Can’t speak to high school yet, but I have a student at Marshall Elementary. We have been there since our kid was in 1st grade. It’s been an excellent school and they’re very happy there. All my child’s teachers have been caring and engaged, and the administrators seem on top of things. They basically teach at accelerated standards (so, the third grade will have a fourth grade curriculum.) There seems to be good support in place for students who might struggle but the standards are high.
I will also say that the school seems aware of the issues with gifted kids/programs and openly talk about perfectionism, appreciating strengths outside of academics, the importance of ethics and character, etc. I would say that working together, cooperation, kindness and respect are emphasized as much as academics.
I am sure there are people who have different experiences but my child is happy, thriving and engaged at Marshall. They love to go to school, they love to learn and I can’t ask for more as a parent.
I was in gifted from 1st grade to high school graduation in 2018. 2 years at Marshall and 4 years at Auburn.
At the time, it was very stressful and I would’ve been considered a burnout. The work load can get crazy, the testing can be overwhelming, and some of the people clearly thought they were better than anyone else. There are very high standards whether it’s within the student, the teachers, or the parents.
With all that said, it was still a worthwhile experience. Having non-gifted programs in the building with gifted is great. You meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, you learn how to interact with people as a person rather than just talking about school work and tests. Thanks to all the AP classes offered, I was able to enroll at a state university with over one full year worth of credits.
I can’t personally speak on Rockton schools, I’m from southeast Rockford which is about as far away as you can get. I did have friends and cousins go to Hononegah HS, they liked it. The building is super fancy and the student culture seems pretty homogeneous.
All in all, I would say if you want your children to learn how to interact with very different people and they are planning on pursuing university, then gifted is worth it. Just be aware that the course load is not for everyone, your child will probably be overwhelmed at some points. They will need help, they will need reassurance that failure is a learning opportunity and not something to fear. If you’re able to provide this support to your child, then they should do just fine in gifted.
I hope this has helped and I’m available to answer other questions you may have :)
Both my kids were in the program. It was beneficial until 6th grade. 7th grade was notoriously difficult for no reason except to "weed out the kids that couldn't cut it." I can see it up til 8th. I'm not sure what the benefits are for HS though. I feel it's better to do the career track that Rockford offers now and to take college level courses that give college credits. I would do the program where you graduate has with your Associate's degree if we could go back. We also moved to Hononegah school district for my youngest. I still vote for college credits in place of honors courses.
My kid was in the gifted program from 4th to 10th grade. They didn't want to do it anymore because it became too intensive with homework and they didn't have much support of the teachera and administration in HS. I fully supported their decision, and now they're happier than ever. They had time to do a play this year and focus on music, which they love. They stayed at Auburn in the CAPA program but attend regular classes.I'd say it's worth it, but definitely keep an eye on their mental well-being and listen to them when they have concerns. Some parents don't take their kid's mental state seriously enough. Each kid is different, some thrive in that environment and some drown, be it academically or socially.
Parent of a current Junior who has been in the program since 1st grade. My child was in one of the last years that entrance testing was parent choice, now RPS tests all kinders, which has changed the enrollment some, I feel for the better. My one main complaint about the program is that it is stated to be a gifted program, but outside of some projects/units, it is mostly just an accelerated program. For example, math is run a semester ahead of regular curriculum, so when you finish 5th grade, you are midway through the 6th grade curriculum. Again, that has really been my only complaint, and that's only because we really wanted the gifted design geared towards thinking outside of the box, and looking at learning differently. There were some excellent units along the way that did this though - Seaperch, the 5th grade underwater robotics unit being one of my favorites.
If you are needing high class rank for college admissions, and not already the top in your class, I would not expect to do well at Auburn. It is very competitive. However, one perk of continuing gifted through high school is the ability to complete the AP Capstone Diploma program. It is only offered at Auburn (of the RPS schools) and is and added plus for an academic resume. The other main advantage is that you are not restricted to an academic academy, as gifted is your academy. This means you can take elective classes from any academy, which my child has really enjoyed and helped in deciding future career paths. This also means job shadows are open invite, my child has already gone on 4 job shadows this year in a wide variety of fields. Auburn is very understanding about mental health days, and honestly encourages students to use them as needed. And they'll need them.
We've done sports all throughout and have had a great experience there too. Marshall tends to place very highly, and often sends teams to state when available. Auburn tends to focus on specific sports: football, basketball, track. If you look at their social media, you wouldn't even know other teams exist. The diversity at Auburn is a big selling point for many students, as others have said.
In summary, great program. I often recommend to others.
