Our school had lots of those kids. Middle school was a shock for them, especially the ones who liked to brag about being in AAP |
This! Standardized testing is MUCH more stressful for you knowing that it may form/justify the basis for next years admission, and getting your child to focus on the test without stressing them out or letting them know the implications... Sick that day? Just didn't do well testing on a certain day?, Someone distracted your kid? Some schoold make the basis largely off this, regardless if whether your DC is one of the brightest in the classroom now. |
Nope; when the teacher recommends it and the committee overlooks it. The student has a path into AAP. Both paths have merits - committee does not hold grudges and the teacher sees the student first hand. |
I think there's a little of both (the appeasing of the type-A parents who demand inclusion - sometimes backdoor through PTA involvement/influence), as well as the missed merit based inclusion due to the admissions variability (the bottom tier of AAP is truly indistinguishable from the top tier of Gen Ed). The fact remains that it's not a consistently reliable path, depending on availability, center-school status, test scores, future enrollments, graduation to middle school, etc... To the OP's original question, there is no difference if you were not going to transfer to the center school - you don't have that option. It's the same curriculum either way, but center schools tend to have more students and a higher bar amongst the admitted students to allow for an even faster pace or more depth (as well sometimes a higher level of competition which can be good or bad). |
Is principal placement possible in a cluster model ? |
Yes, you need to request that your child be placed in the advanced math class. |
Well, I'm just observing the couple/few kids in our current 4th and 5th grades and seeing what I see. There was a much bigger 6th grade cohort and maybe (haven't paid enough attention) is a much bigger 3rd grade cohort so maybe they just want to keep the teachers. Or maybe our principal is going rogue. |
I am not sure that is as universally true as PP suggests. That is the thing with LLIV, each principal can do what they want and there is not consistency. We chose to go to center in part because our LLIV is a cluster model, but their cluster model is NOT to push in adv kids. It is otherwise a gen ed class, with an added LLIV cluster. So I do not think principal placement is something you can request in that model (though it may be at other schools). |