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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Bump.

We are moving from FCPS to APS next year. One kid will be starting in 7th grade. Super bright kid but struggles with EF (ADHD).

He will be taking algebra but we are wondering about the intensified classes. It sounds like they cover the same material but just more work/extensions. He can handle the content but not sure we want to push it with additional (unnecessary) assignments/homework. But maybe it’s a social differentiator?

What are most 7th grade kids doing next year? Are most of the “smart” kids take intensified?

And 8th grade history goes on HS transcript so intensified matters for that class? [/quote]

"Social differentiator"??!!! Is that how you choose classes for your child?
Your child should take the classes that are most appropriate for THEM regardless of what other kids are taking. Taking a too-challenging course (especially something like math) just because the other kids are does not serve a child well. 
Both of my kids were "gifted" in math but chose to stay with the grade-level pathway progression. Math isn't their passion and they preferred to challenge themselves in subjects of greater interest to them. They were still friends with their peers who took the accelerated math pathway.[/quote]

Parents at certain middles schools want kids to be in intensified classes to they can self-segregate from the general population. Same reason a lot of folks pick choice schools. It's the thought that kids from these schools will come from involved families, good home life, not be the kids picking fights or doing drugs. That sort of thing. [/quote]

It has nothing to do with kids from "involved families". Just [b]trying to get a feel for how many kids who are capable of intensified classes are actually taking the intensified classes. [/b]

My kid is drawn to nerdier kids. Will he meet any in the regular classes? Or are they all taking intensified?

If he didn't struggle to get assignments in on time, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to put him in intensified. But he does and we are trying to determine if it's "worth it" to take on extra load for little benefit. 
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I don't understand why this is a criteria for you. If other capable kids are not challenging themselves, you would not encourage your child to challenge himself? And if they are over-challenging themselves, would you encourage him to over-challenge himself?

Nevertheless, I'll say this: my son was not a good student, didn't like school generally, did the work when he was interested in it and didn't if he wasn't. As far as grades are concerned, which class level he was in wouldn't have made (and for the most part did not make) a bit of difference  BUT! being in the intensified classes whenever possible was absolutely better for him. The slow - and I mean S L O W - pace of general ed classes is unbearable for a bright kid and does not generally have much of a possibility of sparking any interest, just making school even more boring.

So, I don't know your kid; but if he's intellectually ready for the intensified version, that's what he's probably best taking. He may or may not continue to not turn his work in on time, but he'll learn more. [/quote]

Thanks to the PPs for the last few posts. Very helpful.

We will think through it more - there are certainly advantages to having DS be challenged. And work on EF skills.

As for the social aspect, [b]we were concerned that if he's meeting a bunch of kids who probably won't be intensified in HS he'll have to make a whole new set of friends then.[/b] It's just a lot of social change in a few years so hoping to line him up with some possible friends who he'd be around for the next few years. [b]But obviously friend groups aren't strictly academic and they can shift over the years so it probably doesn't really matter. [/b]
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Absolutely. This is going to happen anyway. Some of those friends may go to an option program in high school. Of my son's social group of 6 or 7 kids in 8th grade, only one other ended up at our neighborhood high school with him. While they did start out with one class together (world language continued from middle school), they otherwise didn't see or interact with each other and the other kid dropped the class mid-year.

There is no guarantee your son will be in any classes with any of his friends - or even have the same lunch period - when he starts high school.
If he is interested in a sport or band that starts practice in the summer before school begins, that's the #1 best way to start high school. Especially band where you have band camp for a few weeks and get to know several kids from every grade level, increasing the chances of seeing a familiar and friendly face throughout the building throughout your day when school begins.

Again, based on our experience with intensified and gen ed classes, I'd recommend the intensified.

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