New to FCPS, AAP

[Anonymous]

I call K, 1st and 2nd "general population". My daughter has had countless hours wasted by the behavioral issues of maybe 10 percent of the group. I volunteered in the class just to get my eyes on the situation over the years. Yep, I can name the handful of kids that keep the whole grade back. There is zero discipline and the teachers' hands are tied and cannot do much but request they behave. It's sad but I view public education as mostly an exercise in social work. FCPS is such a huge organization that they have so many metrics for the lowest performers to track that focus on actual learning and development for the majority of the other kids is mostly an afterthought or you are lucky of that happens. Now that I know most of the list of kids that were accepted to AAP - I am soothed to know she will be around kids that might actually be able to behave and learn.

[Anonymous]

This is the #1 benefit of full-time AAP.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP! We moved from out of state a year or so ago. We didn't know about this forum or have any context for FCPS AAP. One thing I wish I had known... the FCPS AAP application site will tell you that a number of the components are optional (i.e. parent referral, student work samples, etc.). These are NOT optional. Parents in FCPS approach the AAP application like a college application on steroids. I'm not sure why they give out bad / mis-leading advice on their website (perhaps it makes their job easier?), but these components are not optional. Please seek out your site AART (AAP rep) for more info. If you can't find them during the summer, probably for the better, there are more helpful tips on this site than the AARTs generally give.

My son was a rising 5th grader when we moved. I was only able to get him into the LIV Math and LIII pull-outs in 5th. It took until 6th grade to get him into a full-time LIV program because of the mis-steps on his application.

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

AAP is not a gifted program. It is a program for slightly advanced children and children whose parents prepped them to do well on tests. It's literally two years of advanced math and everything is the same. Sorrynotsorry, that's what it is. Search for private school if your child is truly gifted because AAP will not be enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP is not a gifted program. It is a program for slightly advanced children and children whose parents prepped them to do well on tests. It's literally two years of advanced math and everything is the same. Sorrynotsorry, that's what it is. Search for private school if your child is truly gifted because AAP will not be enough.

+1. In specific, it is called AAP because it does not meet the state requirements to call itself a “gifted program”. In fairness, I can’t think of any other locality in VA that does have a formally approved “gifted program”. Fairfax County was far from alone when the state told them that they could not call it gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP is not a gifted program. It is a program for slightly advanced children and children whose parents prepped them to do well on tests. It's literally two years of advanced math and everything is the same. Sorrynotsorry, that's what it is. Search for private school if your child is truly gifted because AAP will not be enough.

Your jealousy is unattractive. Yes, that’s what it is. No, your kid(s) are/were not in AAP.

Also, “sorry not sorry” is for middle school girls, not adult women. Now you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP is not a gifted program. It is a program for slightly advanced children and children whose parents prepped them to do well on tests. It's literally two years of advanced math and everything is the same. Sorrynotsorry, that's what it is. Search for private school if your child is truly gifted because AAP will not be enough.

This is very school dependent.

[Anonymous]

We moved from another state years back and was able to be placed in full time AAP immediately. Both my kids already in gifted program in their previous school, we just brought the documents and the test we used was also accepted in fcps.
But not sure if this always the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP!

Definitely try to get your high-achieving child into AAP

Benefits are threefold: accelerated pace of learning, advanced-grade learning, and peer-group focused on learning.

The difficulty with “general education” in FCPS is all the rest of the kids are lumped in (except for the SPED kids who are tracked into appropriate and smaller classes with specialist teachers).

Among the gen-ed kids there are many undiagnosed and untreated ADD / ADHD kids, especially since many are given IPads/ phones in elementary school at home. These kids soak up most of the FCPS teachers time and attention, slowing the whole class down.

They also exhibit major disciplinary issues, but FCPS has moved away from allowing discipline, and prefers to try the failed “restorative justice” model.

This all adds up to ineffective education in gen ed.

"Among the gen-ed kids there are many undiagnosed and untreated ADD / ADHD kids, especially since many are given IPads/ phones in elementary school at home. These kids soak up most of the FCPS teachers time and attention, slowing the whole class down."

Incorrect assumption. Just keep thinking you're better than everyone, Karen. Good luck to your high achieving child, it's up to them to also have a strong work ethic in addition to their God-given giftedness.

I know, and seriously, restorative justice is amazing. I mean, anyone who says it failed just never gave it a chance. It's so much better than when I was a kid and our FCPS principal used a paddle on kids.