The entire AAP program should be eliminated

[Anonymous]

What is the definition of gifted? Honestly. I have seen the website that people post.

My kid scored a 135 on the CogAT, I believe that put him in the 98th or 99th percentile. He has had other exams given to him by the school because he has an IEP. He was in the 99th percentile on those exams. He is, undeniably, a smart kid who is curious. But gifted? I don't know.

School is boring for him. He is in RSM math, he does the regular class and the math competition program. The competition program is the only math he has that he honestly has to work at and think about. He might need help with a concept on the regular RSM math but he gets it pretty fast. The RSM is way ahead of the in school math. They are comparing fractions and decimals in school but have been balancing equations and are starting on graphing at RSM.

We deferred AAP to stay at a language immersion program because that actually challenges him. But he is asking about changing schools next year because math, science, and LA are not challenging. My heartburn is that I don't think moving to the Center will actually challenge him any more then Advanced Math does and he would lose the one part of school we know does challenge him.

If the Center offered a program that would really challenge him I would move in a heartbeat but I just don't think that it will.

[Anonymous]

Generally, gifted is a 130+ IQ. IQ is tested one-on-one with a psychologist and not at all in a group administered multiple choice test like CogAT or NNAT.

Math at the center will largely be the same as the Advanced math your son is currently taking. There is nothing offered in FCPS that would be comparable to RSM classes. For Science or LA, you son might be more challenged at the center if the teacher is strong, but he also might still be bored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the definition of gifted? Honestly. I have seen the website that people post.

My kid scored a 135 on the CogAT, I believe that put him in the 98th or 99th percentile. He has had other exams given to him by the school because he has an IEP. He was in the 99th percentile on those exams. He is, undeniably, a smart kid who is curious. But gifted? I don't know.

School is boring for him. He is in RSM math, he does the regular class and the math competition program. The competition program is the only math he has that he honestly has to work at and think about. He might need help with a concept on the regular RSM math but he gets it pretty fast. The RSM is way ahead of the in school math. They are comparing fractions and decimals in school but have been balancing equations and are starting on graphing at RSM.

We deferred AAP to stay at a language immersion program because that actually challenges him. But he is asking about changing schools next year because math, science, and LA are not challenging. My heartburn is that I don't think moving to the Center will actually challenge him any more then Advanced Math does and he would lose the one part of school we know does challenge him.

If the Center offered a program that would really challenge him I would move in a heartbeat but I just don't think that it will.

We moved our kid who has a 145 Cogat out of immersion to AAP (to a center that is regarded as middling) and it's definitely more of a challenge. Not so much the math--that's about the same as advanced math in our base-- but the reading/writing/analysis. It's not perfect, but it's better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the definition of gifted? Honestly. I have seen the website that people post.

My kid scored a 135 on the CogAT, I believe that put him in the 98th or 99th percentile. He has had other exams given to him by the school because he has an IEP. He was in the 99th percentile on those exams. He is, undeniably, a smart kid who is curious. But gifted? I don't know.

School is boring for him. He is in RSM math, he does the regular class and the math competition program. The competition program is the only math he has that he honestly has to work at and think about. He might need help with a concept on the regular RSM math but he gets it pretty fast. The RSM is way ahead of the in school math. They are comparing fractions and decimals in school but have been balancing equations and are starting on graphing at RSM.

We deferred AAP to stay at a language immersion program because that actually challenges him. But he is asking about changing schools next year because math, science, and LA are not challenging. My heartburn is that I don't think moving to the Center will actually challenge him any more then Advanced Math does and he would lose the one part of school we know does challenge him.

If the Center offered a program that would really challenge him I would move in a heartbeat but I just don't think that it will.

We moved our kid who has a 145 Cogat out of immersion to AAP (to a center that is regarded as middling) and it's definitely more of a challenge. Not so much the math--that's about the same as advanced math in our base-- but the reading/writing/analysis. It's not perfect, but it's better.

Was it worth giving up the language? I don't expect him to be fluent but I like the foundation that it is building for him. I like the idea that he can knock out 2 years of high school language in Middle School. I just know that kid return from the Center to the Base school pretty regularly. I do know other kids who really liked it, it seems to be pretty hit and miss.

