How hard is it to test into AAP in 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Where can you find out the breakout of demographics? We are Asian-American. DH and I are of different descent and only speak English in the house so our kids are not ESOL. I've been told me that some Asian kids are put into the ESOL category even if they do not attend ESOL classes because they speak a second language at home.
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The school demographics, for FCPS, is on the schools profile when you look at that on their web page. It is also available for all public schools on the VDOE website.

Regarding your comment about ESOL services. No one is just put into ESL classes just because of speaking another language at home. They will be initially assessed for their possible need of ESL services and based on that assessment it will be determined if they do not need service, or perhaps need to be monitored, but not receive direct service, or maybe they do need it. For students who do have an LEP level for ESL they must be assessed yearly due to federal mandates, Virginia uses the WIDA ACCESS for ELL for this. Some student s who are just monitored, not receiving service, still have to take this. But again, no one receives service just because of another language in the home. If you have questions, ask your school's ESL teacher.

[Anonymous]

One thing to realize is in FCPS kids do not test in to AAP. Tests are part of the process, but school evaluations are (GBRS) are equally important. (You can read all about it on the FCPS website.

The thing is, right or wrong, the rumor has it that the screening committee looks at good scores without supporting information as an indication that the kid was prepped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Where can you find out the breakout of demographics? We are Asian-American. DH and I are of different descent and only speak English in the house so our kids are not ESOL. I've been told me that some Asian kids are put into the ESOL category even if they do not attend ESOL classes because they speak a second language at home.

That is true. We were in the same boat.

ESL (English as a second language) became ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) and if you admit another language is spoken at home (regardless if your kid speaks it) your kid will be "ESOL". It doesn't really hurt, they get pulled out for some testing and that's about it. Waste of time and money but your kid will not have any problems. It's part of the fraud to get more federal funding by inflating the numbers.

Well, if we want to get picky, it is ELL, English Language Learners, and the assessment determines their LEP, language English Proficincy, level IF they score in that level. Your child will NOT automatically be "ESOL" if you admit to another language in the home. Your child, if new to FCPS, including kindergarten WILL be assessed on their English language prociency if you admit to another language.

You are correct, it doesn't hurt. In fact I would guess most of the children of posters here who would fall into the LEP level will help the school's scores tremendously when it comes to reporting out the groupings from the SOLs. As far as fraud, what are you thinking? This is a federal mandate, not a local option to get more money. If you don't like the testing, talk to DOE and your congressman. All states must do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Where can you find out the breakout of demographics? We are Asian-American. DH and I are of different descent and only speak English in the house so our kids are not ESOL. I've been told me that some Asian kids are put into the ESOL category even if they do not attend ESOL classes because they speak a second language at home.

----------------------------------------

The school demographics, for FCPS, is on the schools profile when you look at that on their web page. It is also available for all public schools on the VDOE website.

Regarding your comment about ESOL services. No one is just put into ESL classes just because of speaking another language at home. They will be initially assessed for their possible need of ESL services and based on that assessment it will be determined if they do not need service, or perhaps need to be monitored, but not receive direct service, or maybe they do need it. For students who do have an LEP level for ESL they must be assessed yearly due to federal mandates, Virginia uses the WIDA ACCESS for ELL for this. Some student s who are just monitored, not receiving service, still have to take this. But again, no one receives service just because of another language in the home. If you have questions, ask your school's ESL teacher.

I was looking for the test scores for demographics in each school. A pp said I should compare test scores of kids in the same demographic.

The person who informed me about students being considered ESOL even when they don't require services is an ESL teacher. He told me that schools try to get extra funding by trying to show a larger ESOL population. I'm not saying that all schools do this but he said his school did so. He told me this when I expressed my concern about our zoned elementary school being 30% ESOL.

[Anonymous]

Go to the Va. Dept. of Education site and find the school report card for your school(s). You will be able to see a detailed break down for all kids in that school showing what percent of Asians, Black, Hispanic, White, Disabled, Economically Disadvantaged, ect. passed or failed each test for each grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume your children are smart enough for this?

Why do you assume OP assumes his/her children are smart enough for AAP?

[Anonymous]

Parents need to stay out of it (the testing) and let the school system and teachers do their job! Planning what route your child can take before they even enter Kindergarten?
That's not being an informed parent- it's called being an obsessive, controlling parent who needs to have the best for themselves- like bragging rights.
The problem is most children are NOT truly gifted. Too many children are in the centers- and they shouldn't be. I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion! Parents manipulate the teachers, talk the talk, plan away and prepare their child for the tests.
Children should be scoring all on their own merit and selected on their own merit- not because of anything the parent provide them and most certainly not because the parents wrote a great, flowery recommendation of their child.
FCPS needs to fix the GT/AAP centers. FCPS needs to have a backbone against parents. The real genius' should solely attend. Not students who almost make the 132...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to stay out of it (the testing) and let the school system and teachers do their job! Planning what route your child can take before they even enter Kindergarten?
That's not being an informed parent- it's called being an obsessive, controlling parent who needs to have the best for themselves- like bragging rights.
The problem is most children are NOT truly gifted. Too many children are in the centers- and they shouldn't be. I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion! Parents manipulate the teachers, talk the talk, plan away and prepare their child for the tests.
Children should be scoring all on their own merit and selected on their own merit- not because of anything the parent provide them and most certainly not because the parents wrote a great, flowery recommendation of their child.
FCPS needs to fix the GT/AAP centers. FCPS needs to have a backbone against parents. The real genius' should solely attend. Not students who almost make the 132...

