>> Have you gone through such a program? Yes >> Do you regret it? Very much so. My middle school was a small charter school, with about 60 kids in each grade

>> Have you gone through such a program? Yes >> Do you regret it? Very much so. My middle school was a small charter school, with about 60 kids in each grade, and 2 classes going on at any one time. One day out of the blue they announced that some students had been selected to participate in some gifted classes. I was selected for all 3, and at first I felt honored. But only 5 kids had been picked, and each gifted class had at most, 3 kids in it. Obviously I was isolated from all my friends, and strongly disliked by all the rest. I learnt nothing from the class (other than how to take a beating) and would have to call it the most miserable year of my life. edit: Oh, and the school also required that I complete all the homework from my regular classes, even though I wasn't attending the class and doing additional work. I think I failed most of that year. Real 'gifted'. So all in all, I'd consider that particular program a failure, and I'd be surprised if most other programs didn't have similar consequences. The school neglected the fact that sociality is part of an education. I felt at a disadvantage when I got to high school, and didn't know the kids my age any more. They thought I was a weirdo, and I actually felt less prepared for some classes than they did. I had missed a full year of social development.