Berkeley Parents Network: Schools for Gifted Children

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Schools for Gifted Children

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Questions

Public school for gifted 2nd grader
7th grader who loves math and science
School for highly gifted 7-year-old
See also: Bright Kids in Public School
More Advice about Gifted Children

Gifted Programs at Specific Schools

Public school for gifted 2nd grader

Sept 2008

Hi - I have a gifted 2nd grader at a good Oakland public school who is 2 grades above level in math and reading. We are going to be moving out of our too-small home and am hoping to kill 2 birds with one stone by finding a better home as well as a better educational fit for my child. I've toured many private schools in Oakland and found them to be lovely but unaffordable (I have two children), and also the academic gap was still an open question at these institutions. I know that some public schools have gifted programs of some measure, where children receive some extra challenging work or small group projects - at my child's school, if a child tests as gifted then the school receives $50 or so extra from the state, but that's all. It hasn't been much of an issue yet, but as my child gets older I can see that it might very well be. I'm not an idealist - I understand the staffing ratios at public school and I'm not looking for a custom-made, individually tailored curriculum either. I'm just wondering if there are others in a similar situation who have found some kind of solution and if you would be willing to recommend your child's school. I am open to suggestions all the way from Lafayette to Marin and in between. Thanks, and VERY grateful!

I've tried to solve the very problem you describe, and would like to warn you against making the same mistake I did, which was to put my children in the Piedmont Public Schools. The school district does get GATE funds (about $20,000 a year), but has never had a program catering specifically to gifted children. (Such a program would be difficult to administer, given that the District makes no attempt to determine whether any individual child is ''gifted.'')

Teachers and principals say that they serve gifted children by offering differentiated instruction, but in my (extensive) experience, it's limited. Differentiation for one of my sons consisted of being told to leave the classroom during reading lessons, and go to the library to work, unsupervised, on a report. Another teacher allowed us to substitute our own list of spelling words for the official list. More relevant and more exasperating is the obstruction throughout the school system of children's efforts to advance to higher level classes. The Middle School principal has reversed a long-standing policy of allowing children with previous exposure to a foreign language to begin their study at a more advanced level, and now offers those children the choice between waiting to begin taking a language until the other students have caught up, or beginning in the most elementary class. After a parent revolt in the High School, select students were allowed to take two science courses simultaneously so as to be able to take all the available courses before graduating, but current students are again complaining that science and math courses are rationed. Middle school kids are allowed to advance one year in math, but the advancement criterion is so strict that only a tiny number are eligible.

In short, there's an outright disregard of acceleration, and a surprising number of Piedmont residents wind up sending their gifted children to private schools. (I've just learned that yet another of my friends has moved to Piedmont to put her learning disabled child in the public school, while sending her academically gifted child to a private school.) I'm avidly awaiting the answers you'll get, in the hopes of finding a better option for my children. In the meanwhile, I'd suggest that you not give up too easily on private schools. One of my children got a scholarship that completely transformed her life, and I only wish I hadn't been so pessimistic and had let her apply years earlier. Not so gifted when it comes to gifted kids!

I live in Lafayette, and can tell you what is offered in our district. In third grade, children are given the OLSAT. The top 20 or so children from the four elementary schools are offered a place in the AIM program at Burton Valley school for 4th and 5th grade, where they are taught in a combined classroom for those two years. After that, they would be placed in regular classrooms in middle school (of course, if they are still advanced in math, they would be placed at a higher level). This program only takes a very few kids (I think it is less than the top 1% of all children tested), and there are many here who would be considered a grade or two above level in reading and/or math. However, many who are offered a place in this program opt to stay at whatever school they are already at, to avoid disruption and because most people are very pleased with the education their child is already getting. When funding is available for aides, there are often pull-out math groups for more advanced students, as well as ''differentiated instruction'', which I have not been overly impressed with. Hope this helps. Lafayette Mom

GATE (gifted and talented) programs begin in 4th grade because it is at that point that the abilities of speedy bright learners and average-speed bright learners get more equal, and the kids have had two years of standardized tests. That is, just because a student learns to read younger than average doesn't mean that he/she is gifted or will still be so far ahead by 4th grade. Not all public schools have GATE programs, and they are not all equal among different schools. For now, check schools for 2nd and 3rd grade teachers who teach ''differentiated'' learning, in which the teacher presents small group challenges for the few students who are well above (or well below) the bulk of the class.

