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Try Medfield, Westwood, Dover/Sherborn and Lincoln/Sudbury for good schools--though I'm not sure any of those towns will offer up much on the diversity piece.
Massachusetts ranks pretty low on the list of states offering gifted education. I do know, however, that Brookline used to offer gifted pull-out classes. And while Lexington does not, I have heard that the teachers there are sensitive to the special learning needs of academically advanced children - and offer gifted friendly after-school programs such as Destination Imagination. Differentiation is not, in my opinion, terribly effective particularly given public school MCAS requirements. We ended up sending some of our children to a private Montessori school - which has served their learning needs very well.
There is a school for gifted children in Foxborough--I'm not 100% sure of the name but I think it's The Sage School?
I know about it not because my children are geniuses, but because I have a friend whose daughter is. She sent her there for a few years, but then took her out because she wanted her to be able to relate to regular people and not just other, driven genius kids. She put her in the Hanover school system, and they've all been very happy. They supplement for her at home. Luckily the dad is a genius, too.
After getting to know my friend and the issues surrounding having a kid who is so smart, I have sympathy for parents because it's quite a responsibility. (And tough when your kid is smarter than you are!)
We are in the Brookline system and in upper grades (4 and up) there is some kind of a pull out program, but I have no experience with it. I also know that kids can be moved to upper grade math classes, etc., if the parents want. Classes are split into high, middle, and low, but your child is outside that grid.
If I were you I'd call the principal of the school you're looking at and ask about the program. Or if you don't know which school (there are 8 k-8 schools) try the superintendent's office.
Framingham has the SAGE program. It starts in second or third grade. But it is only once per week , better than nothing, but not really good enough. Waltham has specialists for gifted in the elementary schools ( I used to work there,).
Last edited by CaseyB; 07-10-2009 at 09:08 AM..
Reason: You can't promote your own website here, sorry.
I don't know about gifted students, but for special needs students Kingston, Ma and the Silver Lake District have a very good program. I graduated from the high school a few years back, and worked with the classes directly and can tell you that they do a great job. I also believe that their program was recognized by the state but I could be mistaken. Kingston is farther from Boston than any of the other towns you mentioned, about a 45 minute drive to the city and 30 minutes from Cape Cod. It's far enough from the city life to be a relaxed town while still being close enough to go when you want to.
This is a dated post, though I am compelled to reply for future searchers.
The previous replies are helpful - especially in illuminating the dynamic conversation this term "giftedness" incites!
Forewarning - I have a lot to say on this subject, as an educator and as a parent. So much to say! though I am limiting this feedback:
Re. THE TERM "GIFTED": Yes, the term "gifted" makes a lot of people cringe - present company once included - and this is unfortunate. It is a stigma that our society has attached that appears to minimize the unique contribution some people have the capacity to give. The fear we have is that by identifying little people as "gifted" people will think we are snobs - intellectual or otherwise, or that we are fooling ourselves with some delusion that our children are better than other children. The truth is there are some parents that wear their children's giftedness on their sleeves - who hasn't seen this, though, in any community? "Johnny is on the varsity team even though he is a freshman" "Suzie's going to Uganda to save children" "Betty got a perfect score on the SATs and she's all done with her applications (it's September of senior year)" - parents are out of control these days, in trying to create "super-children." If you can relate, you are not alone. I found a lot of helpful information in reading "How to be a High School Superstar" - unlike what the title seems to suggest, this book emphasizes how to get away from this hopped-up-on-ego merry-go-round communities seem to be on, and how to center your child on happiness.
See? I told you I have a lot to say! I urge you to consider your own perceptions of "giftedness". How would you respond if your child was a music prodigy, or let's push this a bit: what if your child created an invention that could eradicate some life-threatening disease? It would be a no-brainer: you'd connect your child with whatever tools and opportunities that would help them realize their potential so they could become meaningful contributors to our society. Gifted education is no different.
Similarly, imagine that your child's needs weren't being met in his/her classroom setting because s/he had a learning difference? -maybe s/he has a visualization/conceptualization block, or struggles with executive function skills? Their classroom experience would be challenging for them, and likely result in long-term challenges if left un-addressed. Surely the right thing to do by your child would be to advocate for their academic needs so as to enhance their classroom experience, and - in my opinion, more importantly - address the healthy development of his/her social and emotional development. This is why most states consider Gifted Education under the umbrella of Special Education.
The next time someone says their child is "gifted", try not to translate that to mean they think their child is better than yours.
If you, yourself, are a parent of a gifted child, try to remember this has nothing to do with you, other than your responsibility to raise your child so that s/he blossoms into an amazing adult that not only values their contribution, but every person's unique contribution of time and talent.
