ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
Parents concerned about their children's achievement in middle school went straight to the source Tuesday night, and saw some positive results.
Rather than go through administrative channels, as had been the procedure in past years, members of an advisory committee on gifted students spoke directly to the Montgomery County School Board.
The board agreed to look into one of the parents' recommendations: academically challenging electives for middle school pupils.
Middle school principals told the board they do offer electives such as Latin, creative writing and the opportunity to take high school level courses.
The principals reviewed some of the results of a survey sent out to middle school pupils, parents and teachers.
Fewer than half of the gifted pupils surveyed thought the schools offered a high quality instructional program; their parents were somewhat more favorable. But parent Joe Merola said the board should consider why about 30 percent of parents of gifted children weren't satisfied.
School Board member Bernie Jortner said he wanted to hear about all the classes geared toward those who want more challenge, and to examine whether any additional classes are feasible for these pupils in grades six through eight.
"We're not doing enough for gifted students," member Wat Hopkins said. "We all agree that something needs to be done; we just need to [examine] what that is."
Much of the debate between school administrators and parents of gifted students was spurred by an analysis conducted by R.J. Harvey, a Virginia Tech psychology professor. Harvey, who is married to former School Board member Peggy Arrington, found that county students with higher ability scores tend to score lower on tests than expected.
But fellow Tech professor Larni Cross told the board Tuesday that a different test revealed some deficiencies across all levels of ability. Cross was asked to look at different test data to verify Harvey's study.
Both tests, Cross said, did not have enough information to make definite conclusions about middle school achievement. Cross told the board it should conduct additional tests, but for now, it should use what he and Harvey produced for guidance.
In the end, he said, it's like religion. There may be discrepancies in the options, "but it couldn't hurt to pray anyway."
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: Parents/gifted students evaluateby CNBinstruction. KEYWORDS: MGR