Gifted students: Would skipping them ahead save money?
Interesting essay in Education Week about how to counter the budget cuts to gifted programs — simply accelerate the students. (You can’t get to the Ed Week piece without subscribing, but one of the authors, Richard Whitmire, has posted the piece on his own blog (whyboysfail.com).
In the essay, Whitmire and co-author Laura Vanderkam (Gifted Exchange) maintain: “Acceleration is also cheap. It costs nothing to send a 1st grader to 3rd grade for reading, or to have a 4-year-old who is already reading start kindergarten early. If a student moves through grades K-12 in 11 or 12 years, rather than 13, taxpayers save money.”
I know many adults who skipped a grade, but see it seldom now, even with children who could clearly do higher-level work. A neighbor of mine just tried to do so with her brilliant daughter but found the system was reluctant and dragged its feet so she let it go.
On the other hand, I know a family who moved to Pickens from DeKalb and the county moved both kids ahead a year. They had requested their younger child be advanced, but it was the school that assessed and moved the older child to the next grade. This was five years ago, and both are doing great socially and academically.
The argument against grade skipping is that kids suffer in the long run on the friends front because they are a year behind their more socially adroit peers.
Not so, says Vanderkam and Whitmire: “Acceleration has been well studied over the years. A 2004 University of Iowa report called ‘A Nation Deceived’ found that most of the evidence was positive. ‘Interviewed years later, an overwhelming majority of accelerated students say that acceleration was an excellent experience for them,’ wrote authors Nicholas Colangelo, Susan G. Assouline, and Miraca U.M. Gross. ‘Accelerated students feel academically challenged and socially accepted, and they do not fall prey to the boredom that plagues many highly capable students who are forced to follow the curriculum for their age-peers.’”
I have attended dozens of education conferences where researchers contend that children should not be defined or limited by their chronological age, that if fourth-graders are advanced in math, schools should place them in fifth-grade for math. Experts describe a school where classes aren’t defined by age, but by educational needs. If a student is best served in a higher level reading class, let them move up.
In the real world, school administrators tell me that it would be a logistical nightmare to flow students to different grade levels all day long.
However, it seems to me that the authors have a point about allowing capable students to condense their k-12 experience to 11 years. If Fulton can save thousands by cutting the school year by five days – see earlier post on this issue — then imagine the savings if hundreds of kids shortened their schooling by a year or two.
What do you think about grade skipping?
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59 comments Add your comment
Jeff
August 12th, 2009
11:42 am
It depends on the demographics of the kids skipped.
Ernest
August 12th, 2009
11:46 am
Are you suggesting true grade skipping or taking higher level classes? I ask because you mention both in your post. Based on the situation, it can be ‘win win’ if all parties are willing to make it work for the best interest of the student
I’m OK with grade skipping in general. The only question I would have is who decides that it should be done. Should there be a transparent criteria set up to help make that determination? A process would be needed to ensure this works properly.
mdowney
August 12th, 2009
11:52 am
Ernest, I think either one — grade skipping or moving to higher class for a specific subject — would be fine. Clearly, the greater savings would come from wholesale grade skipping, but I think there should be more flexibility across the board. I agree that this has to be done only for those students who can do the work, based on some sort of testing and on classroom performance.
Jeanne Bernish
August 12th, 2009
12:16 pm
Grade Skipping is an excellent alternative to enrichment programs for some kids and is an underused and highly cost effective intervention for high ability students. The Iowa Acceleration Scales Form (available thru Amazon) is a widely used and excellent tool to provide schools with an objective opinion regarding whether or not to accelerate. You mention “A Nation Deceived” in your post as well – important to note that it is available for FREE in print and via download from the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration at: http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/
Thanks for the thought provoking post!
lyncoln
August 12th, 2009
12:37 pm
I have no problems with grade skipping. I spent all of 1st grade walking to a 2nd grade classroom for math and then rejoining my class at lunch afterwards. After that I usually stayed in the classroom and the classroom teacher just provided different assignments/instruction for me and other advanced math students and we did individual work while the rest of the class received normal math education. By middle school there were enough advanced math students that we were formed into a 7th grade Algebra class, 8th grade Geometry class, and took Algebra 2 in 9th grade. I finished AP Calculus in 11th grade and took a half year of independent study of Discrete Math my senior year before taking tennis/badminton for my spring semester. I probably would have hated my school experience if I wasn’t accelerated in mathematics.