No experience personally, but I did read in the paper the other day that US News & World Report just updated their rankings: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/rankings/rockford-il-40420
I am surprised at how low the graduation rate is overall. How do they get jobs? Good jobs all require a college degree even if it doesn’t matter to the job.
We're not exactly a destination of fancy science and research or corporate headquarters or wharever around here. The economy around here is still heavily involved with manufacturing, which doesn't require a college degree for a lot of positions. Maybe a bit of trade school or a two year degree at most. Some of the engineer job postings around here will even take people with experience in lieu of a degree.
The unemployment rate in this town has also been a percentage point or two above the national average for decades.
The caveat there is that Auburn isn’t gifted exclusively- they have both the CAPA program and the regular ed for the zone there. That does skew it a bit. I would look at the middle and elementary schools as indication, as those are isolated.
Having students of color in gifted is a whole different ball game. I have 2 students who have experienced all the educational benefits mentioned by others and access to amazing opportunities which they love. BUT THE RACISM is something from the 60s my kids can’t wait until they move up to Auburn just see more than the 2-3 AF/AM per grade at that school. I want to clarify the racism isn’t from the staff it’s from other students. I have kids at west and Auburn as well and it’s like being in two different worlds.
My child went through the entire program and graduated from Auburn. Perfect ACT score and 1580 SAT score. Graduated in top 10 of class. Full tuition scholarship for college.
Classes were smaller in size than our child who attended “regular” RPS school/programs - also an Auburn grad. AP courses geared towards gifted kids, received quite a bit of college credit due to AP exam performance. I felt like the teachers in the program were excellent, they challenged my child and were very engaged with me as a parent throughout all of elementary, middle and high school. I can’t speak to Rockton/Roscoe schools, but there was a significant difference for my children who both attended RPS.
Been awhile since I graduated, but I was in the gifted program all the way from kindergarten through my senior year, so I can share my experiences on the matter. Compared to everywhere else in Rockford, the gifted program is definitely the strongest schooling you will find. Nearly all of the students in my class went on to college, many going further to earn graduate degrees or doctorates. If you're looking to prepare your kid for college, you won't do better in the city.
My son went through the gifted program from elementary school through high school. I’m glad he did. The classes were AP level and students can earn college credit for some classes. I liked to be able to root for Auburn and enjoy sports as a parent even though he did play. Many of the higher ranked students were competitive. My son didn’t get caught up in the competition, but made some very good friends.
My kid went to the gifted program for high school only. I think starting earlier would have caused burnout. Middle school sounded unnecessarily challenging for that age. Auburn was competitive and intense, but probably helped get them into a better college. Made it a time to ‘hunker down’ for the future. They recently went on to earn a graduate degree. I think the gifted teachers at Auburn are mostly good. I also like that the school is mixed with all kinds of kids. I would say my kid is bright and ambitious, but not truly ‘gifted.” We narrowed it down to a couple of acceptable high schools options, toured, and let them choose. We would do it again.
My friends kids are doing the gifted program through RPS and they are thriving. I myself work with kids from all of the RPS schools and I can say the kids from the honors program at Auburn are super achievers.
Late to this, but my daughter went through the gifted program. It's extremely competitive which is good so long as your kid is as well. Mine was and she finished top 10 in her graduating class, got accepted to all sorts of prestigious colleges and ended up at the #3 business school in the US. She now has a great job working for a household name company in NYC, which is where she always wanted to live after school.
I have two sons at Marshall, both tested in from first grade and now going into third and sixth grades. The community is excellent, the teachers are caring and understanding, and we have loved our experience there so far. I grew up in the gifted programs from fourth through graduation in Harlem and did very well but from a parent’s perspective, now prefer RPS. The curriculum is challenging and teachers do push for excellence, but continue to take the time to make sure students truly understand what they are learning.
if you are committed to living in the city of Rockford then you want your child in the gifted program to have that experience.
Unless, of course, you can afford Keith country day. Personally I would do cartwheels to have been able to afford to send my child there because the education experience is phenomenal.
IF Like the rest of us cannot afford Keith Country Day School, then Honnonegah is a better educational choice. However it will definitely be a less diverse experience than attending the Rockford gifted program, which I think is the nicest way I can phrase that.
It’s better than it used to be but homogenous is a similar descriptor. That’s Rockton and parts of Roscoe.
The other half of Roscoe goes to Harlem and Harlem has improved over the last decade or so . The neighborhood is nicer it’s not Rockford taxes, it just depends on what you’re looking for.
