My summary on the AAP admissions process

[Anonymous]

Most people who appeal get in -- just sayin'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people who appeal get in -- just sayin'

Even with a not so great GBRS???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On an anonymous forum, we do not have the benefit of knowing who you are. Thus it would be critical to provide your position: are you a parent of an AAP child, an FCPS second grade teacher, an FCPS administrator, an AART in FCPS?

I have wondered for sometime who these extremely knowledgeable (or knowledgeable sounding) people are. Mabe nothing more than fequent DCUM AAP forum readers who are going by what they have read here and little more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people who appeal get in -- just sayin'

Absolutely true at our center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On an anonymous forum, we do not have the benefit of knowing who you are. Thus it would be critical to provide your position: are you a parent of an AAP child, an FCPS second grade teacher, an FCPS administrator, an AART in FCPS?

I have wondered for sometime who these extremely knowledgeable (or knowledgeable sounding) people are. Mabe nothing more than fequent DCUM AAP forum readers who are going by what they have read here and little more?

There are definitely teachers and administrators on here (they often say it). I strongly suspect the principal of my DC's center is on here because she puts out emails, etc. that are responsive to topics on here and they are usually very quickly after an issue is raised on here about the school. She has every right to be on here, so I'm not complaining. It just makes me smile when I see the emails after a topic has come up on here. Of course, she could just be responding to what she has heard or what parents have raised based on topics here, but I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are thinking of moving to Fairfax county for the AAP...but it's a gamble since DD may not get in. She is receiving GT services in another district currently but FFX has its own criteria and the child must live in FFX to be tested (which makes sense). It would be unfortunate if we bought a new house for this purpose and then DD didn't get into AAP. What should we do? Can we do private testing and get a sense of what chances of admission are before moving? Does FXX take into account that child has been receiving GT services elsewhere? Any advice?

Geeze louise! You have gof to be kidding me. Movi g, buying a new house for elementary AAP. Have you gone completely mad? Get a grip honey and see a therapist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you stated you don't know if AAP is worth it- what grade is your child in and are they attending an AAP center?

What I meant by worth it, is would it be worth actually being aggressive and scheming to get it. At our AAP center, we have had good teacher, bad teachers, and ok teachers. We have had our DD get really challenging and though provoking assignments (3 and 6th grade), and just busy work assignments (5th). We have had teachers teach factually incorrect information (5th). At its best, AAP has been good for my DD, at its worst, (5th grade), it was just extra busy work...

What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you stated you don't know if AAP is worth it- what grade is your child in and are they attending an AAP center?

What I meant by worth it, is would it be worth actually being aggressive and scheming to get it. At our AAP center, we have had good teacher, bad teachers, and ok teachers. We have had our DD get really challenging and though provoking assignments (3 and 6th grade), and just busy work assignments (5th). We have had teachers teach factually incorrect information (5th). At its best, AAP has been good for my DD, at its worst, (5th grade), it was just extra busy work...

What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

Did you move to the center for AAP or was the center your base school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

+1
My son was in school-based Level IV and studied with the same kids from 3 till 6 grade. It was an amazing cohort and they formed lasting friendships that still endure in the middle school AAP. I agree that it is more important than the curriculum... parents can provide all kinds of enrichment, but finding and building a great peer group is more difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you stated you don't know if AAP is worth it- what grade is your child in and are they attending an AAP center?

What I meant by worth it, is would it be worth actually being aggressive and scheming to get it. At our AAP center, we have had good teacher, bad teachers, and ok teachers. We have had our DD get really challenging and though provoking assignments (3 and 6th grade), and just busy work assignments (5th). We have had teachers teach factually incorrect information (5th). At its best, AAP has been good for my DD, at its worst, (5th grade), it was just extra busy work...

What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

Did you move to the center for AAP or was the center your base school?

center was base

[Anonymous]

I was asking about if kids were at base since our Level IV services are now pull outs for math and language arts (it used to be all AAP only classes) so that close knit of kids from grades 3-6 and similar personalities do not come into play if DC stays at the base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

+1
My son was in school-based Level IV and studied with the same kids from 3 till 6 grade. It was an amazing cohort and they formed lasting friendships that still endure in the middle school AAP. I agree that it is more important than the curriculum... parents can provide all kinds of enrichment, but finding and building a great peer group is more difficult.

Right, because building a great peer group with the GE kids would be horrible? What does this mean? Do people really care if their children's peer groups are with the other "gifted" children. How about they make friends with whoever they like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Right, because building a great peer group with the GE kids would be horrible? What does this mean? Do people really care if their children's peer groups are with the other "gifted" children. How about they make friends with whoever they like?

GE classes are mixed up every year, so the kids do not progress through school with the same peer group.
And yes, peer group is a major component of the learning process. My child fares better in a group where he is in the middle academically. In GE he would have been at the top of the class which may had led to complacency and motivation problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: What I really like about AAP is not the curriculum, but the friends my DD has made. They are all wonderful girls, smart, a bit quirky, and caring. In that sense it was worth it.

+1
My son was in school-based Level IV and studied with the same kids from 3 till 6 grade. It was an amazing cohort and they formed lasting friendships that still endure in the middle school AAP. I agree that it is more important than the curriculum... parents can provide all kinds of enrichment, but finding and building a great peer group is more difficult.

Right, because building a great peer group with the GE kids would be horrible? What does this mean? Do people really care if their children's peer groups are with the other "gifted" children. How about they make friends with whoever they like?

Exactly. My DC has best friends in both AAP and GE. They too, form an amazing cohort and none of them care about meaningless GE vs. AAP labels.

[Anonymous]

I think nothing can replace a great class dynamic, and AAP kids tend to be cut from the same cloth-it is hard to explain, just have to see in action!