I remember when I was a kid in Portland, OR public schools, the district figured out a way to teach me algebra in 4th grade. The rules (or laws, I can't remember) mandated that the district make accommodations to teach students at the appropriate rate and level. The pendulum seems to swing back and forth, however. There are parents that insist that their child is gifted, enough parents to cause trouble with school boards. For one of my friends, apparently his parents requested that he not be placed in the same class as me, because I was better than him in one or two disciplines. Parents are crazy. I understand the desire to succeed, but I can't relate to people who want to be the smartest person in the room.