I would be surprised that a school doesn’t want to provide accelerated education to advanced students in various subjects. I would certainly hope that most schools will consider offering options like this to their students. If not, there seems to be a problem in the ability of a school to provide class schedules that really can provide the best possible education.
mdowney
August 12th, 2009
12:42 pm
Lyncoln, Did you attend a local Georgia system?
I think options for advanced courses expand in middle and high school— although there doesn’t seem to be much zest for letting academically advanced middle schoolers take courses at the high school. I know that geographical distance is an obstacle if the middle and high schools are at opposite ends of the county. But the state’s virtual high school could help with that.
Camille
August 12th, 2009
12:51 pm
I absolutely agree with grade skipping, but not for financial reasons. I have a friend whose daughter just started kindergarten. The daughter has a late birthday, so she will be 6 this coming November. When tested during the registration process to determine teacher placement, she scored well above the average child entering kindergarten, however, they would not place her in 1st grade, only in 1st grade reading.
I have another friend whose twin daughters transferred from private to public school this year (for financial reasons). They also have a late birthday, but the private school had placed them in the grade with the other kids their age (regardless of the public school cutoff date). So, where they would have been in 1st grade this year at the private school, the public school has placed them back into kindergarten and would not budge on accelerating them. The private school that they had attended was excellent with elementary-level kids in that the curriculum was more advanced than at the public schools (my oldest son attended this school for elementary school). This particular mom stated that she was told they would not accelerate her girls because of some GA law that states that for K and 1st grade, the children must be of the appropriate age and cannot be accelerated, no matter what.
Two situations where children that should be accelerated will not be, for reasons that neither I nor the above-mentioned parents understand.
Ernest
August 12th, 2009
1:07 pm
lyncoln, based on your experiences when would you say is the best time to skip a grade? Many children enter Pre-K or Kindergarten with a GREAT foundation, some even reading. Would it be a good idea to have an ‘entrance’ exam to assist with placement, for parents that may want to move their child ahead?
Good information by Jeanne regarding the existence of the Iowa Acceleration Scales Form. Maybe we simply need to recommend a policy to provide this opportunity for students that meet a specific criteria for grade skipping.
Dragonlady
August 12th, 2009
1:16 pm
I have a student right now who has moved a year ahead of her classmates in English. She is right at the top of my class, closely competing with one other excellent student.
In our system it isn’t often done, but the administration is amenable to moving ahead in certain classes. I haven’t seen much grade skipping.
David S
August 12th, 2009
1:19 pm
I skipped 2nd grade, but thankfully I was in a school that was in the business of teaching kids what they were ready to learn and not burdened by the bureaucratic inflexibility of the government school system. By the way, it was Montessori.
I was in a classroom that held multiple grades. We all learned at our own pace, had the opportunity to assist others with the work (the best measure of true and complete learning is whether or not you can teach it to others), and so the process of advancing through the 2nd and into the 3rd without wasting a year of class time was perfectly natural. It never even occurred to me that a grade had been skipped until I moved to a different school and suddenly found myself in classes with kids at least a year older than me. Again, not a problem because that school was full of outstanding achievers and learning was the goal, not fitting into a pre-defined mold.
The government school system and the kids it indoctrinates are so uncomfortable with individual achievement and personal success that I would be very reluctant to encourage such a skip for a child.
Such a proposal only shows how desperate a bureaucracy can become when its abject waste is finally catching up to it. The proposal is about cost savings instead of doing what’s right for the child. Any school that was forced to compete in a free market would have just the opposite agenda, but one should never assume that the purpose of government schools is education.
Parents, stop fighting with the schools to care about your kid. Get them out, send them to a responsible private school or better yet, homeschool them. They only get 12 years to lay the foundation for their lives. Don’t let the system ruin them.
Dunwoody Mom
August 12th, 2009
1:33 pm
How do we define “gifted”?
Nick
August 12th, 2009
1:38 pm
Grade skipping sounds great if kids are truely gifted. the problem though is not just about academics, these kids remain the youngest in their classes throughout school and may have difficulties coping with older kids, particularly when they approach their teens. I was one such kid who was very gifted. My parents refused to send me to a higher grade, despite the recommendation of the school. Years later, I do not regret that my parents declined. I am grateful I stayed in my class and have done very well.
Seen it all
August 12th, 2009
2:06 pm
Jeff, why does the grade skipping “depend on the demographics?” What does the race of the student have anything to do with whether or not they are ready to do higher level work?
