Schools/programs for gifted children

[Jen35]

Originally Posted by ABCXYZ

I prefer the system Kansas incorporated for gifted. Only the top 3% of children from any school system can be placed in gifted! So, Indian Hill would be capped at 3% just like Cincinnati. Of course private schools don't have to recognize the gifted identification. Since no federal definition of gifted exists, each state (37 of them who chose to identify gifted) sets its own definition. In Virginia, each county can establish criteria and each county does. So in Virginia you have some very diverse groups among the gifted.

What an awful idea to cap it. What happens if the top 3% in one district are actually not as gifted as the ones left out in another district? I mean, when you have a lot of very smart parents (and often that would be in the towns with money and motivated parents), then you are going to have a higher number of gifted kids. Who are we kidding, genetics is a huge factor in the intellegence of kids. And, you put driven people into an area with good schools, you end up with lots of kids that are gifted. It should be based on a objective measure like an IQ test for academics, along with a teacher evaluation, and those who qualify (be it 20% or 1%) should be allowed to attend the gifted program. Those gifted in the arts, becomes a tougher area to screen, but I'm sure it's pretty obvious. You shouldn't be hurt because you live in a district with a high % of gifted kids and be left out even though you would test as gifted in another district.

Also, not sure where someone came up with Indian Hill having 60% gifted. I can't find that anywhere. What I do see, is that the majority of their kids (40-70% depending on the subject) test at an advanced level on the Ohio Report card. I would expect that from all the great districts. That does not mean they are identified as gifted, though.

I'm not sure what you child is giften in (academics, arts, etc). You will be fine in public school if you go to the right one (if you don't want to pay for private). Just take a look at the top districts and call and see what they offer for their programs. The way schools are funded in Ohio, you have several very strong disticts (basically private education in public schools). You end up paying more taxes there to fund the schools, but it's much less than the cost of private education.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by Mircea

Exactly.

When I was school, TAG kids were doing calculus and physics in the 6th or 7th grades and reading above level 14 on the Slosson/FROG scale. You're talking about maybe 1% to 2% of any given student body.

When I was student teaching, I made some comment that the TAG kids in the senior class were using the same textbook as the 8th graders at Our Lady of Visitation and got screamed at for it.

For 95% of the talented and gifted students their gift is having really pushy parents.

My wife, born & schooled in Germany, teaches middle school here in Ohio. She frequently says that many of the "gifted" students she's seen here would be "average" in Germany. And she includes herself as having been an "average" student, despite being a very sharp teacher.