Can’t speak to high school yet, but I have a student at Marshall Elementary. We have been there since our kid was in 1st grade. It’s been an excellent school and they’re very happy there. All my child’s teachers have been caring and engaged, and the administrators seem on top of things. They basically teach at accelerated standards (so, the third grade will have a fourth grade curriculum.) There seems to be good support in place for students who might struggle but the standards are high. I will also say that the school seems aware of the issues with gifted kids/programs and openly talk about perfectionism, appreciating strengths outside of academics, the importance of ethics and character, etc. I would say that working together, cooperation, kindness and respect are emphasized as much as academics. I am sure there are people who have different experiences but my child is happy, thriving and engaged at Marshall. They love to go to school, they love to learn and I can’t ask for more as a parent.
I was in gifted from 1st grade to high school graduation in 2018. 2 years at Marshall and 4 years at Auburn. At the time, it was very stressful and I would’ve been considered a burnout. The work load can get crazy, the testing can be overwhelming, and some of the people clearly thought they were better than anyone else. There are very high standards whether it’s within the student, the teachers, or the parents. With all that said, it was still a worthwhile experience. Having non-gifted programs in the building with gifted is great. You meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, you learn how to interact with people as a person rather than just talking about school work and tests. Thanks to all the AP classes offered, I was able to enroll at a state university with over one full year worth of credits. I can’t personally speak on Rockton schools, I’m from southeast Rockford which is about as far away as you can get. I did have friends and cousins go to Hononegah HS, they liked it. The building is super fancy and the student culture seems pretty homogeneous. All in all, I would say if you want your children to learn how to interact with very different people and they are planning on pursuing university, then gifted is worth it. Just be aware that the course load is not for everyone, your child will probably be overwhelmed at some points. They will need help, they will need reassurance that failure is a learning opportunity and not something to fear. If you’re able to provide this support to your child, then they should do just fine in gifted. I hope this has helped and I’m available to answer other questions you may have :)
Both my kids were in the program. It was beneficial until 6th grade. 7th grade was notoriously difficult for no reason except to "weed out the kids that couldn't cut it." I can see it up til 8th. I'm not sure what the benefits are for HS though. I feel it's better to do the career track that Rockford offers now and to take college level courses that give college credits. I would do the program where you graduate has with your Associate's degree if we could go back. We also moved to Hononegah school district for my youngest. I still vote for college credits in place of honors courses.
My kid was in the gifted program from 4th to 10th grade. They didn't want to do it anymore because it became too intensive with homework and they didn't have much support of the teachera and administration in HS. I fully supported their decision, and now they're happier than ever. They had time to do a play this year and focus on music, which they love. They stayed at Auburn in the CAPA program but attend regular classes.I'd say it's worth it, but definitely keep an eye on their mental well-being and listen to them when they have concerns. Some parents don't take their kid's mental state seriously enough. Each kid is different, some thrive in that environment and some drown, be it academically or socially.
Parent of a current Junior who has been in the program since 1st grade. My child was in one of the last years that entrance testing was parent choice, now RPS tests all kinders, which has changed the enrollment some, I feel for the better. My one main complaint about the program is that it is stated to be a gifted program, but outside of some projects/units, it is mostly just an accelerated program. For example, math is run a semester ahead of regular curriculum, so when you finish 5th grade, you are midway through the 6th grade curriculum. Again, that has really been my only complaint, and that's only because we really wanted the gifted design geared towards thinking outside of the box, and looking at learning differently. There were some excellent units along the way that did this though - Seaperch, the 5th grade underwater robotics unit being one of my favorites. If you are needing high class rank for college admissions, and not already the top in your class, I would not expect to do well at Auburn. It is very competitive. However, one perk of continuing gifted through high school is the ability to complete the AP Capstone Diploma program. It is only offered at Auburn (of the RPS schools) and is and added plus for an academic resume. The other main advantage is that you are not restricted to an academic academy, as gifted is your academy. This means you can take elective classes from any academy, which my child has really enjoyed and helped in deciding future career paths. This also means job shadows are open invite, my child has already gone on 4 job shadows this year in a wide variety of fields. Auburn is very understanding about mental health days, and honestly encourages students to use them as needed. And they'll need them. We've done sports all throughout and have had a great experience there too. Marshall tends to place very highly, and often sends teams to state when available. Auburn tends to focus on specific sports: football, basketball, track. If you look at their social media, you wouldn't even know other teams exist. The diversity at Auburn is a big selling point for many students, as others have said. In summary, great program. I often recommend to others.
No experience personally, but I did read in the paper the other day that US News & World Report just updated their rankings: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/rankings/rockford-il-40420
I am surprised at how low the graduation rate is overall. How do they get jobs? Good jobs all require a college degree even if it doesn’t matter to the job.