Boy, you must have had quite an experience when you were teaching? Was it like this:
http://martynemko.blogspot.com/2009/06/white-teacher-speaks-out-what-is-it.html
Another reason why you need to hire the right teachers. Just because you come out of a college of education and are proclaimed a teacher means that you are suitable for any teaching environment. Lots and lots of people go into lower income, working class, black, and Hispanic schools and end up causing more problems than solving them.
Molly
August 12th, 2009
2:12 pm
My daughter skipped 2nd grade in a DeKalb County school. She is currently in 6th and an excellent student. We have encountered no problems, either academically or socially. DeKalb County does have a formal policy which includes using the Iowa Acceleration Scale to evaluate students objectively and determine whether grade skipping is an appropriate option. Acceleration (either single subject or whole grade) is considered a “best practice” for providing an appropriate education to gifted students.
Ernest
August 12th, 2009
2:12 pm
Dunwoody Mom,
The link below provides some information about Georgia’s definition of gifted:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/160-4-2-.38.pdf?p=4BE1EECF99CD364EA5554055463F1FBB77B0B70FECF5942E12E123FE4810FFF53501CAAE8CB828385D2BCE08D0A1A4EA&Type=D
For more information, try entering ‘Gifted Students Georgia’ in your favorite search engine for more information.
Virginia Girl
August 12th, 2009
2:17 pm
I skipped 1st grade, and had a summer birthday to boot, so I was almost 2 years younger than some of my classmates. I spent grades 5-8 being bullied, with the primary pretext being that I was not as physically developed as my classmates. I would never accelerate either of my children.
On the other hand, I do not think that the question of acceleration is going to come up because my children attend a public Montessori school in DeKalb Cty. My second-grader entered 1st grade reading on the 5th grade level, yet her teacher has done an excellent job keeping her challenged and simultaneously laying the foundation for the content areas where she is not quite so far ahead. The multi-age classroom and individualized learning of the Montessori approach makes that possible.
No child is exactly on grade level for every subject. The traditional teacher-centered classroom, with a county-wide pacing guide written by some bureaucrat at headquarters, does every child, not just gifted and talented ones, a disservice.
Autumn
August 12th, 2009
2:25 pm
I am homeschoolnig because the Gwinnett school my daughter attended would not let her skip a grade or go to higher classes. She has an IQ of 160 and scored on a 6th grade level for verbal reasoning when she was 5 and not even in Kindergarden yet. The school said they could put her in a class by herself instead! She spent most of her first 6 weeks of K teaching the other kids to read or in the office copy room alone for talking out of turn. So I teach her at home now. Too bad for the school. It is a failing school and could really have used her test scores to boost them up. Every profoundly gifted kid I know is home schooled if the parents can not afford private school.
Molly
August 12th, 2009
2:53 pm
Virginia Girl – my daughter was in a public Montessori program in DeKalb County when she skipped a grade. While I agree that the multi-aged classroom and individualized approach in a Montessori program eliminates some of the urgency for a grade skip, I still found that my daughter blossomed in ways I hadn’t been able to foresee when she was placed in a grade with children who were nearer her academic level.
lyncoln
August 12th, 2009
3:13 pm
Maureen, I attended school in Gwinnett county and graduated HS in 1996.
I agree, there seems to be a dislike in sending MS students to HS for advanced classes. I’m guessing more of a worry about bullying, social issues, etc. If the student is taking an advanced class, they can probably handle an honors level course — and in an honors level class I would think the probability of bullying would go down.
Ernest, since I never skipped a full grade, but only math, I would think sometime in elementary school would be better to skip a grade. I had 2 friends in 2nd grade who were skipped up midyear and they seemed to have no problems with the transition.
Kindergarden seems as if it could be too early for many students. This is because I view Kindergarden as the year a young student learns what is expected of being in school: sharing, being quiet when the teacher is explaining something, following directions, standing in line to walk in the halls, etc. along with some basic knowledge. Once the ground work of expected behavior is established then the student gets the chance to be accelerated so that they learn material at a properly challenging level.
Teacher, Too
August 12th, 2009
3:37 pm
Off-Topic Alert
Maureen,
Can we blog about districts stressing technology and requiring teachers to use technology, but then not funding the maintenance on it?
This is just one example: We have laptops for students to use, but the batteries are now failing, and it seems as though the county has not budgeted for new laptop batteries. There aren’t enough outlets for students to plug in their laptops– so now what used to be enough laptops for a class is almost rendered unusable because the batteries aren’t being replaced.
