IEP at TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only 1% of students at TJ have IEPs. I think that shows how adept and proficient they are and how experienced. When we investigated, there were no team taught classes. There are no team taught Honors/AP classes at other HS either- at least that I am aware. TJ is supposed to be all Honors and AP.

Those IEPs could also be for things that are more easily addressed in an intense academic environment than ADHD or anxiety--something like dysgraphia, for instance, which can easily be addressed using a laptop.

[Anonymous]

OP again. DC does not need extra time on tests or assignments. Generally is an excellent test taker. The ADHD issues are more managing long term assignments and organization, although DC is doing much better in the last year with the organization. The anxiety tends to be more internal and the accommodations include having a safe location to go when feeling panicky or overwhelmed (usually the counselor or school psychologist's office ).

To the PP who knows someone with a child with an IEP, do you know if they provide that sort of accommodation?

[Anonymous]

This is something we investigated for DC. Ultimately, we decided against TJ because TJ just did not have enough experience with dealing with an IEP like DC's and we really did not like the transportation time involved.

[Anonymous]

Two kids graduated from TJ with no IEP. They stayed up to do school works and study until 1:00 to 2:00 AM every school days. Good luck to send kid with IEP to TJ.

[Anonymous]

There are many long term projects. Plus all the same amount of work one would have in a regular class as far as I can tell. Some of the long term projects are group projects. DC is on the computer working with a group on some project until 1 or 2 AM at least 2X per month. That means no one in the group (usually of 4) is organized to have the project done earlier. It is more like college in structure than typical high school. Everyone eats lunch at the same time wherever they want to. The construction is really bad and will be so for another 18 months I think. Meanwhile it's like a major construction zone and the hallways that can be used keep changing. Many classes are in trailers outside. Kids have to go back and forth, in and out, so much so that the PTSA provides buckets of umbrellas for anyone to use. If your DC is anxious with stress plus constant environment change, it doesn't sound ideal.

[Anonymous]

That means no one in the group (usually of 4) is organized to have the project done earlier.

Can you explain what you mean? I think you mean that even if my child has intermediate deadlines because of the IEP, the other kids in the group would not, so that IEP accommodation would be pointless?

In MS, that IEP accommodation basically means that the teacher writes out an alternative timeline and the kids who have this accommodation need to show to the teacher that they are making progress at various points along the way. Essentially the teacher writes out a project plan for the kids with milestones vs. having just one end date for the whole project. But the kids are not graded on meeting those milestones, it just helps the kids plan out their work.

I don't think the construction will be an issue.

The freedom at lunch is one of the things that really appeals to my DC LOL!

Frankly, my main concern is self induced stress. My DC sets very high internal standards. These are self imposed. DH and I try very hard NOT to place any pressure on DC.

Someone mentioned commute. We happen to live not terribly far away and I know that there is a morning carpool of kids not that far. DC would have to take the bus home in the afternoons.

It's a hard decision because I think in many ways TJ would be a much better social fit, and that sense of social mismatch is a source of stress for DC now. It's all a balancing act.

[Anonymous]

You would have to talk to the school. My guess is that some teachers would accommodate more than others. For 9th grade the teachers already do have some intermediate deadlines for drafts, etc. Particularly in IBET, which is also the source of the intermediate projects.

As to pressure from themselves, I think that is a problem for many students. Someone said at orientation that everyone comes into TJ with virtually all As and almost no one leaves TJ with all As. "B" is a good grade at TJ and often the highest a student can get in a particular class no matter how many hours they spend trying to do better. It becomes an issue of diminishing returns. If you are already studying until 11-12 PM every night to get a mix of As and Bs, is there any hance that studying until 3AM lifts one of the Bs? Maybe. But the lack of sleep will make you drop in something else. It's not the place for a diehard perfectionist. It's a place for kids who are excited about learning and work hard but don't really focus on the grades. And be prepared to see a wide range of grades on various assignments on the interim reports including Fs. For example, if a teacher gives a really hard quiz with 5 questions and you only get 2 right, that's an F. It won't count for much in the final grade standing alone but it's a new experience for many kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That means no one in the group (usually of 4) is organized to have the project done earlier.

Can you explain what you mean? I think you mean that even if my child has intermediate deadlines because of the IEP, the other kids in the group would not, so that IEP accommodation would be pointless? Intermediate deadlines only work for individual projects. They are not practical for group projects. Your DC, with some initial support from you or a teacher, could be the leader of his group and breakup a group project into smaller steps and set the deadlines with his group. HS should be the time when he learned how to break up the assignments himself, their is not similar accommodation in college. I know with my DC, we sometimes have to think outside of the box as each project is assigned. Not all accommodations fit easily into HS. It helps for the future in giving him group experience and a skill set to be able to use when he goes to college.

In MS, that IEP accommodation basically means that the teacher writes out an alternative timeline and the kids who have this accommodation need to show to the teacher that they are making progress at various points along the way. Essentially the teacher writes out a project plan for the kids with milestones vs. having just one end date for the whole project. But the kids are not graded on meeting those milestones, it just helps the kids plan out their work.

I don't think the construction will be an issue.

The freedom at lunch is one of the things that really appeals to my DC LOL!

Frankly, my main concern is self induced stress. My DC sets very high internal standards. These are self imposed. DH and I try very hard NOT to place any pressure on DC. We have this issue too. It is a work in progress and frequently keeping a tight rein on the activities and building in as much free relaxation time as possible.

Someone mentioned commute. We happen to live not terribly far away and I know that there is a morning carpool of kids not that far. DC would have to take the bus home in the afternoons. I was the one who mentioned commute. We are in McLean and it isn't just the trips to and from the HS. It is the trips to meet friends who are scattered. The late bus is really late. It is also because for my DC, sleep is very important and the added time for commute would eat into that. There is no way he could do projects after 10pm, he is an early bird and not an owl.

