APS — gifted tracking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

In theory this might seem okay but we're talking about kids. I assume you're here reading the comments because you have some type of problem with your own kids either directly or indirectly. Imagine if you told one of your kids that they don't have to do chores all day while another one of your kids had to do all the chores. Then you spend all your time as a parent hanging out with the kid who doesn't have to do chores and give praise to them while admonishing the other for not finishing up all their chores. This is what the push-in classroom is like for gifted kids. Instead of being in a class with kids only of a certain caliber that push each other upward, they spend a lot of time feeling resentful that other kids have it easy while they are being graded seemingly on a stricter scale because their work is supposedly harder. Gifted children are expected to suck it up and act more mature or be more understanding of less smart kids who are often troublemakers simply because they are more intelligent and this does lead to lifelong consequences such as trying less hard or giving up to try and fit in with the rest of the class to try and get the attention of teachers. It's a struggle that shouldn't exist but we've experienced this at all three levels of schooling at APS.

PP here and no I'm not reading the comments because I have a problem with my own kid (or others). I just happened across the thread and was interested in reading the various opinions. My (gifted) kid hasn't complained about any differential treatment or expectations. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just saying it hasn't been expressed to me.

Theoretically don't the intensified/AP classes sort this out a bit at the MS and HS levels? I know the option for everyone to take them is there, but I assume there is at least some self selection that happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

Upper elementary doesn't have reading groups. They all do the CKLA curriculum, so the same assignments from workbooks. There are no books assigned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

Math choice boards aren't allowed to go beyond the current grade's SOL standards so there is a huge cap to the differentiation. If your kid is doing 2 digit subtraction in 2nd grade, teachers can't put three digit subtraction on a choice board because that's a 3rd grade standard. They can only give more 2 digit subtraction problems. Kids can't work ahead. It's an APS policy.

My experience is that my kids finish their math early and spend a big chunk of math time reading or helping the teacher collate and staple packets or doing other classroom chores. My 2nd grader came home proud that she'd made 63 packets yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

Upper elementary doesn't have reading groups. They all do the CKLA curriculum, so the same assignments from workbooks. There are no books assigned.

My kid’s ES has “book club” and the kids are assigned different books to read and discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

Upper elementary doesn't have reading groups. They all do the CKLA curriculum, so the same assignments from workbooks. There are no books assigned.

My kid’s ES has “book club” and the kids are assigned different books to read and discuss.

That's not the APS curriculum. It's something not offered at other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

Upper elementary doesn't have reading groups. They all do the CKLA curriculum, so the same assignments from workbooks. There are no books assigned.

My kid’s ES has “book club” and the kids are assigned different books to read and discuss.

That's not the APS curriculum. It's something not offered at other schools.

PP here and I guess that points to the problem of different implementation across schools. I'll say, though, that I never would have known there were different reading groups/assigned books from my kid. I heard about it by happenstance.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is doing 2 digit subtraction in 2nd grade, teachers can't put three digit subtraction on a choice board because that's a 3rd grade standard. They can only give more 2 digit subtraction problems. Kids can't work ahead. It's an APS policy.

We've run into this issue. I don't understand what differentiated instruction for gifted learners is supposed to mean, if not working above grade level. We use Beast Academy at home, and we love it - the idea is supposed to be that it goes deeper on SOL standards and develops mathematical intuition. But when my kid has asked her teacher for help practicing something she learned in Beast Academy, her teacher has said no, that's next year's SOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If your kid is doing 2 digit subtraction in 2nd grade, teachers can't put three digit subtraction on a choice board because that's a 3rd grade standard. They can only give more 2 digit subtraction problems. Kids can't work ahead. It's an APS policy.

We've run into this issue. I don't understand what differentiated instruction for gifted learners is supposed to mean, if not working above grade level. We use Beast Academy at home, and we love it - the idea is supposed to be that it goes deeper on SOL standards and develops mathematical intuition. But when my kid has asked her teacher for help practicing something she learned in Beast Academy, her teacher has said no, that's next year's SOL.

I think math is probably its own separate issue, but my understanding of how APS does intensified/gifted for other subjects (at least based on theoretical options in MS) is that they are looking to expand higher level thinking/critical analysis moreso than going faster/above grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If your kid is doing 2 digit subtraction in 2nd grade, teachers can't put three digit subtraction on a choice board because that's a 3rd grade standard. They can only give more 2 digit subtraction problems. Kids can't work ahead. It's an APS policy.

We've run into this issue. I don't understand what differentiated instruction for gifted learners is supposed to mean, if not working above grade level. We use Beast Academy at home, and we love it - the idea is supposed to be that it goes deeper on SOL standards and develops mathematical intuition. But when my kid has asked her teacher for help practicing something she learned in Beast Academy, her teacher has said no, that's next year's SOL.

I think math is probably its own separate issue, but my understanding of how APS does intensified/gifted for other subjects (at least based on theoretical options in MS) is that they are looking to expand higher level thinking/critical analysis moreso than going faster/above grade level.

That’s just weasel words to pretend you’ve then “critical thinkings” tasks rather than developing a gifted curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for math and reading it’s easier to differentiate to some degree, at least in upper elementary. Math gets choice boards and reading they assign books in small groups and the books aren’t the same across groups so my assumption is that the novel assignment/grouping is deliberate. No idea how it might be done with other subjects.

In theory this might seem okay but we're talking about kids. I assume you're here reading the comments because you have some type of problem with your own kids either directly or indirectly. Imagine if you told one of your kids that they don't have to do chores all day while another one of your kids had to do all the chores. Then you spend all your time as a parent hanging out with the kid who doesn't have to do chores and give praise to them while admonishing the other for not finishing up all their chores. This is what the push-in classroom is like for gifted kids. Instead of being in a class with kids only of a certain caliber that push each other upward, they spend a lot of time feeling resentful that other kids have it easy while they are being graded seemingly on a stricter scale because their work is supposedly harder. Gifted children are expected to suck it up and act more mature or be more understanding of less smart kids who are often troublemakers simply because they are more intelligent and this does lead to lifelong consequences such as trying less hard or giving up to try and fit in with the rest of the class to try and get the attention of teachers. It's a struggle that shouldn't exist but we've experienced this at all three levels of schooling at APS.

PP here and no I'm not reading the comments because I have a problem with my own kid (or others). I just happened across the thread and was interested in reading the various opinions. My (gifted) kid hasn't complained about any differential treatment or expectations. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just saying it hasn't been expressed to me.

Theoretically don't the intensified/AP classes sort this out a bit at the MS and HS levels? I know the option for everyone to take them is there, but I assume there is at least some self selection that happens.

Yes, in theory you are correct. But not how it happens at H-B as explained in this thread as well as other H-B threads on the forum.