Maybe the questions that ought to be asked (and some bloggers have alluded to them already) are: what technology do we (as teachers and students) need to have, and is there/will there be money to update/maintain it? Some of the new technology is wonderful, but does it really improve education that much? (Smart boards are nice, but are they necessary– or is it just another gimmecky thing to try and keep kids’ attention?)
I’m aggravated today because several of the laptops on the cart have batteries that need replacing. With the tight economy, I’m fully expecting to be told that there is no money for new batteries…
mdowney
August 12th, 2009
3:40 pm
Teacher, Too: Sure, I will write that up as a topic – using your experience – and go with it later today. Maureen
Skeptic
August 12th, 2009
3:49 pm
I have taught “gifted” students. Many of these students are indeed accelerated in at least one area. The issue that I have comes from students that are a part of the gifted program for a school and have NO BUSINESS there. As a Cobb County teacher I have taught students who were included into the program during a year where the enrollment was particularly low. The issue though is that some students were included that did NOT qualify. *Getting these students out of the program was impossible (PTA moms). During this particular year my 5th grade “gifted” student came to me reading on the 2nd grade level. Well documented. This student had not passed the CRCT in the 3rd grade (pass/fail year) and was in serious jeopardy of meeting the same fate for 5th grade. The administrators, parents and gifted teacher faught me all year. I insisted that the student work very hard so that I would not need to recommend retention (which I would have done). The catch is that the student performed very well in math (until 5th grade). By this grade level, math relies heavily on vocabulary and word problems. His grades in math slid because he could not read/comprehend on the 5th grade level. Cases such as this are why I would seriously only recommend acceleration when there are tests that verify the student’s abilities. As an aside, this same school’s gifted teacher does not accept students who she does not care for (behavioral issues, parents, etc.). I have taught students who scored well within the appropriate range only for her to indicate that they did not make it. The criteria needs to be set outside of the immediate school setting. Politics get in the way of students entering the gifted program. Likewise, other students are included in gifted education that clearly should not be.
Cere
August 12th, 2009
4:22 pm
My nephew in the midwest is now off to college (next week) but he is truly a gifted person. They handled his education at his school (along with a small group of students like him) by pulling them out of class for a full day once a week. The students did special projects like building racing go-carts and rockets and such – chemistry experiments, very hands-on stuff. Of course, they were also responsible for maintaining the classwork of the day as homework. In addition, his siblings are both gifted artists and they take art class with upperclassmen – 2 grade levels ahead. It’s a very mix and match approach and seems to work well and nobody makes much of a big deal about it.
When I was in high school, I actually volunteered at a home for severely disabled children once a week – drove myself there and everything. My senior year I attended college half days. My sister went to our very wonderful vocational high school for horticulture and went on to get a degree in landscape architecture from Ohio State. See – when you have choices and flexibility – it’s a good thing.
Conversely, my cousin attended a nearby large city school district that was pretty rough. He had no support at home and no school program to engage him in a job skill. My parents tried to help, but it was too little too late. He’s been in state prison on and off for the last 25 years.
DeKalb offers magnet programs for high achievers and dual enrollment with many area colleges and many of our students take advantage of these. However, I’d love to see more vocational alternatives – we have too many kids falling through a very large crack.
ScienceTeacher671
August 12th, 2009
5:49 pm
When my oldest son was in primary grades, the students who were ahead were allowed to go to upper grade classes for reading and math. This worked well. When he reached upper elementary, the school decreed that all students in the same grade should be taught at the same level. My son and a few others who were advanced were bored out of their skins, and the lower level students were totally lost.
I don’t know if skipping gifted students ahead would save money, but I think teaching all students at the same level and rate based on their age makes about as much sense as giving all students of the same age the same size shoes.
mdowney
August 12th, 2009
6:06 pm
ScienceTeacher671, What about differential learning? I hear about it all the time, but is it really happening? How easy it is to face a room of 27 students and teach to each’s ability?
Molly
August 12th, 2009
6:22 pm
Maureen – Elementary schools talk a lot about differentiated instruction, but very few teachers have both the time and the skills to make it happen in any meaningful way. Mostly, it seems to be an excuse for not providing an appropriate level class for gifted kids. For most gifted kids, so called differentiated instruction means reading a book or doing busy work worksheets while the rest of the class works on something they mastered long ago. Especially in a heterogenously grouped elementary class, it is ridiculous to expect a teacher to meet the needs of the students on grade level, those who need remedial instruction and a child who is several years ahead of grade level. Given the pressure of standardized test scores, it is easy to guess which child’s needs get ignored.
it's a joke
August 12th, 2009
6:44 pm
Differentiated instruction is a joke. It’s nearly impossible to implement properly and extremely difficult off well. For most teachers, differentiated instruction mainly consists of either giving kids more choices of projects (remember your Postermania column?? A lot of that stems from differentiation) or simplifying tests by eliminating one or two multiple choice answers for kis who struggle.
