Regular classes vs AAP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can be fairly dramatic when you go from a low/middle SES school to a high SES AAP center. Quieter and calmer classes which generally leads to more productivity and just a better experience. The math acceleration is a thing too, and definitely worth it.

If you are in a higher SES neighborhood, it may not seem much different.

This is the answer right here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to post in AAP thread because I am looking for unbiased opinions. My child may or may not get selected for AAP starting third grade. If he ends up in a regular class, what will he be missing in the short term and long term?

Nothing. Mine didn’t do AAP or advanced anything in ES. We ton to take the AAP curriculum in MS (but was Covid so I do t count it). And is now in all college level classes in HS. Doing as well or better than the AAP classmates.

AAP classes were also . . , interesting in the lack of social abilities (for lack of a better description). The vibe in those classes was super off ime. So that was a good thing we were “Gen Ed.” Kids hyper fixated on rules and thinking they were special for being aap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be fairly dramatic when you go from a low/middle SES school to a high SES AAP center. Quieter and calmer classes which generally leads to more productivity and just a better experience. The math acceleration is a thing too, and definitely worth it.

If you are in a higher SES neighborhood, it may not seem much different.

This is the answer right here.

Plus one, it all depends where you’re coming from. I taught at a Title I AAP Center for 10 years. The AAP classes were doing above grade level work and the Gen Ed classes were 3 to 4 years below in reading and often times doing work two grades below in math, trying to catch the kids up.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had kids in both. Academically the math is advanced in aap, but your kid can also test into advanced math from gen Ed, but it’s a pain because you have to retest every year.

Other than that, there is very little to no difference academically.

Socially it is night and day. It is really a social program to get your kids grouped with the other kids of parents that care about education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be fairly dramatic when you go from a low/middle SES school to a high SES AAP center. Quieter and calmer classes which generally leads to more productivity and just a better experience. The math acceleration is a thing too, and definitely worth it.

If you are in a higher SES neighborhood, it may not seem much different.

This is the answer right here.

Plus one, it all depends where you’re coming from. I taught at a Title I AAP Center for 10 years. The AAP classes were doing above grade level work and the Gen Ed classes were 3 to 4 years below in reading and often times doing work two grades below in math, trying to catch the kids up.

this has not been our experience at all. The GenEd and AAP classes must teach to the VA standards. The only difference was that the AAP students were accelerated on math (to the detriment of some).

[Anonymous]

I think it really depends on the school.

My kids are 5 years apart and went to different FCPS elementary schools. The first one was Title I and the difference between the LLIV and the general ed classrooms was HUGE. It was a huge spread and the difference between 2nd grade general ed and 3rd grade AAP was like night and day.

Our 2nd elementary was in a much higher SES area with like a 3% ESOL/low income population and from what I could tell the only difference between general education and AAP was advanced math.

[Anonymous]

OP, it might be highly school dependent. DC had a large, hard working peer group in GE in elementary. She was never chosen for AAP and went on receive a doctorate in a STEM field. All AP classes were available to her in HS.

I did hate the existence of AAP for elementary. It divides the kids socially. They all know it. Don't believe any BS that the kids don't think it matters. I think the sting, the emotional impact lessens as they advance through MS and HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be fairly dramatic when you go from a low/middle SES school to a high SES AAP center. Quieter and calmer classes which generally leads to more productivity and just a better experience. The math acceleration is a thing too, and definitely worth it.

If you are in a higher SES neighborhood, it may not seem much different.

This is the answer right here.

Plus one, it all depends where you’re coming from. I taught at a Title I AAP Center for 10 years. The AAP classes were doing above grade level work and the Gen Ed classes were 3 to 4 years below in reading and often times doing work two grades below in math, trying to catch the kids up.

this has not been our experience at all. The GenEd and AAP classes must teach to the VA standards. The only difference was that the AAP students were accelerated on math (to the detriment of some).

But can the kids actually learn the grade-level Virginia standards if they still don’t have the basics??

[Anonymous]

If you supplement, and to be honest a lot of the AAP cohort do, it probably doesn't matter beyond the peer group for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we moved here only a few years ago, literally everyone (including a FCPS teacher at church) told us that: “AAP is the standard track and GenEd is the slow track. Do whatever it takes to have your DC on the AAP track.”

Some here on DCUM disagree with that. We don’t gamble with our kids education. But you should do whatever you think best for your own DC.

I think it's even worse than what the church teacher said. In our local level IV, the instruction is very watered down and teachers don't teach or give any homework, hardly 'standard track'. So I have to imagine it's even more pronounced in the non-aap math and language arts classes.

Maybe it's better at the LIV center vs local AAP, assuming the center is in the McLean area. But I'm honestly not sure about the quality, even in that area. It's very likely that AAP just there to bundle mostly well behaving kids together, as well as to appease parents who want separation. Regardless, the education itself is quite poor.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in AAP currently, the math is somewhat accelerated. Language arts is about the same as what the gen ed classes are learning. That's about the only difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it might be highly school dependent. DC had a large, hard working peer group in GE in elementary. She was never chosen for AAP and went on receive a doctorate in a STEM field. All AP classes were available to her in HS.

I did hate the existence of AAP for elementary. It divides the kids socially. They all know it. Don't believe any BS that the kids don't think it matters. I think the sting, the emotional impact lessens as they advance through MS and HS.

I think it makes a bigger difference in a center school than it does in a smaller LLIV school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be fairly dramatic when you go from a low/middle SES school to a high SES AAP center. Quieter and calmer classes which generally leads to more productivity and just a better experience. The math acceleration is a thing too, and definitely worth it.

If you are in a higher SES neighborhood, it may not seem much different.

This is the answer right here.

Plus one, it all depends where you’re coming from. I taught at a Title I AAP Center for 10 years. The AAP classes were doing above grade level work and the Gen Ed classes were 3 to 4 years below in reading and often times doing work two grades below in math, trying to catch the kids up.

this has not been our experience at all. The GenEd and AAP classes must teach to the VA standards. The only difference was that the AAP students were accelerated on math (to the detriment of some).

But can the kids actually learn the grade-level Virginia standards if they still don’t have the basics??

Nope, and schools won't do anything if your child continuously fails the SOL. I asked for help for my child and was told to hire a tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in AAP currently, the math is somewhat accelerated. Language arts is about the same as what the gen ed classes are learning. That's about the only difference.

I have one in both and LA and S/SS are taught very differently in LIV and gen ed. Advanced Math is also a difference, but not the only difference.

[Anonymous]

As others have noted, it may vary by school, and by LLIV vs. a Center. Everyone's right in that yes, there's loads of Gen-ed kids that do just fine in Honors/AP come middle and high school.

So, what would be the point?

If you're worried that your kid might get disengaged from school because it's too easy, AAP might be something to help keep them a little more interested in school, or might force them to work harder/build up resilience if it's a little harder/faster than your local gen ed, until they get to middle school when honors becomes an option. (Also, in MS, an AAP center will definitely offer honors in all 4 core subjects. I'm not sure if the other middle schools all have that or not - they def didn't when I went through FCPS.)

Also, I feel like it helps all the teachers - our LLIV has stated they'll do the "cluster model" where they put 2-3ish LIV kids in each class - basically no different from the lower grades, where the problem is the teacher is trying to teach the kids 3 grade levels above all the way through 2 grade levels below. There's only so much a teacher can do with that to meet all kids needs. Pulling the LIV kids out to the center gives them an opportunity to have a class where everyone is closer together in terms of ability, and gives the rest of us classes where similarly, everyone is closer together in terms of ability and thus gets more appropriate instruction from the teacher.