Reply to mcps 2nd grader survey

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[quote=Anonymous]They don't make the decision whether or not to label GT after the tests in 2nd grade alone.  The teachers make recommendations, and the 2nd grade survey your getting is your chance to make recommendations too.  The teachers will get together (not sure who else is pulled into that meeting) to discuss who gets the label and who doesn't.  Parents are notified via student backpack in the last days of school of second grade.

What does this get your student?  nothing.  At least at our home ES, there are no special programs for GT and the kids are evaluated on their own merits/performance for acceleration for math and reading groups.  They do this testing and choosing for the label because there's a state law that says they have to.  Maybe it's a hold over from old programs that no longer exist, I don't know.  But there's no difference in programs offered and how they treat GT kids once they're labeled and in 3rd grade.

In the fall of 3rd grade, anyone can apply for the HGC's, label or not.  They send the applications by US mail to all households with 3rd graders.  the HGC's  are schools within schools for 4th and 5th grade.  You don't have to have the gifted label or even go to MCPS schools (you do have to live within the clusters served by the HGC's - certain clusters go to certain centers.  You have to write about a one page document answering about 3 or so questions as a parent.  They want to determine if the home school meets your kid's needs.  No matter how smart your kid is, if the home school meets their needs it will lessen the chances of getting in, so think and write about how it doesn't.  They also have a test (December or January) and teachers write recommendations too.  Report cards are also taken into account, as well as things you can't see like how many kids can they take out of a certain ES and not affect the number of teachers that grade will get the next year in 4th grade.  They take about 3ish per school, but DD's school they offered spots to 5 for this academic year, and 4 accepted.

DD is in 4th grade this year at a center.  it's a great program and for the first time she's really interested in school, is learning new things and engaged.  She's making new friends, also a new experience.  She was an outsider at the Home ES.

However, don't take the decision to go lightly or as a status symbol.  It's alot of work.  We were told, I admit I didn't believe it.  The kids are doing so much more before, but it takes time and commitment by the whole family.[/quote]

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