AAP FCPS Appeal letter
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Anonymous
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Hi everyone!
I need any suggestions on how to write an appeal letter. I am a foreigner, so that's all new for me. If you have a sample letter - that would be very helpful. And about our situation - my child's tests (NNaT and Cogat) are both in the 99th percentile. But the teacher's GBRS are not good. The explanations are good, so I don't know what's the problem. The teacher said she couldn't discuss it. Any suggestions on what I should write in the appeal letter? Thank you very much! |
Anonymous
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1) I would not contradict or say anything negative about the teacher, meaning saying things like
- teacher is wrong - teacher doesn’t get my child 2) I would highlight how you think AAP would benefit her and point to examples in the work samples Details from another discussion on this: Use the bullet points on the GBRS form: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/medi...iorRatingScale_0.pdf Explain how your child demonstrates whatever GBRS trait, how your child is being held back from fully expressing that in the regular classroom, and how the child would benefit from AAP. Like, explain how your child "Displays Persistent, Intense Focus on a Topic," how your child isn't given the opportunity or materials to delve deeper into topics of interest, and how your child would benefit from the more open-ended approach in AAP, where your child would have the time and resources for independent research. You need to be very specific as to your child's interest. You can do this for any of the GBRS bullet points. Try to find examples for at least 3 or 4 of them. |
Anonymous
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Explain why your child’s needs can’t be met in the regular classroom. That is what they are looking for.
It doesn’t matter how smart your child is if the child is doing fine in the regular classroom. They will keep that child in the regular classroom because their needs are already being met there. The child needs to be very bright, yes, and also exhibit behaviors that indicate that the regular classroom is not a comfortable place for them. |
Anonymous
With those scores, I may be willing to be the test case for FCPS complying with Virginia law regarding GT education. Tests are required by law, and they are clearly being disregarded in this instance. At some point some one is going to be the first, might as well be you. |
Anonymous
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I know this is an old thread, but I’m also looking for advice on our appeal process. We transferred into the district from out of state and did an off-cycle AAP request in October. My kid had a CogAT composite score of 147 (99th percentile), sub components ranged from 94-99th percentile, so nothing was particularly weak. We just got the rejection. GBRS was totally mid-range, lots of “sometimes”. Class samples pretty average as well. Fall iReady scores were included but we don’t have prior year tests like NNAT. I did the parent questionnaire originally but didn’t submit home samples. We disclosed an ADHD diagnosis and submitted the 504 plan.
I don’t think we have time for an outside WISC assessment before the appeal deadline (and we’re on the fence about paying for one anyway). So- sounds like our best bet is to find better home samples and maybe school samples from the prior school and provide a really good cover letter explaining why the normal classroom can’t fulfill their needs? I have other standardized test scores from the prior school - should I include those as well? |
Anonymous
When is the appeals deadline? Call GMU to see what can be done. Also, put together some good work samples and maybe revise your parent form examples of things your dc has said/done that are consistent with needing full-time AAP services. How were the i-Ready scores? The CogAT score is impressive. Are you in a very competitive pyramid? |
Anonymous
| Why can your child’s needs not be met in the regular class; that’s what you need in the letter, the test score is high enough. |
Anonymous
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Our kid was saddled with helping the other kids at her table. Is your kid the designated group leader and are they able to help explain the school work to their classmates? If so, put that in the letter. Our appeal worked based that.
Our kid, who did not have the highest test scores, was always helping the other kids and not being challenged in the current environment. She needed to not be in a class where she always showed the other kids what and how to do the schoolwork. -I think by explaining that, helped us out. |
Anonymous
How do you know that's how your appeal worked? Surely that's not the only thing you changed. I would think this could backfire as teachers might like to retain some of these "student helpers" in the gen ed classroom. |
Anonymous
Thank you for the advice. Ok - I'll give GMU a call and see what they can do. Thanks for pointing out the iReady - I had largely ignored it because we didn't get a report on that from the school. The scores in the AAP submission differ from those in his ParentVue account: 66 "Reading Lexile Level" (this doesn't make any sense - maybe it means the percentile?) and 98 for Math Quintile Level (again - aren't there just 5 quintiles?). The raw scores in ParentVue seem in the "on grade level" for math and a grade behind (?!) in reading according to what I can find online about ranges. Standardized tests from the prior school and school year consistently show high 80s percentile for language/reading and high 90s for math. As to the pyramid - I had to look this up - and it looks like we're in a more competitive pyramid. |
Anonymous
Based on iready and prior testing, and being in a more competitive pyramid, your child looks like a level III in math, on paper. I’d get the WISC done and submit work samples to support higher level ability in reading/writing to counter those scores. I’d also Check in with the teacher to see if there are winter reading iready scores you can add to the appeal. |
Anonymous
Anecdotally I have heard teachers complaining about the reading level of AAP kids lately, saying they have been frustrated by how many can't keep up with the work in level IV (extensions at our school used to be Caesar's English in 4th plus expecting more work and less scaffolding on comprehension projects, but it's all changed with Benchmark). If your kid's committee was full of those teachers, that grade level behind in English will be a killer. You need to counterbalance that. |
Anonymous
| I would include some info on why the 509 does not mean your kid can’t keep up with the faster pace of the AAP classrooms. |
Anonymous
My kid was in the same situation two years ago, NNAT 160, CoGat 147. Teacher’s recommendation was weak cause he wasn’t so happy in the class and not very motivated since he finished his work early and nothing to do even asked for more work. He also had a hard time making friends in the regular classroom. We got him to take the WISC, and he ended up with 154. My appeal letter was around fostering an environment that will not just benefit his academic but also benefit his social and emotional health.
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Anonymous
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