What is it like being gen Ed at AAP center?

[Anonymous]

I hate the AAP culture at our elementary school. I have 2 kids in AAP and many students seem to have outside academic enrichment so if your smart kid goes to math class, s/he is already behind since the majority of the class already knows the material.

I have a kindergarten child and considering switching her to private school because I hate this AAP culture. There are also so much emphasis on academic extracurriculars like chess, math, science Olympiad, spelling bee, etc.

I wonder if it is normal students and parents if kids are not in the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate the AAP culture at our elementary school. I have 2 kids in AAP and many students seem to have outside academic enrichment so if your smart kid goes to math class, s/he is already behind since the majority of the class already knows the material.

I have a kindergarten child and considering switching her to private school because I hate this AAP culture. There are also so much emphasis on academic extracurriculars like chess, math, science Olympiad, spelling bee, etc.

I wonder if it is normal students and parents if kids are not in the AAP program.

Haycock?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate the AAP culture at our elementary school. I have 2 kids in AAP and many students seem to have outside academic enrichment so if your smart kid goes to math class, s/he is already behind since the majority of the class already knows the material.

I have a kindergarten child and considering switching her to private school because I hate this AAP culture. There are also so much emphasis on academic extracurriculars like chess, math, science Olympiad, spelling bee, etc.

I wonder if it is normal students and parents if kids are not in the AAP program.

Our center school has ridiculous parents of kids in GE and AAP. It’s the area, not the program.

[Anonymous]

It sux, but once you get to 7th grade and can choose honors or regular, it starts to dissipate. By 9th it is over. My gen end kid did all 4 honors classes and got all As freshman year.

Just pay attention to which math course your kid gets out in, around 5th grade they start to differentiate and by 6th you’re either doing algebra in 7th, 8th or 9th grade. But algebra by 8th grade gets you to calculus by 12th grade and that’s all you need for top colleges.

AAP should be banned or go back to the old way, where kids didn’t switch schools in 3 to 6th. The center system creates an artificial system of have and have nots. It’s stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sux, but once you get to 7th grade and can choose honors or regular, it starts to dissipate. By 9th it is over. My gen end kid did all 4 honors classes and got all As freshman year.

Just pay attention to which math course your kid gets out in, around 5th grade they start to differentiate and by 6th you’re either doing algebra in 7th, 8th or 9th grade. But algebra by 8th grade gets you to calculus by 12th grade and that’s all you need for top colleges.

AAP should be banned or go back to the old way, where kids didn’t switch schools in 3 to 6th. The center system creates an artificial system of have and have nots. It’s stupid.

Exactly this. FCPS has done a severe disservice to ALL its students by separating and labeling huge groups of kids - most of whom are more academically alike than they are different. Center schools are particularly insidious and my kids dreaded attending theirs. Thank God for high school.

[Anonymous]

It’s not a healthy environment. One boy said to my DC that he’s too smart for his class and will be moving to AAP. This was 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a healthy environment. One boy said to my DC that he’s too smart for his class and will be moving to AAP. This was 3rd grade.

Agreed. I have one in AAP and one in gen Ed. My only issue with gen Ed is that teachers are told not to teach the high kids as they will “get it in their own” so they don’t pull those kids for small groups very often. If that policy changed the “need” for AAP would be gone. All kids should be able to meet with the teacher as it builds relationships.

[Anonymous]

I’m so happy we stayed with local level IV services. I don’t think it’s a positive environment for AAP kids either. I know parents who went to the center bc they want the pressure or they feel their kids are too smart to intermingle with level III kids. The kids hear that and are in for a reality check come MS and HS. Telling your kids they are just smarter than other kids (besides being F up) throws them for a loop when they face harder classes later on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sux, but once you get to 7th grade and can choose honors or regular, it starts to dissipate. By 9th it is over. My gen end kid did all 4 honors classes and got all As freshman year.

Just pay attention to which math course your kid gets out in, around 5th grade they start to differentiate and by 6th you’re either doing algebra in 7th, 8th or 9th grade. But algebra by 8th grade gets you to calculus by 12th grade and that’s all you need for top colleges.

AAP should be banned or go back to the old way, where kids didn’t switch schools in 3 to 6th. The center system creates an artificial system of have and have nots. It’s stupid.

Exactly this. FCPS has done a severe disservice to ALL its students by separating and labeling huge groups of kids - most of whom are more academically alike than they are different. Center schools are particularly insidious and my kids dreaded attending theirs. Thank God for high school.

