Acceleration

A new law in the state of Illinois now requires all school districts to have policies/procedures in place for the acceleration of students excelling in one or more areas of study.

This is huge.

Why?

Until now, it was up to the individual schools and districts how they would deal with students performing above their grade level. In the Urbana school district, in particular, there was no policy for entering kindergarten early, skipping a grade, or having a student spend some time in a higher level classroom for reading or math time. It was up to each individual teacher and the parents to create a plan that would challenge the student academically.

Messy...inefficient...asking a lot from a teacher with 28+ students.

Our neighboring school district, Champaign, routinely tests every child and will recommend them for gifted education starting in 3rd grade (I believe). If parents opt for the gifted program, their child will need attend the one school with a gifted track. That means siblings could be attending different elementary school across town. It also means gifted students are pulled out and concentrated into one place.

Expensive...more exclusive than inclusive.

I won't lie. I have wanted a gifted program in Urbana ever since Alice started kindergarten. She met the kindergarten thresholds for reading and math within one month of starting school. She wasn't harmed by staying in kindergarten. She has developed long-standing, solid relationships with really neat friends and adults that all started in kindergarten. She's also struggled with teachers so focused on the underperforming and disruptive students that she doesn't always get challenging work. Or high expectations to work towards.

The research I've seen shows that mixed classrooms, with students performing at high, moderate, and low levels actually help all of the students achieve more. The moderate performers are a buffer that inspire the struggling kids and chill out the high achievers. Social glue.

So, I've been a little torn on this issue.

Thanks to this new law, I am torn no more. Any child can be recommended for acceleration, and the process starts with a simple request from anyone in that child's life: the child herself, a parent, grandparent, doctor, teacher, social worker, janitor. It doesn't matter who. If someone asks for the school district to consider this child, they will be considered. If it is found that a child would benefit from a more challenging curriculum, they can spend time in a regular classroom with regular kids of a higher grade. No extra testing or programs. It's more work for the administrators to meet, assess, and eventually sort schedules, but the teachers themselves are not being asked to organize anything above and beyond what they would normally prepare for the rest of the class. The students get to stay with their peers and in their grade for every other subject.

Alice and Robert are not geniuses. They simply get the benefit of growing up in a middle-class home that prioritizes education and curiosity and achievement. For the record, I don't want either one to skip a grade unless it's really, truly in their best interest as a complete human being. I'm most interested in the subject-specific acceleration.

I was so excited about this new law that I shared the good news with Alice and Robert right away. Robert got a big smile, gave me a hug, and brought his face right up into mine, our foreheads pressed together with his excitement and asked, "How many grades do you think they'll let me skip?"

Alice's response made my heart sink. She pursed her lips, dropped her eyes, and looked away. Her face blank. She picked up a book and started reading. Totally not wanting to consider this possibility.

And I know why. Alice doesn't want to be separated from her friends. One friend, in particular. I have no idea where her friend falls academically, but she also happens to be a product of middle class parents that prioritize education. She can't be that far off from Alice, right?! I shrink at the thought that Alice will not even consider acceleration if there's a slight chance it would pull her away from her dearest friend.

I can't blame her. I love her loyalty. It's a blessing that she has people in her life she loves so deeply.

And, honestly, Alice is a capable kind of girl whose life trajectory will not change THAT drastically if she takes pre-algebra in 8th grade instead of 9th grade.

And yet...as her mom...a very competitive, academically-inclined, recovering high-achiever myself...I'm a little saddened that she doesn't leap at the chance to do a little more and go a little farther.

I'm not going to push the issue with her. Yet. Let's see if it becomes a pattern/problem this year. I did, however, receive an invitation to enroll Alice in a Math Extensions course for high-achieving 6th graders. I signed her up without talking to her about it first, but ONLY because it's an elective that does not pull her out of regular 6th grade math or any other classes she already has with her best friend. Let's see if it comes back to bite me. I'm new to this middle school teenager thing...;)

[UPDATE, later this evening] I told Alice she was invited to participate in an elective math class due to her high standardized test score. She was excited! Then I let her know that she'd still have 6th grade math with her team and it wouldn't eat into her best friend time. She was practically dancing. Whew.