This past Saturday, I took Sydney to her OLSAT exam. The Irvine Unified School District (and perhaps other areas in the OC or SoCal) invites certain kids to take the test as a qualification to get into honors/gifted classes that begin in fourth grade. Having Sydney be asked to take the test was an honorable testament to her little brain and drive, and we're anxiously hopeful that she'll make the grade. Apparently, kids need to score in the 95th percentile to "pass". If she does, she'll remain at her same school, but simply follow another path or curricula.
Syd was mildly nervous about the hype surrounding the test, although we did our best to downplay the significance of the event. As with most "big deals" in her life, we try not to get her worked up. She handles most everything in stride, and this test was really no different.
It took an hour and, afterward, she felt good about the experience. Some of the questions clearly ventured into the abstract realm of IQ test-like scenarios, in which you really aren't asked a question, but, rather, are given a series of shapes or numbers and asked to find some sort of answer there. Syd said those initially stumped her, but she managed to answer all of the 60-some questions.
She and I had a nice talk on the way home about IQ testing and the concept of genius. How the greatest minds of our time were/are able to think in the abstract realm, connecting disparate thoughts into new ideas, some of which are truly revolutionary. I told her that that type of thinking can be applied in math or science as equally as it can be directed toward art or writing. I'm certainly not attempting to condition her to consider herself a genius, or to start ranking her, but it was the first conversation I've had with her about that obtuse of a concept. At least one in which her eyes don't glaze over and she starts humming nervously to herself.
So, the title? We were asked to arrive about 15 minutes before the test began. I'd venture to say there were 80-100 kids awaiting testing. Maybe fewer. Each kid had at least one parent in tow. Some had two, some had multiple family members in their posse. All of us sat in a series of lunch tables outside the classrooms of the local elementary school that was hosting the tests. Naturally, kids' eyes (and most of the parents' eyes) began checking out the competition. Clearly, most of the parents expressed more anxiety/pride/excitement about this event than the average, mundane soccer practice or dance class. Parents had private rah-rah speeches with their boy or girl, offering little tips about time management or reminding them to listen to instructions.
What I was interested in was the racial composition of the group. It's widely accepted that Irvine has exceptional public schools and that, in fact, you pay a premium for living here because of that benefit. Irvine is upper middle class, for the most part. Definitely more working class than Newport Beach, but more white color than Santa Ana. It is a draw for people of all races, creeds and religions. We've met a number of families that moved to Irvine specifically to get their child into an Irvine school...even if it meant living in an apartment.
One of the residual effects of this educational draw is that the competition is pretty intense, particularly at the high school level, I hear. And when I looked at the racial makeup of the group at the OLSAT tests, it was clear which nationalities/races are leading the pack. If there were 100 kids there, I think it was safe to say that about 8 or 9 were white. Probably 50-60 were Asian, and 20-30 were either Indian or Middle Eastern.
While we've certainly become accustomed to the ethnic diversity of kids at the girls' school, to see this distillation of the advanced students was noteworthy. The Asian cultures are reputed for prioritizing education. The large Chinese population here is known for sending their kids to additional tutoring and having really strict studying regimens...even at this 1st/2nd/3rd grade level. It's no surprise that the vast majority of the kids on Saturday were either Chinese, Korean or Japanese. Indian kids are also driven, particularly in math, although, in my opinion, they don't seem quite as pressured and borderline miserable.
There is a rumor on the wind that the racial composition of Irvine schools has evolved to a point where the Asian students, in particular, are making the curve far too competitive for "white kids". Word is, some families are throwing in the proverbial towel and moving out of the district in order to protect their children's fragile egos. 'If you can't beat 'em, move' is the growing sentiment, I guess. Of course, this is anecdotal information relayed through God knows how many different filters, but I've heard it from a number of people...not just Lori.
We're very fortunate that both girls are bright and driven. The fact that they're both off to great starts in school gives us confidence that they have every chance to be right up there setting the curves themselves. I'm sure, at some point, that kind of drive will inevitably turn into the darker side of competitiveness and pressure to win. But, California hasn't transmogrified us into New Age opponents of competition. I'm actually intrigued to see how the girls will respond over time to the challenge. We're all for survival of the fittest and the girls being exposed to an educational environment that forces them to push themselves.
At the end of it, I think they'll be better people for it, regardless of the color of their classmates.