Cere
August 12th, 2009
6:52 pm
My son was identified as gifted. In the third grade his teacher thought it was a good idea for him to “help” other students with their work. Not long after, I – not the teacher – got a phone call from an upset mother asking me to ask my son to stop helping her son – that he needed to do his work on his own…. sigh!
Lee
August 12th, 2009
7:02 pm
When we pulled our daughter out of public schools and placed her in private school in the 7th grade, there were several of her classes in which the class was comprised of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders – all depending upon their level of accomplishment. The next year, there were several of her classmates that got pulled out and went “up the hill” to the upper school for certain classes.
Public schools could do the same, but first, they will have to slay the sacred cows of equality and age/grade grouping.
Tony
August 12th, 2009
7:21 pm
Lee’s idea is dead on – eliminate age/grade grouping. This is done simply for convenience. It has nothing to do with learning. Kids move to the next level when ready.
Skipping a grade is okay. Parents and teachers should work together to decide. I have seen children ready to move ahead but parents wanted the social experiences for the child. I have seen parents push for children to be skipped ahead that were by no means even close to being ready for such a major change.
Our gifted children are a precious resource that receive little attention from our current educational programs. Special education departments soak up the resources of most school systems because of the entitlement status granted through federal legislation and court precedents.
catlady
August 12th, 2009
8:09 pm
I think more should be done for the truly gifted, as well. Currently we have too many who are gifted because their parents are pests. There would have to be a very special way of identifying those who could be bumped up a year.
In the small school my children attended, they were sent up 2 grades for reading, starting in kindergarten. This worked well in most ways, although my son at 5 was NOT as mature as a 7 year old! His handwriting, for example, was much worse. I am aware of 3 other students being sent up for classes over the years. Nowadays there would be parents hounding the school for their children to be bumped up, if it were widely common.
I DO think schools have room to be more flexible. With many schools’ reading programs, kids who are advanced in reading can work with other high-achieving kids on more difficult levels, but not with older students.
I would like to see as much effort and expense go into the advanced kids as we pour into the unable/unwilling. I do note, however, that at my school the gifted are the only ones still pulled out–the ESOL, BD, MR, and LD are served in the regular classroom (or not served).
CC
August 12th, 2009
8:11 pm
I think children should start school on their original start dates instead of letting parents hold their children out a year. My child is one of the youngest in his class and in the gifted program and some children in his grade and gifted classes are close to a year older than him. They should not be in gifted classes they should be in the class they should have started with.
catlady
August 12th, 2009
8:17 pm
Maureen@6:06: How difficult is it to juggle 27 objects at one time, including knives, balls, fire, liquid, etc, some of which have NO INTENTION/INCLINATION to be juggled? That’s what “differentiated instruction” is like.
ScienceTeacher671
August 12th, 2009
8:21 pm
I agree with the others, differentiated instruction is a joke. When I was a child, most elementary teachers seemed fairly good at it, but (1) I’m not sure those skills are taught in education school any more, (2) all the students are supposed to be at least able to pass the CRCT or EOCT at the end of the year, and (3) I don’t think the discipline is good enough in most schools for the “bluebirds” to work quietly at their seatwork while teacher works with the “redbirds”.
At our school, at least the gifted students can take honors and AP courses for more challenge than they would receive in the regular classes…the kids who need remedial help get totally left behind. According to their committee promotion papers, they’re supposed to receive differentiated instruction in high school to help them catch up — and I can help them understand science, but there’s no way a kid reading at a 3rd or 4th grade level is going to be able to comprehend & pass the science EOCTs or GHSGT.
Cere
August 12th, 2009
8:22 pm
It’s wild to think that since it’s become politically incorrect to sort students by ability, we’ve instead decided that it’s acceptable and appropriate for teachers to teach to all levels at once. Isn’t that really the same thing but different?
ScienceTeacher671
August 12th, 2009
8:24 pm
#*@&# blog monster.
Gwinnett Fred
August 12th, 2009
8:41 pm
Way back when (talking 1967), I went to the first half of the school year to 1st grade classes and the second half of the school year to 2nd grade classes.
