Q: My son did not get into our elementary school’s advanced placement program. He’ll be in first grade and I’m already worried that he’ll get behind if he’s not in an accelerated classroom. I know of other parents who hire tutors and have their kids re-tested until they pass entrance exams. Do you think that’s worth it?
A: One word sparks the most debates among my elementary school parent friends: Spectrum.
Although the word means a continuous sequence or range, the Spectrum program in Seattle Public Schools isn’t really for a “range” of students. It’s for kids in grades one through eight who are academically gifted – those who are around the 90th percentile and above.
Not all schools have the Spectrum program, but where it’s offered, the classes are separate from “regular” (for lack of a better word) classrooms. In my kid’s elementary school, each grade level has one Spectrum classroom and two nonSpectrum rooms. Generally, Spectrum classes are smaller to allow for more individual attention from the teacher. Students in these classes are working at least one full year above their grade level. Second graders would be doing third grade math, for example.
Along with a teacher recommendation, a child takes a test to demonstrate his or her cognitive, reading and math abilities. To qualify, students need to score over 87 percent or even 98 percent depending on the grade level and the subject. The district has an appeal process for parents who believe the test didn’t accurately reflect what they believe – that their child is academically gifted.
Yes, you could have your child tutored if it seems like he’s on the cusp of academic giftedness. And you can certainly sign up for a retest if you think your child just had an off day. Those decisions are yours alone to make. Don’t let parent peer pressure get to you.
The only thing I don’t want you to do is lose sleep because your son won’t be in an advanced classroom.
I asked a Spectrum teacher if she thought her students were smarter than their peers in other classrooms. She said bluntly, “No. They might be more curious and are often more motivated to do class work, but I could go into the other classrooms and find kids who are just as strong academically, or stronger.”
Also, non-Spectrum teachers are pretty savvy at making sure that all their students are working up to their full potential. Your son might end up with additional or different work from the rest of his class if the teacher sees he can handle more complex assignments – and then he’ll be saying, “Thanks a lot, Mom.”
Linda Thomas is a journalist and mother of two children in Seattle Public Schools.
