Local level IV vs Level IV Center Schools

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure I understand how local level IV schools work.
At a local level IV school do the AAP IV kids have a completely seperate class of only AAP IV students? Or do they just get level IV work in a regular class?

Right now my kiddos are at Colvin Run (center school) so starting in 3rd grade there are 5 classes instead of 4. 3 "regular classes" and 2 AAP classes (specials are mixed).

I ask because we may need to move. I have 1 kiddo in AAP IV and one second grader who likely will not be AAP IV and I'm trying to get a feel for what it would look like at a non center school since I don't think I could logistically manage 2 kiddos at different elementary schools.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Non-Center schools typically don't have enough Level 4 kids to fill up a whole classroom. The level 4 kids will be mixed in with other kids. Some schools will have a designated classroom that teaches level 4 material, and principal place non-level 4 kids into the classroom. Other schools use the cluster model so level 4 kids may move around to different classrooms depending on the subject. At a non-center school, they have to keep a certain number (maybe 8?) of level 4 kids together. If they have more than that number then they can break them out into separate clusters.

[Anonymous]

I think this really varies by school. We are at a huge non-center school and most kids stay there instead of transferring to the center. We have more than one dedicated advanced math, but the language arts is mixed.

I did the old school FCPS GT program, and I do not like what that separation does to kids. (Making kids feel superior or inferior). I would be wary of having that happen within my family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non-Center schools typically don't have enough Level 4 kids to fill up a whole classroom. The level 4 kids will be mixed in with other kids. Some schools will have a designated classroom that teaches level 4 material, and principal place non-level 4 kids into the classroom. Other schools use the cluster model so level 4 kids may move around to different classrooms depending on the subject. At a non-center school, they have to keep a certain number (maybe 8?) of level 4 kids together. If they have more than that number then they can break them out into separate clusters.

At our non-center school, a decent amount of Level 4 kids leave for the center school. That means that the remaining Level 4 kids are spread around four "general education" classrooms but clustered with Level 3 kids. My DD is Level 3 part-time AAP and she is in a class of 22 kids. Of those 22 kids, 6 of them get taken out twice per week by the AART for small group sessions, so we assume that's her "cluster" of Level 4 and Level 3 kids. Additionally, the non-center school offers advanced math to the students who place in based on the combination of a pre-test, teacher referrals and i-ready scores. The majority of remaining Level 4 kids, Level 3 kids and others who are high scorers in math place into that class.

Because so many kids leave for the center school, there are definitely not enough Level 4 kids to fill up an entire classroom. You are correct that they are mixed in with other kids, but I do think that there's a decent amount of differentiation / challenging work, especially when they are placed in clusters/cohorts with the Level 3 part-time AAP kids.

[Anonymous]

Op, there are great reasons to not have them in separate schools. There's not enough difference between them to make one "the smart one" that they can't be educated together. The siblings will have a much better relationship if you don't separate them. Agree that the answer to your specific question is it is very school specific.

[Anonymous]

Is there a reason you couldn't move to a neighborhood where another center is also your base? We loved having our base also be the center because it meant our kids would never be split up.

That said, we have friends who have done the split sibling thing and it was no big deal. There was no "the smart one." The family was very flexible with their kids' educational needs and the AAP center and base school were among the options they used to get their kids what they needed. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

This will definitely vary by school. If your school has enough kids for a whole classroom, it won't look much different than your center experience. If they don't have enough kids for a class, your Level IV kid will have pull out services or some other type of enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason you couldn't move to a neighborhood where another center is also your base? We loved having our base also be the center because it meant our kids would never be split up.

That said, we have friends who have done the split sibling thing and it was no big deal. There was no "the smart one." The family was very flexible with their kids' educational needs and the AAP center and base school were among the options they used to get their kids what they needed. No big deal.

OP here. That is my main reason for asking. Plan A is to pick a home zoned for a center school. If we can't find a house that works I'm curious what that would look like. Unfortunately with our jobs I don't think we could swing two different pickups and drop offs at this time. So its either be zoned for a center school or do local level IV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason you couldn't move to a neighborhood where another center is also your base? We loved having our base also be the center because it meant our kids would never be split up.

That said, we have friends who have done the split sibling thing and it was no big deal. There was no "the smart one." The family was very flexible with their kids' educational needs and the AAP center and base school were among the options they used to get their kids what they needed. No big deal.

OP here. That is my main reason for asking. Plan A is to pick a home zoned for a center school. If we can't find a house that works I'm curious what that would look like. Unfortunately with our jobs I don't think we could swing two different pickups and drop offs at this time. So its either be zoned for a center school or do local level IV.

The rumor is that center schools are going away very soon - and it's getting more traction with this boundary review thing that's going on. I'm not sure I'd pick up and move just to be in a center school.

[Anonymous]

Just to add another twist, our base school is the center school and I was shocked to find out half of the class this year in third grade was level 3 principal placed into the classroom (there is another classroom of level 4 only). You might read center schools don't principal place on here but it's clearly something that varies by school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to add another twist, our base school is the center school and I was shocked to find out half of the class this year in third grade was level 3 principal placed into the classroom (there is another classroom of level 4 only). You might read center schools don't principal place on here but it's clearly something that varies by school.

Interesting! What school is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to add another twist, our base school is the center school and I was shocked to find out half of the class this year in third grade was level 3 principal placed into the classroom (there is another classroom of level 4 only). You might read center schools don't principal place on here but it's clearly something that varies by school.

OP here. Unfortunately the move is for other reasons (need to accommodate aging parents moving in with us). Our number one choice would be to stay zoned for the same center school where the kids already attend, but real estate is tough in our market so I'm trying to mentally prepare for what a school change could look like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to add another twist, our base school is the center school and I was shocked to find out half of the class this year in third grade was level 3 principal placed into the classroom (there is another classroom of level 4 only). You might read center schools don't principal place on here but it's clearly something that varies by school.

Our center school definitely has lots of kids principal placed. They don't always stay in the AAP class from year to year, but it's definitely a thing they use to justify having another AAP class. Especially see it in 3rd grade with a drop off in 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to add another twist, our base school is the center school and I was shocked to find out half of the class this year in third grade was level 3 principal placed into the classroom (there is another classroom of level 4 only). You might read center schools don't principal place on here but it's clearly something that varies by school.

Interesting! What school is this?

DP and Canterbury Woods definitely has principal placed kids in the center AAP classes. I'm sure other centers do too.

[Anonymous]

You can look up the numbers for the past 3 years for any elementary school in FCPS.
https://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:13::::0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID,P0_EDSL:017,0
For the 2023-24 school year Colvin Run had:
548 General Education Students
181 Level IV AAP Students
179 Level II, III AAP Students
29 English Language Learners
152 Special Education Students