Do all second graders have an AART special?

[Anonymous]

My son said one of his specials was AART yesterday and that all second graders have this special (I think it replaced library from last year?) What is the content of this special? Is it a way to support making better AAP recommendations? Do your schools do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son said one of his specials was AART yesterday and that all second graders have this special (I think it replaced library from last year?) What is the content of this special? Is it a way to support making better AAP recommendations? Do your schools do this?

Yes, although ours is only once a month. The timeline matches the frequency of counselor lessons.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It’s supposed to be for critical thinking.

All students get this at our school. Some kids get extra pullouts if they are level II in 2nd grade as well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I had never heard of it. Makes sense.

[Anonymous]

My school doesn't do this. 2nd graders' specials include PE, music, art and FLES.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

It depends on the school, but neither ES we've ever been at has had a once a week special with the AART. It sounds like your school lost a specials teacher and the AART is filling in, maybe?

[Anonymous]

Maybe be meant Art.

[Anonymous]

My kid just started at a new FCPS school for third, and all kids regardless of AAP designation have the AART special. He says it’s his favorite special.

His old school did not have an AART special, but the AART seemed to visit the whole class on some sort of cadence.

[Anonymous]

Our base school had a one hour weekly class with the AART for all 2nd graders. It was basically a way for the AART to get to know the students and create work samples.

As others have said, though, anything involving the AART/AAP resources varies wildly between schools.

[Anonymous]

A principal has wide discretion beyond the minimum hours required for art, music, and PE. Some schools use the AART, SBTS, or librarian on the master schedule. Some don't. Some have STEAM or FLES, some don't.

[Anonymous]

Not at my school. The AART basically gives us the lessons to have the kids do -- she basically tells us at the CLT how to "teach" the lessons -- worksheets -- and we basically do that and collect and revert the worksheets for the AART to include in referred files.

She doesn't do much direct instruction -- she is usually in CLTs talking about how we can "Extend" things -- it's not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Our ES AART focused on the 2nd grade classes more than other grades (it seemed). More pull-outs for the level II kids than in first grade. More whole class lessons for the grade ("level I"). I think it's to help get work samples and HOPE ratings for the level IV packets to come in February.

Be glad when your school's AART does this. It helps make better packets.

[Anonymous]

It’s called CCT at our ES. Cognitive and Critical Thinking I believe. All the classes in all the grades do it, every other week. (Rotated with either Guidance or Library.) We are LL4 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s called CCT at our ES. Cognitive and Critical Thinking I believe. All the classes in all the grades do it, every other week. (Rotated with either Guidance or Library.) We are LL4 school.

CCT lessons they are supposed to do, but they aren't the same as lessons from the AAP program. All students are supposed to participate in a certain number of AAP lessons (Jacobs Ladder, DBQ, Socratic Seminar, for example).

No AART special at our school. The classroom teachers provide the CCT and AAP lesson instruction.

[Anonymous]

Advanced academics resource teacher (aart). It’s like stem or critical thinking lessons. The advanced academics teacher goes into each classroom for a lesson. It’s a special in FCPS.