Ask Bonnie

Criteria to Use for Evaluating a School for Your Gifted Child

Many parents of gifted children wonder if their local school will be able to provide an appropriate education for their children. Should they stick with the local school? Look for a private school? Quite often a parent will assume that a private school is better than a public school. However, that is not necessarily true. Gifted children need a special environment, as does any special needs child, and it’s important for parents to understand what to look for in a school, whether it’s private or public.

Whether your child is already in school or about to start, you will want to evaluate what it has to offer. In order to do that, you need criteria. The elements described here are the elements of a good gifted program. Use them as criteria for evaluating any school you are considering for your child.

Philosophy and Goals
What is the philosophy and what are the goals of the program? Are the goals similar or different for different ages? If they are different, what are the differences and why are they different? Gifted children are gifted for life. They start out gifted and end up gifted. As a result, they have similar academic needs throughout their school years. Any differences in goals should be based on age-appropriate differences in instruction, but those differences should be based on what is appropriate for gifted children.

Acceleration and Enrichment
Acceleration refers to the speeding up of instruction. Gifted children are fast learners and require little repetition of information. Enrichment refers to the increased depth of study of a particular topic. It extends the regular curriculum. Both are needed in some form.

Multiple Options
Is the program a “one size fits all” program or are there various options for the different needs of the different types of gifted children? A profoundly gifted child has significantly different educational needs than does a mildly gifted child, for example. In addition, a child may be exceptionally gifted in math, but not in language arts. Multiple options are essential.

Student Learning Expectations
What are the students expected to learn by the end of the program session? Learning outcomes must be clear. The students may have fun, but they must also learn something new. Any child could participate in fun activities, but a gifted program should be one that is designed specifically for gifted children.

Challenging Curriculum
Gifted children need a stimulating curriculum. Without it, they can “tune out,” losing interest in school. A curriculum for gifted children should require them to stretch their minds.

Flexibility
Flexibility is needed in order to respond to the needs of individual gifted children. Rigid adherence to the system often prevents some gifted children from appropriate challenges. For example, a gifted 3rd grader may have mastered 6th grade level math. That child does not need to complete third grade math assignments. A school needs to be flexible enough to consider options for that child’s math instruction. Another possibility is a gifted child musician. A junior high student with exceptional talent playing the violin could be allowed time off from school to take advantage of opportunities to study with exceptional violinists or take part in special musical programs.

Sound Identification Process
Multiple assessment procedures should be used to determine which children would benefit from placement in a gifted program. Every effort should be made to include children who are frequently overlooked. These children include LD gifted, underachievers, and children from under-represented groups, like economically deprived and minority children. Too often schools rely on one test, usually a group test, or simply teacher recommendations for identification.

Staff Development Plan
Teachers who have been trained to work with gifted children are much more effective than those who have not. Do the teachers who work in the gifted program or teach the gifted children have gifted endorsements? Does the school have regular in-service sessions about gifted children?

Guidance Component
Gifted children often feel isolated or “different.” They sometimes don’t feel like they fit in socially with the other children. They also can be very sensitive and have a harder time than other children dealing with the day-to-day stress of school or growing up. The guidance can be individual or group guidance.

Honoring Academic Talent
Schools must honor all talent areas in the same way athletic talent is honored. For example, pep rallies can be held for academics and artistic talent as well as for sports. Groups of students often participate in the Science Olympiad or local and state band competitions, and pep rallies could be held for these. Names of achievers can be listed or announced in the same way sports heroes are listed and announced.

The more of these criteria a school meets, the better it will be for your child.

by Carol Bainbridge

According to the Home Safety Council, even though nearly 70 percent of people burn fuel to heat their homes, more than two-thirds don’t have carbon monoxide detectors. Are you in this number? If so, keep reading to find out how to protect your family.
1) Do You Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
First, do you need a carbon monoxide detector? If you use electricity to heat your home and cook all your meals, you may not need one. But there are other situations that can present a danger. Read this article from Pediatrics Guide Vincent Iannelli to find out more and learn if you should have a carbon monoxide detector in your home and find out more about the dangers of this colorless, odorless gas.
2) Purchasing a Carbon Monoxide Detector
If you found that your home needed a carbon monoxide detector, then selecting and purchasing one is the first step in protecting your family. The detector should be listed by an independent testing laboratory, such as UL, ETL, CSA or another lab. Here are five picks from Lung Diseases Guide Stacey Lloyd that fit the bill. Once you have your detector install it near sleeping areas, but do not place it near fuel burning appliances as it could give an inaccurate reading and trigger false alarms.
3) Use Gas Appliances Properly
If you have a gas range or oven, don’t try to use it to heat your home, for instance. According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, these appliances pose more than just a carbon monoxide poisoning risk. They also produce dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide, which can cause respiratory disease. The danger here is especially high for young children. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for use.
4) Never Use a Charcoal Grill Indoors
The amount of carbon monoxide put out by grills is very high. Even using one of these too close to an open window can be a danger. Follow these safety tips for safe grilling.
5) Have Your Heating System Serviced
Each year before you fire up the furnace for the first time, have a qualified service technician perform an inspection. If anything needs to be repaired, have it done immediately so that you’re not left cold, or worse — left using a system that could pose a poisoning hazard. Potential issues include cracks in vents, buildup on burners and improper installation.
6) Have Chimneys and Flues Cleaned
Improperly maintained chimneys and flues can crack and have buildup that causes issues with venting. The carbon monoxide that is supposed to be going out can then come right into your home. Even if carbon monoxide isn’t a problem, not taking care of your fireplace can be a hazard in other ways. Creosote buildup is a major cause of flue fires each year.
7) Make Sure Your Wood Stove Meets Fire Codes
Building and fire codes vary greatly from city to city and country to country. The best way to find this information is to go directly to the source. Call your local fire marshall or other official in charge of fire protection and ask whether your unit needs to be inspected in person and what the code is for your area.
8) Open Chimney Dampers Before Using Fireplaces
You need oxygen to breathe, and so does your fire. By opening the damper, you create a draft that goes up the chimney. This will give your fire air to burn efficiently and also provide ventilation of smoke and carbon monoxide.
9) Make Sure New Heating Appliances Are Tested by Independent Labs
You’ve seen it before — that little UL sticker or stamp on products ranging from TVs to electric blankets. Make sure there’s one on any new space heater or other appliances you buy as well. It doesn’t have to be UL, there are other labs. But they all have rigorous evaluation standards and these organizations are not affiliated with the manufacturer so the results won’t be biased.
10) Use Kerosene Heaters Properly and Keep Them Inspected and Maintained
Use these heaters with the proper fuel (follow manufacturer’s guidelines) and make sure that you are using the proper ventilation. In addition, wait until the unit has cooled down completely before you re-fuel it. Never re-fuel indoors.