Academies of Loudoun AOS vs AET

[DCNative_72]

My DS was offered admission into both AOS and AET (Engineering pathway). He is 100% a math person. Likes science, but passion is math. He used to be sure he wanted to be an engineer but now less certain. I foresee him doing something
like engineering / applied math / actuary / perhaps data science or something quantitative in the future. Any insight into the programs to help with his decision? We only have until March 30 to decide.

[Anonymous]

Generally people prefer AOS to AET.
It looks like the difference is only a few classes, and would probably get the same math classes either way. The course descriptions are listed for each pathway, so you can consider what options will be available and not available.

[Anonymous]

Correction, the math and science classes are not the same in AoS and AET.

[Anonymous]

I was able to speak with a counselor at AOL as well as a former AOS science teacher. The programs are very different, not just in courses (very little overlap) but in teaching methods as well. They are also both very challenging, but AOS is more rigorous. You can't go wrong with either, it is really up to an individual student's goals (potential doctors / research careers should pick AOS). The below is from my notes based on discussions with both (I am just the complier / messenger).

The AOS math curriculum for the first two years was developed by an incredibly talented math teacher, Richard Siseley, and it is aimed to prepare students for multivariable calculus starting in Algebra II. There are no "tricks" or shortcuts in building a solid foundation.

The science curriculum at AOS is also unique in that it interweaves physics, chemistry and Earth science into a freshmen double block course (3ish hours/B-day) and a sophomore single block. Starting sophomore year, students work to design their own research project and the final two years at AOS one entire block is dedicated to doing research. If this type of integrated curriculum and doing research does not sound appealing then AOS is not for you.

Basically, AOS is very research / bench science focused (math is heavy in computational modeling and statics to support research) and how to become math thinkers. Math teaching method is Socratic where students are presented ideas and work out problems by looking at, thinking about, and analyzing problems. Science is very bench science / lab focused (think lab coat / beaker.... classroom and lab right next door).

At AOS, your child will learn to write from writing a LOT of lab reports in science classes--that is the biggest challenge for freshman year. AOS students have a lot more work than students at regular high school and also those at AET--more writing and more advanced math problems.

AET is very techy with a lot of engineering / IT projects (many group). It teaches how math is used in the disciplines (more applied math). Integrated Math teaches concepts to support what they are doing / learning in other classes. Will teach math to help in a current Physics project or math to help in building structures, etc. It emphasizes the connection between the disciplines. It is taught in a spiraling method where concepts can be reintroduced at different points to reinforce.

(Here is a definition I found to describe spiraling math: What Is Spiraling the Math Curriculum? When we spiral curriculum in math class, we are organizing topics that might traditionally be taught in blocks, chapters, or units of study over a short period of time and we are introducing topics in smaller chunks and spreading them out over a longer period of time. While you can do this in many different ways, it is common to come back to the topic multiple times over the duration of the grade or course and going deeper each time. Spiraling is commonly referred to as “interleaving”, “distributing”, “spacing” or “mixing” the topics from the math curriculum, while teaching a concept in one unit or chapter like you see in many textbooks is commonly referred to as “blocked” or “massed” approaches.)

Hope this helps anyone in a similar dilemma. My son has decided to accept his AET (Engineering pathway) offer and decline AOS. His decision was based on both his future interests (more tech focused) and his desire to also pursue outside interests while in high school.

[Anonymous]

Spiraling is already being done in LCPS. For example, geometry students will get a section on sine, cosine, tangent in right triangles.
Some geometry is introduced in algebra.

[Anonymous]

Would love to see Loudoun improve the caliber of the AOS/AET programs by eliminating taxpayer funding of tuition at TJ. It's long past time that we quit supporting that racist institution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see Loudoun improve the caliber of the AOS/AET programs by eliminating taxpayer funding of tuition at TJ. It's long past time that we quit supporting that racist institution.

+1000. Loudoun spends nearly $20K per student to be a part of TJ and we have a perfectly outstanding option in our own backyard. I am tired of my hard earned tax dollars going to a county that has made it clear that they don't want our kind in their school. Let's take that money and expand our own programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see Loudoun improve the caliber of the AOS/AET programs by eliminating taxpayer funding of tuition at TJ. It's long past time that we quit supporting that racist institution.