I hardly consider myself “gifted” but had gone to kindergarden in Atlanta Schools and 1st grade in Gwinnett. Now remember, we’re talking 1967. My kindergarden classes in Atlanta were the equivalent of 1st grade in Gwinnett at that time, so I’d finish earlier than everybody and start conversations with those that hadn’t finished – they had to do something with me, so they kicked me up a grade and monitored me and all went well.
The danger of this is that other kids, especially in the early years, will sure consider you “different” and I had more than one rock fight (again, this was back when you learned things growing up without helments, knee pads, etc.).
As everything turned out – I finished out school year by year after that, got a BS degree at Georgia College (now GC&SU) and everything turned out fine.
My feeling about it as someone that’s “been there” as well as a father of two – forget doing it to save taxpayer money as you would have to advance so many to really save anymoney and the qualifications would become ridiculous and parents would scream all the way to the school board that their little Johnny or Suzy should have been moved forward.
Remember, teachers are already under the gun to pass every kid to avoid lawsuits – so where do you think this dangling carrot will lead along those lines???
Fran
August 12th, 2009
8:46 pm
I am an old lady and did not attend K. When I started 1st grade, I was reading at 4th grade level. I was at least second grade level in math and they moved me up. I did not know how to write lower case letters and had to drill on that after being moved up. All would have gone well except my mom (who later said it was a mistake) insisted that I dress my age and I went to Jr. High with dresses at mid-thigh while all of my girl classmates wore their dresses at mid-calf – too bad there was no dress code then.
Jan
August 12th, 2009
8:59 pm
I think grade skipping should be used to advance students not being academically challenged in their current grade level. I graduated from high school at 16 and college at 19. I was accepted into law school, and finished at 21. It certainly did not hurt me either socially or academically, and I never felt pressured or deprived. I have five grandchildren, all in academically advanced programs in their schools, but no one seems to believe in grade skipping today. My grandson, a third grader this year, did fourth grade math and sixth grade reading last year, as a second grader, but could not be placed in an advanced placement program until he was in third grade, in spite of the fact that it was a challenge to keep him interested in his second grade classroom. I feel it is a disservice to the student to keep them in an environment below their academic level.
mdowney
August 12th, 2009
9:10 pm
Catlady, I think this may be the best capsule summary I have ever seen: “Maureen@6:06: How difficult is it to juggle 27 objects at one time, including knives, balls, fire, liquid, etc, some of which have NO INTENTION/INCLINATION to be juggled? That’s what “differentiated instruction” is like.”
Also, ScienceTeacer671, Your comment was lodged in the filter and is back up – no idea why as there is nothing in it that should have trigged the filter.
Seen it all
August 12th, 2009
9:35 pm
That’s one of the issue I have had with gifted instruction in GA. The criteria for entry is SUBJECTIVE. The schools let in whomever they want, be it due to teacher preference for a particular student or parent pressure. We also know that in middle class schools, the gifted program is really a “I’m special and you’re not” club.
BehindEnemyLines
August 12th, 2009
10:03 pm
As someone who was skipped (mid-year no less) nearly 30 years ago, I’m generally in favor of it in cases where the academic ability level solidly justifies it. That said, having complete 5th/6th grade in the same year, I would definitely say the younger it can be done the better. Socially I’d say the older the switch is made the more difficult it would usually be.
FulCo teach
August 12th, 2009
10:36 pm
Two articles – quick reads but SO true. Visit Hoagie’s Gifted for lots of info on gifted children.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/what_would.htm
http://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm
Also, visit Georgia Association for Gifted Children’s web page for local information.
http://www.gagc.org/
There ARE definite criteria for identification of the intellectually gifted in Georgia – if principals choose to bypass – or ignore – those, you have a LOCAL problem (hint, hint). Just like a principal can decide that a student will be skipped at her school over her dead body (she’s still alive). The incredible emphasis in our state on local school control can be SCARY.
That said, Fulton can be very flexible with acceleration. Several students I know personally were (and are) bussed to high school for accelerated math; for some it happened automatically, in other cases parents had to advocate strongly. I know one school in Gwinnett did accelerate in math but rumor is that they “discouraged” it when the new middle school was built and the students could no longer walk from the middle school to the high school next door.
MBW
August 12th, 2009
10:39 pm
Sad that it takes a budget crisis to force schools to think about doing what’s right for the student. If the student can handle it, I say let them move ahead.
It allows attention to be focused on the kids that need the help instead of dividing up the teacher’s attention to keep the advanced students busy/entertained.
teacher and parent
August 12th, 2009
11:14 pm
I can’t stress how much I would like to see more flexibility and less “one size fits all” mentality – and if it saves money, then hey, that’s golden!
