Re: child who has difficulty "focusing." I'm not sure this would be a reason not to apply to HGC. At our HGC, there were a number of kids who were GT/LD where the LD was ADD. They definitely had focus problems, but the GT teachers were much better at handling this than the regular track teachers because they had training on the issue.

One of the classic problems with "gifted" kids is boredom/underachievement. Kids who test high and are performing poorly are showing a red flag that needs to be examined -- why are they performing poorly? Is there a learning disability issue like a language based disorder or attention deficit disorder (inattentive or hyperactive)? Is the child "not paying attention" because they are being taught something that they already learned a long time ago by themselves?

Read up on these issues by googling GT/LD and and gifted/ADD, and looking at the Hoagies gifted website.

Also, there are GT/LD materials on the MCPS website.

If a child is being put in a class without a peer and the school refuses to assign the child to a class with any peers, then that is a classic reason for HGC admission -- child is not being served by homeschool.

My dc is a fourth grader at Barnsley and we are happy with our decision. the logistics are a challenge but not an impossible one. I work part time so I drop off and pick up just so that dc's school day is not too long. Barnsley has a before and after care program and some of dc's classmates use that. You could call the MCPS transportation department and find out what the bus route might be like for your child
For dc, the biggest benefit has been having a comparable peer group. there are lots of children just like dc - bright, social, curious and ready for challenge. Most kids are reading at high school level and quite a few are above that. the curriculum is similar to what you might find at your home school but they go into more depth and detail. There is more work but very little is "busy" work. The expectations seem to be higher as well and I have been impressed by the high standard dc's teacher expects dc to attain in writing. I agree with what the previous posters have said although I would caution against sending a child who has difficulty focusing because this could cause a lot of frustration. There is a lot of work and if they can't complete it at school, they have to bring it home.
As far as the application process is concerned - we hardly did anything. There is an application - very brief and I wrote two sentences on why I thought dc might benefit from a HGC. The teachers do have to recommend the child but I really get the impression that the decisive factor is their test scores on the test they take in January.
Bottom line they are looking for a child who:
1. Has the test scores which indicate ability to handle the curriculum
2. Has the personality and study skills to cope with the work load, higher expectations and the many group projects
3. Has needs which are currently unmet in the home school
Hope that helps

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks for the input. I would love to hear other's views. We would attend Lucy Barnsley, which is not convenient. I have mixed feelings about the current school. Some of the teachers are great, some have really missed on my DC. When DC has not done well, I want the current school to be more about why DC is not doing well, rather than a focus on my DC as the problem. We have spoken to our current teacher about the application and the teacher's view of HGC. This teacher is a great teacher, but my real draw to HGC is that I don't want to worry about whether DC get's a good draw on a teacher. I did find it hard to explain on the application why HGC would be useful to my DC given all the other bright kids and given the accelerated track in the local school. At any rate, I am trying to dig up every piece of information I can. Thanks.

Not the OP, but we are also the family of a 3rd grader considering the application and we would go to Barnsley. We are interested in hearing about the Barnsley program specifically. I have learned so far that not all MCPS ES are the same in the way they implement or don't implement MCPS programs (specifically how they handle ability grouping, differentiation, implement programs like Jr. great books or william and mary, etc). Likewise, I'm assuming not all HGCs are the same. We've had a mixed bag at the home school. While there are probably a handful of peers, the school refuses to put them all together in the same classroom to form a peer group. On the other hand, Barnsley would be very inconvienent for us too (the home school is walking distance from our house), and none of the Middle school options look very attractive, so if our child got in, after 2 years at a HGC, we may just choose to go back to the home Middle School. So, Barnsley is not a perfect choice, but I'd love to hear more about that program specifically.

Do you mean none of the magnet middle school options look attractive?

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks for the input. I would love to hear other's views. We would attend Lucy Barnsley, which is not convenient. I have mixed feelings about the current school. Some of the teachers are great, some have really missed on my DC. When DC has not done well, I want the current school to be more about why DC is not doing well, rather than a focus on my DC as the problem. We have spoken to our current teacher about the application and the teacher's view of HGC. This teacher is a great teacher, but my real draw to HGC is that I don't want to worry about whether DC get's a good draw on a teacher. I did find it hard to explain on the application why HGC would be useful to my DC given all the other bright kids and given the accelerated track in the local school. At any rate, I am trying to dig up every piece of information I can. Thanks.

