Moving to a district with different cut-off dates: BTDT advice?

[TiredX2]

We are contemplating an out of state move.  One state under consideration has the same cut-off date (well, one day off) the other is off by several months.  If you have been in this position, did you keep your child in their current grade or move them to the new "correct" age grade?

The extra considerations we have are as follows:

1) DS has an 8/31 birthday.  Our district has an 8/31 cut-off and we actually had him retained for social reasons in 2nd grade (so he wouldn't be by far the youngest anymore.  He went to being the 3rd oldest, instead)

2) The new state (CA) has a December cut-off so he would be much older than many of the kids

3) He is currently in a full time gifted program, so he will have completed the curriculum for the grade ahead already.

4) It does not appear that there will be a full-time gifted program in the public schools where we are headed.

5) DS says his preference is 1) stay in the same grade, full-time gifted.  If there is not a full time program, he would rather 2) move to be the right age. 

Any input?  Any luck moving kids around.  It will be great for DD if we move there, because suddenly she'll be less than a month young for grade instead of 4 months young.

[Linda on the move]

I'm a little confused.

What grade is your son in THIS year, and what grade(s)s are you considering for next year?

If you are considering a jump, such as moving from 3rd straight to 5th, that's something you'll have to get cleared with the school. Those cut offs are really for K and 1st, and irrelevant after that. If the work he is doing this year is really for the next grade up, I'd request something from the school in writing to prove that if you will need to advocate for a grade skip over the summer break. Gifted programs don't always just do a the next grade up, and I suspect that if you want to skip a grade, you'll have to present a very solid case for it -- advocating for a skip grade rather than assuming that you can just show and enroll.

Is red-shirting common where you are going? Because in many places, he still wouldn't be old for grade because so many boys are red-shirted. 

We've moved a lot and in the older grades, the ages can get pretty diverse between kids who moved and had different cut off, kids who've been retained, and kids who've skipped. Just his birthday really means nothing to me at this point. I would consider which grade is most likely more appropriate for him content wise.

With my own DD who has an October B-day, we left her in the grade she is old for on our last move even though we were offered a skip based on her core skills and IQ. For her, it came down to personally and temparment. She is quirky, both gifted and autistic, and in her case the longer in the protected, hand-holding environment, the better.

[TiredX2]

Red-shirting is fairly common where we are.  We put him in at normal kinder age and he did great.  When he was in 2nd grade, though, he was in a 1st/2nd split and it ended up that two of the 1st graders were older than him and most of the 2nd graders were 6+ months older than him.  It made him seem really young and brought out a lot of anxiety.

He is now one of the very oldest 3rd graders in a 3/4 split and it is working out well (so he is right in the middle age wise).

His program works a minimum of one year ahead in all subjects.  We would be considering putting him in 5th grade next year (after finishing 3rd this year).  Most academics have never been an issue, though writen expression and spelling are not his strong subjects.  His last teacher was actually concerned with the disparity between his spelling/basic writing skills and his others.  Spelling was definatley his weakness, but it was still like 78th%.  Most of his other skills, though, are much higher (he hit the ceiling on some of the components).

I don't know if red-shirting is common where we would be moving. 

[whatsnextmom]

No experience moving to different state with different cut-offs but can comment on CA schools. Red-shirting is pretty widespread throughout the state. We live in a middle class area and yet there were two kids in DS's kindergarten class that turned 7 the same school year he turned 5. Both my kids are young for grade and we are grateful for it but be aware there are pockets where extreme red-shirting is in practice.

I'd take a look at the differences in standards. CA gets slammed for having low test scores but what many don't realize is that CA also  tests on higher level material for grade than most other states. It might be good to check out your prospective school website for standards and see how they line up with the district you are currently in..... make sure that a "year up" is actually a year up in the school you are looking into. 

Not having a full-time GATE program might not be an issue depending on the specific school and their flexibility. I would make sure your testing methods line up with the district you are moving into. The districts in my county won't take a GATE transfer from another district if they weren't tested using the same measure. Your DS might have to re-test to qualify. I have two that test in the HG+ range and they've done well with moderate to no gifted programming. The nice this about CA is that magnet and charter schools are very popular and so you might have some interesting choices.

[umsami]

We faced it, but because of the state's policy had no choice.  DS1 did Pre-K in NY which has a Dec 31st (or maybe Dec 1) cut off.  We then moved to Florida which would not let him enter Kindy, because they have a Sept 1st cut-off.  DS1 was already reading, but it didn't matter.  So, we homeschooled for what would have been his Kindy year, and then he entered Kindy in Florida.  He was bored out of his mind, but liked his friends.  We then moved back to NY where is one of the eldest in his class.  He's definitely beyond his peers, and his teacher has given him a box of materials at a higher level for him to use.  I think socially he's in the right level, but not academically.  I wonder if moving ahead a year might be more challenging, and thus lead to less behavior issues.

Honestly, I don't know what I'd do if I was you.  I think I'd probably put him in the next grade (3rd)...but talk with the school about possibly having him skip to the next year if it seems too easy.  I think that would be better than the potential of having to drop down to a lower grade.

[monkeybars]

FWIW, Ca recently passed legislation changing the cut off date for kindergarten enrollment.  Over the next few years it will eventually be at Sept. instead of Dec. (I believe).  Even though this won't directly affect your child who has already  gone half way through elementary, the school environment will eventually lean towards older kids.  Also, most gifted programs don't start here until 4th grade since state testing happens in 3rd.  What city are you moving to?  Some areas, particularly more affluent, will have a lot of red-shirting and your son might be right on track at the grade he is at.  Good luck whatever you decide.

[whatsnextmom]

Just to let you know, that legislation has come up before in CA but it never seems to stick. That was supposed to happen in years ago with all schools being sep 5 cut-off by 2005 but it didn't happen. It was set to happen to start rolling back a couple years ago and again, no go. Basically, I wouldn't plan too much around this.

Originally Posted by monkeybars 

FWIW, Ca recently passed legislation changing the cut off date for kindergarten enrollment.  Over the next few years it will eventually be at Sept. instead of Dec. (I believe).  Even though this won't directly affect your child who has already  gone half way through elementary, the school environment will eventually lean towards older kids.  Also, most gifted programs don't start here until 4th grade since state testing happens in 3rd.  What city are you moving to?  Some areas, particularly more affluent, will have a lot of red-shirting and your son might be right on track at the grade he is at.  Good luck whatever you decide.