They also call those parents, good parents. They are the opposite of parents that take no interest in their children's studies, do not prepare them, do no planning for the best outcome, are uninformed, etc. You can look to statistics for under achieving schools and clearly see a correlation between parental lack of involvement and poor academic performance. That said, both of my children were prepped by me for weeks prior to taking the standardized tests, scored well but not at the highest end. We worked nightly on reading, math, and studying for their tests in first and second grade (as we still do) and they were prepared and did well on their report cards (another pillar considered in admission). I also encouraged them to participate in class and speak their minds and not be shy (see categories of GBRS). Both my children were admitted to the program and are doing great. However, they are not at the genius level. I applaud those parents who instill in their children a sense of work ethic and the associate benefits that result from organization and preparation. Just to be clear, this is not all encompassing. My kids have always enjoyed several after school sports and have time for an hour of tv a day. I would rather have my child in the AAP program if he is borderline as the preparation and enrichment is far superior to the middle of the road work at the base school.

By the way, maligning a parent for wanting the best education for his child by implying they are driven by a need for "bragging rights" is an asinine generalization. Rather, those who advocate exclusion of children who meet the admission metrics, but are not at the genius level are the ones with superiority complexes. Please provide the GBRS scores and the standarized test scores to support your assertion that "I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion!". Please, admissions are made by a central board with no direct contact to "parental persuasion".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: They also call those parents, good parents. They are the opposite of parents that take no interest in their children's studies, do not prepare them, do no planning for the best outcome, are uninformed, etc. You can look to statistics for under achieving schools and clearly see a correlation between parental lack of involvement and poor academic performance. That said, both of my children were prepped by me for weeks prior to taking the standardized tests, scored well but not at the highest end. We worked nightly on reading, math, and studying for their tests in first and second grade (as we still do) and they were prepared and did well on their report cards (another pillar considered in admission). I also encouraged them to participate in class and speak their minds and not be shy (see categories of GBRS). Both my children were admitted to the program and are doing great. However, they are not at the genius level. I applaud those parents who instill in their children a sense of work ethic and the associate benefits that result from organization and preparation. Just to be clear, this is not all encompassing. My kids have always enjoyed several after school sports and have time for an hour of tv a day. I would rather have my child in the AAP program if he is borderline as the preparation and enrichment is far superior to the middle of the road work at the base school.

By the way, maligning a parent for wanting the best education for his child by implying they are driven by a need for "bragging rights" is an asinine generalization. Rather, those who advocate exclusion of children who meet the admission metrics, but are not at the genius level are the ones with superiority complexes. Please provide the GBRS scores and the standarized test scores to support your assertion that "I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion!". Please, admissions are made by a central board with no direct contact to "parental persuasion".

Are you saying you prepped your kids for weeks for the standardized test? I hope you saved up for therapy. You are a bad parent. As pad as the parent that yelled at me last night because they did not like the way I was coaching. Proper engagement is helping with the HW assingments. I bet your kids also have the nicest presentations at the science fair.

Too bad they do not let you take the COGAT for your kids.

[Anonymous]

FCPS needs to fix the GT/AAP centers. FCPS needs to have a backbone against parents. The real genius' should solely attend. Not students who almost make the 132...

Sure. Yeah right.

FCPS is going to create a true GT program teaching quantum mechanics and string theory to those "real genius" elementry school students in the secret underground bunker complex behind the CIA. Hell, I suspect that they have already done it. Somehow, your kid just got left behind. Sorry about that...

[Anonymous]

My kids only speak English,but I am multilingual and English is my second language. My kids had the WIDA test and have the ESOL designation, but nothing else. I compare this to being a different race or ethnic background, it just add points to the college application process, that is my spin on it anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to stay out of it (the testing) and let the school system and teachers do their job! Planning what route your child can take before they even enter Kindergarten?
That's not being an informed parent- it's called being an obsessive, controlling parent who needs to have the best for themselves- like bragging rights.
The problem is most children are NOT truly gifted. Too many children are in the centers- and they shouldn't be. I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion! Parents manipulate the teachers, talk the talk, plan away and prepare their child for the tests.
Children should be scoring all on their own merit and selected on their own merit- not because of anything the parent provide them and most certainly not because the parents wrote a great, flowery recommendation of their child.
FCPS needs to fix the GT/AAP centers. FCPS needs to have a backbone against parents. The real genius' should solely attend. Not students who almost make the 132...

