What really IS the point of AAP?

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07/10/2022 10:36

Subject: What really IS the point of AAP?

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Anonymous wrote:Science nerd mom here. Tax bracket is over 250k.

Yes my kids play sports. Healthy bodies are important to us.

Yes my kids are in AAP. Healthy minds are important to us.

AAP is the only reason why we are in FCPS or living in Fairfax county. We would otherwise live in CA.

AAP exists in part to keep the tax bracket average here high. Without it, a good portion of Fairfax county would just move. It’s very expensive to live here, and honestly without kids we could live in a more affordable area. The tracking works for us.

Creating this kind of competitive educational system also does one more thing: instead of teaching 1-4 different levels of kids in one class at a school, it’s down to about 1-2 for gen Ed and and AAP. It is a little easier for teachers. And I think helpful is raising kids up without lowering kids down.

Do I think it’s fair? The reality is that it is done in other counties/states but not so blatantly and not so much on such a large scale. The other reality is that a lot of parents assume their kids will get in and get mad when their kids don’t get in. So the OPs question gets posted much more often because people become aware of the difference. This is leads to my next observation:

I have one kid who is extremely intelligent (in aap) and another who is not as gifted in math (not in aap). But both do well because they know there is another group of kids who are in the smart class. The awareness that intelligence is awarded is important to them at this age and having local level IV is good.

In that aspect, it’s nice to have AAP. I think if there was a longitudinal study to see the effects of having this separation on overall graduation levels and advanced education in fcps that would most likely be the reason to keep aap vs eliminate it. But my observation is that it is good for our kids overall- even if they don’t get into aap.

But it IS lowering kids down. AAP kids frequently act entitled and like they are better than he general Ed kids and are frequently treated that way, too. Our school has a “fusion lab” with really cool stem stuff. My AAP kid is in there frequently and says it’s super fun, but my non-AAP kid has never been in there. The AAP class this year got an extra field trip that the gen ed kids didn’t get. How do you think that makes the gen ed kids feel? Like they’re not good enough.

Oh well. Life's not fair. Those AAP kids will also be getting higher salaries and live in nicer neighborhoods. Or do you think all of society should convert to socialism?

Hahahahaa, this is absolutely not the case. I know two former AAP/TJ kids - both are government employees. One lives in Burke, the other lives in Reston.

Wow, you know a whole two students? Have you contacted the american sociological association to publish your study? I was talking ON AVERAGE, genius. Clearly somebody never went to AAP lol

lol, AAP is a fairfax county thing, didn't exist where I grew up. My point is that AAP and even TJ do not have the long-lasting impact that you seem to think it does. Also, outside of this small community, nobody cares what high school you or your kid went to. Do you think tech bros out west are asking Brendan and Ella what high school they went to when they're interviewing for jobs? Nope nope nope.

- Ivy league undergrad, turned down an ivy league grad school for a better more rigorous curriculum, worked in tech for 20 years, now retired at 45. Tell me your quals, sweetie pie.

I don't think AAP has any effect at all. I just think the kids in AAP are intellectually superior to those that are not. Fellow ivy leaguer here, but only for my PhD

I would not say they are "intellectually superior," necessarily. I think they are likely above average kids who have spent the time or their parents pushed them in through an appeal, etc. Not that it's a bad thing, but I think you are kidding yourself if you think every AAP kid is "intellectually superior."

The part that is unfair is that through exposure to that peer group, those kids advance more than a kid with equal IQ who doesn't get accepted and is stuck with the Gen Ed program. Instead of having 20% of the FCPS kids own AAP, they should improve the Gen Ed program, give the under achievers the help they need, and have a very small AAP program for the 3-5% that are actually gifted.

The way the program was initially designed, it was supposed to include intellectually gifted students and other students who could keep up and fill out the classes to give the gifted students a large cohort. The program has expanded somewhat over time. But that's how it started and that's how it is now, too.

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It is just unnecessary to have 20% of the kids (50% in some schools) in a special program. Other kids could keep up, too. Just raise the bar for everyone and get rid of it. It’s so divisive but it makes the parents feel special.

Getting rid of AAP would lower the bar for everyone, not raise it.

I’m a parent of a kid in AAP. I don’t feel “special” that my kid is in AAP. I’m appreciative that she’s in an environment that challenges her and feeds her curiosity for learning.

My son also has a curiosity for learning, but his 131 COGAT wasn’t good enough for AAP. He’s clearly bright and would succeed in the AAP environment. Why does your daughter deserve it over my son? The admission process isn’t transparent or necessarily fair. Only those who manage to get in think it is.

I don't think it's transparent and I have three kids in the program. I think it should be expanded. FCPS cuts at the 99th percentile for AAP. MD cuts at 97th percentile. Unnecessary forced scarcity.

FCPS does not cut at the 99th percentile. There are tons of kids in AAP with CogAT scores in the 120-130 range. There are even kids in the 110-120 range. GBRS is by far the most important factor for AAP admission.

I would love to see the stats on the 120-130. Our school is a higher SES and the cut off was in the 140s for in-pool. There were parents that still parent referred on top of those scores and didn't get in. There was a kid with a perfect cogat that didn't get in to AAP. I understand the desire to pull from a larger cross-section of the county, but there were definitely far more deserving students than spots at our school this year.

Do a search for fcps AAP equity report. GBRS is over 4 times more important for AAP acceptance than test scores.

I understand the GBRS is considered more important, but I think it may also leave some really deserving kids behind. A teacher is more likely to catch the extrovert who participates a lot. Your shy, but smart kids don't get that same chance to shine. That doesn't mean they aren't smart. I know it's not a perfect system, but...