Private to Public - Fairfax County for 7th grade

[Anonymous]

We just found out that we will have to move this summer. Child is currently in a small private in FFX County but we will not be continuing at private as previously decided. We don't know which middle school yet as we need to start looking at houses.

Been researching, have some questions and would appreciate some help in understanding.

Do we need a student ID to go through the AAP process?

We will do the group testing at George Mason. I didn't realize the group testing is in a week! Need to help him prep. Is there an advantage to doing individual testing? Which one should we do? COGAT or..?
Our child likely has(non-conclusive by neuro psych at KKI) and Anxiety (Diagnosed). Ped is too conservative so we haven't repeated evaluation (more formalized).

Any tips, comments appreciated.

[Anonymous]

No, don't need student ID to apply for AAP. Student ID is issued once you decide to register/enroll, but you can wait for AAP results before deciding if you so choose.

Start with CogAT and NNAT. If you can afford a WISC-V without pain, you might take that as well. Or you can wait and see how strong the initial CogAT/NNAT scores are and save some money. You can use the better score in your application, and hold the other for a potential appeal if necessary/appropriate.

The WISC may also help shed light on some relative strengths/weaknesses for your student beyond your day-to-day observations. We went ahead and got it for both our kids even though it wasn't needed and found it informative.

[Anonymous]

Dependent on what MS you go to, your child probably doesn’t need to worry about AAP. Carson, Cooper, Rocky Run, Longfellow are all strong MS where the Honors classes will be strong. If you are moving to an area that is a Title 1 MS, 50% FARMs, then worry about AAP.

Math, which is the biggest reason to aim for LIV in ES, is on it’s own track in MS. It is not a part of the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! The middle school may likely be one, PP above posted. So how do I apply for the honors program? Super dumb question most likely…

Can we just do the WISC? Due to anxiety, son won’t test well but is bright. Also transitioning from a Montessori, not sure if that is relevant to my question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dependent on what MS you go to, your child probably doesn’t need to worry about AAP. Carson, Cooper, Rocky Run, Longfellow are all strong MS where the Honors classes will be strong. If you are moving to an area that is a Title 1 MS, 50% FARMs, then worry about AAP.

Math, which is the biggest reason to aim for LIV in ES, is on it’s own track in MS. It is not a part of the AAP program.

What is LIV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! The middle school may likely be one, PP above posted. So how do I apply for the honors program? Super dumb question most likely…

Can we just do the WISC? Due to anxiety, son won’t test well but is bright. Also transitioning from a Montessori, not sure if that is relevant to my question.

You just place your child in Honors, there is no application.

You can use your WISC if you apply.

AAP = LIV, at least in how it is used in this forum. Technically, there are 4 levels to AAP (Advance Academic Program), level s 1-4. Level I is provided to all students. Level II is provided to some students based on the discretion of the Teacher and the AART (AAP Admin/Teacher). Level III starts in third grade and is a weekly pull out for an hour, selection by the AART and Teachers at school. Level IV is the full time program where kids are placed on a class together. Google AAP and FCPS to learn more.

[Anonymous]

Thank you again. It’s a very new world for me. I have been researching all week but still a little confused. I did find the list of middle schools with full time AAP assignments. I didn’t even know I had to look for that. So not sure if I am asking the right questions sorry,

Based on what I read, since my child will be in 7th grade next year, subject-specific AAP, Part time AAP, young scholars none of them apply as they are only till Grade 6.

So the only option seems to be Level IV services (and the honors program), is that correct? And for that there is only one date in January by which the packet needs to reach FCPS.


When does one select honors courses? As in timing during the year? Is this in addition to regular school day or during?
Since we haven’t even identified a school yet trying to figure that out,

If doing the standard test is one better than the other? Like Cogat?

Does WISC reduce chances of acceptance?

Also why doesn’t anyone talk about IIB for middle school? I didn’t find any forum for that.

Any help with these will be appreciated. I always try and return to forums to give back to other newbies like me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you again. It’s a very new world for me. I have been researching all week but still a little confused. I did find the list of middle schools with full time AAP assignments. I didn’t even know I had to look for that. So not sure if I am asking the right questions sorry,

Based on what I read, since my child will be in 7th grade next year, subject-specific AAP, Part time AAP, young scholars none of them apply as they are only till Grade 6.

