In article , Ericka Kammerer says...

Banty wrote:


This is one of the reasons why I have mixed feelings about tracking.

I had the experience of moving from one state to another, but actually having
must of my cohort move with me. When I ws in junior high, my father's SAC
squadron was transferred from Texas to New Hampshire, and many of the kids I
knew transferred into the Portsmouth, NH school district with me.

Texas didnt' track, New Hampshire did; we were all tested, and I was put on the
math/science accelerated track. The social pressure was definitely on to not
socialize with kids on lower tracks. Local kids hadn't socialized with them for
some time, but for the Air Force kids it came as something of a shock.


Hmm...I can certainly see this as an issue, but I have
to ask how many elementary school kids socialize much outside
their classroom anyway? After a few years, obviously you have
friends in other classes in the same grade, but in my experience
it seems like socialization follows along classroom lines
regardless of the program kids are or aren't in. At our
elementary school, the *only* opportunity for socializing
outside one's class is at recess, and that's not a whole lot
of time to meet other kids and establish a relationship.
At lunch they're required to sit with their class (just the
way they manage the cafeteria). Classes and grades mingle
at other times, like assemblies and such, but obviously
those aren't time for socializing. Band and orchestra
are another opportunity in the later grades, but we haven't
gotten there yet.

Really??

I guess that doesn't jibe with my experience at all, either as a child or a
parent of a child. As a kid, we socialized in the neighborhood. We always
lived on base and there were tons of kids. A lot of the kids went to Catholic
schools, but after playing together all summer and evenings and weekends, it
wasn't a big deal. So moving with the same kids, going into neighborhoods with
the same kids (just different arrangements of houses) really put out in relief
that suddenly it was supposed to be bad to talk to most of my friends anymore.

A generation later, my son has neighborhood friends - again lots of boys in our
neighborhood. And then cub scouts is a big base of friendship, for both parents
and children, and this included kids from different schools. In my son's
birthday parties I'd say the guests are 1) neighborhood 2) scouts 3) classroom.
And the bonds form most when they have two connections, like a friend of a
neighborhood friend who is also in a class with my son.


There are, of course, opportunities outside the
classroom, like clubs and teams and such. At our school,
those are open to everyone (GT center kids and community
school kids) and kids do socialize there to some extent.
Still, my kids' friends are generally either kids that
are in their classroom or kids that live in our neighborhood.
My oldest started the center based GT program this
year (3rd grade). He was lucky in that he didn't have to
switch schools because his community school happens to be
the nearest school with the GT center, but most of the
kids in his class did come from other schools. It is
certainly an adjustment for them, but most seem to be
integrating well (the school counselors do a lot of work
making sure they make the adjustment well). Obviously,
they have a bit of a challenge meeting kids outside
their class, but many are involved in clubs and get to
interact with other kids that way.
There's certainly a downside to segregating kids
this way, but there are also downsides to mainstreaming
GT kids as well. I guess I like the system here. For
the kids gifted enough to be in the center based program
(there's also a school based enrichment GT program for
kids with needs that can be met within the context of a
mainstream program), they are pulled out into a separate
program with basically no mainstreaming for 3rd-6th grade.
In jr. high (7th-8th grade) they are in a separate program
for their core academics, but are mainstreamed for non-
academic and elective courses (PE, band, drama, art,
foreign languages, etc.). In high school (9th-12th)
they choose their own classes at their own level,
perhaps taking AP (advanced placement) or IB (international
baccalaureate) classes as they please on a class by
class basis along with everyone else. I think this
system provides the center based program when they
most need to focus on learning how to handle their
particular situation with teachers who are experienced
with the issues of gifted kids, but then they are
gradually mainstreamed so that they can learn how to
continue to learn and perform at their level in a
wider context. Seems a reasonable compromise to me.

Seems so. I'm talking about 7th grade; we were completely tracked. I was in
"7X" classes and that was that.

I agree that it's not a simple thing - bright nerdy kids like me definately get
harassed and I had my share of problems. In one sense it was wonderful to be
with other bright kids, but I *had* made connections outside that category over
the years, and that was pretty much a hard-won thing. That they were suddenly
so uncool was really a shock. I think it affected my outlook on how people
choose friends and about certain superficial aspects of socializing and
connections and even networking in adult life.



Another thing they which was well-intentioned but just added to the accelerated
kids' feelings of superiority is that they put us with the special education
kids (including some retarded adults) for home ec and shop. (This was back when
girls all took home ec and boys all took shop and never the twain did meet, but
anyhow..) This was supposed to teach us patience, understanding, and humility,
but it just came off as we're not only the smartest, but we're the only ones who
are socially sensititve enough to work with the special ed kids.


Yes, this totally sounds like a plan doomed to
failure. I'm not against sensible mainstreaming and I
am wary of the problems with tracking and I understand
the benefits of mainstreaming when done well, but all in
all I like the system they have here.

Sure. I just wanted to confirm what was said that there is a certain weirdness
and expectation about socializing that can come with it.

Banty