Why not do banded lottery for AAP selection?
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Anonymous
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Given all of the conversations around AAP selection, the granularity of reliability for COGAT and other tests, I wonder how a banded lottery system would work? Have some threshold (135+ test scores, max HOPE, and or some set combination of test + HOPE). Everyone who meets said threshold goes in the lottery, then random selection.
It seems silly to try to meaningfully differentiate who deserves it based on difference that are likely just noise anyways. |
Anonymous
| That would never happen. That would be them admitting that your child can't be in AAP just because there's not enough room - not because they are not qualified. "Sorry, we know that your child's needs are not met by their current classroom but we don't have room for them in AAP so you're out of luck" They claim that they make room in AAP for everyone who is qualified. There would be a huge uproar if there was a lottery. |
Anonymous
There's no reason to do a lottery and no reason to limit AAP seats. In theory, AAP should be capable of accommodating any number of kids. A lottery is also likely illegal, since AAP is used to meet the VA mandate for gifted education, and a lottery would leave out some number of gifted kids. A better question is: Why doesn't every school just have an advanced math&science and advanced LA/history program, modeled after the current gen ed advanced math? Most kids' needs would be met fine at the base school if they could switch into an advanced classroom for instruction in their areas of strength. There wouldn't be any need for any of the AAP nonsense if kids were placed in advanced classes on a yearly basis, based on their achievement tests, SOL scores, end-of-year/ beginning-of-year assessments, and the teacher's recommendation. |
Anonymous
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I think that would violate the state law around appropriate education for gifted kids.
People always forget TJ is the property of VDOE and gifted education is controlled by state law (though there's pretty wide latitude within the law). |
Anonymous
It is helpful to read the law of Virginia first. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title8/agency20/chapter40/section40/ |
Anonymous
Right back at you. Technically, Arlington with its push-in process meets the terms of the law. So does LCPS. Nothing in the law requires a separate program for kids identified as gifted. Offering "advanced math" or "advanced language arts" for kids identified as gifted in those areas should meet the legal requirements. If it isn't sufficient, then a 1 hour pull out session per week would be within the bounds of the law. The one thing the law doesn't allow is identifying kids as gifted, and then using a lottery to select services given to some of the identified kids. I suppose technically FCPS could identify as gifted a much smaller number of kids, like the ones who are 99th percentile in CogAT as well as iready, and then lottery the remaining spots to kids they identify as above average but not gifted. |
Anonymous
Every school should have Advanced Math, Advanced LA, Advanced Science, and Advanced Social Studies as an option. Kids are placed in the Advanced Classes based on their performance in class, on iReadys, and SOLs. If that is not enough to meet the Virginia standards, then return to a Gifted program that serves only the top 5% of the kids at a specific school or pyramid with one Center school per HS cathcment area. I suspect that the Advanced tracking would be more then enough to meet VDOE requirements given that Arlington and Alexandria and Loundoun County all have not run into trouble with the VDOE and they don't have programs close to AAP. |
Anonymous
+1 million to this analysis. |
Anonymous
I don't disagree; this is a reversion to the way it was handled 2 generations ago. But what about the optics: the advanced track may be mostly white and Asian, isn't this why the AAP standards were revamped (i.e. so it "looks" more like FCPS as a whole)? |
Anonymous
Under the same principle that, under the Americans with Disabilities Act every child is entitled to an education appropriate to their special needs, every advanced / accelerated learner is also entitled to an education appropriate to their skill-set. Using a lottery to justify denying an appropriately-tailored education to an advanced learner is cruel and likely unlawful. |
Anonymous
Strange... we've been explicitly told this. |
Anonymous
It's quite possible you'd have legal standing under the code of Virginia, should you choose to pursue it. |
Anonymous
Really? Your kid was admitted to AAP by the central committee, but the school wouldn't honor the placement due to a lack of space? Don't get me wrong, the admissions process for AAP is pretty messed up and random. Many kids are found ineligible who undoubtedly are gifted under any reasonable definition, and most of the admitted kids are at best above average. Legally, if the central committee didn't accept your kid into AAP, they're saying that your child isn't gifted and would have their needs met in gen ed. The law doesn't establish any standards as to what constitutes giftedness. It simply says that they have to evaluate under multiple metrics. Your kid could be off the charts in WISC, CogAT, iready, etc., and if the central committee rejects your kid, then by legal standards, your child is not gifted and needs no accommodations under the VA mandate for gifted education. |
Anonymous
But if a teacher or principal turns around and disagrees, then what? |
Anonymous
If the kid is committee placed, you register at the center. If the principal says no, you e-mail the regional superintendent |