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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Does Hamm offer gifted English or Social Studies programming, does anyone know?  My child was previously identified and I can’t tell how it is structured in middle school.  TY![/quote]

Yes, there is a gifted resource specialist at each middle school who works with teachers to develop differentiated materials. You should be able to find more info (maybe a BTS night recording?) online. If not, reach out to the specialist at Hamm. Middle schools are required to cluster gifted students like they do in ES, but as far as I know math is the only subject that that actually has a separate, accelerated class (although that class isn’t necessarily totally composed of gifted identified students, and not all gifted students are placed in that class).[/quote]

Yeah, well, that's on paper.  My kids were "gifted" in multiple subjects; but nothing was done in middle school, even the clustering, until I asked for it (English, social studies). I agree on the math point, however; they're done by class as in Algebra v. pre-algebra, for example; but not necessarily by gifted identification.  And that's absolutely appropriate, IMO.  7th and 8th graders taking Algebra don't need to be separated into gifted 7th graders and gifted 8th graders taking algebra.  algebra is algebra.  But 7th grade English isn't "advanced" and 6th grade social studies isn't "advanced."  Those subjects need differentiation. [/quote]

PP here.  I should have clarified that "my asking" involved me reminding the counselor that my children are gifted in such and such but they didn't seem to be in the most engaged/productive class, and the counselor saying they will make sure they're in with the gifted cluster because they hadn't been previously.  While that may not be sufficient for some parents; there was a clear difference in the amount, depth and quality of work after this.  One kid had an IEP, which I believe is all APS sees and they're more concerned about meeting co-taught class requirements than the student being in the most appropriate class academically.  The other kid, I have no idea why they weren't placed in the gifted cluster groups before I asked.  I suspect it's focusing on the IEPs and balancing out classes taking priority over making sure gifted identifications are matched with the right classes.[/quote]

You are most likely not following this thread anymore, but thank you for this clarification.  If you do happen to see this, I’d like to know, if your reminder resulted in your children being moved during the current school year (or not until a year later)?  I agree that it seems APS is not at all following through with clustering appropriately the way their own written policy describes or demands it.  Hopefully differentiated classes in MS will help.  Thankful to the parents who set more differentiation in motion.[/quote]

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