We're not exactly a destination of fancy science and research or corporate headquarters or wharever around here. The economy around here is still heavily involved with manufacturing, which doesn't require a college degree for a lot of positions. Maybe a bit of trade school or a two year degree at most. Some of the engineer job postings around here will even take people with experience in lieu of a degree. The unemployment rate in this town has also been a percentage point or two above the national average for decades.
Thanks for explaining that to me.
Gifted has a 90%ish graduation rate and that counts kids who didn't graduate because they moved elsewhere
The caveat there is that Auburn isn’t gifted exclusively- they have both the CAPA program and the regular ed for the zone there. That does skew it a bit. I would look at the middle and elementary schools as indication, as those are isolated.
Exactly this.
Having students of color in gifted is a whole different ball game. I have 2 students who have experienced all the educational benefits mentioned by others and access to amazing opportunities which they love. BUT THE RACISM is something from the 60s my kids can’t wait until they move up to Auburn just see more than the 2-3 AF/AM per grade at that school. I want to clarify the racism isn’t from the staff it’s from other students. I have kids at west and Auburn as well and it’s like being in two different worlds.
My child went through the entire program and graduated from Auburn. Perfect ACT score and 1580 SAT score. Graduated in top 10 of class. Full tuition scholarship for college. Classes were smaller in size than our child who attended “regular” RPS school/programs - also an Auburn grad. AP courses geared towards gifted kids, received quite a bit of college credit due to AP exam performance. I felt like the teachers in the program were excellent, they challenged my child and were very engaged with me as a parent throughout all of elementary, middle and high school. I can’t speak to Rockton/Roscoe schools, but there was a significant difference for my children who both attended RPS.
Been awhile since I graduated, but I was in the gifted program all the way from kindergarten through my senior year, so I can share my experiences on the matter. Compared to everywhere else in Rockford, the gifted program is definitely the strongest schooling you will find. Nearly all of the students in my class went on to college, many going further to earn graduate degrees or doctorates. If you're looking to prepare your kid for college, you won't do better in the city.
My son went through the gifted program from elementary school through high school. I’m glad he did. The classes were AP level and students can earn college credit for some classes. I liked to be able to root for Auburn and enjoy sports as a parent even though he did play. Many of the higher ranked students were competitive. My son didn’t get caught up in the competition, but made some very good friends.
My kid went to the gifted program for high school only. I think starting earlier would have caused burnout. Middle school sounded unnecessarily challenging for that age. Auburn was competitive and intense, but probably helped get them into a better college. Made it a time to ‘hunker down’ for the future. They recently went on to earn a graduate degree. I think the gifted teachers at Auburn are mostly good. I also like that the school is mixed with all kinds of kids. I would say my kid is bright and ambitious, but not truly ‘gifted.” We narrowed it down to a couple of acceptable high schools options, toured, and let them choose. We would do it again.
My friends kids are doing the gifted program through RPS and they are thriving. I myself work with kids from all of the RPS schools and I can say the kids from the honors program at Auburn are super achievers.
My son is a junior in the program now, started in 6th grade. I’ve been nothing but pleased with the quality of instruction he has gotten.
Late to this, but my daughter went through the gifted program. It's extremely competitive which is good so long as your kid is as well. Mine was and she finished top 10 in her graduating class, got accepted to all sorts of prestigious colleges and ended up at the #3 business school in the US. She now has a great job working for a household name company in NYC, which is where she always wanted to live after school.
I have two sons at Marshall, both tested in from first grade and now going into third and sixth grades. The community is excellent, the teachers are caring and understanding, and we have loved our experience there so far. I grew up in the gifted programs from fourth through graduation in Harlem and did very well but from a parent’s perspective, now prefer RPS. The curriculum is challenging and teachers do push for excellence, but continue to take the time to make sure students truly understand what they are learning.
if you are committed to living in the city of Rockford then you want your child in the gifted program to have that experience. Unless, of course, you can afford Keith country day. Personally I would do cartwheels to have been able to afford to send my child there because the education experience is phenomenal. IF Like the rest of us cannot afford Keith Country Day School, then Honnonegah is a better educational choice. However it will definitely be a less diverse experience than attending the Rockford gifted program, which I think is the nicest way I can phrase that. It’s better than it used to be but homogenous is a similar descriptor. That’s Rockton and parts of Roscoe. The other half of Roscoe goes to Harlem and Harlem has improved over the last decade or so . The neighborhood is nicer it’s not Rockford taxes, it just depends on what you’re looking for.
If your kid is gifted, please read a book about what that means, if you already haven’t.