It's a hard decision because I think in many ways TJ would be a much better social fit, and that sense of social mismatch is a source of stress for DC now. It's all a balancing act.

We left the ultimate decision to DC and he chose to go to our home school. It has proven to be an excellent choice. The HS has been the best of all three school (ES,Middle and High) in "getting" DC and making sure his needs are met. Good luck with your decision. We know a few students who went for freshman year and returned sophomore year and their transition has been fine.

[Anonymous]

I would consider the advice of trying TJ seriously. You can opt back into base school at any time and kids do this for a variety of reasons. If you don't let DS try TJ you will never know what was missed. It's not for everyone as you can gather if you read other TJ threads. And some kids work through it because it is there. But a significant number of kids just love it. Where else can a previously nonathletic kid play on a varsity team and discover he's actually good at it? The labs are phenomenal and only getting better. The level of education and assignments are very high. And all the kids are under the same stresses - they really do band together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many long term projects. Plus all the same amount of work one would have in a regular class as far as I can tell. Some of the long term projects are group projects. DC is on the computer working with a group on some project until 1 or 2 AM at least 2X per month. That means no one in the group (usually of 4) is organized to have the project done earlier. It is more like college in structure than typical high school. Everyone eats lunch at the same time wherever they want to. The construction is really bad and will be so for another 18 months I think. Meanwhile it's like a major construction zone and the hallways that can be used keep changing. Many classes are in trailers outside. Kids have to go back and forth, in and out, so much so that the PTSA provides buckets of umbrellas for anyone to use. If your DC is anxious with stress plus constant environment change, it doesn't sound ideal.

+1 It is also exhausting. All those 2AM projects. And the group projects are difficult because there are many of them and of course not everyone pulls their weight. Because of the construction (which is a constant burden on everyone) they tend to eat their lunches quickly and standing up, which results in being very hungry until the end of the day. Being highly organized is the only way to get by, because each class is difficult. As a former college teacher, I can tell you they are doing college level work many times (like sophomores in college) But the degree of organization and concentration is high for a HS student. There are no real slackers. There are those who are extremely bright who seem to skate by. It is 75% Asian, mainly Indian and they all stick together, so it can be lonely if you are not Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. DC does not need extra time on tests or assignments. Generally is an excellent test taker. The ADHD issues are more managing long term assignments and organization, although DC is doing much better in the last year with the organization. The anxiety tends to be more internal and the accommodations include having a safe location to go when feeling panicky or overwhelmed (usually the counselor or school psychologist's office ).

To the PP who knows someone with a child with an IEP, do you know if they provide that sort of accommodation?

Well, I do see a certain amount of crying in the counselor's office. But the ones I know with IEP/ disabilities dropped out. There are a few with mental illness (is that an IEP?) Its heartbreaking, but what can you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You would have to talk to the school. My guess is that some teachers would accommodate more than others. For 9th grade the teachers already do have some intermediate deadlines for drafts, etc. Particularly in IBET, which is also the source of the intermediate projects.

As to pressure from themselves, I think that is a problem for many students. Someone said at orientation that everyone comes into TJ with virtually all As and almost no one leaves TJ with all As. "B" is a good grade at TJ and often the highest a student can get in a particular class no matter how many hours they spend trying to do better. It becomes an issue of diminishing returns. If you are already studying until 11-12 PM every night to get a mix of As and Bs, is there any hance that studying until 3AM lifts one of the Bs? Maybe. But the lack of sleep will make you drop in something else. It's not the place for a diehard perfectionist. It's a place for kids who are excited about learning and work hard but don't really focus on the grades. And be prepared to see a wide range of grades on various assignments on the interim reports including Fs. For example, if a teacher gives a really hard quiz with 5 questions and you only get 2 right, that's an F. It won't count for much in the final grade standing alone but it's a new experience for many kids.

Yes, they tell you that. But many do get all As or mostly all As. You would be surprised. I heard that no one gets an A in AP physics. But that could be a joke, since I know someone who did.

[Anonymous]

Kids do get all A's from TJ! Not many but to say none is also not true.

It is a challenging environment, no doubt about that. But it is not an environment that purposely set one up to fail. It attracts certain kind of kids: organized, driven, and frankly, competitive mind set. Not everyone is like that, no matter of their "smarts". You know your kid, trust your gut and go from there.

And if your DC is willing to give it a try, would you really want to take that away from him/her? No one succeed at everything throughout one's lifetime. Learning from failure is just as valuable as getting all A's.

[Anonymous]

OP: Does your DC have friends already at TJ?

[Anonymous]

OP: Does your DC have friends already at TJ?

A friend (not a close one) was also accepted. Sibling of a very close friend currently attends. One friend (with a sibling already there) was not accepted, but is planning to appeal. Since it is break, these are just the people we happen to know about. I assume DC will find out more next Tuesday.

Do the MS typically have some kind of meeting with the kids who were accepted? Our MS usually sends many kids, but is not one of the huge feeder MS.

And if your DC is willing to give it a try, would you really want to take that away from him/her? No one succeed at everything throughout one's lifetime. Learning from failure is just as valuable as getting all A's.

This is kind of where I am with it. DH really wants DC to go. I am personally conflicted. DC was conflicted until the acceptance notification. Then DC became really excited. I think if DC really wants to go, we are inclined to let them try.

I am really just trying to gather information about how TJ handles IEPs. I am probably going to reach out to the Special Education chair at TJ for more info since I am realizing it's too hard to get information about my child's specific needs.