Advocacy

Advocacy for our AIG students is an ongoing process which is dependent upon our educators and parents working together to meet the needs of our students. One of the main goals of advocacy is making sure that appropriate educational placement, along with social, emotional, and interest based needs for each student are being met. Working together we can ensure high quality education for our gifted students in all of our schools.

Top Ten Advocacy Strategies

1. Plan for your child with school personal!! The development of an educational plan is the cornerstone of educational advocacy.
2. Preparing teachers to recognize and support high-ability learners in all populations of students
3. Stay organized and have details!! Detailed and organized objective information is essential for effective advocacy efforts on behalf of your child
4. Ask questions????? Are there additional people who may be of assistance in implementing an educational plan for my child, some of whom I may not yet have experienced?
5. Think Ahead!! What do I anticipate being most concerned about in the next two years in regards to my child’s educational arrangements?
6. Parents should be flexible and develop alternative plans when original advocacy plans are unsuccessful
7. Key behaviors of successful parent advocates: 1. Approach schools respectfully 2. Avoid feelings of entitlement 3. Allow the open exchange of information between school officials, administrators and educators 4. Be patient 5. Be honest about the child and forthcoming about the child’s strengths and weaknesses 6. Seek collaboration with the school
8. Know your options!!! As with subject-based acceleration, a listing of potential pros and cons of any grade-based acceleration options is an effective way to determine goodness of fit for an individual child.  Grade-based acceleration is defined as “any option that shortens the number of years a child spends in mastering the K-12 curriculum”  Reasons to consider these options include the fact that they are more likely to allow exceptionally gifted children to be academically challenged by increasing the level and pace of learning.
9. Talk with your child about exactly what happens in the classroom and what she might like to see change.
10. Approach the teacher as an ally in your child’s education, not a roadblock. Be open to what he says, acknowledge the limitations in the system, but be firm in moving towards your goals.

Below is a list of links that also provide important information about ways to advocate for your Gifted Child within their own school, district, state, and nation.