For 4th-5th grade, research schools that have GATE programs and then talk to the principal or other GATE parents to assess the program's quality. By middle and high school, more students will emerge as bright, and pretty much all these students will be grouped together in advanced classes. -- a mom

7th grader who loves math and science

Dec 2007

Is there any school for my 7th grade son who loves math and science? I find many schools and programs that address children with learning differences, learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, ASD, NLD, and special education. We don't need (or want) these programs. My son is atttentive, studies hard, loves academics, and wants an academically challenging environment. We live in Oakland, and haven't much money. Suggestions? Parent of a nerd

I haven't found that the Oakland School District makes it a priority to address the needs of academically precocious children. They aren't legally required to, and it's up to each school to decide if they want to have any sort of (usually very limited) GATE program. Some private schools are also philosophically very opposed to accelerating students. Other private schools are more open to meeting the needs of more academically advanced students. We've been very happy so far with Black Pine Circle in Berkeley, which has a fabulous math/science program and a lot of very talented teachers and students. They offer financial aid and are less expensive than many other private schools. You may also want to consider a school like Head Royce, which is quite expensive, but has a generous endowment and offers financial aid to many families who wouldn't qualify for aid at other schools. They struck me as a bit more competitive and intense than Black Pine Circle, but for a motivated smart kid I think it could be a good match. A sympathetic parent

Check out courses for gifted and talented students through Stanford University http://epgy.stanford.edu/. On line course catalog includes Mathematics, Computer Science, etc. Also look at Berkeley Math Circle http://mathcircle.berkeley.edu/. Good luck. Happy Parent of EPGY OHS student!

You should check out Aurora School. They have mixed grade classrooms (i.e. 2nd graders are in with 3rd graders). There is already an assumption students are at various learning levels with strengths and challenges in different subject matters.

School for highly gifted 7-year-old

November 2003

I am desperately looking for a school for my highly gifted 7-yr old son. Right now he is utterly miserable and frustrated in ''conventional'' school. He needs a place where there are other kids like him and teachers have experience in dealing with highly gifted children. Any schools you can recommend? We are willing to look at public or private schools anywhere in the Bay Area. Thank you.

Recommendations received:

The Academy

Black Pine Circle

Other advice

In response to the parent looking for a school for a highly gifted child - you don't say in what way your child is gifted but here are some schools to consider. At The Academy in Berkeley there are a few children with unusual talents in math, chess, and so on. Their needs are met in a supportive and understated way. The Crowden School would be a good place for a musician. The Chronicle recently had a piece on a gifted young composer at Black Pine Circle. I'm assuming that by ''highly gifted'' you mean a genuine prodigy. With a more relaxed definition probably half the kids at schools like The Academy could be considered highly gifted. Academy parent

Look into Montessori education. It allows kids to work at their own level and deeply explore their innnate interests. Interestingly, it is a method and philosophy of education that works just as well for those with learning challenges and average learners as well as gifted students. My child learned to read by himself (and Sesame Street) at age 2 1/2, and is also very advanced mthematically. Montessori has allowed him to speed along at his own pace. He is in fifth grade now and reads adult level science fiction for literature in school. We are at Berkeley Montessori and have found both the social and acedemic sides to be great. A place that can offer your child truly fertile soil in which to grow. parant of gifted kid

In response to the parent looking for a private school for their highly gifted 7 year old: We are currently looking for Kindergarden for our highly gifted child. We are most hopeful about Aurora and Park Day. It seems like they have a real range of kids, but aim to tailor lessons to meet individual kids needs. I am curious what has not worked for your child in a ''conventional'' school. Which school was he in? What do you think would meet his needs? If you are able, please respond to me at email below. Thanks. s

To the person who was seeking a school for her/his ''highly gifted'' child: you may get the best feedback if you explain how you define highly gifted. For instance, some parents mean their child is emotionally gifted (highly socially evolved, talkative, etc.). Other parents are referring to their child's cognitive aptitude. Still others are referring to statistically measurable IQ. These are important distinquishing characteristics and no one school is right for everyone's child. You noted that your child was ''miserable'' in his current situation. Does that mean he's bored with the curriculum or that he is perhaps book-smart, but not really socially adept? Do children tease him because he doesn't have the emotional capacity to deal with certain social situations? Does he have a form of Asberger's, even though he tests off the charts? Or perhaps he is socially evolved and his classmates don't stimulate him. To really service your child, you may want to give some thought to what highly gifted means in your eyes. I'm sure there are parents out there that can steer you in the right direction with a little more information. All the best.
-- current professor

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