What’s the big fuss about AAP?

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09/05/2025 10:54

Subject: What’s the big fuss about AAP?

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Anonymous wrote:To address OPs point, I'd say that it just makes home life easier. There are sooo many little problems that are lessened, or just disappear once you segregate out the majority of troublemakers from the class. The teachers are on top of their curriculum, have more time for individual engagement with more children instead of the ones falling behind, and my child isn't being used as an indirect tutor to help the class progress. My needs for home enrichment actually decreased as DC appears to be staying engaged in class and progressing, which wasn't happening in K-2nd. Maybe it's my child's increased maturity (I doubt it), but there are less distractions and social implications to be worried about that makes for less anxiety and fights at home.

I'd say it's 100% not about the stated "advanced" nature, and the benefits are more intrinsic based on the peer group differences. I recognize it's elitist, but it's working for us.

+100 the peer group is miles above the gen ed peer group. I had one kid who got into AAP and one who didn’t. The one who didn’t unfortunately was influenced by the lack of academic rigor from gen Ed over the years - doesn’t want to/isn’t used to working hard, doesn’t know how to study for tests, doesn’t seem to care as much about school. Cares more about being popular. We notice that more of the gen Ed girls are all about clothes, make up and nails by 6th grade whereas the AAP girls are not.

AAP 6th grade teacher here. My AAP girls are ALL about brand names!!

Next thing you'll tell us is how much you are into brands yourself.

Kids are kids, some are into brands and some are into sports and some are into books and some are into math, that incudes AAP kids. There are AAP kids who are problems with regulation and there are well behaved kids in AAP. There are kids who are brand obsessed and kids who could careless in AAP. Too many people on this board want to portray AAP as this bastion of amazingly well behaved kids who are all young academics learning from each other when it is a classroom filled with a small number of gifted kids, a lot of advanced kids, and some kids who work really hard. It is probably more parental involvement that leads to kids being ahead and reasonably well behaved then anything else.

The AAP descriptions match the language immersion descriptions and there is not a selection committee for language immersion. You end up with fewer kids with serious, or even moderate, learning issues. Fewer kids with behavior issues. Mainly you end up with a classroom full of kids whose parents are involved and actively seleccting programs that they think will challenge their kid.

This. Not all of the AAP kids are super studious. In my career, I have had studious, athletes, musicians, popular kids, etc. They are kids like everyone else. They say the same lingo and watch the same stupid YouTube videos.

The point is that AAP does not have the bottom tier kids who are disrupting class with chair throwing, or taking up all the teacher's time because they can't do math from two grade levels ago. Even if there are a lot of average kids who don't exactly "deserve" to be there, not having that bottom tier makes the learning environment so much better. That's a big reason why people want AAP. It's also true in opt-in dual language programs, you're not going to have parents of bottom tier kids signing up for that either because it's too demanding for the kids at the bottom.

“Bottom tier kids”. I hope you are a troll. I do not know one parent in my child’s AAP center that thinks of kids in terms of “tiers”- although if there was one, we certainly would not be friends with them.

No one says it out loud but everyone certainly thinks it. Except you of course, on your very high horse.

No. Nobody thinks that. But you keep telling yourself that

Frankly, more taking would alleviate some of this but tracking is very inconsistent with the equity centered philosophy that is emphasized in education grad schools these days.

How would tracking alleviate people who refer to 8 year olds as “lower tier kids”? Not really sure how that would help with the condescending, possibly racist, elitists of the world.

But if you mean tracking would alleviate the need for AAP? Sure, I could get down with that. Although I would prefer flexible, ability-based grouping within the classrooms like many other countries with outstanding schools do. But this is America, where we are apparently exceptionally bad at doing anything exceptionally good, so I’m not holding my breath.

Tracking would help because you can create classes that allow the teacher to focus on a smaller band of abilities. You can have a math, LA, science, and history/social studies teacher. Kids can move between the classes based on their ability levels so that teachers can help them learn and grow. I know my kids ES did this in 6th grade, I think it can easily be done for younger grades, especially if you create pods where the 4 main classes are close to each other. The movement between the classes is good for kids who need some movement, a change of environment is good for everyone.

You have a class for kids that are 2-3 grade levels behind. This is a smaller class, and the reading and math specialists push in frequently. Kids are able to get more individualized attention. Hopefully the environment makes it easier for the kids to learn and catch up so they can move to a different class.

You have a class for kids just below grade level and kids struggling to stay on grade level. Again, they get push ins from the reading and math specialists. Teachers can meet the kids where they are and help them shore up their skills so that they can move into the next class.

You have a grade level class. This class is going to be larger than the first two because the kids need less support and are able to work at the expected level. Teachers can present the material, make sure kids are solid on it, and provide instruction for kids that might be getting ahead. If kids start to get further ahead, they might be ready to move into the next class.

You have an advanced class for the kids who understand the concepts the first time through. The kids can move through the material more quickly and you can dive deeper with them and accelerate the learning curve. This way the kids are challenged. This class is another one that can be large, the kids are ahead, they need less guidance and help.

I am a smart person with learning disabilities. It sucked being in a class with kids who finished fast and were doing other things when I was struggling to understand the assignment. It did not positively motivate me, it made me feel stupid and less able. Maybe if I wasn't as far behind in math I would have been motivated to practice more to catch up with the kids who were ahead, but the numbers moved, and I struggled to get the correct answers. I was frustrated and down on myself. I did far better when I was in an environment where kids were moving at my pace or a bit faster. I don't think the kids who are grade levels behind are benefiting from the kids who are ahead and done with assignments really quickly. I think they are frustrated and some of that poor behavior is because they are kids and are upset and they act out because they don't know how to deal with their frustration.