Refer for Level II?

[Anonymous]

My first grader is new to FCPS and is a fluent reader and at least one grade ahead on math. Is working on level 2 and 3 Beast Academy and has worked through most of gr 2 on Khan Academy. Should I submit a referral for level II right away or email the teacher or AART? When I registered DC the office admin person pretty much said there's "nothing" at this grade, which I took to mean no pull outs or formalized differentiation. So does that mean it's just up to the teacher? I know there is a formal level II/III referral process so I'm not sure why the admin said that...

[Anonymous]

You can talk to your Advanced Academy Resource Teacher (AART) at your local school. (google your school website) Admin is not official person dealing with this.

Every May FCPS schools do a school wide survey to determine level II/III for every student next year. My son got in level II at second grade without our intervention.

[Anonymous]

You can ask about it, but my child (not as advanced as yours) was referred by the teacher into Level II, so it's possible your kid is gettin pulled out and you don't even know.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't hurt to send the parent referral form but I would not expect much in 2st grade. Level II services are provided in the classroom and don't require pullouts.

[Anonymous]

You can refer at anytime of the year and if level II was not on the teport card then send in the form, you don’t have to wait until May.

[Anonymous]

Just make sure that you do the parent referral before late March 2023 for Level II. I think they do evaluations on Level II around April 2023, though as some have noted, they do a universal screening as well based on the teacher's recommendations. Thus, a parent referral for Level II helps, in the same way that a parent referral for Level IV helps.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This is all very helpful, thanks. Just to clarify, we're starting at FCPS in Jan. Would it make sense to reach out to the AART when we start just to give some info and see what they say? Or do the referral in Jan/Feb?

[Anonymous]

My kid just had a letter for L2 math sent home. Looking at the comparison list, L2 just sounds like regular good teaching and differentiation. Anyone who experienced, is it any different? Did you see any benefits?

[Anonymous]

They do differentiation in the class room at our school. So my child gets advanced work for all the subjects by way of worksheets and the computer assignments. There are no pull outs at our school for level II. They have only pull outs for Young scholars program.
Pull outs happen startig in 3rd grade for level III

[Anonymous]

It depends on your school though. There are some schools with no young scholars programs, some schools with AART pull outs for level II. You have to ask

[Anonymous]

It’s barely anything at that grade for anyone even if level II. You could apply but you’ll kind of flag yourself as annoying. And it won’t move the needle on instruction at that grade.

[Anonymous]

My kid was being pulled out and I didn’t know. But yes id refer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s barely anything at that grade for anyone even if level II. You could apply but you’ll kind of flag yourself as annoying. And it won’t move the needle on instruction at that grade.

I applied, being willing to flag myself as annoying (though I was nice about it). Did not hurt my kids' chances at LIV or getting a good teacher in later years. Maybe our principals and AART are more forgiving than others, though.

At the time my kid had a teacher who was awful - was literally fired after the school year - so I didn't trust her to accurately get kids to the programs they needed.