freaking out

Do you know for sure if the classes are ability based? Would he be going to an elementary school? You might want to discuss your concerns with the principal. I know schools can vary dramatically, but some principals are accomodating. You might want to discuss your concerns, what type of environment your son would be most successful in (strict , organized, artistic, more science oriented, controlled classroom, more freestyle, etc…) with the principal and maybe even meet with teachers.

I know schools in my area try to mix the kids so all the classes are balanced. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some “primo” classes (there’s always at least a little politics!), but sometimes, especially when there are issues, you can have a little bit of a say in these things (for example, with my son’s auditory processing difficulties he can’t learn in a disorganized out-of-control environment. He himself can focus and is extremely controled so he works best in a highly controlled, quieter classroom so I always request this).

It helps if you can come up with a good reason and supporting data.

I have little faith that the DC public middle schools would be accommodating, but you could try what Laura said—march in with the IQ scores and demand the better classes, at least the nonmath ones. The non-primo classes, as you call them, are far more likely to be filled with kids that have behavior problems or who totally slack off both in class and out, especially in DC. You should also get the special ed school to help you in placing him into the better classes since they agree he’s ready to leave their care. They should be willing to make phone calls and advocate on his behalf. I’d also be on the phone checking every private and parchial school in the area seeing if I could place him somewhere else. Something else to check—I heard some time ago that there are ways for DC residents to have their kids attend a Montgomery County school for a fee. I don’t know whether this is still possible. Also, you may want to contact a special ed attorney and see if there is some way with the aid of private educational testing you could get documentation to allow testing with accommodations and have him retake the Terra Nova with them.

I guess I got lucky, because i talked with the principal today and she was willing to ignore the terra nova test results and go with the other tests. she was actually incredibly compassionate and understanding. she’s offerring to waive foreign language, put him in an appropriately challenging reading class, place him in a math intervention class, etc. the child study team is offerring “verbatim” test reading (where they read each question on standardized tests, so he can’t skip or breeze through questions) as well as other accomodations. i’m optimistic that it won’t be as bad an experience as it could be with a less LD-knowledgable principal - although i know there are many challenges ahead!

Wow! That’s great—I will have to start reassessing my negative views on DC public middle schools!

actually we’re not in dc but baltimore. the state of the school system here is generally just as dismal as dc but, to our delight, there’s an exceptional principal in at least one middle school here. a teacher at baltimore lab (a division of the lab school of washington) who used to work in the city school system has called this principal a “visionary.” i’m not sure any of the teachers will be quite as exceptional, but at least someone in a leadership position is knowedgable about LD, which will be helpful.
at the private schools he attended from pre-k through 3rd grade i felt like the teachers and administration had no clue about LD and it was such a relief to go to the private special ed setting where we ALL were speaking the same language at least.
thanks for all your input - even though we’re not in dc it was helpful.

Marie, ten years ago my daughter went to a middle school in PG County for one year, and it was a pit. The only thing the kids learned there was criminal behaviour. My gifted daughter was grouped with three juvenile delinquents for the bizarre group test of reading (??) that was the fashion of the time, and they pulled the scores down so low that a kid with a college reading level was given a failing grade. Another parent told me that all the time her kid spent there he moved backwards rather than forwards. I pulled my daughter out after a year when her behaviour got very strange. I also attempted to teach (the verb is attempted, not taught) at a Catholic middle school in the area where the *average* in Grade 8 was Grade 4 achievement. And those are the middle schools people are choosing in order to avoid the DC ones! Unfortunately your view still probably covers the average.