Who said that kids who are the same calendar year have exactly the same qualities? Who said formal (k-12) education had to take 13 years, divided perfectly into semesters & quarters? Who said gifted kids should have to work more, not more in depth ?
One of the hugest problems I have is the pull-out method in elementary which leaves the kids having to do their regular work that they missed – and why do we only let the gifted kids dissect sharks? Don’t people think that that might be a great learning activity for everyone? Get rid of the special classes, enrich everyone’s experience, and let the kids work at their level – if that means a 2nd grader gets to go to a 5th grade class for reading, then let him or her go! Let middle schoolers go to the high school for advanced classes, or make it easier for them to access online content. If a kid is capable of finishing HS by 14 – LET THEM.
Gifted students: Would skipping them ahead save money? | Get Schooled
August 13th, 2009
3:02 am
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S White
August 13th, 2009
5:25 am
I grew up in California, where skipping wasn’t allowed. After attending a private school for pre-school through fourth grade, I entered a public school for fifth grade well ahead of my class. Instead of skipping me to the next grade, they “just put me in 6th grade classes.” So… in the 6th grade, I was taking Junior High classes, and so on. In high school, I decided to complete four years of education in three years so I could get “back on track.” I graduated at 16 after completing the 11th grade.
I never felt I missed out socially, and I wasn’t bullied. I actually liked the fact that I stood out by being younger than my peers (although I couldn’t even have a glass of wine to celebrate my college graduation
. Not only was it great from a perspective of getting out of high school (which was so boring it was ridiculous), but I was also able to graduate from college at 20 and start WORKING and PAYING TAXES a year ahead of my peers, which is also great from a tax/economy standpoint. Also, moving to GA to attend college at 16 put me in a different age category of friends, which in turned caused me to do other things early, such as purchasing my first home. So it has a great long-term effect. I would recommend skipping a grade (or two) not just for the cost-saving at the public school level, but for the other reasons mentioned above as well.
hbshep
August 13th, 2009
8:55 am
Demographics has no bearings in this case. The childs ability to perform is the key component. Their social skills will in time evolve. My child skipped a grade and ended his school career as a semifinalist for the National Merit as well as becoming an AP scholar who recieved a full scholarship to a distinguised college and is doing quite well. We had to fight to get there but it was well worth it.No one understood our plight and no one tried to help. Yet, we were victorious…I am still applauding my child to this day!!!
Pjj3
August 13th, 2009
2:51 pm
I am the mother of three id gifted children. It has been necessary to have been a vocal and passionate advocate to some degree with all three. My middle son was the first child to be whole-grade accelerated using the Iowa Acceleration Scale in our rural N. Georgia county (three years ago). He skipped from 3rd to 5th and it worked beautifully in his case. He went on from 5th grade into independent school for 6th and 7th grade. No problems and he had a wonderful start to his middle school career. However, the economy prevents us from continuing to pay the tuition. We have moved him back to the public system and he is now repeating curriculum/lessons already covered in the independent school. It was very rewarding to see him thrive in the small classroom environment. I would encourage parents interested in this to download A Nation Deceived and to insist that school officials utilize the Iowa Acceleration Scale to determine whether your child will be a good candidate for any type of acceleration. Don’t give up. Stand up for your child. You are his/her only advocate. I am happy to talk anyone about our experiences.
Gwinnett citizen
August 13th, 2009
6:37 pm
If we returned to the previous criteria of using nationally normed achievement test scores (ie ITBS) and mental abilities test scores (ie CogAT) exculusively, we wouldn’t have so many kids in the gifted program who don’t belong. This subjective “motivation” and “creativity” testing is nonsense. I teach gifted kids and see their scores. In addition, students should have to requalify for the gifted program periodically (maybe every 2 years or so). We have middle school kids in the gifted program who qualified on the basis of first grade test scores. Their 3rd and 5th grade CogAT and ITBS scores do not support their placement in the gifted program, yet we keep them in with the attitude “once gifted, always gifted.” If we are to keep our gifted programming top notch, the kids we serve need to be top notch. That would save money right there–decrease program size and only serve the ones who truly belong. The rest of them hold the really bright students back.
