Washington Post article on FCPS' AAP report

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They only asked people in the program what they think of the program. They are not the people who usually don't like it. It's the general education students who are denied additional services (advanced services for them is usually pull-outs once a month), because all the resources are put towards the Center AAP students. They didn't ask the general education students in the AAP Center schools how they feel about the program. I think they would've seen a different response.

Hmmm GMU (and I'm a GMU alum). I'm sure GMU makes tons of cash off of the AAP program via people who take the WISCs through GMU.
Of course the folks in the program will like the program. I can't imagine that there were no comments about the admission process.

...yes that must be it...a conspiracy to get the tons of cash from WISCs...

Not a conspiracy, perhaps, but an appalling conflict of interest. In their one nod to over-identification of AAP students, the GMU "investigators" who wrote the report suggest that maybe all appeals testing should be done by one organization. Who should that be? Hmmm...who does the most now? GMU. Shameful.

At the work session tonight, FCPS actually stated they are considering having the FCPS school psychologists do the testing in the summer months.

How will this be paid for?

I am assuming by the parents who have appealed or would like to have their kids tested further. Same as it is done now with Mason and other psychologists.

Correct.

[Anonymous]

FCPS is famous for praising itself to the skies and beyond. They see no wrong anywhere in anything they do. It is just --- we are the BEST. Annoying and inaccurate.

[Anonymous]

That doesn't make sense though. So you appeal, then wait until summer to have the FCPS psychologist test you, then they send your appeal file to the committee, and let you know at the end of the summer whether your dc will be in AAP or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That doesn't make sense though. So you appeal, then wait until summer to have the FCPS psychologist test you, then they send your appeal file to the committee, and let you know at the end of the summer whether your dc will be in AAP or not?

I don't think they have worked out those details yet.

This is in direct response to what the GMU principal investigators called "Influence of ‘cottage’ test preparation industry in the area along with, Inflated use of external assessments creating an opportunity gap and, The importance that parents place on identification for AAP".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is famous for praising itself to the skies and beyond. They see no wrong anywhere in anything they do. It is just --- we are the BEST. Annoying and inaccurate.

Well when you're one of the best it's justified. Sometimes I wish the jackashes would move to Alabama and go to Public or Private school there

[Anonymous]

Is anyone else surprised that half of the families surveyed make about $175,000 or more? This is shown on page 114 of the report in a pie chart.

[Anonymous]

I think the program is great and I'm thrilled that research shows it to be a very high achieving program compared to what's out there at other schools.

I understand level II and level III may not be very robust right now. I agree, but most schools in this country don't even have that. Even in loudon you would get nothing. So I think let's praise what's working and then make other areas of the program stronger.

And really, why would they ask general ed students if the AAP program works. How would they know? How would those parents know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the program is great and I'm thrilled that research shows it to be a very high achieving program compared to what's out there at other schools.

I understand level II and level III may not be very robust right now. I agree, but most schools in this country don't even have that. Even in loudon you would get nothing. So I think let's praise what's working and then make other areas of the program stronger.

And really, why would they ask general ed students if the AAP program works. How would they know? How would those parents know?

You must be new to FCPS. AAP has four different levels. The level IV students are either at the center or in local level IV. However, many students are receiving Advanced Academic Program curriculum at the level II and III. Your question highlights the fact that FCPS, while stating it has AAP for four levels of students, puts all the resources towards the level IV students. Many of the Level III students are advanced in one subject area, but in many elementary schools these students only receive services twice a month. The study didn't seem to address how well the district is address these advance learned needs. Currently, the disparity of services is a point of contention.

Regarding general education students, they wouldn't know what is happening in the AAP classes, but they see and feel what the division of students into two distinct groups does to their school. In middle and high school, the honors classes are divided by subject. Students have the opportunity to shine in their specialty. In elementary, they are either choosen or not. At some of the larger AAP centers, the Center students greatly outnumber the general education. This leads to teasing and feelings of inferiority toward and amongst the general education students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the program is great and I'm thrilled that research shows it to be a very high achieving program compared to what's out there at other schools.

I understand level II and level III may not be very robust right now. I agree, but most schools in this country don't even have that. Even in loudon you would get nothing. So I think let's praise what's working and then make other areas of the program stronger.

And really, why would they ask general ed students if the AAP program works. How would they know? How would those parents know?

You must be new to FCPS. AAP has four different levels. The level IV students are either at the center or in local level IV. However, many students are receiving Advanced Academic Program curriculum at the level II and III. Your question highlights the fact that FCPS, while stating it has AAP for four levels of students, puts all the resources towards the level IV students. Many of the Level III students are advanced in one subject area, but in many elementary schools these students only receive services twice a month. The study didn't seem to address how well the district is address these advance learned needs. Currently, the disparity of services is a point of contention.

Regarding general education students, they wouldn't know what is happening in the AAP classes, but they see and feel what the division of students into two distinct groups does to their school. In middle and high school, the honors classes are divided by subject. Students have the opportunity to shine in their specialty. In elementary, they are either choosen or not. At some of the larger AAP centers, the Center students greatly outnumber the general education. This leads to teasing and feelings of inferiority toward and amongst the general education students.