They also call those parents, good parents. They are the opposite of parents that take no interest in their children's studies, do not prepare them, do no planning for the best outcome, are uninformed, etc. You can look to statistics for under achieving schools and clearly see a correlation between parental lack of involvement and poor academic performance. That said, both of my children were prepped by me for weeks prior to taking the standardized tests, scored well but not at the highest end. We worked nightly on reading, math, and studying for their tests in first and second grade (as we still do) and they were prepared and did well on their report cards (another pillar considered in admission). I also encouraged them to participate in class and speak their minds and not be shy (see categories of GBRS). Both my children were admitted to the program and are doing great. However, they are not at the genius level. I applaud those parents who instill in their children a sense of work ethic and the associate benefits that result from organization and preparation. Just to be clear, this is not all encompassing. My kids have always enjoyed several after school sports and have time for an hour of tv a day. I would rather have my child in the AAP program if he is borderline as the preparation and enrichment is far superior to the middle of the road work at the base school.

By the way, maligning a parent for wanting the best education for his child by implying they are driven by a need for "bragging rights" is an asinine generalization. Rather, those who advocate exclusion of children who meet the admission metrics, but are not at the genius level are the ones with superiority complexes. Please provide the GBRS scores and the standarized test scores to support your assertion that "I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion!". Please, admissions are made by a central board with no direct contact to "parental persuasion".

I totally agree with you. You are truly good parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: They also call those parents, good parents. They are the opposite of parents that take no interest in their children's studies, do not prepare them, do no planning for the best outcome, are uninformed, etc. You can look to statistics for under achieving schools and clearly see a correlation between parental lack of involvement and poor academic performance. That said, both of my children were prepped by me for weeks prior to taking the standardized tests, scored well but not at the highest end. We worked nightly on reading, math, and studying for their tests in first and second grade (as we still do) and they were prepared and did well on their report cards (another pillar considered in admission). I also encouraged them to participate in class and speak their minds and not be shy (see categories of GBRS). Both my children were admitted to the program and are doing great. However, they are not at the genius level. I applaud those parents who instill in their children a sense of work ethic and the associate benefits that result from organization and preparation. Just to be clear, this is not all encompassing. My kids have always enjoyed several after school sports and have time for an hour of tv a day. I would rather have my child in the AAP program if he is borderline as the preparation and enrichment is far superior to the middle of the road work at the base school.

By the way, maligning a parent for wanting the best education for his child by implying they are driven by a need for "bragging rights" is an asinine generalization. Rather, those who advocate exclusion of children who meet the admission metrics, but are not at the genius level are the ones with superiority complexes. Please provide the GBRS scores and the standarized test scores to support your assertion that "I know several in our local center who are there not due to their score meeting the requirement but due to parental persuasion!". Please, admissions are made by a central board with no direct contact to "parental persuasion".

Are you saying you prepped your kids for weeks for the standardized test? I hope you saved up for therapy. You are a bad parent. As pad as the parent that yelled at me last night because they did not like the way I was coaching. Proper engagement is helping with the HW assingments. I bet your kids also have the nicest presentations at the science fair.

Too bad they do not let you take the COGAT for your kids.

Wow. Sorry you got yelled at by a parent that was unhappy with your coaching. Why don't you just coach like you raise your kids and give everyone a "participation medal", and they will all feel better? Afterall, there are no winners and losers in life (or in school), everyone is a winner who tries their best! Try and increase that 47%.

I, like many parents who chose to home school their kids, want to take an active role in helping my kids learn, do well, and be prepared. This sometimes results in topics that go beyond the standard worksheets that come home each night. Sorry if this exceeds your "proper engagement" standards of only helping with HW assignments and limiting any additional discussion, academic challenge, or critical thinking exercises. The result is my kids are doing well in school, are in a great AAP program that preparation helped them qualify for, are good at sports (because they practice on their own), and are confident and responsible, and are having fun. If this makes me a bad parent, I will have to accept it.

Also, thank you PP for the complement.

[Anonymous]

It was very easy for all of my kids.
It'll be not too easy if the kids are borderline ones, very difficult if not AAP material kids.
So it depends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

FCPS needs to fix the GT/AAP centers. FCPS needs to have a backbone against parents. The real genius' should solely attend. Not students who almost make the 132...

Sure. Yeah right.

FCPS is going to create a true GT program teaching quantum mechanics and string theory to those "real genius" elementry school students in the secret underground bunker complex behind the CIA. Hell, I suspect that they have already done it. Somehow, your kid just got left behind. Sorry about that...

Excellent.