What about HES students' needs?

Throughout the entire discussion of merging CES and HES, people who favor the dismantleing of Hillsborough Elementary have said that the drain of "high-performing students" from other district schools adversely impacts the education at those districted schools.

In fact, Brad Davis, in his Letter to the Editor of The News of Orange County said:

"My own belief is that what underperforming students need is a diverse educational atmosphere where they are exposed to and challenged by their high-performing peers, and where high-performing students can serve as role models, at least during the early years of education."

Now, I don't know what Mr. Davis does for a career, perhaps he is a published educational researcher, but I do know that his "belief" is not supported by those who make their living doing research into education.

In an article in the journal, Education Leadership, author and assistant superintendent for curriculum, assessment, and instruction in the Grosse Pointe, Michigan, public school system, Dr. Susan Demirsky Allan dispells the value of classroom "role models":

"The thorniest issue concerning grouping and the gifted is whether the gifted are needed in the regular classroom to act as role models for other students and whether this 'use' of gifted students is more important than their own educational needs.

That students constantly make ability comparisons between themselves and others is sometimes used as the rationale for having gifted students serve as motivational models for others. While there is nothing inherently wrong with serving as a positive role model on occasion, it is morally questionable for adults to view any student's primary function as that of role model to others.

Further, the idea that lower ability students will look up to gifted students as role models is highly questionable. Children typically model their behavior after the behavior of other children of similar ability who are coping well with school. Children of low and average ability do not model themselves on fast learners. It appears that 'watching someone of similar ability succeed at a task raises the observer's feelings of efficiency and motivates them to try the task.'

Students gain most from watching someone of similar ability 'cope' (that is, gradually improve their performance after some effort), rather than watching someone who has attained 'mastery' (that is, can demonstrate perfect performance from the outset)."

Is it in any way appropriate to disband the only school most HES students have ever known so that they can be "used" by other schools?