This is absolutely nothing new. In grades 1-3, I was in a gifted and talented group (3 caucasian children). We were reading at levels 2-3 grades ahead of our classmates. We were put in a corner with our books by ourselves while the teachers spent the rest of the time in the remedial group (all minorities) trying to teach them colors and numbers.
Within 2 years, we had fallen to levels of our classmates and were reintegrated with them.
Thanks NC education system.
Sounds like they put you in a holding pattern, and just waited for the others to catch up with you.