New to DC, looking for a school for my "gifted" son (Kindergarten)

[Anonymous]

My family is moving to the DC area in August and I am looking for info on where we might move to based on what might be a good school for my son. He is four (Sept birthday) but has an "individual education plan" from another state that recommends that he start school this year. (His pediatrician recommended that he get tested and he scored very highly. He is very big for his age, and can read, write, do math problems, etc., but he is not super-social, which I doubt will change radically with time.)

I don't expect we will stay in the area for more than 2-3 years. My husband and I are both laid-back, and we value living in a leafy environment (could be urban but we like to be able to walk around in an area with green space). We will be renting and don't have a huge budget. I will be working downtown (Smithsonian).

If anyone has any ideas or tips, I would be grateful.

[Anonymous]

Let him work on his social skills. "First things first."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let him work on his social skills. "First things first."

Tend to agree with this. If he's truly ready socially go ahead, but definitely focus on that piece, and be aware that there is a decent amount of redshirting so he will likely be in a class with children who turned 6 over the summer. I have girls so it may be a different social dynamic, but while our academically advanced rising 1st grader could have handled the curriculum just fine a year earlier, the social aspect would have been too much.

Also - just wanted to point out that AAP is Virgina (and I believe Fairfax) specific, so if you're open to more geographic areas you might post in the more general forum.

[Anonymous]

If you already have an IEP, you know what his45 issues are. I wouldn't push DS. PP is correct that many schools and parents "red shirt" kids here so it is very true that your son will be placed into a grade with much older kids. You want his first school experience to be very positive. Being the youngest, shy or socially behind the other kids may harm his self-esteem. One kid in our school had to repeat Kindergarten and it was devastating for him. Be very careful about pushing. Fairfax county is good with IEPs at the lower levels.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. He does have an IEP, and the team decided that it would be good for him to go to school. He wants to go to school and will be crushed if he can't. It isn't an issue of us pushing him, or of him improving socially before he goes to school... He enjoys being with older kids but younger ones running around freak him out. The team that evaluated him suggested that many kids that are gifted are socially awkward and would rather pursue their interests quietly.

I probably should have clarified that what I was asking for was advice about a school where he might fit in. Somewhere with a gifted program or maybe Montessori?

Thanks for the tip that this forum is for Fairfax. I may try posting elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

How high is high?

In this area, there is a very high concentration of kids who test at or above national standard levels for gifted identification, both in the gifted or AAP program and in the general ed population.

The standards for gifted placement are much higher than in the rest of the country.

For example, one of my children scored 97% nationally on the qualifying tests for the AAP program. This score, which would have placed her in any other gifted program in the country, was too low for Fairfax County and more than a few points below the cut off. When the scores were separated for just Fairfax county, the same 97% national scores were below 90% in Fairfax County. My child is one of many kids who did not qualify for gifted services here, in spite of scores that would have been a lock in other states.

That will give you an idea of the level of achievement in this area. It might be dramatically different than the state where you are coming from. The skills you describe seem typical for many kids in this area. It sounds trite, but it is true. Given the limited description you included, your child will very likely have a decent sized peer group starting on time, and quite possibly a bit behind if he starts early.

My other child qualified for gifted services in two other states before coming to this area. In the other states, even starting school a week after turning five, this child was heads and shoulders above other kids in the same grade, and often receiving independent work or was just grouped with one or two other kids.

This kid has test scores in the upper 99% range.

In Fairfax County, my kid who was an anomaly in all other schools attended, has a definite peer group of many kids who are around the same level of achievement. There is also a smaller yet reasonable group of kids performing above my kid. In Fairfax County, this kid who was alone or one of two throughout all other school years, is at what I would consider the bottom of the top here.

I think that unless your kid is a real intellectual freak/savant type learner, then waiting to enroll in kindergarten on time will not be a waste for him. He will have a definite intellectual peer group if you are in any of the 10 or so high achieving pyramids. He will have the opportunity to learn and grow. He is more likely to have a positive experience starting on time than he will starting as a 4 year old with kids who are almost 6 or going to turn 7 by the end of the summer.

You need to research the average test scores for this area and compare them to your son's. Likely, he is not an outlier but fairly typical.

You also might consider that test scores on a four year old are often very fluid and unreliable. You would hate to set up his entire school career based off scores that may or may not remain stable as he continues in school.