[Anonymous]

My understanding from the immersion presentation the school hosted (at Kent Gardens) was that the immersion program and AAP were not mutually exclusive... you still receive AAP Level IV services, just like you would the AAP Level IV program at say Chesterbrook or any other non-center school. AAP =/= Center School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding from the immersion presentation the school hosted (at Kent Gardens) was that the immersion program and AAP were not mutually exclusive... you still receive AAP Level IV services, just like you would the AAP Level IV program at say Chesterbrook or any other non-center school. AAP =/= Center School.

We don't have LLIV at our base school so we had to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the definition of gifted? Honestly. I have seen the website that people post.

My kid scored a 135 on the CogAT, I believe that put him in the 98th or 99th percentile. He has had other exams given to him by the school because he has an IEP. He was in the 99th percentile on those exams. He is, undeniably, a smart kid who is curious. But gifted? I don't know.

School is boring for him. He is in RSM math, he does the regular class and the math competition program. The competition program is the only math he has that he honestly has to work at and think about. He might need help with a concept on the regular RSM math but he gets it pretty fast. The RSM is way ahead of the in school math. They are comparing fractions and decimals in school but have been balancing equations and are starting on graphing at RSM.

We deferred AAP to stay at a language immersion program because that actually challenges him. But he is asking about changing schools next year because math, science, and LA are not challenging. My heartburn is that I don't think moving to the Center will actually challenge him any more then Advanced Math does and he would lose the one part of school we know does challenge him.

If the Center offered a program that would really challenge him I would move in a heartbeat but I just don't think that it will.

We moved our kid who has a 145 Cogat out of immersion to AAP (to a center that is regarded as middling) and it's definitely more of a challenge. Not so much the math--that's about the same as advanced math in our base-- but the reading/writing/analysis. It's not perfect, but it's better.

Was it worth giving up the language? I don't expect him to be fluent but I like the foundation that it is building for him. I like the idea that he can knock out 2 years of high school language in Middle School. I just know that kid return from the Center to the Base school pretty regularly. I do know other kids who really liked it, it seems to be pretty hit and miss.

For us, yes, it was worth it. I feel like DC got a base for the language to study in MS, not too concerned about knocking it out too early. I think the immersion went slower and less deep on science too--and also, the advanced math was often in English in our base depending on numbers so DC would have had less "immersion" anyway. It was more important to us to have the deeper reading/writing/discussion. DC regularly wrote long pieces in AAP that get detailed feedback and that doesn't seem to be the case for friends who stayed in the base school. They did more in-depth social studies projects. Now in MS, no regrets. DC will take a language in 8th grade (the same one they were in immersion for) and has lots of room for other electives in 7th, which is important.

[Anonymous]

Every child is gifted in their own way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every child is gifted in their own way.

Ew.

[Anonymous]

Let’s make AAP the standard curriculum. Win-Win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s make AAP the standard curriculum. Win-Win.

Can't agree anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s make AAP the standard curriculum. Win-Win.

I work with a after school program at our ES. I am always shocked by how much farther behind the gen ed kids seem than the AAP kids. Their reading ability is worse, their comprehension is worse, etc. No way some of those kids could handle the AAP workload my DS has (I say that not to brag, but it's an observation repeated again and again). I'm not sure making AAP the standard curriculum wouldn't just leave more kids behind.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s make AAP the standard curriculum. Win-Win.

I work with a after school program at our ES. I am always shocked by how much farther behind the gen ed kids seem than the AAP kids. Their reading ability is worse, their comprehension is worse, etc. No way some of those kids could handle the AAP workload my DS has (I say that not to brag, but it's an observation repeated again and again). I'm not sure making AAP the standard curriculum wouldn't just leave more kids behind.

What about blending? If a blended approach were used, the lowest performing kids could be brought up while the G&T kids would still get some education.

Blended topics is the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s make AAP the standard curriculum. Win-Win.

And what do you do for the kids who can’t handle that curriculum? And there are a good number of kids in the schools who are struggling with the regular curriculum never mind Advanced Math.