My eldest daughter, who is in the Atlanta GA school disctrict, pulled her kids from the public schools 2 or 3 years ago when the schools cut back on the gifted programs - her kids are moving much faster in the private school they are in.
A bit over 15 years ago I had to deal with problems in my school disctrict with my youngest daughter - who was bored with studies at Middle School and totally unhappy with the social games that were going on (she was a diagnosed Aspie). After the first 2 weeks of 6th grade I had her math jumped - in my opinion there was no point repeating all the material she had already mastered. In 7th grade she had to go to the first period math class in the high school (along with about another 10 to 15 other middle schoolers) and then return for her morning classes. She then went home and did on-line schooling for her afternoon classes - and moved far faster than expected. By the time 7th grade was over the Middle School simply sent her to the High School. I had her do Geometry by correspondence over the summer before she started High School - which meant that I had to tutor her in Geometry, which I had last taken ~ 50 years earlier.
She had barely turned 15 when she dropped out of High School and went to the state university where she did her Engineering degree.
The more serious students move far faster than the typical student slacker. Even schools that offer tracking have problems offering appropriate material for the more capable and harder working students.
At this point, my hope for the future is focused upon AI tutors. They appear to be the only practical approach, particularily for smaller schools and disctricts that can not offer appropriate level material to the relatively rare highly capable student. If and when such tutors become available I would expect to see widespread adoption - in public schools, private schools, and in home schooling environments. Such tools are likely to finally allow a scaleable form of mastery teaching, allowing students to move at their own natural pace.
Of course, once you have a system that allows students to move at their own pace you are going to see far greater dispersion in learning and academic accomplishment.
The "one size fits all" class designation is increasingly hindering brighter students , or those who are more motivated. Those kids are being sacrificed on the altar of "equality" or restorative justice. In Ca they are still arguing over when math options can be offered and holding back students ready to move on in the name of "equity". Unfortunately, it takes money to avail yourself of private options and the disparity will only get worse. I wish I had your optimism about AI , but I'm open to something positive happening there.
Adding, I actually told the high school principal that it was quite likely that my daughter would never graduate and that I did not care about the state requirements - which I thought were so much makework. We had planned on Running Start. She actually dropped out and did early admission.
I had my daughter do both Geometry and PreCalculus by correspondence over consecutive summers before and after 9th grade. I had enough math education to support it - I am a Physcist with a Ph.D. in Engineering. My wife has a MS in Teaching. The school did not give her credit - but they gave her placement. The school noted that she would not meet the state graduation requirements because they would not have classes to offer her to meet her 3 years of math. We didn't care because we were planning on Running Start - doing college starting in 11th grade. But less educated parents are likely to have more trouble driving relatively advanced classwork.
But when the schools do not offer the appropriate material, the highly educated parents will do so either on their own or via private means - which truly leaves the children of poorer parents out in the cold.
My eldest daughter, who is in the Atlanta GA school disctrict, pulled her kids from the public schools 2 or 3 years ago when the schools cut back on the gifted programs - her kids are moving much faster in the private school they are in.
A bit over 15 years ago I had to deal with problems in my school disctrict with my youngest daughter - who was bored with studies at Middle School and totally unhappy with the social games that were going on (she was a diagnosed Aspie). After the first 2 weeks of 6th grade I had her math jumped - in my opinion there was no point repeating all the material she had already mastered. In 7th grade she had to go to the first period math class in the high school (along with about another 10 to 15 other middle schoolers) and then return for her morning classes. She then went home and did on-line schooling for her afternoon classes - and moved far faster than expected. By the time 7th grade was over the Middle School simply sent her to the High School. I had her do Geometry by correspondence over the summer before she started High School - which meant that I had to tutor her in Geometry, which I had last taken ~ 50 years earlier.
She had barely turned 15 when she dropped out of High School and went to the state university where she did her Engineering degree.
The more serious students move far faster than the typical student slacker. Even schools that offer tracking have problems offering appropriate material for the more capable and harder working students.
At this point, my hope for the future is focused upon AI tutors. They appear to be the only practical approach, particularily for smaller schools and disctricts that can not offer appropriate level material to the relatively rare highly capable student. If and when such tutors become available I would expect to see widespread adoption - in public schools, private schools, and in home schooling environments. Such tools are likely to finally allow a scaleable form of mastery teaching, allowing students to move at their own natural pace.
Of course, once you have a system that allows students to move at their own pace you are going to see far greater dispersion in learning and academic accomplishment.
The "one size fits all" class designation is increasingly hindering brighter students , or those who are more motivated. Those kids are being sacrificed on the altar of "equality" or restorative justice. In Ca they are still arguing over when math options can be offered and holding back students ready to move on in the name of "equity". Unfortunately, it takes money to avail yourself of private options and the disparity will only get worse. I wish I had your optimism about AI , but I'm open to something positive happening there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR5ApYxkU-U&t=28s
Adding, I actually told the high school principal that it was quite likely that my daughter would never graduate and that I did not care about the state requirements - which I thought were so much makework. We had planned on Running Start. She actually dropped out and did early admission.
I had my daughter do both Geometry and PreCalculus by correspondence over consecutive summers before and after 9th grade. I had enough math education to support it - I am a Physcist with a Ph.D. in Engineering. My wife has a MS in Teaching. The school did not give her credit - but they gave her placement. The school noted that she would not meet the state graduation requirements because they would not have classes to offer her to meet her 3 years of math. We didn't care because we were planning on Running Start - doing college starting in 11th grade. But less educated parents are likely to have more trouble driving relatively advanced classwork.
But when the schools do not offer the appropriate material, the highly educated parents will do so either on their own or via private means - which truly leaves the children of poorer parents out in the cold.