This is my first time starting a thread and generally I'm a lurker so please don't flame me :001_smile: but...
I visited our public school yesterday with my DS8 to discuss the possibility of him re-enrolling there. Long story but essentially we pulled him last year and due to some family issues at the moment, DH asked that I atleast look into it.
So, in discussing the gifted program with the guidance counselor, I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but something in her explanation of acceptance criteria didn't seem "right" to me. Granted, I tend to be not very pro PS for various reasons so it is entirely possible I am reading more into this than is actually there.
She explained DS will have to take a test to see if he scores high enough for the program. Apparently there are limited spaces in the program (only 1 at the moment) and he's up for it with two other children "competing" for the spot. Right there, i was bothered by this...so if there are more gifted children than can be accommodated by the school, the rest are just SOL?:001_huh:
When I asked what happens if all 3 children score the same, she explained "we can look at other criteria" but didn't specify (dodged the question might be more accurate) and I didn't get a clear answer.
Couple all that with the explanation that because he did not finish 2nd grade in PS I will essentially have to prove that he's ready for 3rd grade and I came away from the meeting in not so great of a mood. :glare:
I wanted a better idea of the testing so I found this https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=1062070&type=1&File=6A-6.03019.doc
In reading this, it appears to me if a child falls within one of the 2 under represented groups, there is no "individually administered standardized test of intelligence." Am I understanding this correctly?
This is the first time I've looked into the gifted program here and found in talking to non HS friends with kids in the public school gifted program that they didn't really understand how their kids qualified, just that "one day the school called and said he was in the gifted program." :confused:
I've pretty much decided we will stay right where we are for now but I intend to pursue testing privately just to have a better understanding of DS needs and what I can do to help him but this whole gifted program made me wonder.