This post is from from my other blog here

It seems that the reluctance of LCPS to expand "gifted" programs or otherwise differentiate students as early as possible in Elementary School is a long-standing denial or reluctance on the part of the Board of Education, compounded by secretive and very individual decisions made by Principals with questionable theories and statistics....here's a Q/A from 2001 to Edgar P. Hatrick:

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Ashburn, VA: Dr. Hatrick:

"My son is in Futura (the gifted and talented program for grades 4 and 5 in Loudoun County) and loves the one day a week when his curriculum is challenging and engaging. How can LCPS expand the regular curriculum for gifted students so that he and other gifted students also look forward to the other four days in the week?"

Edgar B. Hatrick III: "We hope that all of our classes are challenging, but often students who are identified as gifted find FUTURA to be the extra challenge we intended. I think it's important for us to work with students to help them find ways they can challenge themselves every day through enrichment activities. You might want to talk to your child's FUTURA teacher to get some ideas. "
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We "hope" all of our classes are challenging? (answer: they're not). "Often" students find FUTURA challenging? (what about when they don't?). Talk with your child's FUTURA teacher? (what about the other teachers?).

It doesn't appear things have improved much, in the past 6 years, with regards to opportunities for "Gifted" children. In fact, things are sliding backwards so quickly down here in Dulles South (at Little River), the "FUTURA" program will likely need to be renamed "NOFUTURAINAGOODCOLLEGA".