How to improve AAP and General Ed Together

[Anonymous]

If they are receiving advanced services and differentiation, isn't that what matters??? How is Gen Ed a derogatory 'label'?

[Anonymous]

Off topic: How does your LLIV offer supports for kids with IEPs, LDs, and ESL? I ask because my child is in a center but I wonder if she was in LLIV if we would have better help with her issues.

My child has severe ADHD and dysgraphia. The LLIV school provides terrific push in services in the LLIV classroom. The special education teacher is amazing and teams really well with the grade level LLIV teacher. I think the reason we get so much support is there are 3-4 kids in the LLIV classroom with IEPs, so the special education teacher is coordinating a lot more with the classroom teacher and in the classroom a lot more than is typical. She is practically a team teacher. But this is going to depend on the school, the child, the admin team philosophy on providing services, and the teacher(s) involved. I would never say all LLIV are superior to centers in this regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are receiving advanced services and differentiation, isn't that what matters??? How is Gen Ed a derogatory 'label'?

The point is that the quality of and exposure to advanced services and differentiation varies widely by school in the same district, e.g., some classrooms are essentially capped at so that kids willing and able to do more aren't challenged (see upthread). This the resentment and the "us v them" mentality when it comes to kids who have close IQs. If Sally and Diego's WiSC scores differ by a couple points, and the one who gets into AAP can get the impression he/she are smart while the other is not so smart. Silly, but it can and does happen. So OP wants to know how to break down this barrier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Off topic: How does your LLIV offer supports for kids with IEPs, LDs, and ESL? I ask because my child is in a center but I wonder if she was in LLIV if we would have better help with her issues.

My child has severe ADHD and dysgraphia. The LLIV school provides terrific push in services in the LLIV classroom. The special education teacher is amazing and teams really well with the grade level LLIV teacher. I think the reason we get so much support is there are 3-4 kids in the LLIV classroom with IEPs, so the special education teacher is coordinating a lot more with the classroom teacher and in the classroom a lot more than is typical. She is practically a team teacher. But this is going to depend on the school, the child, the admin team philosophy on providing services, and the teacher(s) involved. I would never say all LLIV are superior to centers in this regard.

That is amazing and I am very jealous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are receiving advanced services and differentiation, isn't that what matters??? How is Gen Ed a derogatory 'label'?

The point is that the quality of and exposure to advanced services and differentiation varies widely by school in the same district, e.g., some classrooms are essentially capped at so that kids willing and able to do more aren't challenged (see upthread). This the resentment and the "us v them" mentality when it comes to kids who have close IQs. If Sally and Diego's WiSC scores differ by a couple points, and the one who gets into AAP can get the impression he/she are smart while the other is not so smart. Silly, but it can and does happen. So OP wants to know how to break down this barrier.

But this is life. Better to learn the lesson now. When you and co-worker X get a review and co-worker X has a few more accolades, he/she gets the bonus, promotion, or award, whatever. It may make you feel bad. Get used to it.

[Anonymous]

Put kids back in the same classes. Offer special enrichment in subjects where some children excel, special helps for others. Make sure experienced teachers don't get all the good students and leave the challenging ones for the new or unpopular teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, young families move into those huge AAP center zones because oftye higher test scores of the center. Most parents of younger kids believe their kid is of course one of the smartest of their age group and/or gifted, so Of Course they need to get a house in the best ranked centers, no matter the cost.

This is why a "shit shack" (to use a dcum catch phrase) in McLean or Vienna costs $200K more than the same house in an excellent school zone like Lake Braddock or West Springfield. AAP and the higher test scores make buying in one of those TJ mania areas much more desireable than buying in a great school zone like Sangster that might implement AAP much more successfully with regards to balancing gen ed needs and AAP.

Actually I know people who won't buy in the AAP center school boundaries, even in Mclean, Vienna, and Great Falls. Others who won't buy in a school that doesn't at least have LLIV. Somehow these schools need to be better equalized.

[Anonymous]

Why not have separate AAP programs with separate qualification criteria for math/science and language arts? This would promote more mixing between AAP and GenEd, since a lot of kids would only qualify AAP in one area and be in GenEd for the other.

Also, I would imagine that a lot of people in the AAP-hating crowd are rightfully bitter that their children who are gifted in either language arts or math/science, but not both, are not receiving an appropriate education in the area in which they are gifted. Having separate programs would solve this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not have separate AAP programs with separate qualification criteria for math/science and language arts? This would promote more mixing between AAP and GenEd, since a lot of kids would only qualify AAP in one area and be in GenEd for the other.

This is Level III.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Off topic: How does your LLIV offer supports for kids with IEPs, LDs, and ESL? I ask because my child is in a center but I wonder if she was in LLIV if we would have better help with her issues.

My child has severe ADHD and dysgraphia. The LLIV school provides terrific push in services in the LLIV classroom. The special education teacher is amazing and teams really well with the grade level LLIV teacher. I think the reason we get so much support is there are 3-4 kids in the LLIV classroom with IEPs, so the special education teacher is coordinating a lot more with the classroom teacher and in the classroom a lot more than is typical. She is practically a team teacher. But this is going to depend on the school, the child, the admin team philosophy on providing services, and the teacher(s) involved. I would never say all LLIV are superior to centers in this regard.

That is amazing and I am very jealous.

+1

Our LLIV school was horrible. It took us close to 2 years to get a 504 Plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not have separate AAP programs with separate qualification criteria for math/science and language arts? This would promote more mixing between AAP and GenEd, since a lot of kids would only qualify AAP in one area and be in GenEd for the other.

This is Level III.

At many schools, Level III is a mere 1 hour/week pull out. The students certainly aren't getting anything remotely equivalent to Level IV services in their areas of strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not have separate AAP programs with separate qualification criteria for math/science and language arts? This would promote more mixing between AAP and GenEd, since a lot of kids would only qualify AAP in one area and be in GenEd for the other.

Also, I would imagine that a lot of people in the AAP-hating crowd are rightfully bitter that their children who are gifted in either language arts or math/science, but not both, are not receiving an appropriate education in the area in which they are gifted. Having separate programs would solve this.

This occurs through level 3.

If it is not at your elementary school speak to your AART to find out why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are receiving advanced services and differentiation, isn't that what matters??? How is Gen Ed a derogatory 'label'?

The point is that the quality of and exposure to advanced services and differentiation varies widely by school in the same district, e.g., some classrooms are essentially capped at so that kids willing and able to do more aren't challenged (see upthread). This the resentment and the "us v them" mentality when it comes to kids who have close IQs. If Sally and Diego's WiSC scores differ by a couple points, and the one who gets into AAP can get the impression he/she are smart while the other is not so smart. Silly, but it can and does happen. So OP wants to know how to break down this barrier.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP again. Does anyone have any comments on my recommendations?

Any suggestions on how to provide enrichment at non-center schools without a level IV program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. Does anyone have any comments on my recommendations?

Any suggestions on how to provide enrichment at non-center schools without a level IV program?

Implement Level IV curriculum in every single class. Centers can move at a faster pace, regular classes at a regular pace. SAME curriculum (it's not just for gifted kids), SAME teacher training.

Raise up all of FCPS, not just a small percentage.