Worried about GT Center vs Level 5 in base school

[Anonymous]

Hello! I am hoping that someone on here might have some experience or advice.

My son was accepted to the AAP center (he'd attend Willow Springs). We attended the open house and thought that it seemed a bit clinical, but a good program. Then, I attended the open house for level 5 at his base school, Centreville Elementary. They offer the mixed class, but seemed to be a good choice as well. They mentioned that 90% of kids accepted into the AAP program actually stay there as opposed to going to Willow Springs, and that seems to be true just based on what my son has mentioned about his other classmates who were accepted(most are staying).

So we had intended to move him to Willow Springs but now, as we are about to fax in the form, I am having a moment of panic about whether we are doing the right thing. Is there some issue with Willow Springs that makes kids stay, or is it more of a convenience thing? Is that standard with most schools? The two schools are about 4 miles from each other, so I know that the long bus ride isn't likely an issue. Making friends isn't a real issue for him, so I don't have any concerns there. Whine he does have friends at school, most of his really close friends are from other sources anyway (sports, scouts, church).

Is the center experience worth the move? Does anyone have any experience with either Willow Springs or Centreville in this regard? The Willow Springs open house was after school, so all we got to see were empty classrooms, whereas Centreville's was during the day so we got to see classes 'in action' with kids using computers and in discussion groups. Obviously Centreville came off better in that just because they had the ability to show us actual kids in the classroom, but the Center can't be that much different, right?

Anyway, I'd love to hear any opinions about the whole Center vs. Level 5 in base school thing, and specifically Willow Springs or Centreville experience. I believe my son will do well in both environments, but admittedly I don't know what to expect from the Center.

[Anonymous]

I meant level 4!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I meant level 4!

I would choose center as peer-to-peer is very important for child development. You would find 90% base school LV4 students are not center-eligible to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I meant level 4!

I would choose center as peer-to-peer is very important for child development. You would find 90% base school LV4 students are not center-eligible to begin with.

ITA. The peer grouping is what sets the Center and Local Level IV environments apart.

[Anonymous]

IMO people are comfortable with what they know. Given the choice to stay at their base school, many people prefer that. By the end if second grade, people know the school and are comfortable there. Change is hard for the parents as well as the kids! I think that the common dynamic is for students to stay at their base school when a LLIV program starts.

[Anonymous]

There's been some recent discussion of people's experiences with the Willow Springs AAP center on the FCAG yahoo group. (FCAG is the Fairfax County Association of the Gifted). You can join that group to see those posts, which you might find helpful.

[Anonymous]

You would find 90% base school LV4 students are not center-eligible to begin with.

Really? Is there a source for this statistic? Or did you mean specifically at Centreville? (Just curious.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You would find 90% base school LV4 students are not center-eligible to begin with.

Really? Is there a source for this statistic? Or did you mean specifically at Centreville? (Just curious.)

At our Local Level 4 school about half of the students were center-eligible and half were not. It is nowhere near the 90% someone quoted above. At some schools there would be even more center-eligible students. At some schools, less.

[Anonymous]

At our Local Level 4 school about half of the students were center-eligible and half were not. It is nowhere near the 90% someone quoted above. At some schools there would be even more center-eligible students. At some schools, less.

I have to believe that, if there are only 3 or 4 L-IV kids in a school (which is what it takes to have 90%), they would send them to a center school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

At our Local Level 4 school about half of the students were center-eligible and half were not. It is nowhere near the 90% someone quoted above. At some schools there would be even more center-eligible students. At some schools, less.

I have to believe that, if there are only 3 or 4 L-IV kids in a school (which is what it takes to have 90%), they would send them to a center school.

On the FCAG yahoo group there's link in a message to this info com piled last summer. Wish I had copied it. Anyone have it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At our Local Level 4 school about half of the students were center-eligible and half were not. It is nowhere near the 90% someone quoted above. At some schools there would be even more center-eligible students. At some schools, less.

I have to believe that, if there are only 3 or 4 L-IV kids in a school (which is what it takes to have 90%), they would send them to a center school.

On the FCAG yahoo group there's link in a message to this info com piled last summer. Wish I had copied it. Anyone have it?

The Local Level IV vs. Center statistics from last summer's School Board retreat are posted on Board Docs. here's the link:

Retreat Agenda:
http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/7f0976c2db2919ff8725732800681a69/e7a1a3f98c878a38872575ec006af975?OpenDocument

The Attachment A PDF document:
http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/7f0976c2db2919ff8725732800681a69/e7a1a3f98c878a38872575ec006af975/$FILE/AttachmentA.pdf

[Anonymous]

My DC attends AAP at Willow Springs (different base school). Clinical is a good description of Willow Springs. However, the AAP class is well worth it for the very reasons mentioned above. Larger group of similar type kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clinical is a good description

can you elaborate? tks.