Gwinnett citizen
August 13th, 2009
6:38 pm
Oops–I meant “exclusively” for you spelling Nazis
cricket
August 13th, 2009
6:44 pm
Don’t bother having grades. Just let them leave when they finish the highest level of River Deep or Academy of Math. Oh wait, we will need computer batteries.
mom
August 15th, 2009
3:58 pm
My daughter attends school in Cobb County. She was full grade accelertated, skipping 2nd grade, and now is in 7th. She still performs at the top of her class and is on the small size. She has no issues with bullies because of her size or development. Cobb County follows the Iowa Acceleration Process. The clincher is it is up to the principal of the school.
I agree with Gwinnet Citizen on the testing for gifted children. I’ve seen children in the program that scored in the 20% on the ITBS yet scored well on creativity and motivation. I’m not sure that child is properly placed with the child scoring in the 99%. It’s all about money. There is additional money alloted for those children placed in gifted but it doesn’t have to be spent on the gifted program.
Many of the schools claim they can differeniate instead of acceleration. I’m not sure why when the teachers seldom follow through on the claim. I’ve spoken to several teachers and they say they just don’t have the time. They must meet the needs of the under performing kids but no one checks on the above performing kids so they let them slide.
maureen – instead of a blog how about some real reporting on what GA is doing for the gifted/advance child. Are they really having their needs met? Read A Nation Deceived, it’s excellent and very much an eye opener.
Rosie
August 16th, 2009
10:41 pm
Every teacher should be providing differentiated instruction (Ha!Ha!). As a poster stated earlier, who has the time. Differentiation is a joke and something developed by someone out of the classroom for way too long. What happens in a workplace when one person is smarter than the other employess? Smart person usually promoted and others are left in the same jobs until they show improvement. Acceleration happens in the real world so why not in schools. Acceleration might provide much need motivations for those left behind. Why should children have to sit in a class waiting for others to catch up? Why not move all children ahead when they are ready.
Babs4reason
August 17th, 2009
11:37 am
My oldest daughter is highly gifted in math. In October of her 1st grade year, the teacher tested her and she made 100% on the end of first grade test. Curious, the teacher gave her the end of second grade test and she scored a 90%. The teacher told me this with a smile, and I could only think that my poor child would sit through 2 years of math and learn nothing. They did NOT advance her. This was in Gwinnett, and we are in Fayette now. She is now a senior and in AP classes but is still bored and says the courses are too slow. She is becoming apathetic. I believe that the public schools are failing the brightest children. I understand that “gifted” encompasses a huge range of learning but these children are literally being bored out of their minds. They really need to be separated from the other children. She used to asked me why the teachers repeat everything 10 times when she got it the first time. Imagine spending your days like that – I know I did. It is the equivalent of throwing a “slow” child into a regular class, and is equally a poor fit.
Mom
August 17th, 2009
1:43 pm
My child is gifted, and she is in gifted program now,
I am not sure if it’s a good idea to move your child to higher grade because he/she is intelectually advance. Later in future I am not sure if she will be ready psychologicall, emotionally, physically to cope with other classmates who are older than her.
P S
August 24th, 2009
7:40 pm
My son was born after the deadline (has to be six by Sept) for grade 1. However, the school (Gwinnett county) put my son in Grade 2 because he had already completed his grade 1 in his montessori school which has an integrated curriculum. They promised me about differential teaching and is currently being tested for the Gifted program. I would also like to know if the accelerated math curriculum taught to him is similar to grade skipping or is is it just a pace difference?
Aisha
September 2nd, 2009
9:54 am
Great blog! We are trying to figure out the best way to go with our 4-year old daughter. Currently she is in pre-kindergarten but her teachers and we feel that academically she is ready for 1st grade. We dont know if we should go private school route or public school and insist that she is tested on the scale to be placed in higher math and reading classes or even a higher grade. The work that she gets from school is not challenging AT ALL. I have to teach her at home and give her work that my son who is second grade does. Decisions, decisions…
kate
September 16th, 2009
10:16 pm
I am disappointed with our education system. My son turned 5 in May, can read on a first grade level, has beaten every Reader Rabbit and Jump Start Game we have let him play for “fun”, he tells time, and learned to play chess when he was 4. Now he is attending public Kindergarten. My husband and I spoke to his teacher prior to him starting school to ensure he would be challenged and she was very excited to have such a “helper” in her class. On his first week of school he gave us a paper where his name was written on the top in pen by the teacher assistant and he had successfully traced the letter “A” (which is in his name). When asked why he did not write his name; he said that none of the other kids knew how to write their names. It is so sad. The teacher and principal claim they will evaluate him and then “see what else they can do” after the first report card….In NOVEMBER.