Can Schools Do Enough?

October, 2004

When Dr. Karen Rogers does IQ testing, she creates an individualized educational plan to go along with the test results. This written report describes a child’s strengths and weaknesses and gives recommendations to the child’s parents and school. She wondered what happens to those reports over time. Does the information they contain change children’s lives or does the report get filed away and ignored?

To answer these questions, Rogers conducted a study in which she followed up with all of the children she has assessed. Specifically, she wanted to find out if the plans she wrote for these kids were useful for the school and the family, and she wanted to see if there was a correlation between a successful plan and the correct placement of a child in school.

While she has not yet fully analyzed the results of the study, she shared some of what she has learned so far. 

On Acceleration

Of the 163 children Rogers assessed, 63 percent were grade skipped. In every case, acceleration was successful. (See the 2e Newsletter article "A Nation Deceived" for information on grade acceleration for twice-exceptional students.)

For those who did not skip a grade, the school provided little to accommodate their giftedness.  

On What Kids Want

In her interviews with children, several common themes emerged. They can be summed up as:

• Give me something different to do every day.

• Don’t make me wait for others to catch up. 

• Stop giving me projects to work on; instead, give me something new to learn. 

• I wouldn’t feel so different if teachers let me be with other smart kids. 

On Parents’ Experience with School

Common sentiments expressed by parents were:

• We’re tired of hearing from teachers: Every parent thinks their child is smart.

• The teachers who have some training in gifted don’t see my child as problematic.     

Patterns among gifted children and their parents 

In looking at the experiences of the parents and children she interviewed, Rogers identified these needs:

• The need to change schools when a child’s school fails to respond to requests or when teachers treat the child inappropriately

• The need to homeschool when parents are unable to find an appropriate fit between child and school

• The need to find expressive outlets for the child, either outside of school or in.

 She also found these patterns of behavior:

• Children feeling that they must underachieve at school in order to have friends

• Parents and children displaying a cynical attitude toward the benefits of school

• “Bright flight” – gifted children leaving public schools for private schools or homeschooling.

In conclusion, Rogers posed the question: Can schools do enough to meet the needs of gifted children? Her conclusion is probably not. What they can do, however, is reduce the number of years a child has to be there through acceleration.

 She sees parents as holding the key to bringing about improvements for their gifted children. One way is by advocating strongly and frequently for them at school. Another is by exploring options for their children’s education, including homeschooling.

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