Those of you with kids in both AAP and gen ed...

[Anonymous]

Level IV school. I didn’t know a big difference with my two in their educational experiences. I don’t know if it was because DC didn’t go to a center. I think their peers are awesome. Both had friends in full time AAP and not in AAP at all. By the time they got to upper elementary, their friends were more from sports than from school.

I can say their was a difference in their math experiences but that could also be that my child in gen ed always disliked math and my child in AAP liked it more.

Middle school was open enrollment and my child in gen ed was just as prepared for honors classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I feel like this is not the case at local level 4 schools or at least not to this degree. I’ve heard mixed reviews about center schools and the above is a major criticism. Kids pick up on the belief that AAP kids are better. It’s not healthy for the gen ed kids OR the AAP ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I’m an AAP parent and parents like you are so insufferable. The reality is that except for a small minority, the difference between bright gen ed kids and AAP is minimal. In middle school, it matters less and in high school, it doesn’t matter at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I’m an AAP parent and parents like you are so insufferable. The reality is that except for a small minority, the difference between bright gen ed kids and AAP is minimal. In middle school, it matters less and in high school, it doesn’t matter at all.

This is the way our AAP center runs.

At our old school, my quiet well behaved child was ignored and given perfect grades while the teacher attended to the other students who needed more attention.

I could care less about the AAP label but I do see a huge difference. I like the academic extracurriculars that are also offered like science Olympiad, chess club, math counts, geography, literature, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have only 1 kid who is in a center school in Gen Ed Level 3 and Advanced Math. So can’t speak about AAP class. Gen ed is fine at this school but there is a vast difference in the peer groups in gen ed homeroom and Advanced Math class. The teacher is very patient but some of the gen ed kids are unbelievably slow in understanding and the teacher is having to explain over and over again. This makes it boring for the other kids who have to sit through it.

Oh your poor sweet snowflake has to sit through teaching the dummies math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

This is why we didn't move into boundaries for a center school. From a friend who is a teacher in a Center school - GenEd kids are in the minority and treated very poorly by AAP kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I’m an AAP parent and parents like you are so insufferable. The reality is that except for a small minority, the difference between bright gen ed kids and AAP is minimal. In middle school, it matters less and in high school, it doesn’t matter at all.

This is the way our AAP center runs.

At our old school, my quiet well behaved child was ignored and given perfect grades while the teacher attended to the other students who needed more attention.

I could care less about the AAP label but I do see a huge difference. I like the academic extracurriculars that are also offered like science Olympiad, chess club, math counts, geography, literature, etc.

Are those only offered at AAP centers or are they only offered to AAP students at LLIV schools?

[Anonymous]

It depends on the teachers and school climate. Lots of kids take honors in MS and HS. My non AAP kid is in all honors in MS and is getting great grades (pre pandemic and now.) He will probably do better in HS and get into a better college than his sibling in the AAP program. Real success is about personality, drive, maturity, etc.

[Anonymous]

Well not exactly the same but I have 2 in AAP at a center (6th & 3rd) and one in K & I don’t even care if the one in K does Level IV AAP or not. We don’t have Local level IV and there are some community benefits to staying at the base.

The older two are boys & the youngest is a girl. I just feel like she has good social skills & would still do well / probably same as my boys in MS / HS no matter if she does AAP or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I’m an AAP parent and parents like you are so insufferable. The reality is that except for a small minority, the difference between bright gen ed kids and AAP is minimal. In middle school, it matters less and in high school, it doesn’t matter at all.

This is the way our AAP center runs.

At our old school, my quiet well behaved child was ignored and given perfect grades while the teacher attended to the other students who needed more attention.

I could care less about the AAP label but I do see a huge difference. I like the academic extracurriculars that are also offered like science Olympiad, chess club, math counts, geography, literature, etc.

Are those only offered at AAP centers or are they only offered to AAP students at LLIV schools?

They can be offered anywhere & open to anyone. It’s the parents /PTA who organizes the clubs usually. Do it at your local school if you want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well not exactly the same but I have 2 in AAP at a center (6th & 3rd) and one in K & I don’t even care if the one in K does Level IV AAP or not. We don’t have Local level IV and there are some community benefits to staying at the base.

The older two are boys & the youngest is a girl. I just feel like she has good social skills & would still do well / probably same as my boys in MS / HS no matter if she does AAP or not.

Ps. But I also would never say the boys are smarter. I would say you had a messed up K & 1 due to the pandemic and we thought best not to move you again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only 1 kid who is in a center school in Gen Ed Level 3 and Advanced Math. So can’t speak about AAP class. Gen ed is fine at this school but there is a vast difference in the peer groups in gen ed homeroom and Advanced Math class. The teacher is very patient but some of the gen ed kids are unbelievably slow in understanding and the teacher is having to explain over and over again. This makes it boring for the other kids who have to sit through it.

Oh your poor sweet snowflake has to sit through teaching the dummies math.

Sounds like poor mom is the one sitting through the mixed homeroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

That’s exactly what AAP is. Segregation. Which wouldn’t be so bad if it was a very small program for kids who were actually highly gifted. Instead, it’s a huge program which effectively splits AAP center schools in half. And it absolutely sucks to be the kids thought of as “not as smart.” The implicit labeling does a disservice to every kid, no matter their abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP has also changed over the years. I thought both gen ed and AAP were stronger about six years ago.

They were strongest a couple of decades ago, when there was a tiny and very selective GT program. Everyone was well served. Today’s FCPS is a far cry from those saner times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

I’m an AAP parent and parents like you are so insufferable. The reality is that except for a small minority, the difference between bright gen ed kids and AAP is minimal. In middle school, it matters less and in high school, it doesn’t matter at all.

+100