AAP for dummies

[Anonymous]

OP, hope and pray that all of your kids qualify, otherwise one child is "the smart one" and the other(s) know they are not. It's a horrible dynamic. And yes the kids know. It's not worth it. The program is not worth it.

[Anonymous]

We like aap because all the kids and engaged and interested in learning. Also the parents are involved, so it feels like a tighter school community.

[Anonymous]

The greatest advantage of AAP is a better peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please tell the basics about how AAP and why parent's want their kids in it.i am considering moving from MD to Fairfax. Are there issues in the Elementary school circulum that make parents so eager for AAP or is AAP just that good?

Please give me the basic run down. I have some basic knowledge that kids are tested in 2nd grade, etc. Are the center schools all AAP students? Is it better to have your kid in certain AAP programs vs others?

all you need to know is if your kid doesn't get in just buy a gifted diagnosis and appeal until they're admitted

[Anonymous]

Do kids stay in AAP all the way to high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do kids stay in AAP all the way to high school?

The program terminates after 8th grade, but yes, once a child is admitted they are eligible to stay until then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are desperate for AAP because the behavior problems are less severe in the AAP classroom compared to the gen ed one, and there aren't kids way below grade level taking all of the teacher's time. Above average kids left in gen ed at the lower or middle of the road SES schools end up doing a lot of independent work or computer programs rather than having much interaction with the teacher.

The bolded part is 100% accurate. As a teacher at their elementary school, I saw this happening with my kids and was desperate for them to get into a full time AAP Level IV program so they would have a teacher who would spend time teaching them something rather than focusing on all of the below grade level kids. We screwed up badly in not considering the schools when we moved here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

Honestly if your kid is behind and didn’t learn anything over the last few years, then gen Ed really is the right place for them. There is nothing wrong with that. You may want to talk to your child’s teacher and see what their weaknesses are and work on those at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are desperate for AAP because the behavior problems are less severe in the AAP classroom compared to the gen ed one, and there aren't kids way below grade level taking all of the teacher's time. Above average kids left in gen ed at the lower or middle of the road SES schools end up doing a lot of independent work or computer programs rather than having much interaction with the teacher.

The bolded part is 100% accurate. As a teacher at their elementary school, I saw this happening with my kids and was desperate for them to get into a full time AAP Level IV program so they would have a teacher who would spend time teaching them something rather than focusing on all of the below grade level kids. We screwed up badly in not considering the schools when we moved here.

Do you think this is true today because they are so against ability grouping? Personally, I gave up on early ES teaching my kids anything and accept it's on me to teach reading and math up until 3rd or 4th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell the basics about how AAP and why parent's want their kids in it.i am considering moving from MD to Fairfax. Are there issues in the Elementary school circulum that make parents so eager for AAP or is AAP just that good?

Please give me the basic run down. I have some basic knowledge that kids are tested in 2nd grade, etc. Are the center schools all AAP students? Is it better to have your kid in certain AAP programs vs others?

all you need to know is if your kid doesn't get in just buy a gifted diagnosis and appeal until they're admitted

This specifically is not true anymore. The WISC and other tests are viewed as unfair advantages for those who can pay and not really considered. They used to be the gold standard.

It is also not true that it is harder to get in now than before as a PP said. FCPS has changed the way they assess students so that the scores count much less than they used to, making it easier to get in for some and harder for others. The committees now weigh the GBRS (teacher evaluations) more than they used to.

I have three kids and my two oldest were admitted whereas my youngest (135 Cogat and WISC) was not. We have had fabulous and mediocre teachers in both Gen Ed and AAP. The peer group of course is stronger in AAP and the expectations are much, much higher.

Is it worth moving for AAP? Well, it obviously depends on your circumstances but I would say it is not worth the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is AAP only in Virginia and not MD?

MD they have GT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are desperate for AAP because the behavior problems are less severe in the AAP classroom compared to the gen ed one, and there aren't kids way below grade level taking all of the teacher's time. Above average kids left in gen ed at the lower or middle of the road SES schools end up doing a lot of independent work or computer programs rather than having much interaction with the teacher.

The bolded part is 100% accurate. As a teacher at their elementary school, I saw this happening with my kids and was desperate for them to get into a full time AAP Level IV program so they would have a teacher who would spend time teaching them something rather than focusing on all of the below grade level kids. We screwed up badly in not considering the schools when we moved here.

Do you think this is true today because they are so against ability grouping? Personally, I gave up on early ES teaching my kids anything and accept it's on me to teach reading and math up until 3rd or 4th.

Probably. The theory is that all the kids should be kept together and teachers should differentiate their instruction based on the individual students' abilities, but from what I'm seeing, it rarely happens in our school. Teachers are either too overwhelmed with trying to help out those who are below grade level, or just don't want to bother with any additional lesson planning to accommodate a few kids who are at the higher end. We have an AART who can provide lessons and ideas on how to challenge the high end kids, but often teachers (especially newer ones, who tend to feel a little overwhelmed anyway) don't bother implementing anything our AART offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is AAP only in Virginia and not MD?

It is an FCPS program/structure. Virginia has a mandate to offer some sort of services for gifted children, but every district implements it differently. AFAIK, Fairfax is the only one with dedicated full time classrooms for advanced academics. Most counties offer pull out services of some kind.

LoCo also has a (newish) dedicated classroom GT program.

Full time? I thought theirs was one day per week or something like that.

In 4/5 th grade it is one day a week. In middle school it is every A day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.