Where to move to get into AAP?

[Anonymous]

We are currently a family based in N. Arlington in the courthouse corridor. Our son is in first grade and we’re thinking of moving to FCPS for the AAP program. Are there certain elementary schools that are easier to get into for AAP? Or should we focus on where we want to live which is in the Tyson’s area? I know that the schools in Mclean are more competitive so would attending an elementary school therapy harder to get into AAP?

[Anonymous]

It's easier to get into AAP from a school that has a large low income population than it is from a school that has a large high income population.

BUT that's a huge gamble because at school A, if your child doesn't get into AAP, they're stuck in crappy general ed classes, whereas at school B, the general ed classes are basically the same as AAP except the math and if your kid is good at math, they can probably place into the AAP class just for math.

[Anonymous]

AAP sounds great on paper, but it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. You shouldn’t move for it. It’s just a few more standards. It’s been very disappointing over the years.

[Anonymous]

Move to a location that makes sense for your commute. AAP is not all that. Your child will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP sounds great on paper, but it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. You shouldn’t move for it. It’s just a few more standards. It’s been very disappointing over the years.

Agreed with PP, education-wise, AAP is negligible. Where it actually benefits most is the segregation and peer groups. Kicking out (most of) the problem children just makes school (and your home life) much easier. However, if you move to a very affluent area anyway, this isn't as big of an issue. I wouldn't subject yourself to a low SES school to get into AAP if your intent is to get to a high SES school where the variation in education is minimal.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't make sense. Maybe move to a neighborhood that feeds in to an AAP center so your kid doesn't have to commute if they do get in? But until you know if they qualify dont base your housing on it. AAP is not all that different. Its meant to place kids in peer similar learning groups, so ideally your child is in a classroom with others of similar learning speed.

[Anonymous]

Are Arlington elementary schools the same or better than FCPS? Our elementary school is smaller which we really like. 16/17 kids per class and 2 teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are Arlington elementary schools the same or better than FCPS? Our elementary school is smaller which we really like. 16/17 kids per class and 2 teachers

If you like where you are, don’t move. Also AAP classes at the center schools tend to be large so if you really value small classes, AAP might not be for you.

[Anonymous]

Arlington uses CKLA for language arts, which is much better than Benchmark that FCPS is using

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are Arlington elementary schools the same or better than FCPS? Our elementary school is smaller which we really like. 16/17 kids per class and 2 teachers

If you like where you are, don’t move. Also AAP classes at the center schools tend to be large so if you really value small classes, AAP might not be for you.

Thankfully local AAP is also excellent.

[Anonymous]

AAP is only important if you are in a school that has a socioeconomically diverse population. My kids are at a school that has like a 4% FARMS rate but is ethnically diverse. While the privilege can be problematic, it does mean that all of the classes are full of mostly high achieving kids and my non-AAP kid got largely the same education as my AAP kid except for grade level vs advanced math. My non-AAP kid is in Honors classes in middle school and will take AP classes in high school, just like my AAP kid.