Why not do banded lottery for AAP selection?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would never happen. That would be them admitting that your child can't be in AAP just because there's not enough room - not because they are not qualified. "Sorry, we know that your child's needs are not met by their current classroom but we don't have room for them in AAP so you're out of luck" They claim that they make room in AAP for everyone who is qualified. There would be a huge uproar if there was a lottery.

Strange... we've been explicitly told this.

Really? Your kid was admitted to AAP by the central committee, but the school wouldn't honor the placement due to a lack of space?

Don't get me wrong, the admissions process for AAP is pretty messed up and random. Many kids are found ineligible who undoubtedly are gifted under any reasonable definition, and most of the admitted kids are at best above average. Legally, if the central committee didn't accept your kid into AAP, they're saying that your child isn't gifted and would have their needs met in gen ed. The law doesn't establish any standards as to what constitutes giftedness. It simply says that they have to evaluate under multiple metrics. Your kid could be off the charts in WISC, CogAT, iready, etc., and if the central committee rejects your kid, then by legal standards, your child is not gifted and needs no accommodations under the VA mandate for gifted education.

But if a teacher or principal turns around and disagrees, then what?

If they do, you're screwed. I've been there and done that. If the teacher, AART, and principal all think your kid needs AAP, your kid is above grade level in all subjects, and your kid even has good test scores, but the central committee rejects your kid, there's nothing anyone can do. There's no one you can contact at the central committee. There's no one the AART can contact. Your only recourse is to appeal or try again the next year.

In theory, one of the ideal outcomes of LLIV in every school is that the kids who deserved to be admitted to AAP but mysteriously weren't can still be principal placed. The only issue is that if there are space limitations, the spot goes to the mediocre kid who was mysteriously accepted by the central committee over the highly gifted kid who was mysteriously rejected. Legally, the kid placed by the central committee is gifted and has needs to accommodate, while the kid not placed is average with no needs. It's a dumb system.

[Anonymous]

^Maybe I misunderstood your comment. My response is if your kid was rejected and deemed not gifted by the central committee, but the teacher or principal disagree and think your kid is gifted.

If your kid was placed by the central committee, but the principal or teacher won't place your kid, then contact the central administration. The teacher or principal don't have the right to block AAP placement made by the central committee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would never happen. That would be them admitting that your child can't be in AAP just because there's not enough room - not because they are not qualified. "Sorry, we know that your child's needs are not met by their current classroom but we don't have room for them in AAP so you're out of luck" They claim that they make room in AAP for everyone who is qualified. There would be a huge uproar if there was a lottery.

Strange... we've been explicitly told this.

Really? Your kid was admitted to AAP by the central committee, but the school wouldn't honor the placement due to a lack of space?

Don't get me wrong, the admissions process for AAP is pretty messed up and random. Many kids are found ineligible who undoubtedly are gifted under any reasonable definition, and most of the admitted kids are at best above average. Legally, if the central committee didn't accept your kid into AAP, they're saying that your child isn't gifted and would have their needs met in gen ed. The law doesn't establish any standards as to what constitutes giftedness. It simply says that they have to evaluate under multiple metrics. Your kid could be off the charts in WISC, CogAT, iready, etc., and if the central committee rejects your kid, then by legal standards, your child is not gifted and needs no accommodations under the VA mandate for gifted education.

But if a teacher or principal turns around and disagrees, then what?

If they do, you're screwed. I've been there and done that. If the teacher, AART, and principal all think your kid needs AAP, your kid is above grade level in all subjects, and your kid even has good test scores, but the central committee rejects your kid, there's nothing anyone can do. There's no one you can contact at the central committee. There's no one the AART can contact. Your only recourse is to appeal or try again the next year.

In theory, one of the ideal outcomes of LLIV in every school is that the kids who deserved to be admitted to AAP but mysteriously weren't can still be principal placed. The only issue is that if there are space limitations, the spot goes to the mediocre kid who was mysteriously accepted by the central committee over the highly gifted kid who was mysteriously rejected. Legally, the kid placed by the central committee is gifted and has needs to accommodate, while the kid not placed is average with no needs. It's a dumb system.

If every single person agrees your kid needs AAP then next year your application ought to be iron clad, given the HOPE should be perfect and the scores were already good and the HOPE is what matters.