Do all of the DC elem. public schools have "gifted" programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, what are parents in DCPS doing when their kids report being bored (or uninspired) by the material? I'm not just asking about gifted children. What about bright children who are reading and/or doing math several years above grade level. In other districts, they might be taken to a higher grade level for that class or might be pulled out to work with a specialist. What about DCPS? What do they do with these advanced learners?

In our DCPS school, I know of at least one child that was allowed to skip a grade because they are extremely gifted (I think the child skipped Kindergarten) and the school also has the pull outs and the Advanced LEarning classes. I really don't see why folks are so down on DCPS. I can't imagine what else our neighborhood school can do for kids. I realize the previous post asking for the actual difference between VA and private "gifted" programs and DCPS was ridiculed, but . . . I think it was apt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What VA or DC private elementary schools have "gifted programs" ?

In the early years, I don't know of any that specifically cater to "gifted" children except Nysmith, which we did not consider. Too far away and too remote from real life for our family.

We seriously considered our neighborhood public school but it didn't seem like a great fit for several reasons. Of the private schools, many might work depending on your family's preferences and your perception of your child's strengths/needs. We looked at GDS, WIS, Maret, Sidwell, all of which seemed likely to do a great job for our particular situation. It's hard to get into any of these, even if you have an extremely precocious child. (Many of the children applying are advanced in some way, to the extent that this is a real concept for 4- and 5-year-olds.) Ended up at one of these and have been very happy. In general, for extremely bright/academic children and/or those who seem to be unusually motivated at a very young age, I would recommend language immersion programs (public, private, or charter) or schools that have a curriculum that lends itself to easy expansion and differentiation (Cap City would be one possibility to consider).

I agree with some of the other posters that it's time to move beyond the "gifted" education model. (An extreme case such as a child studying particle physics at age 7 is really outside the scope of most public schools, and as such could be handled on a case-by-case basis). Most of the"gifted" children referred to in these discussions seem to be reading and understanding Harry Potter in K, or multiplying in their heads at pre-K. While this is fantastic (I experienced it so I know!) and these kids' achievements and talents should be as celebrated as those who are soccer or singing prodigies, in a better school climate, these would not be skills that would require children to be isolated in an exclusive environment that focuses only on those with the highest IQs. Instead, it's high time to expect the highest standards of all public and private programs, and to focus on developing specialized programs (language immersion, expeditionary learning, classics) that can expand to challenge the needs of all learners.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and well reasoned opinion! Well said!

[Anonymous]

As a parent, I find the fact that so many many people are sure their kids are gifted to be tiresome. OTOH, a kid who consistently tested in the top 1% and never had access to gifted programs, I found school to be a soul crushing bore. I had, for example, history and social studies teachers in middle school who read to us from the textbook. I always read the textbook during the first couple of weeks of class, then sat in the back of the room with a novel tucked in my textbook, raising my hand to answer questions when I couldn't stand waiting for someone else to any longer.

I don't think there necessarily needs to be a different class or school, just an opportunity for kids who are ahead not to get yoked to the slowest kid in class. That's what SO many teachers don't seem to get.

[Anonymous]

Actually I think a lot of teachers do get it, but they feel their hands are tied. We had a couple of these kids that litterally were tested by Hopkins center for the gifted in the 99% and the teachers openly said they felt overwhelmed by the fact that they could not support these kids enough. They are often tough because they are so bored in classrooms. I found this recent piece interesting in terms of the type of support that would be needed.

Why gifted students can be so challenging
By Valerie Strauss
This was written by Mark Phillips, professor emeritus of secondary education at San Francisco State University and author of a monthly column on education for the Marin Independent Journal.


By Mark Phillips

What do Woody Allen and Steve Jobs have in common? Among other things (including brilliant, creative minds), they both hated school and were discipline problems.

Allen once said, “I loathed every day and regret every moment I spent in school.”

Jobs noted, “I was pretty bored at school and turned into a little tyrant.”