[Anonymous]

I know in DC and Virginia the cut-off for K is to turn 5 before Sept 30th.

I am not sure what Maryland rules are.

If you are considering Virginia, I am uncertain if all counties / all schools have full day K. You probablby want to investigate that.

[Anonymous]

OP,

To test in early for K, a child has to be advanced in all areas not just academic, but social as well. If you're looking for a public school, I'd say there's is no chance they will admit a 4 year old to K no matter how gifted academically he is.

There are lots of preschools with jr. K programs though, some more academically focused. The DC area is pretty huge. Are you going to be living in DC proper, MD, VA? If MD or VA any idea which county/town?

Also, if he has an IEP at 4, there's more going on than just being gifted academically. What else is going on, OP?

[Anonymous]

19:26 here.

Something else to consider, socially, after the initial adjustment period, odds are that your kid will be fine. But what if he is not? There is a large gifted cohort in this area, so your kid will likely have other quirky, freakishly smart, socially slower kids in a cohort here.

But what about other places? What if he remains socially behind? What if he is fine for a bit, but in fifth or sixth grade when bullying starts hard core, what if he is still wanting to build Legos, and all the other kids are talking about sex? Or ostracizing him because he just doesn't get their newly budding teen/tween humor?

My off the charts kid experienced this at the end of elementary. It is tough. It affected this child's confidence. It changed how this kid reacts to new people and new situations. And this is a kid who up until this point was socially normal, very confident and outgoing, and somewhat popular. The early teen years are very harsh, and kids are more worldly at an earlier age than they used to be. If we have any regrets about starting this kid at the age we did, it would be that transition into the junior high years. Academically, the kid was ready by far. Socially, the kid was fine.

What happened later when the 10-11 year old was wanting to be a kid when the 12-13 year old classmates wanted to be teens made for a very difficult school year.

[Anonymous]

If he's 4 and has a September bday, he absolutely goes to K, no questions asked. Then he turns 5 the first month of school. But from what I've seen of IEP/profound giftedness at the pre 3rd grade level in Fairfax County: nonexistent (he may be placed in a higher level for reading and math--maybe).

[Anonymous]

OP here. I do believe he is "gifted". People who are knowledgeable and who I trust have suggested it since he was about two. I don't know what tests are given in the DC area to be able to compare, but the state where he was tested has low levels of proficiency, so maybe his scores are inflated relative to kids in the DC area? (His were generally high (98 to >99.9th percentile) but one was low (81st).) My main goal is for my boy to be happy. I don't really care about the "gifted" thing, but I want him to feel comfortable, which it sounds like he may be in this area. He may have further social issues when he is older but I will worry about them when and if they occur. He is very tall and does well with older kids so I think holding him back would be a disaster at this point. So, I am glad that he may be eligible for school somewhere in the region. I will check out the details of the various systems. Thank you!

Also, if he has an IEP at 4, there's more going on than just being gifted academically. What else is going on, OP?

I am not sure what you mean by "What else is going on, OP?". It was his doctor who suggested "psycho-educational" testing after she talked to him at a "well child" appointment. I agreed to the tests because he wouldn't make the cut-off for school in the area where we thought we would be living, but his peers in the area where we have been living will be going to school this year.

We don't have any particular constraints on where we will live, except that our incomes will be modest (think research fellow and librarian). One of us will be downtown--"The Mall"--one is looking for a position. That is why I was wondering about schools, so I could start narrowing down the possibilities of where to look.

[Anonymous]

I am confused. He turns five in September? Then he makes the cutoff for K - which is 9/30. So what is the question?

[Anonymous]

A PP back. Since you make the cutoff and he will be going on time, and you will be moving again in a few years, I would suggest posting in the real estate forum with your budget and asking what neighborhoods have really strong / high performing elementary schools that work for your budget and commute. But that may get you more of the answers you need.

[Anonymous]

At Kindergarten level, most schools do not have a gifted program- too early. There are schools that differentiate - which is what you should focus on. As for him going ON TIME and not redshirsting (a boy) like the trend here- you are not alone but you may see boys who are a year older (annoying trend here). I guess- just got for a school that has good feedback and scores- at kindergarten, first and second grade, public schools in Fairfax county do not offer any gifted program. They have gifted "services" but that really varies per school and I would not count on this happening daily per our experience.

[Anonymous]

Maryland has a 9/1 cut-off. The testing period is over. Not sure if you can still try to test in. Or, you go private.