+100

Very good explanation. There was a WaPo article that ran maybe last weekend and was cited on these threads that also laid out some of the problems with AAP as it stands now. As PP noted, you must be new to the system. Many who are more familiar, including some school board members thought, the article lauding the study in the Post was a joke since it made no mention of the controversy about the program that drove FCPS to commission a review of AAP to begin with.

[Anonymous]

OP Here: My daughter recently was accepted on appeal. However, I agree the process is broken. Not only are the General Ed students left behind, so are the LII and LIII, as they receive very little in the way of differentiated services.

At the same time, as 19:47 stated, we should be grateful that we live in a county that values AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
+100

Very good explanation. There was a WaPo article that ran maybe last weekend and was cited on these threads that also laid out some of the problems with AAP as it stands now. As PP noted, you must be new to the system. Many who are more familiar, including some school board members thought, the article lauding the study in the Post was a joke since it made no mention of the controversy about the program that drove FCPS to commission a review of AAP to begin with.

Sorry, what are we considering the controversy about the program? Was it that so many are now admitted each year, or something else? Services not comparable at different schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They only asked people in the program what they think of the program. They are not the people who usually don't like it. It's the general education students who are denied additional services (advanced services for them is usually pull-outs once a month), because all the resources are put towards the Center AAP students. They didn't ask the general education students in the AAP Center schools how they feel about the program. I think they would've seen a different response.

Hmmm GMU (and I'm a GMU alum). I'm sure GMU makes tons of cash off of the AAP program via people who take the WISCs through GMU.
Of course the folks in the program will like the program. I can't imagine that there were no comments about the admission process.

...yes that must be it...a conspiracy to get the tons of cash from WISCs...

Not a conspiracy, perhaps, but an appalling conflict of interest. In their one nod to over-identification of AAP students, the GMU "investigators" who wrote the report suggest that maybe all appeals testing should be done by one organization. Who should that be? Hmmm...who does the most now? GMU. Shameful.

At the work session tonight, FCPS actually stated they are considering having the FCPS school psychologists do the testing in the summer months.

How will this be paid for?

I am assuming by the parents who have appealed or would like to have their kids tested further. Same as it is done now with Mason and other psychologists.

I thought that "opportunity gap" might mean that some families can pay for testing and others cannot? If families would have to pay regardless, wouldn't that defeat the purpose? Perhaps testing done by the school psychologists would be done at no charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They only asked people in the program what they think of the program. They are not the people who usually don't like it. It's the general education students who are denied additional services (advanced services for them is usually pull-outs once a month), because all the resources are put towards the Center AAP students. They didn't ask the general education students in the AAP Center schools how they feel about the program. I think they would've seen a different response.

Hmmm GMU (and I'm a GMU alum). I'm sure GMU makes tons of cash off of the AAP program via people who take the WISCs through GMU.
Of course the folks in the program will like the program. I can't imagine that there were no comments about the admission process.

...yes that must be it...a conspiracy to get the tons of cash from WISCs...

Not a conspiracy, perhaps, but an appalling conflict of interest. In their one nod to over-identification of AAP students, the GMU "investigators" who wrote the report suggest that maybe all appeals testing should be done by one organization. Who should that be? Hmmm...who does the most now? GMU. Shameful.

At the work session tonight, FCPS actually stated they are considering having the FCPS school psychologists do the testing in the summer months.

How will this be paid for?

I am assuming by the parents who have appealed or would like to have their kids tested further. Same as it is done now with Mason and other psychologists.

I thought that "opportunity gap" might mean that some families can pay for testing and others cannot? If families would have to pay regardless, wouldn't that defeat the purpose? Perhaps testing done by the school psychologists would be done at no charge.

Or perhaps it will be offered on a sliding fee scale. I don't think FCPS is that far along with the details yet.

[Anonymous]

Or perhaps it will be offered on a sliding fee scale. I don't think FCPS is that far along with the details yet.

Yes, I imagine it would be easy to use free and reduced lunch standards to determine which families would also qualify to have testing done for free or at a reduced fee since FCPS already has this information.
I would like to see FCPS handle WISC testing: it would lead to a more level playing field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+100

Very good explanation. There was a WaPo article that ran maybe last weekend and was cited on these threads that also laid out some of the problems with AAP as it stands now. As PP noted, you must be new to the system. Many who are more familiar, including some school board members thought, the article lauding the study in the Post was a joke since it made no mention of the controversy about the program that drove FCPS to commission a review of AAP to begin with.

Sorry, what are we considering the controversy about the program? Was it that so many are now admitted each year, or something else? Services not comparable at different schools?

Both. There are concerns about over-identification, differences in services among schools and levels (Level II and III and afterthought at some schools as these pull outs are often cancelled to devote time to AAP screening, etc.) and equity. Earlier this year school board officials talked about flight from some centers, overcrowding at others.