I actually agree with this strongly. We have heard nothing but positives about AOS and AET and I don't believe TJ is anywhere close to solving their admissions issue. There won't be enough change in the school board after the next elections to make an impact in the equity nonsense. We should be investing here at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see Loudoun improve the caliber of the AOS/AET programs by eliminating taxpayer funding of tuition at TJ. It's long past time that we quit supporting that racist institution.

I actually agree with this strongly. We have heard nothing but positives about AOS and AET and I don't believe TJ is anywhere close to solving their admissions issue. There won't be enough change in the school board after the next elections to make an impact in the equity nonsense. We should be investing here at home.

^ this person gets it.

[Anonymous]

We should definitely begin the process of petitioning the LCPS School Board to finally end our association with TJ once and for all.

Why are we sending millions of dollars to FCPS every year when we have outstanding options here in Loudoun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should definitely begin the process of petitioning the LCPS School Board to finally end our association with TJ once and for all.

Why are we sending millions of dollars to FCPS every year when we have outstanding options here in Loudoun?

+10000. It was a shame when the previous School Board didn't have the stomach to do something that should have been done a long time ago. There are over 350 Loudoun students currently attending TJ, at a cost of over $17K/student to the taxpayer. That's over SIX MILLION DOLLARS that we're sending to a school system that has implemented racist admissions policies to keep Indian students out of TJ.

It's time to demand that we shut off that source of income for the racists in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should definitely begin the process of petitioning the LCPS School Board to finally end our association with TJ once and for all.

Why are we sending millions of dollars to FCPS every year when we have outstanding options here in Loudoun?

+10000. It was a shame when the previous School Board didn't have the stomach to do something that should have been done a long time ago. There are over 350 Loudoun students currently attending TJ, at a cost of over $17K/student to the taxpayer. That's over SIX MILLION DOLLARS that we're sending to a school system that has implemented racist admissions policies to keep Indian students out of TJ.

It's time to demand that we shut off that source of income for the racists in Fairfax County.

I would support this initiative 100% no matter what happens with the admissions process. The tree is poisoned.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, this information is very helpful. I have a 7th grader that is interested in applying to the Academies of Loudoun next year and I am trying to understand the process. I see that AET has a Writing Assessment and STEM Thinking skills assessment as part of admissions criteria. Are these done at a school/testing site? Is it online or paper and pen based? I assume they are open ended free-response type questions?

Anonymous wrote:I was able to speak with a counselor at AOL as well as a former AOS science teacher. The programs are very different, not just in courses (very little overlap) but in teaching methods as well. They are also both very challenging, but AOS is more rigorous. You can't go wrong with either, it is really up to an individual student's goals (potential doctors / research careers should pick AOS). The below is from my notes based on discussions with both (I am just the complier / messenger).

Hope this helps anyone in a similar dilemma. My son has decided to accept his AET (Engineering pathway) offer and decline AOS. His decision was based on both his future interests (more tech focused) and his desire to also pursue outside interests while in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should definitely begin the process of petitioning the LCPS School Board to finally end our association with TJ once and for all.

Why are we sending millions of dollars to FCPS every year when we have outstanding options here in Loudoun?

+10000. It was a shame when the previous School Board didn't have the stomach to do something that should have been done a long time ago. There are over 350 Loudoun students currently attending TJ, at a cost of over $17K/student to the taxpayer. That's over SIX MILLION DOLLARS that we're sending to a school system that has implemented racist admissions policies to keep Indian students out of TJ.

It's time to demand that we shut off that source of income for the racists in Fairfax County.

YES!!! #LEXIT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see Loudoun improve the caliber of the AOS/AET programs by eliminating taxpayer funding of tuition at TJ. It's long past time that we quit supporting that racist institution.

I actually agree with this strongly. We have heard nothing but positives about AOS and AET and I don't believe TJ is anywhere close to solving their admissions issue. There won't be enough change in the school board after the next elections to make an impact in the equity nonsense. We should be investing here at home.

Academy of Loudoun has the same issues. They implemented the changes at the same time as Fairfax, and likely in concert with the process dictated by a national group.

It is actually more racist in Loudoun because they set a maximum quota per school. For TJ, after the minimum quota is assigned to each school, the remaining seats go to the highest ranking students countywide. So the top schools had a drop but not as massive as the top schools in Loudoun.