Retro Wrote:
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> Neen, have you even looked at the county site that
> describes the GT programs or talked to someone
> involved? I've seen you rant on this before. You
> seem to be mixing apples and oranges. If you did
> study up, you'd see that there are four levels to
> the county's gifted program. Only the top level
> (Level IV) qualifies as a center and has kids
> bused; this is what I would consider GT immersion
> and it covers all topics. I think of it as the
> expensive GT. However, you present things as if
> all the GT kids were usurping space/services/food
> in centers and going to heck in a handbasket.
>
> Most of the rest of the GT kids are in relatively
> inexpensive classroom pull out programs (or
> enrichments given to their classroom teachers),
> but only for specific subjects like math or
> reading in my experience. You are quite mistaken
> if you think that the kids in the Young Scholars
> (Level II GT) program are less than bright. They
> are in the program because their IQs tested at
> "merely" 125 instead of the 132 needed for a GT
> Center placement. They are considered for the
> program because of some valid obstacle which may
> have impaired their test taking abilities. For my
> son, it is mild dyslexia, even though FCPS wrongly
> chooses to not recognize dyslexia as a learning
> issue. Yeah, he's a white kid who is a Young
> Scholar, speaks fluent English, and is not on FRL;
> your broad characterization is off.
>
> Each YS that I know comes from an academically
> motivated family, even if their first language
> wasn't English. The kids get pulled out for
> specific subjects because they are bright, not
> because they are needy; their heightened talents
> deserve the extra development. That said, a kid
> pulled out for excellence in reading might require
> extra help in math, but it is a matter of gifts
> differing, not a redundancy or waste of gifted
> training/center space or an indicator of their
> race/socioeconomic status. We all had strengths
> and weaknesses in school, I'm sure, regardless of
> race or country of origin.
>
>
Yes, Retro, having been involved in GT education in the county for 20 years, including the GTAC and the FCAG, I do know a bit about how GT education works in this county.
Yes, we all have strengths and interests but I don't know how that is relevant to GT centers, unless you are saying that everyone should be in a GT center.
Yes, I am aware of the 4 levels of GT service but I was talking about GT centers, level 4.
The goal of Young Scholars is to increase the enrollment of Blacks and Hispanics (under represented minorities) in the GT centers. Period. They do NOT screen for families who are interested in academics. There is NO academic goal. The goals are race based only. Oops, I mean "under represented minorities" based.
I have no problem with any child being pulled out for accelerated learning. I do have a problem with children being put in a GT center who cannot keep up with the majority of students. That simply is not fair to the teacher, the other students, and most importantly to the student who is placed there. If the student isn't quite ready for a center, why not wait a year or two until they are ready?
Please, call Dr. Carol Horn and ask her about her Young Scholars program. She'll be happy to read to you the goals that she established for the Young Scholars program. Her dissertation was her Young Scholars program. Of course she's hoping to sell the program to other school systems across the country. Her program has been successful in that more Blacks are in the program, although there is no academic measure to ascertain if those children have actually been better educated or done better on any academic measure because there are none.
Seriously, call Carol and ask her to quote you the goals of Young Scholars. Also ask her the percentage of FCPS students in GT centers.
Carol.Horn@fcps.edu or 703-846-8670.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2007 12:08AM by Neen.