Why does DCPS ignore advanced learners in ES?

[Anonymous]

There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

[Anonymous]

^^which school PP? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think reading 2 grades above level is likely 'average' in high SES school districts and not exactly something to write home about.

we just got an eval back from KK that evaluated dc for a possible learning disability. Reading levels etc were ranked by grade - he is in 2nd. His reading level was that of a 5th 1/2 grader, comprehension 5th nothing below 4th, yet he gets "3s'" on each report card until the last and is not in the highest level reading group but rather in the middle of the alphabet.

My dd is in Z - the highest reading level - in 4th. So I tend to agree with this assessment that kids are judged relative to each other. I had no idea that my child was reading above grade level - I was frustrated and angry as all hell that I could not get him to advance the way his sib had. But the benefit of this is they identify problems that might be ignored at other schools because dc is passing every subject but clearly has a problem with math......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

Differentiation works best when you are talking about a mild range in performance.
However, when you have a class with kids significantly below grade level the wheels start to fall off. If the lowest students cannot access the curriculum than that is, naturally where the attention and focus go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

Differentiation works best when you are talking about a mild range in performance.
However, when you have a class with kids significantly below grade level the wheels start to fall off. If the lowest students cannot access the curriculum than that is, naturally where the attention and focus go.

PP, I have to agree with you. I'm not a teacher, but that speaks common sense to me. When you're on the highway, there are maximum speeds and minimum speeds, and if you're not within that range you are adversely affecting the majority. High speeders need a G & T, and local road-types need extra aides/counselling. I'm willing to bet my DD is not necessarily a G & T, or at least not yet, but DD needs a classroom where the majority are within a range where differentiation can occur effectively versus being ignored and concentrating on the bottom.

Someone mentioned that a G & T child in the class was FARM. That's excellent, and it goes to show G & T is for everyone who is there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

Murch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

Murch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think reading 2 grades above level is likely 'average' in high SES school districts and not exactly something to write home about.

we just got an eval back from KK that evaluated dc for a possible learning disability. Reading levels etc were ranked by grade - he is in 2nd. His reading level was that of a 5th 1/2 grader, comprehension 5th nothing below 4th, yet he gets "3s'" on each report card until the last and is not in the highest level reading group but rather in the middle of the alphabet.

My dd is in Z - the highest reading level - in 4th. So I tend to agree with this assessment that kids are judged relative to each other. I had no idea that my child was reading above grade level - I was frustrated and angry as all hell that I could not get him to advance the way his sib had. But the benefit of this is they identify problems that might be ignored at other schools because dc is passing every subject but clearly has a problem with math......

Are dd and dc in any advanced reading programs at your school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's excellent differentiation at my kids' JKLMM school; it is a particular focus of the principal's, and he has sent teachers for training to ensure they are able to teach kids at different levels in the same room. Both of my kids are advanced in reading--one reading 4+ grades above his grade level--and they are both challenged and engaged.

I'd much rather have my kids in diverse classrooms where each kid is taught as his/her level than in a pull-out G&T program.

If you are in a JKLM school then its really a different issue. By and large, the entire class is high SES and prepared to learn.

[Anonymous]

I think families often mistake advanced reading for being gifted, particularly if the kid is coming from a vocabulary/literature rich home with educated parents.

That said, I think it would be wise for DCPS to create center schools, sort of like Moco or FCPS's gifted centers. You could designate one or two schools in each ward that would have gifted and talented classrooms. Ideally they'd pick schools with low IB population where there is room for extra classes.

For example ward 3 could designate Eaton, Walls @FS for ward 2, ward 1 could have Marie reed. You'd have to pay for busing though.

[Anonymous]

I think this is an excellent idea, but somehow doubt it could happen.

[Anonymous]

It would be too easy, DCPS won't do it then. Look at how they are destroying SWW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is not being challenged = my kid is around too many other kids with behavior issues. As a teacher what I love this year is that all my high SES parents threaten to leave because of lack of rigor- when the only truly advanced kid I have is FARMS. The real question is , if DCPs really did g&t how would all the parents react when they realized their kid was just average.

I think it is a shame that that one advanced child in your class doesn't get additional resources. My suspicion is that the powers that be at DCPS think that the G&T classes would be filled with white kids. I'm pretty certain they would be the opposite. I wish they would try this out -- it would shut up the helicopter parents and give some students from hard backgrounds a real chance to excel.

Here here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is not being challenged = my kid is around too many other kids with behavior issues. As a teacher what I love this year is that all my high SES parents threaten to leave because of lack of rigor- when the only truly advanced kid I have is FARMS. The real question is , if DCPs really did g&t how would all the parents react when they realized their kid was just average.

I think it is a shame that that one advanced child in your class doesn't get additional resources. My suspicion is that the powers that be at DCPS think that the G&T classes would be filled with white kids. I'm pretty certain they would be the opposite. I wish they would try this out -- it would shut up the helicopter parents and give some students from hard backgrounds a real chance to excel.

Here here!

Depends on the criteria and approval process for getting kids qualified into the program. It's interesting to compare Moco to FCPS. Moco's HGC has remained a very small program while FCPS's has become enormous, I think because parents have the power to apeal, pay for outside testing etc so it's easier to game the system and get your kid in. I think if the latter type of program was implemented in DCPS then you'd have a really unbalanced population in the gifted and talented. If the program was kept intentionally small and looked for children who are legitimately gifted (ie the top 3-5%) then you'd get a more representative population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much does it matter to be 'challenged' at school as a kid?
I feel like I was never really challenged until grad school, and it was fine for me. I had more time to do other things, reading other books I liked, going places with my parents w/o stressing about homework, etc.

Me too! That said I went to an excellent public school - lack of challenge is one thing, but at least the school was safe, and reasonably stimulating.