Re. THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ASIAN CHILDREN IN GIFTED PROGRAMMING: Let's just call a duck a duck. Almost any person can succeed in gifted programming, so long as they dedicate whatever time they need to to keep up. Some cultures place incredible emphasis on education - in my opinion, this is the partly the reason for the high percentage of Asian children in gifted programs. Interestingly, these are often the same communities that create social hierarchies based off of awards and perceived successes of their children - a double-edged sword, that comes with community- reinforced shaming when a child falls short. Also in my opinion, this is to the detriment of the child's whole health and well-being.
Re. MASSACHUSETTS' GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMMING: It does not exist - not on the budget, not in practice. Some schools are supportive in designing acceleration - usually by approving a parents' request to skip a grade or two. This is not gifted education, of course, it is simply jumping a grade or two. Also to note, in our area almost all private schools accelerate education as compared to the public school system (as per the Curriculum Frameworks by grade level, designed by the Department of Education). Acceleration is not gifted education either. Gifted education is about depth and breadth of content. Gifted learners typically process systems of information via the gestalt/the big picture - and their processing skills typically extend into other areas. Gifted education not only teaches content in a unique way so as to speak to the gifted child's intellectual capacities, but also allow for room for their independent explorations of discovering other truths (for example, in mathematic, poetic/artistic, scientific arenas). The only school in our area that actually teaches gifted education is The Sage School in Foxboro, MA. Students commute as far as Concord NH every day to this private PK-8 day school.
There are a few interesting articles to look up in the New York Times. They are provocative reads and, too, illuminating. I recommend Hoagie's Gifted Learning and UConn's gifted education degree program and educators.
I am an Education Consultant with over twenty years professional experience in learning difference diagnosis and remediation and curriculum design based off progressive learning theories including multi-sensory cognition and experiential learning. I was an undiagnosed gifted child, daughter of immigrants, who day-dreamed her way through school. I hope better for my children. In time I intend to move into education policy so as to help address the issues in our education system.
Last edited by anniefinboston; 02-18-2013 at 12:14 PM..
I second a lot of what anniefinboston wrote. The funding in Massachusetts budget for gifted education was, when I worried about it, $0. So, elementary schools in some systems have limited enrichment programs, but likely nothing serious. I recommend the Hoagie's site. It was quite good. One of my children has a) an extremely high IQ; and b) severe dyslexia, a touch of ADHD, and some other stuff. Extraordinarily bright. He's now in college and is taking math as a second major at my suggestion. He doesn't love it, but recently took a course in abstract algebra. He said, "I don't know why they make you take linear algebra first. Once you've studied algebra, it's obvious that it is just a trivial special case." Those of you who studied enough math will probably smile. He competes in moot court/debate. Getting him to up to speed in the things that were difficult for him while giving him some challenge meant tutors, lots of parental help, even partial homeschooling for much of high school as he could do a full-year honors math class with a once a week tutor in one semester or less, but needed to learn how to write. We had him in public and private schools. Nothing was easy. People don't really believe that kids with learning disabilities can be extraordinarily bright. I negotiated every year with the school system. He got into several of the most selective colleges in the country and is about to graduate with a 3.95 GPA, likely summa *** laude. So, it worked.
I wish school districts didn't struggle with understanding how a learning differenced child can be gifted/profoundly gifted, and yet they do.
With more and more parents advocating like you have done, perhaps in time districts will get it - at a minimum, they'll have to at least meet the needs of the children, regardless. In the end, it is all about the kids. Kudos to you!
If you are looking for a school for gifted students, you should check out The Sage School in Foxboro. This is the real deal - not just acceleration but they offer a depth of content for kids in preschool to grade 8. The teachers are specially trained and are experts in working with perfectionism, social issues and really challenge the kids. The Sage School | where gifted children grow…
Gifted Ed doesn't exist in MA public schools because MA likes to push everything towards a "everyone is the same" mentality. That approach is great when talking about religion, race, orientation, ect - those big social areas that other parts of the country struggle with. But, as for gifted ed, the schools put down the notion that a child is gifted. They schools snicker at the idea when parents suggest a child is gifted. They roll their eyes when a parent wants to meet, "Yes, they want a meeting to discuss how we're going to help their child." They say things like, "He's going to pass the MCAS so you don't have to worry about him" during transition meetings between teachers.
Additionally, too many MA families think their children are gifted, when their children are bright, but not possessing the issues gifted students need assistance with. Dually gifted students will only get their lower ability supported, while the higher will be ignored. It's absolutely awful.
I know this because I am a teacher - so I've heard the comments. I'm also a parent of a gifted child who is miserable going to and leaving school every day. I'm trying to save for a private school (i.e. Sage), but I'm worried she'll be so frustrated by then that the experience will overwhelm her.
Do not look for a gifted program in a MA public school, any that exist are minimal (once a week as long as there's no assembly, field trip, snow day, etc) at best.
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Gifted Education Boston Area
