Fordham study, "High Achieving Students in an Era of NCLB"

Posted in

Read how high performing students make much smaller gains than low performers and teacher perceptions that high performers are left to fend for themselves. Add this report to A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Best Students and get off your butts and begin to DEMAND that your child recieve an APPROPRIATE education. Your kids need YOU. This is no new surprise to informed parents. It has been a travesty that has been going unchecked for years and unfortunately too many parents have agrred to poor service fo rtheir child. Posted by a parent advocate who has been invited to speak to her state's House Committee and serve on the state's first Gifted Advisory Committee

You must be a member of this group to post a reply.

Parent Replies to "Fordham study, "High Achieving Students in an Era of NCLB""

View 9 replies: Newest-Oldest, Oldest-Newest
Display all replies

Sforsmo,
You have raised some terrific issues. First, for the easier one.. GW is not concerned with gifted ed. He budgets zero dollars for it. NCLB is not concerned with the gifted either. Many states offer NOTHING. The best way I know to increase accountability in gifted education is to become well informed about growth, testing, and the rights afforded you in your state. If you can get a great educational plan written in my state, that is one major step. Since states differ, I cannot give you much advice as to doing it best in your state. Reading alot of website articles and seeking aid from the Davidson Institute comes to mind as starters as well as hookingup with your state advocacy group if
it is effective. College professors may be useful allies.
I try to spread the word to other parents because it may have to be their knowledge that creates appropriate learning situations for their gifted child when policies do not create a need within schools for provision of
our children's development to potential. There is also
a national organization, NAGC. The parents of the gifted, imho, have been far too happy with bad deals for their children. They must insist that their child is as deserving as any other student group to make adequate growth for having attended school for 180 days as a most capable learner.

It seems to me that at some point this issue of high achieving students will have to become a federal mandate instead of a state one. If Bush could ram No Child Left Behind down our throats, then why not support gifted education with a national commitment. I know, hand it over to the feds and it will only become a bigger bureaucracy but I'm open to suggestions. How do we make the state government oversee the DELIVERY (not just a mandate) and quality of gifted ed. That is my question.

tmspears14,

Believe me when I say the transportation issue is worth it. My son is in an excellent self contained gifted class and I drive 20 miles each way (and then 20 more + to my school where I teach) every day. This year is the best he's had. You will thank yourself later and your child will thank you too. Good luck.

Some schools and some teachers seem to have it right. My daughter just started second grade- even though our district doesn't start the official "gifted and talented" program until third grade her school has a "high achievement cluster" class for first and second grade. This is in a very diverse school whose main focus is "closing the achievement gap".

Last night was back to school night and her teacher discussed the routine. They follow the standard district curriculum but do a pre-test and only work on those areas that the students need. She said that they typically finish the week's curricula in two or three days then move on to more enriching activities. No rote drilling of facts they already know. Lots of reading, lots or writing, blending all subjects. By year's end she expects to have every student in the class reading at least two years above grade level and most a year above in math.

They also have very free-form homework. She mentioned that last time she checked Harvard doesn't require evidence of repetitive homework for second graders as part of the admission progress.

We're looking toward a great year. I don't see why other schools insist on randomly lumping all the kids together regardless of their educational level. That just seems like a good way to frustrate and/or bore everyone- students and teachers.

Debora,
Your post sounds like it may be frighfully common in our nation and serves as a great reason why parents must become as informed and strong as advocates for their child's opportunity to learn. It is impossible for me to give broad advice as gifted ed is a state mandate so each state has its specific guidelines. A state advocacy agency may be of help. Good luck.

Return to group discussion board >

1 2 Next >

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of GreatSchools. GreatSchools does not check for accuracy in community posts or verify the contributor’s identity. If you are searching for health-related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Community Guidelines for more details.