So the only option seems to be Level IV services (and the honors program), is that correct? And for that there is only one date in January by which the packet needs to reach FCPS.


When does one select honors courses? As in timing during the year? Is this in addition to regular school day or during?
Since we haven’t even identified a school yet trying to figure that out,

If doing the standard test is one better than the other? Like Cogat?

Does WISC reduce chances of acceptance?

Also why doesn’t anyone talk about IIB for middle school? I didn’t find any forum for that.

Any help with these will be appreciated. I always try and return to forums to give back to other newbies like me

Here are the schools which offer IB in middle school: https://www.fcps.edu/node/33264

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you again. It’s a very new world for me. I have been researching all week but still a little confused. I did find the list of middle schools with full time AAP assignments. I didn’t even know I had to look for that. So not sure if I am asking the right questions sorry,

Based on what I read, since my child will be in 7th grade next year, subject-specific AAP, Part time AAP, young scholars none of them apply as they are only till Grade 6.

So the only option seems to be Level IV services (and the honors program), is that correct? And for that there is only one date in January by which the packet needs to reach FCPS.


When does one select honors courses? As in timing during the year? Is this in addition to regular school day or during?
Since we haven’t even identified a school yet trying to figure that out,

If doing the standard test is one better than the other? Like Cogat?

Does WISC reduce chances of acceptance?

Also why doesn’t anyone talk about IIB for middle school? I didn’t find any forum for that.

Any help with these will be appreciated. I always try and return to forums to give back to other newbies like me

honors courses are during the school day, they take the place of non-honors courses.

Do you want your 7th grade child to be in algebra 1 honors, or is prealgebra okay?

[Anonymous]

OP. He knows Pre-Algebra. So Algebra 1.

Am I right that AAP for 7th Grade is Level IV (meaning full-time)?

If it wasn't Algebra I, then is AAP curriculum that different for English, Science and Social Studies? I am trying to determine the difference from Honors for these.

I see Honors classes need to be picked before school starts. Is Summer too late (before school starts) to pick - as we won't have picked a school before then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. He knows Pre-Algebra. So Algebra 1.

Am I right that AAP for 7th Grade is Level IV (meaning full-time)?

If it wasn't Algebra I, then is AAP curriculum that different for English, Science and Social Studies? I am trying to determine the difference from Honors for these.

I see Honors classes need to be picked before school starts. Is Summer too late (before school starts) to pick - as we won't have picked a school before then?

You cannot enroll until you are a resident so you will pick classes when you have bought a house or signed a lease. Honors and AAP classes may or may not be different, it depends on the school. I doubt that there is that much difference at the non-Title 1 schools. There are parents who have had kids in Honors and LIV who posted that the honors work load was the same as the LIV workload at their kids MS. You will notice the difference if you are at a school with higher levels of poverty and non-English speakers. In those schools the kids who are ok students but not great will enroll in Honors because the regular class is geared more to kids who are not fluent English speakers. The honors classes move at a slower pace so the LIV classes are more challenging. At schools with less poverty you find that less of a gap between H and LIV.

Seriously, most of the kids taking AP/IB classes in HS will not have been in LIV and they do just fine if not excel. It is not that of a deal at most of the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. He knows Pre-Algebra. So Algebra 1.

Am I right that AAP for 7th Grade is Level IV (meaning full-time)?

If it wasn't Algebra I, then is AAP curriculum that different for English, Science and Social Studies? I am trying to determine the difference from Honors for these.

I see Honors classes need to be picked before school starts. Is Summer too late (before school starts) to pick - as we won't have picked a school before then?

The way the counselors at Frost MS explained it at the parent preview night (those are typically in February, you can see if you can get on the email list at the MS you are moving to now if you want) was this: advanced academics classes are just a tiny bit more in-depth than honors, emphasis on tiny bit. Honors is more in dept than gen ed. So AA theoretically is more than honors, but it's barely perceptible.

I don't know the process for picking classes after the spring deadline for the public school kids, but the registrar and counselors at all these MSes are literally there to help mostly with that process, so they should walk you through it when you register.