An Interview with Todd McIntyre: About www.AppliedGiftedEd.com

Michael Shaughnessy:

3) What information are most parents and teachers seeking the most?

The first thing that parents want to know once we start talking about their situation with the district is whether or not they are crazy.

Oftentimes the situation the parent describes to me during an initial conversation defies any sort of logic - for example, the 3rd grade child is two or three grades above level in several, perhaps all, his or her courses.

The educational services the gifted child needs are not offered or even discussed with the parent because the district holds a vague concern about some future social experience such as the Senior Prom or driving a car. Parents often aren't sure how to respond effectively to those sorts of statements.

The second thing parents want to know is what they can do about it. There are many options available, but there is a specific order in which any of the available options should be done.The starting point for the initial conversation is always the same: What are the gifted child's present levels of educational performance? Phrased another way, the starting question for advocacy is this: How much of the district's curriculum does the child already know?

At my Intermediate Unit and district-oriented trainings, teachers and administrators want to know about present levels of educational performance testing. Districts tend to make this kind of testing more complicated than it needs to be. Teachers and administrators also want the regulations and requirements explained to them in practical day-to-day terms

www.appliedgifteded

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 26, 2008 12:00 AM
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