there are also GT/LD programs in middle school (N. Bethesda and 2 others) and high school (Walter Johnson, not sure if there's another)

Anonymous wrote:Special instruction and/or enrichment in all academic areas as appropriate - their academic work day is broken up into reading (some kids do the Wilson program, some do words their way), writing (a big challenge for all of the kids in my child's class - keyboarding encouraged; not totally clear about how explicit the writing instruction is yet), math (wide range of levels), science, social studies. Also support with executive function and organization skills, attention, minor social/emotional, etc. We're new so we're no as well versed as others but we strongly sense that they care and that they are committed and that's a big deal to us. We're taking it a year at a time.

"They care and ... are committed". Yes, I would say that is the MOST important part.

Special instruction and/or enrichment in all academic areas as appropriate - their academic work day is broken up into reading (some kids do the Wilson program, some do words their way), writing (a big challenge for all of the kids in my child's class - keyboarding encouraged; not totally clear about how explicit the writing instruction is yet), math (wide range of levels), science, social studies. Also support with executive function and organization skills, attention, minor social/emotional, etc. We're new so we're no as well versed as others but we strongly sense that they care and that they are committed and that's a big deal to us. We're taking it a year at a time.

My son attends the GTLD program at Barnsley ES. The classrooms are self contained and the kids stay together all day. I think the special instruction hours work out to about 22/30, everything except lunch/recess and specials like PE, art, etc. From what I understand, they used to do things differently - they mainstreamed the kids in areas that weren't addressed in their IEPs so that they might only be in the GTLD classroom for one subject, for example. Although it's been a HUGE adjustment for my child, I'm very happy with the current arrangement - the teachers get him, his strengths and challenges, and they're much better equipped to deal with it there than in a typical classroom of 28 kids or whatever. He has 10 in his class right now, mix of 3rd/4th graders.

How do they work in mcps? How many hours of specialized instruction do the kids get in elementary and in what?