Anonymous
Post 05/31/2012 19:50     Subject: Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote: Any thoughts from those who have switched in either direction or have kept one child in LLIV and one child at the CTR?
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2012 21:26     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our DC is also in a local level IV class. Just read another thread stating that in centers they differentiate in math - don't really do that in local class. Why is it that schools and Carol Horn do not disclose this?


Most local level IV schools only have one level IV class per grade, which makes further differentiation nearly impossible. Centers often have 3-5 level IV classes per grade which provides as many as 5 different math groups, language arts groups, etc.
This is discussed at most GT presentations as well on this board quite often.


Our school (Haycock) has it listed in the staff directory. You can glance down the list and see how many AAP teachers there are at each grade level.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2012 21:08     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our DC is also in a local level IV class. Just read another thread stating that in centers they differentiate in math - don't really do that in local class. Why is it that schools and Carol Horn do not disclose this?


Most local level IV schools only have one level IV class per grade, which makes further differentiation nearly impossible. Centers often have 3-5 level IV classes per grade which provides as many as 5 different math groups, language arts groups, etc.
This is discussed at most GT presentations as well on this board quite often.



They did not discuss any differentiation at the center orientation last yr.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2012 16:32     Subject: Local Level IV Quandry
Is there a place where one can see which Centers have multiple classes per grade? We were told our Center (which we chose not to attend) has only 1 class per grade. Apparently they have tossed around the idea of combining a 4/5 group to take the overflow next year when they might have just too many for one class each. (Sunrise Valley)
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2012 16:09     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:Our DC is also in a local level IV class. Just read another thread stating that in centers they differentiate in math - don't really do that in local class. Why is it that schools and Carol Horn do not disclose this?


Most local level IV schools only have one level IV class per grade, which makes further differentiation nearly impossible. Centers often have 3-5 level IV classes per grade which provides as many as 5 different math groups, language arts groups, etc.
This is discussed at most GT presentations as well on this board quite often.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2012 16:00     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Our DC is also in a local level IV class. Just read another thread stating that in centers they differentiate in math - don't really do that in local class. Why is it that schools and Carol Horn do not disclose this?
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 18:27     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:Putting kids in AAP or home schooling etc for social reasons does not teach them how to interact with the majority of the people - this is an important life lesson.


An important life lesson that can be learned when children are older than 8, 9, and 10 years of age.

Someone on another board posted far more eloquently than me about the social issue -- saying, in part:

"There are many strong opinions expressed [ ] regarding the advantages
and disadvantages of gifted students being with intellectual peers during their
entire school day. Our personal experience as GT adults with 3 GT kids is that
true GT individuals will spend their entire lives "fittting in" socially, and
that having a safe place when one is developing and growing that validates one's
innate curiosity about the world (rather than ignoring and suppressing it) is
critical to the GT child's social and emotional growth and health, as well as
their intellectual growth."

Again -- a moderately gifted child will likely find it far easier to fit in socially with not-Center-eligible children. That is less the case for highly and exceptionally gifted children.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 18:15     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
I think the lack of Science is sadly a county issue - won't be any different in a center as it is the same curriculum - except for extracurriculars such as Science Olympiad. (Dreading 4th grade where they spend a whole year learning VA state history while many of our kids know little to no world geography or history.)

As far as social issues, I think it is important that children learn to get along with each other. Putting kids in AAP or home schooling etc for social reasons does not teach them how to interact with the majority of the people - this is an important life lesson.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 18:06     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
I am 14:55. Interesting about the social situation being a better fit, this was exactly why I was thinking of moving my ds from the Local Level IV to the Center, socially, he had a really rough start to the year. I am not 100% certain on the % of those who are LLIV eligible, but honestly, after reading this forum, I wondered how many at the center are really profoundly gifted? Anyway, in our case, with ds finishing 4th, I am not certain about whether changing in 5th would be a worse social situation than at the LLIV, which we have worked through. Academically, we have been mostly happy, with the exception of the lack of science this year, which I understand is not all that uncommon, even at Centers, due to the extreme focus on the SOL's, which is a whole other topic. (but frustrating for a mom whose son LOVES science).
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 15:12     Subject: Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:After reading other threads on this forum and elsewhere, I keep seeing that people really feel there is a difference betw the Center and LLIV


Because there is -- the peer group is different.

If you are at a Local Level IV school where there are a majority of Center-eligible students remaining, your child will likely have a close-to-Center-like experience in AAP. The reverse is also true.

If your child is highly to exceptionally gifted, in the majority of cases the peer group at the Center will socially be a better fit. If your child is moderately gifted, the social grouping is less of an issue.

See this Hoagies Gifted page that describes these levels of giftedness:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm

(Personally I think profoundly gifted children are short-changed even at the Center, but I am not the parent of a profoundly gifted student, either.)
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 14:55     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
We decided to remain at a Local Level IV. We parent referred in 4th on the advice of ds's 3rd grade teacher. (was in pool but not eligible in the first go round). For us, we stayed with Local Level IV for a few reasons. Our first reason was that the school ds attended was not our neighborhood school (we were there on opt out, long story) so if we left for the center, they likely would not have allowed us to return. Also, there was a pretty high % of children from ds's school who stayed, I am not 100% sure, but I would say more than 50% of his class was Level IV eligible. I was not really hung up on the peer group issue that many talk about here. I want my son to be accustomed to being around all types of students. I had heard some very negative talk regarding the treatment of non-AAP center students at our AAP center (along the lines of "we are better than you because we are in AAP", and really did not want my son to be influenced by this behavior (and no, I do not claim to know the culture at all Centers, some may be better than others in this regard). He has always been a very strong student, and I felt that as long as he had the advanced curriculum, he would be getting the challenge, whether he was around all AAP eligible children, or AAP eligible and other bright students who can handle the advanced work. The one drawback I can see, is that with there being only 1 class per grade, he will be with the exact same students for the next few years. I recently did a bit of research into our Center though, and discovered that this past year they had one class per grade, and that these classes were huge (as is our Local Level IV). In the end, we have decided to stay.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 14:48     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for pp's reply - only problem is that site is not anonymous.


Create a new email account and post as A.Parent@gmail.com (or something like that).
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 14:39     Subject: Re:Local Level IV Quandry
Thanks for pp's reply - only problem is that site is not anonymous.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 14:35     Subject: Local Level IV Quandry
I suggest you post this question on the FCAG Yahoo group or search the archives there. Lots of opinions and experience between LLIV and Centers in that Yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fcag/
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2012 14:33     Subject: Local Level IV Quandry
Last spring DC was found eligible for level IV services and we opted to stay at our base school which has one class. (DC had high scores but in our mind is just a goofy kid who is creative and a quick thinker - not truly gifted.) We did this for a variety of reasons and against the advice of some others around us. Base school is a good school that all the neighbors love - we really want to keep our faith in its level IV class. DC has had a good experience this year, but it seems there were very few level IV kids who also chose to stay. In addition, kids who reapplied and were found eligible this year are considering transferring.

After reading other threads on this forum and elsewhere, I keep seeing that people really feel there is a difference betw the Center and LLIV (not just relating to the extracurriculars - for which DC already has enough non-academic ones to keep busy). On the one hand we feel that it can't make much of a difference at this young age and it certainly won't determine what DC makes of him/herself later - which is what is truly important. On the other hand, can't help wondering if DC is missing out on anything by staying in the base level IV classroom. Any thoughts from those who have switched in either direction or have kept one child in LLIV and one child at the CTR?