Not the OP, but we are also the family of a 3rd grader considering the application and we would go to Barnsley. We are interested in hearing about the Barnsley program specifically. I have learned so far that not all MCPS ES are the same in the way they implement or don't implement MCPS programs (specifically how they handle ability grouping, differentiation, implement programs like Jr. great books or william and mary, etc). Likewise, I'm assuming not all HGCs are the same. We've had a mixed bag at the home school. While there are probably a handful of peers, the school refuses to put them all together in the same classroom to form a peer group. On the other hand, Barnsley would be very inconvienent for us too (the home school is walking distance from our house), and none of the Middle school options look very attractive, so if our child got in, after 2 years at a HGC, we may just choose to go back to the home Middle School. So, Barnsley is not a perfect choice, but I'd love to hear more about that program specifically.

I attended the Pine Crest Center, it's very nice, your child is gonna love it there. The bus routes when I was there were expansive, so you shouldn't have trouble with logistics.

We love it, and DC loves it. There is more work, but it is interesting and engaging work, and DC is very happy.

Not a moment's regret here.

The logistics are doable - we are a two-working-parent family too.

It is totally worth it -- I think it's not just acceleration but a whole different approach, in terms of expectations, peers, richness of the curriculum, understanding of what these kids need .... I could go on.

Apply, and if your child gets in, I would NOT hesitate to send him or her.

OP: Sorry for any confusion. I think I am still struggling with problem definition, but it is starting to gel as I write. We have lots of indicators that our DC is gifted based on our own observations and the 2nd screening test scores (RAVEN). DC is soon taking the CTY. Our problem has been that prior to testing, some teachers complained about focus and poor results, while other teachers think DC is wonderful and shows great work. Outside of school, DC shows incredible achievement and creativity when working with parents, summer camp counselors, music teacher, etc. I do wonder if DC will do better in a more challenging environment. I wonder if some of his current school teachers don't understand him. I wonder if sometimes get's bored. As such, I appreciated the first responder. The current school is starting to do more differentiation and DC is doing great with current teacher, but I wonder if this is a game of roulette each year. That said, my original question was whether this was all worth the headaches of transportation, afterschool care, and removing DC from neighborhood friends. Another way to ask is the following: Are these schools just accelerating kids in the same way that the local schools do or is there something different about the program. I think a lot of local schools have a group of smart kids, so one can imagine that HGC is just another accelerated class of kids. I recognize that there are no right answers and and too many variables to no the right choice for certain. I was just interested in hearing of experiences at HGC to confirm or refute my hope that these programs really are great for gifted kids and worth every effort. I would be curious if anyone had a bad outcome.

I hope I haven't confused more!

OP: I am confused by what you've said. Does your DC seem to need a higher level of work?

OP here: Thanks for the input. I would love to hear other's views. We would attend Lucy Barnsley, which is not convenient. I have mixed feelings about the current school. Some of the teachers are great, some have really missed on my DC. When DC has not done well, I want the current school to be more about why DC is not doing well, rather than a focus on my DC as the problem. We have spoken to our current teacher about the application and the teacher's view of HGC. This teacher is a great teacher, but my real draw to HGC is that I don't want to worry about whether DC get's a good draw on a teacher. I did find it hard to explain on the application why HGC would be useful to my DC given all the other bright kids and given the accelerated track in the local school. At any rate, I am trying to dig up every piece of information I can. Thanks.

Are the teacher recommendations from their current third grade teachers? Do parents work on these along with the teachers or input from parents is not needed?

The application and test and teacher/school recommendations are all you do.

I don't think you can really "do" anything else -- ideally if it's the right program for your child, he or she will get in based on those things. Of course, there are not enough spots for every kid who would benefit, which stinks! But there's not much that can be done about that right now ....

You could speak to your child's teachers, let them know you are applying, and make the case why -- you want them to write good recommendations. But I think (I don't know for a fact) that the most important thing is the test, with those other factors being used as a secondary data point for kids whose test results don't clearly show eligibility.

To the pp, what else did you have to do to get your dc into the program, besides the application and test?

I think the HGC is an amazing program and we are SO glad DC made the switch.

The workload isn't really greater, but the work itself is more challenging and more interesting. It's great for DC to have a real peer group.

If your child gets in, do NOT hesitate. It is an incredible opportunity and the highest caliber elementary school environment I have seen.

(Also, if Pine Crest happens to be your center, they have a new aftercare provider that's really great.)

My DC is now a third grade applicant. He scored extremely well in the 2nd grade screening, but he is also very comfortable where he is. Both parents work, so we are scared of logistical issues like transportation and aftercare. If DC is accepted, this is going to be a tough decision. I am wondering how you feel about your decision after several months in the program. Has your child adjusted well? Is the workload any different? Is there anything that has surprised you, good or bad?