Please explain AAP/Magnet/Gifted for Elementary school

[Anonymous]

Will be moving to FCPS district with daughter who will be in 1st grade this fall. How do the magnet/aap programs work for this age? Is it offered in every school or should we be more selective in finding the school with these programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will be moving to FCPS district with daughter who will be in 1st grade this fall. How do the magnet/aap programs work for this age? Is it offered in every school or should we be more selective in finding the school with these programs?

There is an AAP forum just for these questions.

[Anonymous]

This isn’t going to be answered in a post. Go to the FCPS website and to the AAP forum here.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs

[Anonymous]

A word of advice - if you don't think your child will be in AAP, do not move to an area that has an AAP center as your neighborhood school. They are the worst of all worlds for GE kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A word of advice - if you don't think your child will be in AAP, do not move to an area that has an AAP center as your neighborhood school. They are the worst of all worlds for GE kids.

Our base is a center and I have never heard complaints from my neighbors about AAP or about gen ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A word of advice - if you don't think your child will be in AAP, do not move to an area that has an AAP center as your neighborhood school. They are the worst of all worlds for GE kids.

Huge generalization. Maybe the case at PP's school but not at all the case at our kid's school, which is an AAP center. OP, you really do need to turn to the FCPS information and if possible try to talk to families in the neighborhood where you move.

I'd honestly get off DCUM altogether on this topic as people tend to come to vent about AAP or complain about general ed "versus" AAP etc. as above. And they make big statements about how "all" of AAP is run when their experiences don't necessarily apply to the whole AAP structure or to schools other than the one they know. Doesn't necessarily help you judge what's best for YOUR child. You have time to talk to other parents and teachers about it--AAP doesn't start until third grade.

[Anonymous]

AAP, Advanced Academic Program, is something available across FCPS in a variety of different forms. You can find more about the program by googling it.

All students in ES are supposed to receive Level 1 services.

Level II services are for kids ES who are identified by their Teachers or the AART at the school as needing some more challenging work. It varies from school to school. Some people report that Level II includes pull outs, at my sons school it was more challenging worksheets and a more advanced reading group.

Level III services are for third - sixth graders. It is a pull out that is suppose to happen once a week for 45 minutes or so. It is something that is inconsistently run. My sons school has pretty regular meetings that last the 45 minutes to an hour, other people report that their kids are rarely pulled out and for a short period of time. The program is suppose to involve projects and activities meant to encourage creative thinking.

Level IV starts in third grade. It is a select program. Kids can be referred by parents or can be included in the application pool by testing in on the CogAT or NNAT given in second and first grade. Kids normally have to score in the 99th percentile to be in pool, but that test score has become more localized. Kids have to be in the top 10% of their schools test scores to be in pool. Kids who are under consideration have packets put together by their school to include work samples, a gifted behaviors rating evaluation conducted by the Teacher and AART, and potential for a parent questionnaire. Kids found to need LIV can either attend the base schools Local Level IV program, if the school has one, or attend a Center school. LIV is meant to cover the same material as the Gen Ed classes but in more depth. Math is faster paced with kids completing 5th grade math by the end of fourth grade, 6th grade math in 5th grade, and 7th grade math in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A word of advice - if you don't think your child will be in AAP, do not move to an area that has an AAP center as your neighborhood school. They are the worst of all worlds for GE kids.

Huge generalization. Maybe the case at PP's school but not at all the case at our kid's school, which is an AAP center. OP, you really do need to turn to the FCPS information and if possible try to talk to families in the neighborhood where you move.

I'd honestly get off DCUM altogether on this topic as people tend to come to vent about AAP or complain about general ed "versus" AAP etc. as above. And they make big statements about how "all" of AAP is run when their experiences don't necessarily apply to the whole AAP structure or to schools other than the one they know. Doesn't necessarily help you judge what's best for YOUR child. You have time to talk to other parents and teachers about it--AAP doesn't start until third grade.

Let me guess - your kid is in AAP.

[Anonymous]

Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A word of advice - if you don't think your child will be in AAP, do not move to an area that has an AAP center as your neighborhood school. They are the worst of all worlds for GE kids.

Our base is a center and I have never heard complaints from my neighbors about AAP or about gen ed.

It limits the availability of principal placement and push ins vs a school with local level IV. If you have a kid who is not quite aap or who is really good at math, they are better off in a school with local level IV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

No, it is not. Lots of kids in Gen Ed take honors classes in MS and AP/IB classes in HS. They go on to good colleges and have good to great lives.

80% of the kids in FCPS are not in AAP. They are not marginalized or disregarded. They have excellent opportunities. Parents of kids in Gen Ed who think that their kids need more can apply for AAP in any grade. They can ask the AART to look at their kid for Level II and III services. If they are strong in math they can ask about Advanced Math.

But the vast majority of kids do very well out of Gen Ed. I would guess that HS Teachers would not know the kids who were in AAP vs the kids from Gen Ed in their AP/IB classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

No, it is not. Lots of kids in Gen Ed take honors classes in MS and AP/IB classes in HS. They go on to good colleges and have good to great lives.

