Choosing a school

[nyssaneala]

DD will be going to Kindergarten next year, but has been at a PreK-12th grade Montessori school for the last two years. We are deciding between keeping her at the Montessori school, or sending her to a local charter that uses a whole-child approach, based on the teachings of Ernest Boyer (Basic School philosophy). We found out this week she got a spot at this well-respected charter school through the lottery.

We plan on sitting down with someone from the charter school to make sure it is the right fit for our child. I know they do not have a separate/pull out program for gifted kids, and use an inclusion method and differentiated instruction. We are okay with that, and actually prefer it, but I have a really hard time wrapping my head around how that actually works. She is ahead three grade levels in reading (and comprehension), and one grade level in math, according to her current Montessori teacher.

What are some of the things we should look for, and questions we should ask, to help us make sure that the charter school does a good job at keeping their gifted kids challenged? I agree with the idea of inclusion/differentiated learning, but do realize that many schools don't do a great job at it. I also don't know what I can ask for as a parent in terms of support for her.

She's only 5, so this is the very start of our journey, and it is all new to me!

[ollyoxenfree]

As a start, your question "how does that actually work?" is a great one for the administrators at the school.

What have they done in the past for students who are advanced beyond grade level?

What kind of differentiation? All differentiation isn't good differentiation eg. More work sheets? Extra math problems? Extra reading assignments? More essay questions? That kind of differentiation could be all bad for a gifted student. 

How did they adapt and expand the curriculum? Independent work projects? Subject acceleration to another class of older students? Did it affect the student's classroom schedule and homework load? 

How much experience have they had with students who are advanced beyond grade level? As a matter of most basic educational philosophy, do they believe that giftedness is an exceptional learning issue? An individual gifted student may or may not need differentiation at a given point in their education, but if a school administration generally rejects the concept of giftedness as an exceptional learning issue, you may be in for a rough ride. 

What resources are available? eg. Are there resource teachers/learning specialists with some training and experience in exceptional learning? Are there enriched programs and learning opportunities (visiting scientists and authors, science and history fairs, robotics competitions, music festivals, model U.N., community social projects etc.). These are not necessarily of immediate interest at the kindergarten level but will be very important in just a few years. Obviously, these programs are beneficial to all students.

Finding a compatible learning peer group was one of the most beneficial aspects for my kids in elementary school. I would prefer a school that provides opportunities such as cluster grouping of advanced students within a class, subject acceleration, and at least some group project-based learning where the students are grouped according to ability. Those kinds of opportunities allow kids to enjoy working with like-minded peers who can engage and challenge each other. It's often far more effective motivation than anything a teacher can offer. 

A lot of the above applies to students who are beyond kindergarten. It may not help you make a decision for the immediate future or even the next couple of years. I hope some of it is helpful for future consideration. 

[nyssaneala]

This is incredibly helpful, ollyoxenfree, thank you so much!!! You have really helped us in starting to figure out how we want to frame our questions and concerns to both schools.

Anyone else want to chime in with advice? We plan on having a sit down meeting with someone from the charter school in 2 weeks.

[g-mom]

No answers here, but curious to throw around ideas, as we are somewhat in the same situation; a bright 6yo who's been in Montessori since age 4, was accelerated from the preschool into the primary program this year, reads I don't know how many grade levels ahead (it seems like he can read whatever he wants which is usually nonfiction natural history or astronomy, physics, etc., but also Little House books and that sort of thing), and calculated out the powers of 3, up to the fifteenth, by longhand, for fun last week. He's very imaginative, writes stories and draws wonderful worlds. Gets along great with other kids at his school, is the youngest in a 6-12 group.

We probably can't afford to keep him at the Montessori for the rest of grade school, and it might not be the best for him anyhow (who knows), but I've got concerns about out other option,  transferring him to the local public school, where he would probably have to start in first grade. They might grade skip him, but as for other accommodations, I'm not sure. (Meeting to talk with them--ollyoxenfree, thanks for the many good ideas there). He's also really uninterested in kids' TV, for the most part, choosing to watch either Nat Geo dinosaur specials--okay, kid material there--or outer space documentaries. So, some of these are interests other kids would have, but he'd tend to just know more, start talking about black holes or the Fibbonaci sequence or something. And no knowledge of Ninjago, Star Wars, etc. I guess my twin fears are the interest/brightness gap he might have with same-age children, and the pop culture thing.

I would love to hear from other folks who have made this transition with a gifted child. My son's social skills seem good to me, but then, he's generally been in relatively small groups of people in situations in which his individual quirks were accepted. He's know some kids in the public elementary, but might not end up in a classroom with any of them. I dread him a) learning he doesn't need to work hard, and finding the work he is assigned boring, b) learning to think of himself as extra-smart and therefore different and alienated (I had this problem, but probably at least as much to do with my family culture as anything else), c) learning to think school is boring and d) getting picked on for being different.

Thoughts?
 

[grumpybear]

My son is 6 and is in first grade. Has been in a public school since kindergarten (last year). One of the things that keep him from being bored at school is (1) their excellent arts program and (2) the fact that his teachers have always differentiated for him. And even if it weren't so, the teaching has a more open ended approach so he is able to take his learning to the depths of where he wants to. Have you visited the schools around your area? Talked to the admin?

[grumpybear]

As far as being "different", my son knows he is different in the same way that he knows that every other child is different too. Whereas his classmates are in awe of him with his knowledge in science, he is also in awe of his classmates for their knowledge in Star Wars or minecraft or their drawing abilities, etc. even though he is many grade levels advanced in academic areas, socially he is still a 6yr old boy who enjoys playing with his classmates. And like yours, Star Wars and Ninjago were not in his realm up until he went to school.

[g-mom]

Originally Posted by grumpybear 

As far as being "different", my son knows he is different in the same way that he knows that every other child is different too. Whereas his classmates are in awe of him with his knowledge in science, he is also in awe of his classmates for their knowledge in Star Wars or minecraft or their drawing abilities, etc. even though he is many grade levels advanced in academic areas, socially he is still a 6yr old boy who enjoys playing with his classmates. And like yours, Star Wars and Ninjago were not in his realm up until he went to school.

Thanks, grumpybear, that is so good to know and is a wise outlook (mutual awe, mutual learning, everyone different).

I have been checking out the schools and have meetings scheduled with administrators after the spring break. Our financial situation just changed, so I think we'll be transitioning him next year rather than waiting, as we'd originally thought; otherwise I'd be further along in this research (also am working f/t etc. so a bit slow getting all this stuff lined up). But also, I have become more confident than I was a year ago that he can adapt. But then I hear stories and get a case of the nerves. We don't know anyone here with a kid our son's age who's so into the academic stuff, so we can't quite tell what the vibe is in the schools; of those with older kids (including older gifted kids) we know both parents with complaints about the schools (kids not challenged, kids' special issues not accommodated) and people who are perfectly happy with the schools. And schools change, and it can be so dependent on the teacher.

Anyhow, thanks for the reassurance and perspective.