TIL AAP is not advanced anything, just deeper learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the biggest (only?) benefits of AAP at this point is peer group and more experienced teachers, neither of which are trivial.

+1 for the peer group. Being around other AAP kids has made a world of difference. Kiddo loves school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes 3rd grade last year was just the extensions. Disappointing.

YMMV but so far this year my kid seems to be doing 4th grade math at double pace and then 5th grade math at double pace. For example last unit covered place value and then launched into order of operations. I'm not really a fan, my kid doesnt do math outside of class and the pace is really rushed for a kid seeing this stuff for the first time. But I guess this was deemed necessary to get kids back to where they need to be for algebra in 6th.

Here is California’s take on Algebra instruction in public school (ie - “going deeper”)

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/california-math-framework-algebra/675509/

Paywall- can you summarize?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the biggest (only?) benefits of AAP at this point is peer group and more experienced teachers, neither of which are trivial.

+1 for the peer group. Being around other AAP kids has made a world of difference. Kiddo loves school now.

My kid really likes his new peers and I can see some positive influences, but unfortunately does not love school. Feels too constrained, not learning enough. And after talking to the teacher, I can see that she too feels constrained, which likely does not help.

[Anonymous]

Math does not accelerate until the 2nd half of 3rd grade where they will get a little ahead of the general education classes and start 4th grade math. In 4th, they will cover 4th and 5th grade math. In 6th, they will do 7th grade math or Algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math does not accelerate until the 2nd half of 3rd grade where they will get a little ahead of the general education classes and start 4th grade math. In 4th, they will cover 4th and 5th grade math. In 6th, they will do 7th grade math or Algebra.

This used to be the case before the changes that started with the 2023-2024 school year. Now 3rd and 4th are following the same pacing as the general classes. There's a whole conversation about it:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1290165.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math does not accelerate until the 2nd half of 3rd grade where they will get a little ahead of the general education classes and start 4th grade math. In 4th, they will cover 4th and 5th grade math. In 6th, they will do 7th grade math or Algebra.

This used to be the case before the changes that started with the 2023-2024 school year. Now 3rd and 4th are following the same pacing as the general classes. There's a whole conversation about it:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1290165.page

My 4th grader is in advanced math and they are well ahead of the other 4th grade classes and will be covering 5th grade math. Source: My child's classroom teacher. We had a parent teacher conference this morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math does not accelerate until the 2nd half of 3rd grade where they will get a little ahead of the general education classes and start 4th grade math. In 4th, they will cover 4th and 5th grade math. In 6th, they will do 7th grade math or Algebra.

OP here. My point is that I was told things have changed. There will not be any acceleration because things have to be done a certain way and everyone gets the same curriculum. Some will just go more in depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math does not accelerate until the 2nd half of 3rd grade where they will get a little ahead of the general education classes and start 4th grade math. In 4th, they will cover 4th and 5th grade math. In 6th, they will do 7th grade math or Algebra.

This used to be the case before the changes that started with the 2023-2024 school year. Now 3rd and 4th are following the same pacing as the general classes. There's a whole conversation about it:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1290165.page

My 4th grader is in advanced math and they are well ahead of the other 4th grade classes and will be covering 5th grade math. Source: My child's classroom teacher. We had a parent teacher conference this morning.

It may be that some teachers in some schools are doing things differently, contrary to how they are supposed to as dictated by the admin and FCPS.

[Anonymous]

All of this is a bummer because once again it puts everything on the parents and unfortunately and ironically, all but ensures inequitable outcomes.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have had kids in both AAP and Gen Ed. AAP is definitely accelerated - compared to Gen Ed. And it goes deeper than Gen Ed. The bar in Gen Ed is set very low. My Gen Ed kid scored 140 on CoGat and 135 on Wisc but had mediocre GBRS, so obviously a bright kid but not accepted into program. She is in 8th, has yet to do five minutes of homework, and school is still a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have had kids in both AAP and Gen Ed. AAP is definitely accelerated - compared to Gen Ed. And it goes deeper than Gen Ed. The bar in Gen Ed is set very low. My Gen Ed kid scored 140 on CoGat and 135 on Wisc but had mediocre GBRS, so obviously a bright kid but not accepted into program. She is in 8th, has yet to do five minutes of homework, and school is still a joke.

+1. Same experience. Oldest kid went through AAP at center schools for ES and MS, younger two scored just as high but weren't found eligible and given bare minimum Level III services at our middling base school. Academically it was night and day. I saved all the material from our older child and supplemented at home a lot. MS Honors classes were an improvement but not like AAP middle school classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have had kids in both AAP and Gen Ed. AAP is definitely accelerated - compared to Gen Ed. And it goes deeper than Gen Ed. The bar in Gen Ed is set very low. My Gen Ed kid scored 140 on CoGat and 135 on Wisc but had mediocre GBRS, so obviously a bright kid but not accepted into program. She is in 8th, has yet to do five minutes of homework, and school is still a joke.

I hear you and this gives me hope, but it sounds like things are changing and not for the better. But maybe as long as teachers still have some freedom the classes will still be somewhat more challenging? DC does bring home about 15 min of homework on most days (3rd grade).

[Anonymous]

They slightly accelerate only math, and that makes sense. Our teacher said the differentiation in math comes more through resources that can be tailored to the individual child (like ST math).

Going deeper is the only logical way to benefit gifted and talented kids in other subjects. How do you accelerate science or reading in elementary school? You make the kids think deeply.

[Anonymous]

Is the algebra in 6th pilot that has 500 kids taking algebra in 6th only for AAP? I thought another thread said was based on SOL scores and not if in AAP and if that’s the case, AAP doesn’t make difference for math anymore either if can pass on own or supplement outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They slightly accelerate only math, and that makes sense. Our teacher said the differentiation in math comes more through resources that can be tailored to the individual child (like ST math).

Going deeper is the only logical way to benefit gifted and talented kids in other subjects. How do you accelerate science or reading in elementary school? You make the kids think deeply.

ST Math is a terrible program and that's been well established here. Assigning some extra sections of ST Math is not my idea of differentiation. Meanwhile DC's teacher just won't do it. I have asked a few times.