I have no idea what they do for the highly capable kids. I checked out the website and it linked to the high school website and talked about all the honors and AP classes they offer. My daughter is only in 5th grade. She'll be starting middle school in the fall but there was no info about how they use the program at that level.
There were some websites listed for teachers and parents at the elementary level (which I assume includes the middle school...in Chicago "elementary" school is K-8). It talked about giving the kids more challenging work and expecting more to them. I don't think it's special classes or anything, just harder work on the same concepts the other kids are learning.
I like how the school lets the kids learn at their own pace. My other 2 kids in school have reading troubles and are in special classes. They offer Title I but also a bunch of other more personalized reading classes to bring them up to speed and work on their weaknesses. They are in 2nd and 3rd grade and both started the year way below their grade level in reading. I think both were at a kindergarten level thanks to their old school (which was a Catholic school...private does not equal better education). Since school started the 3rd grader went from a high kindergarten/low 1st grade level to a high 2nd grade/low 3rd grade level. In testing he's still not where he's supposed to be (high 3rd grade) but he's catching up. I know he can read at level he just gets nervous on the tests.
The 2nd grader started around the same level and is now closing in on her grade level. At PTC I was told she was at a high 1st grade level and after spring break they would move her into a low 2nd grade level (next step up). After the reading teacher left her class teacher told me she's been giving her the same tests the other kids get at grade level and she's been doing find on them so she can read at level but is also having issues with the tests that count.
If they had continued at their old school they would have fallen more and more behind despite the Title I help. Which was just support...they were still expected to do everything the other kids were doing and they couldn't.
It's been interesting and exciting to see them finally get it.
no subject
There were some websites listed for teachers and parents at the elementary level (which I assume includes the middle school...in Chicago "elementary" school is K-8). It talked about giving the kids more challenging work and expecting more to them. I don't think it's special classes or anything, just harder work on the same concepts the other kids are learning.
I like how the school lets the kids learn at their own pace. My other 2 kids in school have reading troubles and are in special classes. They offer Title I but also a bunch of other more personalized reading classes to bring them up to speed and work on their weaknesses. They are in 2nd and 3rd grade and both started the year way below their grade level in reading. I think both were at a kindergarten level thanks to their old school (which was a Catholic school...private does not equal better education). Since school started the 3rd grader went from a high kindergarten/low 1st grade level to a high 2nd grade/low 3rd grade level. In testing he's still not where he's supposed to be (high 3rd grade) but he's catching up. I know he can read at level he just gets nervous on the tests.
The 2nd grader started around the same level and is now closing in on her grade level. At PTC I was told she was at a high 1st grade level and after spring break they would move her into a low 2nd grade level (next step up). After the reading teacher left her class teacher told me she's been giving her the same tests the other kids get at grade level and she's been doing find on them so she can read at level but is also having issues with the tests that count.
If they had continued at their old school they would have fallen more and more behind despite the Title I help. Which was just support...they were still expected to do everything the other kids were doing and they couldn't.
It's been interesting and exciting to see them finally get it.