How is AAP different from regular classroom

[Anonymous]

Parents on here are so hell bent on getting in. I'm not sure that anyone really knows what actually is different about the program versus gen ed. Can anyone shed light on this please? My child got in and I am curious about what to expect. Before FCPS my child was in a environment where they had more freedom to choose their activities and to dig deeper into topics interest. Is it too optimistic to expect something like this? Also is there a lot of snobbery among the kids? I'd like to somehow inoculate my kid from that. There will always be kids who are smarter and don't want my child to fixate on that anyway. Thankful that kids aren't selected be just on test scores.

[Anonymous]

Home school

[Anonymous]

Trust me, you want to get in if you can. Of course there may be butt kissing required, with parents and admin. Parents test prep, IQ test, appeal, class parent kiss up, PTA, etc to get in. We thought it was all so toxic, happy we left for private where nobody is gaming the system or acting as info/opportunity gatekeepers.

[Anonymous]

I’ll be blunt: lots of Indians and Asians in AAP. Very few white kids.

[Anonymous]

More project based learning. The math is a full grade advanced. Kids are overall more interested in learning so the teacher can move at a faster pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More project based learning. The math is a full grade advanced. Kids are overall more interested in learning so the teacher can move at a faster pace.

So they literally start with fourth grade math in third? That would be fine with me but was not expecting it.

Any examples of what you mean by project-based learning? Is it defined by the curriculum or does it vary by teacher? Also curious about how much independence they get relative to regular class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More project based learning. The math is a full grade advanced. Kids are overall more interested in learning so the teacher can move at a faster pace.

So they literally start with fourth grade math in third? That would be fine with me but was not expecting it.

Any examples of what you mean by project-based learning? Is it defined by the curriculum or does it vary by teacher? Also curious about how much independence they get relative to regular class.

There's been much discussion about math slowing down a bit starting with this year's 3rd grade cohort. At our center, per teachers and what we see coming home, they're completing 3rd and roughly 1/2 of 4th grade math. In 4th they'll finish through 5th grade math. 6th in 5th.

Other subjects are less explicit in their increased depth, but just comparing what our kid is doing/learning with friends at the base school/other GE programs they're covering a lot more depth. And there is a *ton* more writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More project based learning. The math is a full grade advanced. Kids are overall more interested in learning so the teacher can move at a faster pace.

So they literally start with fourth grade math in third? That would be fine with me but was not expecting it.

Any examples of what you mean by project-based learning? Is it defined by the curriculum or does it vary by teacher? Also curious about how much independence they get relative to regular class.

There's been much discussion about math slowing down a bit starting with this year's 3rd grade cohort. At our center, per teachers and what we see coming home, they're completing 3rd and roughly 1/2 of 4th grade math. In 4th they'll finish through 5th grade math. 6th in 5th.

Other subjects are less explicit in their increased depth, but just comparing what our kid is doing/learning with friends at the base school/other GE programs they're covering a lot more depth. And there is a *ton* more writing.

Thanks. I'm guessing this all varies by school or was there a general change to slow down math?

Are there still a lot of worksheets?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how AAP today compares to GT from 20 years ago? Do all/most kids take algebra in 7th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More project based learning. The math is a full grade advanced. Kids are overall more interested in learning so the teacher can move at a faster pace.

So they literally start with fourth grade math in third? That would be fine with me but was not expecting it.

Any examples of what you mean by project-based learning? Is it defined by the curriculum or does it vary by teacher? Also curious about how much independence they get relative to regular class.

There's been much discussion about math slowing down a bit starting with this year's 3rd grade cohort. At our center, per teachers and what we see coming home, they're completing 3rd and roughly 1/2 of 4th grade math. In 4th they'll finish through 5th grade math. 6th in 5th.

Other subjects are less explicit in their increased depth, but just comparing what our kid is doing/learning with friends at the base school/other GE programs they're covering a lot more depth. And there is a *ton* more writing.

Thanks. I'm guessing this all varies by school or was there a general change to slow down math?

Are there still a lot of worksheets?

If you search on here there are several large threads discussing the apparent slow down in math across the district - and it's supposed basis in equity or the program called E3 math. I didn't have a kid in the program before, so I don't have a frame of reference. I will say that my kid is enthusiastic about staying at the center, but because they're now only "half bored" not "completely bored.". So, it's an improvement, but don't expect a world of difference.

There are still worksheets, but they're significantly more challenging and involved a lot more critical thinking, not just repetition. Also, at least at our school, there's a lot more opportunity for kids to choose what they're doing during rotations. For example, my kid hasn't really done any ST Math or Lexia this year because, while they're an option, they're not required.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone recommend a good source of materials for AAP math 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

FCPS has a very detailed curriculum - just search for it online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be blunt: lots of Indians and Asians in AAP. Very few white kids.

Not true at every school. My kids’ AAP class has a very diversity of students group including black, Arabic, Hispanic, Asian and white kids. They also have enough kids with IEP and 504 to keep the diversity going. The new holistic approach makes sure kids are compared to kids of the same race to keep the class diverse.

[Anonymous]

Here is the curriculum, with AAP extensions, for 3rd grade: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/elementary-school/elementary-progress-report-grade-level-3-aap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be blunt: lots of Indians and Asians in AAP. Very few white kids.

I'll be blunter, though: my son's grade has literally has one black kid and no (zero) hispanic kids. White kids, however, are still the majority. On the other hand, in our home school, the class is 50% (may be even more didn't check exactly) hispanic.