80% of the kids in FCPS are not in AAP. They are not marginalized or disregarded. They have excellent opportunities. Parents of kids in Gen Ed who think that their kids need more can apply for AAP in any grade. They can ask the AART to look at their kid for Level II and III services. If they are strong in math they can ask about Advanced Math.

But the vast majority of kids do very well out of Gen Ed. I would guess that HS Teachers would not know the kids who were in AAP vs the kids from Gen Ed in their AP/IB classes.

DP. I agree with you once the kids hit high school - there truly is no difference between the vast majority of students, and all the kids are able to take honors and AP classes, if they choose. However, the PP is correct if we're talking about elementary school. GE kids - especially those who are unlucky enough to have to attend AAP centers - are second class citizens. This is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

No, it is not. Lots of kids in Gen Ed take honors classes in MS and AP/IB classes in HS. They go on to good colleges and have good to great lives.

80% of the kids in FCPS are not in AAP. They are not marginalized or disregarded. They have excellent opportunities. Parents of kids in Gen Ed who think that their kids need more can apply for AAP in any grade. They can ask the AART to look at their kid for Level II and III services. If they are strong in math they can ask about Advanced Math.

But the vast majority of kids do very well out of Gen Ed. I would guess that HS Teachers would not know the kids who were in AAP vs the kids from Gen Ed in their AP/IB classes.

DP. I agree with you once the kids hit high school - there truly is no difference between the vast majority of students, and all the kids are able to take honors and AP classes, if they choose. However, the PP is correct if we're talking about elementary school. GE kids - especially those who are unlucky enough to have to attend AAP centers - are second class citizens. This is true.

Another DP and not the person to whom you're responding. This is another big generalization, to say this as if it applies to all AAP center schools universally. If it was your child's experience, I'm sorry, and that's a genuinely poor experience. But it's not every experience, everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

No, it is not. Lots of kids in Gen Ed take honors classes in MS and AP/IB classes in HS. They go on to good colleges and have good to great lives.

80% of the kids in FCPS are not in AAP. They are not marginalized or disregarded. They have excellent opportunities. Parents of kids in Gen Ed who think that their kids need more can apply for AAP in any grade. They can ask the AART to look at their kid for Level II and III services. If they are strong in math they can ask about Advanced Math.

But the vast majority of kids do very well out of Gen Ed. I would guess that HS Teachers would not know the kids who were in AAP vs the kids from Gen Ed in their AP/IB classes.

DP. I agree with you once the kids hit high school - there truly is no difference between the vast majority of students, and all the kids are able to take honors and AP classes, if they choose. However, the PP is correct if we're talking about elementary school. GE kids - especially those who are unlucky enough to have to attend AAP centers - are second class citizens. This is true.

Another DP and not the person to whom you're responding. This is another big generalization, to say this as if it applies to all AAP center schools universally. If it was your child's experience, I'm sorry, and that's a genuinely poor experience. But it's not every experience, everywhere.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another word of advice- if your kid does not make AAP, you need to be on the teachers and administration of your school like white on rice. GE kids get the worst of all deals in FCPS. They are marginalized and disregarded. I know this is alarming, but sadly it’s true.

No, it is not. Lots of kids in Gen Ed take honors classes in MS and AP/IB classes in HS. They go on to good colleges and have good to great lives.

80% of the kids in FCPS are not in AAP. They are not marginalized or disregarded. They have excellent opportunities. Parents of kids in Gen Ed who think that their kids need more can apply for AAP in any grade. They can ask the AART to look at their kid for Level II and III services. If they are strong in math they can ask about Advanced Math.

But the vast majority of kids do very well out of Gen Ed. I would guess that HS Teachers would not know the kids who were in AAP vs the kids from Gen Ed in their AP/IB classes.

DP. I agree with you once the kids hit high school - there truly is no difference between the vast majority of students, and all the kids are able to take honors and AP classes, if they choose. However, the PP is correct if we're talking about elementary school. GE kids - especially those who are unlucky enough to have to attend AAP centers - are second class citizens. This is true.

Another DP and not the person to whom you're responding. This is another big generalization, to say this as if it applies to all AAP center schools universally. If it was your child's experience, I'm sorry, and that's a genuinely poor experience. But it's not every experience, everywhere.

+1.

I agree. My children attended an AAP center. My daughter was in AAP, my son (a year older) did a sibling transfer to keep them together. He was in general education (with an IEP), but was pulled into the AAP class for math (I know some centers do not do this). I actually transferred as a teacher to their school once they hit middle school as I really liked the staff (plus we had moved near the school). We typically have 2 AAP and 2 general education classes per grade, a nice balance. Kids are mixed for Specials. My older son attended a LLIV school, and I really did not like how there was only 1 class of AAP. There were some really mean kids in his class and there was no escaping.