We are at the base school and there is no LLIV for DS, it started after he had been selected. All of the kids in their particular grade know who is ahead and who is on level because of the LIII pull outs. In 5th grade the class is divided by Advanced Math or regular math. The Advanced Math class becomes the LLIV class, for all intents and purpose. The kids they think are ready for 6th grade math are in specific classes and the kids who are not are in different classes.

I have a friend who had one child in regular math and the other is now in Advanced Math. She wasn’t happy with the split when he one was not in the class but is thrilled that the other is. According to her, the regular class ends up with lots of kids who need more help to learn the material and more of the disruptive kids.

And the kids are aware which class they are in. DS’s Teacher told the kids they would be taking the grade 6 Math SOL at the Open House. They did the grade presentation as a whole and told the parents about the Advanced Math division.

I knew that I wasn’t in the advanced group in ES, we all knew who was in that group. It wasn’t hard to figure out. No matter how you divide the kids out, in class differentiation, different classes, different schools, the kids know.

And our base school offers chess and math club and all of those type of programs. They fill up fast. They are common clubs that are offered because there is an entire segment of the school that enjoys them. I would bet that yours also offers sports and other programs as well, just like our does.

[Anonymous]

One DC in GenEd at a center felt inferior because she knew she wasn’t in the AAP. This lowered her self esteem throughout elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a healthy environment. One boy said to my DC that he’s too smart for his class and will be moving to AAP. This was 3rd grade.

Agreed. I have one in AAP and one in gen Ed. My only issue with gen Ed is that teachers are told not to teach the high kids as they will “get it in their own” so they don’t pull those kids for small groups very often. If that policy changed the “need” for AAP would be gone. All kids should be able to meet with the teacher as it builds relationships.

+1 People wouldn’t haggle for AAP if the Gen Ed classes weren’t so dumbed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a healthy environment. One boy said to my DC that he’s too smart for his class and will be moving to AAP. This was 3rd grade.

Agreed. I have one in AAP and one in gen Ed. My only issue with gen Ed is that teachers are told not to teach the high kids as they will “get it in their own” so they don’t pull those kids for small groups very often. If that policy changed the “need” for AAP would be gone. All kids should be able to meet with the teacher as it builds relationships.

+1 People wouldn’t haggle for AAP if the Gen Ed classes weren’t so dumbed down.

Ironically, the more kids who leave gen ed for aap, the lower the level of classes for those who didn't leave which encourages more parents to try and get their kids out.

[Anonymous]

I have had two Gen Ed kids at an AAP center. One of the bigger problems is that there are 2 Gen Ed classes and 4 AAP classes for their grades so socially, my kids are stuck with the same kids every year whereas the AAP kids get more variety in their peer group. My older kid couldn’t have cared less about AAP. My younger kid is bitter that she can’t take advanced math even though literally 2/3 of her grade is in advanced math (very long story there). But, I already told my younger kid that she can take advanced math in middle school - it isn’t up to the school, we get to decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate the AAP culture at our elementary school. I have 2 kids in AAP and many students seem to have outside academic enrichment so if your smart kid goes to math class, s/he is already behind since the majority of the class already knows the material.

I have a kindergarten child and considering switching her to private school because I hate this AAP culture. There are also so much emphasis on academic extracurriculars like chess, math, science Olympiad, spelling bee, etc.

I wonder if it is normal students and parents if kids are not in the AAP program.

Yes, the kids aren’t ‘gifted’, they are just ‘advanced’ in math because they have been taking Kumon classes, Mathnasium, Russian Math, Singapore Math, Beast, etc. as a way to get ahead of the curriculum. They have tutors and the Tutoring Club, so your smart, typical child is behind them. It’s a poor design. And parents are spending a lot of extra money on these tutoring programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate the AAP culture at our elementary school. I have 2 kids in AAP and many students seem to have outside academic enrichment so if your smart kid goes to math class, s/he is already behind since the majority of the class already knows the material.

I have a kindergarten child and considering switching her to private school because I hate this AAP culture. There are also so much emphasis on academic extracurriculars like chess, math, science Olympiad, spelling bee, etc.

I wonder if it is normal students and parents if kids are not in the AAP program.

Our center school has ridiculous parents of kids in GE and AAP. It’s the area, not the program.

It's really not.

My kid was at Willow Springs. And the Gen Ed are treated like second class citizens. I even had one mom dissing the Gen Ed kids to my face b/c she thought my kid was AAP (but was not). They had different field trips. Even different 6th grade promotion ceremonies. It was ridiculous.

My kid took it in stride and is now in Honors and AP classes along side those same kids and had all A's last year.