Process for grade advancement

[mishmamma]

HI, I guess I joined a dying forum...anyhow, I have a son who started Kindergarten last week. He comes from 3 years in a Montessori school and has already mastered the Kindergarten curriculum set for the year.   I live in Illinois and was wondering if anyone knows the procedure to get him tested out of Kindergarten.  The pace of the material presented is frustratingly slow and rudimentary.  I have been warned that our school district makes it painfully difficult (and very mysterious) but, it can be done.  

Can anyone point me in the right direction?  

Thanks!

[JollyGG]

Don't know why you think this forum is dying. Just be a little bit patient.

I did grade skip my son and will be back to give you more info about our experience. But I'm at work right now and don't have time to write much.

Check out http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/acceleration.htm for lots of great information. Also look at the Iowa Acceleration Scale - http://www.amazon.com/Iowa-Acceleration-Scale-Manual-Whole-Grade/dp/0910707553/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314653533&sr=8-1

[mishmamma]

Thank you!  Any additional information you have would be greatly appreciated!  I apologize for the dying forum comment--I noticed a disclosure statement on the top of this page indicating that questions would only be accepted until August 30, 2011.  I will be patient  :)  Thanks so much for your response.  I am just trying to figure out the right thing to do for my son.  I am not even kidding you when I tell you his 'homework' today was to practice saying the 's' sound....he's been able to read for over 2 years. 

[whatsnextmom]

I believe routes to acceleration can vary from district to district... even school to school. In our district, there is no official path to acceleration. It's on a case by case basis. My DD was moved to first grade after winter break. She was 2 to 5 grade levels all around. She completed the K and 1st grade math curriculum the first few weeks of school. She was not only reading 5th grade level novels easily but was also an advanced writer (about 4th grade level.) The teacher did try several different accomodations which all failed. Eventually, the principal called me in and reccomended a grade skip. We were unsure and so asked that DD start with subject accelerations. She went to 1st in the morning and then returned to Kindie after lunch. Within a week, DD was begging to stay in 1st and so she did. Acceleration didn't solve the academic issues. DD has continued to need additional subject acceleration, differentiation, and gifted/honors/advanced courses. However, it improved everything including the social environment. She's a sophmore in high school and doing great.

My youngest was reccomended for acceleration by his teacher but we rejected it. He was only 4 when he started K in a very high red-shirting district (there were kids in his K class that turned 7 the same school year he turned 5.) He was only about 2 to 3 years advanced. We instead moved him into a language immersion school with accelerated academics. He has an additional subject acceleration in math. He's heading into middle school and we have no regrets.

So, those are our stories with acceleration. The kids were reccomended based on proven ability. I do want to say that it's totally normal for kindergarten to start that easy. They do so on purpose. In our district, they start with letters but by February, they are writing 3 or 4 sentances on presidents and most are reading. It may not be as high as you want it but the overall objectives may not seem as low as they seem at the moment.

[JollyGG]

Here is a thread I started when I was getting ready to contemplate a grade skip for my son. You can see the process we went through.

[MJB]

Well, a few things:

First, if school started last week it is really too early to know how things will work out. My son started 1st grade last week, and every day so far has complained that everything is really easy and boring, but I know that his teacher is aware of his abilities and plans to challenge him. They are busy doing assessments on all the kids right now. 

Second, I think kindergarten is a really important year. My guy may or may not have learned anything in kindergarten (he had also been reading for years and was reading several grade levels ahead at the start of K) but he had a good time, made new friends, and learned what school is like. They had toys in the classroom and had lots of time for playing, singing, and running around outside. There were a lot of special rituals just for them and they got to eat in a smaller room off the cafeteria. 

We did discuss grade acceleration mid-year and it is still something we may have to consider in the future, but I am glad that my son got to have a wonderful kindergarten year even if he wasn't academically challenged at all. 

Furthermore, I know in the schools here, kids are expected to know a long list of sight words and be able to sound out easy readers by winter break in kindergarten. What they are doing now is probably just a review for most or all of the kids. 

Is your son unhappy in school? Do you think a more academic, sit at your desk all day 1st grade would make him happier?

[JollyGG]

As a couple others have mentioned, if you do decide to do a grade skip I would give careful consideration to when to do it. My son skipped 1st. We ended up with some pretty significant gaps in his writing ability. Some of that was fine motor skills and some was just missing that 1st grade focus on learning to write. We were hesitant to skip K for all of the reasons MJB mentioned. My son had never done preschool and we really felt he needed to gentle introduction to school that K is supposed to be. However, looking back I probably would have chosen differently, based on my son's strengths and how our school teaches. I don't think he really would have had any gaps from missing K, but did have some gaps from missing 1st. A mid-year skip may have been a wonderful compromise. Overall, my son is where he needs to be right now and it's really not that important how he got there.

I would however, recommend waiting a while to set up meetings to discuss it. That will give you time to see what the actual curriculum looks like once you get going and will give the school a chance to see what your son can do for themselves.

I kinda consider a grade skip a last resort. If your school cannot meet his needs in other ways it's time to consider that option. But first I would work with the school to try in class differentiation, subject acceleration, mentoring, etc.

Seriously, get your hands on the Iowa Acceleration Scale. It's a great tool for determining if a skip is appropriate and a great way to advocate for the skip if it shows he is a strong candidate for it.

[spedteacher30]

let them do the placement tests first and see where he lands. there may be other kindergarteners who fall into his achievement band so they can make a group for language arts.

[bec]

I am also in Illinois.  We spent most of the kindergarten working, fighting, and advocating the school/district to get our dd accelerated.  She was very old for the grade, having missed the cutoff by a few months.  From what I understand, it is district by district what process is followed.  We went into the school year with a formal assessment along with a report recommending acceleration.  If they had been capable of differentiating for her, I would have been happy to keep her in grade.  But, they were not willing (despite telling us they were) or able to provide her an appropriate education. 

I should note that she was not just ahead of the class 2-3 (or more, in the case of her reading/writing abilities) grade levels academically, but had also passed most of the social/emotional milestones that most kids get in kindergarten and 1st grade.  She was frustrated academically, socially, and emotionally.  She was the poster child for grade acceleration.  Finally, they agreed to let her skip 1st grade, and go straight into 2nd. 

I am very happy to report that she had a wonderful year that year, and is happily in 3rd grade this year, in a gifted cluster class.  They are working on the 4th grade math, and are really being taught at an in depth level, rather than being taught a bunch of different concepts at a surface level.  I couldn't be more pleased for her!

In that it is the beginning of the school year, I would start with a meeting with the teacher and see what the plans are for your child.  The beginning of the year is a time for review after the summer break, and assessment as they get to know the class.  Subject acceleration is another great way to get needs met.  Good luck!