Who are their counterparts today? How are schools dealing today with bright, creative students who are bored out of their minds in class?

A few years ago I spent time at Eagle Rock School, a great school in Colorado for at-risk kids from all over the country that is quietly and substantially funded by the American Honda Education Corporation. I noticed that many of the best students at this very effective school were highly gifted kids with extraordinary leadership, presentation, and communication skills. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-gifted-students-can-be-so-challenging/2011/11/30/gIQA6z72IO_blog.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a single one has a gifted program in DCPS. No kidding.

Is this still the case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a single one has a gifted program in DCPS. No kidding.

Is this still the case?

I don't think that's true, although it's certainly not advertised well. The principal at our school talks about cohorts starting in 3rd grade that are pulled out for special assignments where additional challenge is needed. I don't think she's labeled it a "Gifted and Talented Program", but that sure seems like it to me.

[Anonymous]

It's called "differentiation", but your kid only gets it if the teacher isn't burned out, checked out or overwhelmed -- in other words, you're lucky if you get it in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is afraid of gifted programs. And we all know why. Everything in this town is race based.

Yep. But if they offered them in every ward, the problem would be greatly reduced. I grew up in Cleveland during the 80s, which was (is) very segregated. At the time the system was divided into districts and within each district there were schools from elementary on that offered 'gifted' classes. This helps eliminate the possibility of the gifted programs being filled largely with one demographic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a single one has a gifted program in DCPS. No kidding.

Is this still the case?

I don't think that's true, although it's certainly not advertised well. The principal at our school talks about cohorts starting in 3rd grade that are pulled out for special assignments where additional challenge is needed. I don't think she's labeled it a "Gifted and Talented Program", but that sure seems like it to me.

These alleged 'cohorts' arent the same thing as an actual program, and are done school by school, not in a truly meaningful way. DCPS does not have a GT program for elementary or middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think nation-wide there is a move away from the notion of gifted and talented. What I have seen are magnet schools that provide advanced academics so either smart or very hard working kids can get in.

I think this would suffice in most cases for most families, particularly in areas where the number of students testing high on proficiency tests is somewhat low.

[Anonymous]

It's pretty well-established that most G/T programs are not based on actual gifts/intelligence of the kids, but instead become mechanisms to track privileged kids. The biggest influence about whether a kid is characterized as gifted is the SES of the parents. So most school systems are moving away from this model to avoid class and race-based tracking inequities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a single one has a gifted program in DCPS. No kidding.

Is this still the case?

I don't think that's true, although it's certainly not advertised well. The principal at our school talks about cohorts starting in 3rd grade that are pulled out for special assignments where additional challenge is needed. I don't think she's labeled it a "Gifted and Talented Program", but that sure seems like it to me.

These alleged 'cohorts' arent the same thing as an actual program, and are done school by school, not in a truly meaningful way. DCPS does not have a GT program for elementary or middle school.

Can you explain the difference? and why it's not truly meaningful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty well-established that most G/T programs are not based on actual gifts/intelligence of the kids, but instead become mechanisms to track privileged kids. The biggest influence about whether a kid is characterized as gifted is the SES of the parents. So most school systems are moving away from this model to avoid class and race-based tracking inequities.

Well, Watkins refuses any kind of pull-outs or G/T, and so many of the brighter kids leave because they tire of looking at the ceiling. So what something positive did you accomplish by making the neighborhood move?

[Anonymous]

The entire DCPS curriculum is not about remediation, PP.

[Anonymous]

its not that eveyr parent in DCPS thinks their kid is gifred, the problem is that too many of the classes are majority underperforming kids which suck all of the teachers attention. OP, if you can buy WoTP, especially into Janney then your kid will be surrounded primarily by the top performing kids so it will almost be a like a gifted class. I don't know if my preschooler is gifted but I know for sure I dont want her in a class where half the kids are two grades behind in reading by third grade and thats was we are facing in our IB Title 1 school. Does she need a gifted class, no but the slower kids SHOULD be pulled out and put in a class that caters to their level.