Why not do away with AAP in middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think the classes would feel different given that honors is open to all and AAP is test in.

“Feel” different? What does that mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the purpose in elementary school. But why not let kids pick (or be tested into) different levels in middle school (i.e., honors, advanced math)? When I was growing up, our school would let students pick or be picked for specific subject GT or Honors classes in middle school.

They should handle every subject the way they handle math. There should be a top track that you need to test into, a somewhat advanced track that is open enrollment, and then the regular track. Kids shouldn't be qualifying for or denied entrance into the highest middle school track based on where they were in the middle of 2nd grade.

Absolutely. It doesn’t make sense and it creates all this pressure and unnecessary drama to get into AAP.

Just think about the damage to the self esteem of level IV kids who couldn’t test into honors for language arts- can’t have that

most of the level IV kids don't even score 600 on the language arts SOL. They are not 'gifted' to begin with.

SOLs are not about gifted-ness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the purpose in elementary school. But why not let kids pick (or be tested into) different levels in middle school (i.e., honors, advanced math)? When I was growing up, our school would let students pick or be picked for specific subject GT or Honors classes in middle school.

They should handle every subject the way they handle math. There should be a top track that you need to test into, a somewhat advanced track that is open enrollment, and then the regular track. Kids shouldn't be qualifying for or denied entrance into the highest middle school track based on where they were in the middle of 2nd grade.

Absolutely. It doesn’t make sense and it creates all this pressure and unnecessary drama to get into AAP.

Just think about the damage to the self esteem of level IV kids who couldn’t test into honors for language arts- can’t have that

most of the level IV kids don't even score 600 on the language arts SOL. They are not 'gifted' to begin with.

SOLs are not about gifted-ness.

Neither should the ability to take a challenging curriculum in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the purpose in elementary school. But why not let kids pick (or be tested into) different levels in middle school (i.e., honors, advanced math)? When I was growing up, our school would let students pick or be picked for specific subject GT or Honors classes in middle school.

They should handle every subject the way they handle math. There should be a top track that you need to test into, a somewhat advanced track that is open enrollment, and then the regular track. Kids shouldn't be qualifying for or denied entrance into the highest middle school track based on where they were in the middle of 2nd grade.

Absolutely. It doesn’t make sense and it creates all this pressure and unnecessary drama to get into AAP.

Just think about the damage to the self esteem of level IV kids who couldn’t test into honors for language arts- can’t have that

most of the level IV kids don't even score 600 on the language arts SOL. They are not 'gifted' to begin with.

When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the purpose in elementary school. But why not let kids pick (or be tested into) different levels in middle school (i.e., honors, advanced math)? When I was growing up, our school would let students pick or be picked for specific subject GT or Honors classes in middle school.

They should handle every subject the way they handle math. There should be a top track that you need to test into, a somewhat advanced track that is open enrollment, and then the regular track. Kids shouldn't be qualifying for or denied entrance into the highest middle school track based on where they were in the middle of 2nd grade.

Absolutely. It doesn’t make sense and it creates all this pressure and unnecessary drama to get into AAP.

Just think about the damage to the self esteem of level IV kids who couldn’t test into honors for language arts- can’t have that

most of the level IV kids don't even score 600 on the language arts SOL. They are not 'gifted' to begin with.

When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

exactly. Tells you how watered down the program actually is...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

exactly. Tells you how watered down the program actually is...

Yep. Around 1/4 of the kids don't get pass advanced on any of the SOLs, meaning they're not particularly advanced in either math or reading. The sad part is that the parents of kids who don't get pass advanced on the SOLs, get low scores on iready, bomb the IAAT, and are in bottom groups within AAP are still convinced that their kids are gifted and "need AAP."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

exactly. Tells you how watered down the program actually is...

Yep. Around 1/4 of the kids don't get pass advanced on any of the SOLs, meaning they're not particularly advanced in either math or reading. The sad part is that the parents of kids who don't get pass advanced on the SOLs, get low scores on iready, bomb the IAAT, and are in bottom groups within AAP are still convinced that their kids are gifted and "need AAP."

I agree with a PP that SOL doesn’t really measure giftness. Nor does it account for kids who don’t do well of standardized tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

exactly. Tells you how watered down the program actually is...

Yep. Around 1/4 of the kids don't get pass advanced on any of the SOLs, meaning they're not particularly advanced in either math or reading. The sad part is that the parents of kids who don't get pass advanced on the SOLs, get low scores on iready, bomb the IAAT, and are in bottom groups within AAP are still convinced that their kids are gifted and "need AAP."

My child (with an IEP) has scored 600 on several SOL’s, yet the AAP center was terrible for him. AAP centers are designed for “the model student” who is self-disciplined, eager to please the teacher, and organized, which is not at all the same as being gifted. Truly gifted students are often among the most challenging, stubborn, and difficult to motivate.

[Anonymous]

Also, AAP parents in a Vienna get school choice! If your MS is AAP then YOU get to decide if you’d like your student at Thoreau or Luther Jackson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, AAP parents in a Vienna get school choice! If your MS is AAP then YOU get to decide if you’d like your student at Thoreau or Luther Jackson.

It's BS. The system needs reform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, AAP parents in a Vienna get school choice! If your MS is AAP then YOU get to decide if you’d like your student at Thoreau or Luther Jackson.

What? Luther Jackson is the center school for some of the Vienna elementary schools. Are you saying if your base school is Luther Jackson and are in AAP, you can choose to go to Thoreau? Or, are you saying if you are in AAP and you base school is Thoreau you can choose to either stay at Thoreau or got to Luther Jackson. If its the latter, this is not unique to Vienna. And if its the former, I've never heard of someone going in the reverse direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the purpose in elementary school. But why not let kids pick (or be tested into) different levels in middle school (i.e., honors, advanced math)? When I was growing up, our school would let students pick or be picked for specific subject GT or Honors classes in middle school.

They should handle every subject the way they handle math. There should be a top track that you need to test into, a somewhat advanced track that is open enrollment, and then the regular track. Kids shouldn't be qualifying for or denied entrance into the highest middle school track based on where they were in the middle of 2nd grade.

Absolutely. It doesn’t make sense and it creates all this pressure and unnecessary drama to get into AAP.

Just think about the damage to the self esteem of level IV kids who couldn’t test into honors for language arts- can’t have that

most of the level IV kids don't even score 600 on the language arts SOL. They are not 'gifted' to begin with.

When I look at the test score information online. About half the kids in our AAP center don't even get pass advanced, much less 600. 😄

Serious question: Where are you seeing the score breakdown for AAP vs non-AAP students? I couldn't find that on our center's website.