Local or Center based Level IV program?

[Snorlax]

Our son is heading into grade-3 Level IV AAP. His local school is not a center school, but it also offers grade 3-6 Level IV program. We are not sure if he should stay local or go into center school.

The main reason is that we'd like to have DS and his younger sibling to stay in the same school for a few years, taking the same school bus etc. Just for the sibling experience. The bus to center school is 30 min. earlier than the current 8:40 bus. It is probably easier for the morning scheduling. Also heard the center school program is pretty intense, mostly from peer parents pressure.

The local school has Level III and Level IV students combined in one class.

What might he be missing from the center school program? Anyone who knows both sides to share their experience?

[Anonymous]

I had one kid do center (not at one of the intense ones though) and one do LLIV. I’m not sure how much of the differences are due to FCPS philosophy shift and principal philosophy differences vs the programs but my view was…

- it is very important to confirm that the LLIV plans to group the LLIV kids for at least math and reading. Ours said they offered level 4 curriculum to all kids for S/SS so they did not group level 4 together for S/SS. Homerooms were mixed abilities which was fine/good.

- center had more homework but this could be because the local school has a strong no required HW beyond reading philosophy. Personally I prefer the HW model especially for bigger projects as it teaches kids to start budgeting time as they will need to in MS.

- Center was more insular in that the level 4 kids didn’t interact with the non level 4 kids (since they had no classes with them and so didn’t know them very well) but that said my local kid plays with mostly the same core group of kids anyway

[Anonymous]

Snorlax wrote:Our son is heading into grade-3 Level IV AAP. His local school is not a center school, but it also offers grade 3-6 Level IV program. We are not sure if he should stay local or go into center school.

The main reason is that we'd like to have DS and his younger sibling to stay in the same school for a few years, taking the same school bus etc. Just for the sibling experience. The bus to center school is 30 min. earlier than the current 8:40 bus. It is probably easier for the morning scheduling. Also heard the center school program is pretty intense, mostly from peer parents pressure.

The local school has Level III and Level IV students combined in one class.

What might he be missing from the center school program? Anyone who knows both sides to share their experience?

Didn't you already make your decision by the May 5 deadline?

[Anonymous]

Why are you asking now? The decision was due on May 5th, what did you decide then? I’m sure there are pros/cons to both.

[Anonymous]

Snorlax wrote:Our son is heading into grade-3 Level IV AAP. His local school is not a center school, but it also offers grade 3-6 Level IV program. We are not sure if he should stay local or go into center school.

The main reason is that we'd like to have DS and his younger sibling to stay in the same school for a few years, taking the same school bus etc. Just for the sibling experience. The bus to center school is 30 min. earlier than the current 8:40 bus. It is probably easier for the morning scheduling. Also heard the center school program is pretty intense, mostly from peer parents pressure.

The local school has Level III and Level IV students combined in one class.

What might he be missing from the center school program? Anyone who knows both sides to share their experience?

Check if your local school is piloting E3 math or not. If so, math could be different in home school vs center.

[Anonymous]

My older two went to the center because at the time our base didn’t have local level IV. If our base had local level IV, I wouldn’t have moved them. It is more convenient to have the kids together IMO.

[Anonymous]

Both kids (two years apart) went to LLIV and we were very happy with that.

[Anonymous]

Stay away from Sangster. It's gone downhill and your kids will be spending their childhood years in a trailer park.

[Anonymous]

We have one kid who did local level IV at a school with the cluster model and one who went to the center. The center has more homework and is definitely more rigorous.

That said, I think this can vary quite a bit depending on the school. I suspect some LLIV programs are stronger than ours and probably on par with the center. I also think some centers are more toxic and stressful than ours has been.

Bottom line—make your decision based on the specific schools in question, rather than a general local vs center comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from Sangster. It's gone downhill and your kids will be spending their childhood years in a trailer park.

Why do you feel that Sangster has gone downhill? Specifically.

I’ve had AAP kids there for the last 6 years. During that time 4th grade AAP has been trailers, no one else. Hardly a trailer park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both kids (two years apart) went to LLIV and we were very happy with that.

+1, never considered center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both kids (two years apart) went to LLIV and we were very happy with that.

+1, never considered center.

Which school? Maybe yours has a cohort of smart kids in their own class. Ours doesn't. Just a handful of LLIV kids per grade who end up teaching their peers in the name of equity.