking about what it means. It's easy to get hysterical wondering if you will somehow fail your kid if you don't give them the absolute most specialized attention possible. It's just not feasible in public school and may not be in most privates, as well.

I finally asked myself, is my kid happy or bored? What is the quality of the teaching across the board? And are there enough enrichment opportunities through clubs, specials etc. to satisfy a growing intellect? We have been satisfied that our APS middle school is answering those questions positively. Anything additional DC may need will be provided by us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. This makes me stand by the decision to stick with a good DCPS over Arlington. Sorry to hear this!

LOL good joke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was in GT for language arts in N Arlington elem. Pulled out for special instruction 1 hour a week with extra projects. Aside from that, she had some pretty incredible teachers that we will never forget. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but looking back, the gifted stuff seems secondary to all the other positive school experiences she had.

That was our experience, too. Because gifted services are dependent on the quality of the GS teacher, we've had a bad experience with both elementary and middle school gifted services. But my kids' regular teachers have been outstanding.

Those of you who are thinking of going private -- where would you go?

We had the same problem. My DS started getting pulled for Math, LA, and Science in 2nd grade. He was frustrated every day because his GT 'classes' were not better they were jsut more. We ended up in an 'intervention' of sorts with the GS teacher, the reading specialist, the principal, his teacher... They really tried to figure out something to keep him engaged and learning at a higher level but APS is just not set up well for GT. We ended up moving him to a small Montessori school at the end of 3rd and he thrived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can certainly relate. Our daughter (in first grade) receives gifted services for both math and language arts. more simple addition worksheets for a kid who is interested in and capable of doing multiplication. focus appears to be on "critical reasoning" -- as in, let's draw pictures to show *why* 5+12= 17. it's extremely frustrating because there's active resistance to her doing any math beyond simple addition and subtraction. I'm not convinced the GT services in APS (or at least at our school) differentiate between high achievement and giftedness -- teaching pedagogy seems not to take into account that gifted kids learn differently (and often non-sequentially). we're starting to think we've got to shift our kid to private school too...

That's not a G&T problem, it's the ridiculous way they teach math to all kids. My son is in APS and he gets special ed for HFA, and they are doing the same thing with us - not teaching him to memorize number pairs for the basics, it all this figuring out garbage. I'm doing drills at home.

In your day, did you walk to school five miles in the school uphill both ways? And should those kids get off your lawn, also?

Look, toots. Just because they teach it differently than you learned it doesn't make it wrong.

[Anonymous]

For those who feel underserved by public school G&T programs, paying a tutor is a lot less than shelling out for private school.

Just saying.

[Anonymous]

13:08. Believe it. It's true in FCC too. They are really doing a lot of kids a huge disservice.

[Anonymous]

The problem with a tutor is that it doesn't change what's going on day to day in the classroom. Sure, the child is learning more outside of school (also important) but the hours spent in school are no different, and may be even worse the more the child learns outside of school. We have not figured out what to do about this.