"AAP is not a gifted program"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I guess there are 2 possible responses. I could say that I'd feel the same way I do now, in our school with 2 AAP classes and 3-4 GE classes-- like my kid doesn't have to be in the majority to learn, and 50+ kids a grade on his/her track are fine. Or I could say what you seem to be implying-- that I really wish that everyone didn't know my kid just wasn't that bright (e.g., that 2/3 of the kids in the school are smarter). Seriously, what do you want to hear here? Because you're the one implying that your kid has something to be ashamed of, so is inferior to the AAP kids.

Who are you even responding to?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have a child in AAP. And before anyone starts with the "you didn't have to enroll her if you think base schools are fine" our center is in our base school.

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous. If AAP didn't exist, I guarantee schools would adjust as need to be accommodate the more advanced learners. Thousands of really terrific school districts across the country do just that. It's a fact.

Of course removing top-performing kids from base schools will change the base schools. But it's ludicrous for parents not to recognize those schools would also change if AAP kids moved back.

The people who defend AAP are trying to protect their ability to overtly show their child is "gifted."

Our experience is exactly the same - our base school is the center. Your description of it being an "an artificial construct" is right on the money. Nearly half the kids (3-6) are in AAP. It's really become such a joke. Lake Wobegon, VA.

Half the 3-6 graders are in AAP? You center school only has students from the base school? Our center school has students from 6 other schools.

Of course our center draws plenty of other students from other schools (five at last count). But about 2/3 of the second graders for whom this is their base school, wind up in AAP in 3rd grade. Why so incredulous? It's one of the huge problem centers, in that it's dominated by mainstream AAP kids.

There are several "huge problem centers" but they are not the majority.

Doesn't really matter if they're in the majority or not. They're problems and those of us with kids in those schools would like something done about it. As in, no more centers in those areas.

There are parts of the county that need Centers because there are only a handful of Center eligible kids at the base school.

See bolded, above. It's been clearly stated again and again that certain areas (Great Falls, McLean, Vienna, Oakton, Chantilly) in the county DO NOT need center schools.

Chantilly, Oakton, and Vienna have already dispersed their centers I thought. The centers there, especially in Vienna are doing fine. Each grade at the centers has 2 AAP classes. Yes, Stenwood should have switched to Lemon Road instead of Westbriar for the commute to school, not to overrun Westbriar, and to better balance out AAP students in that area, but that's a individual school's issue. What schools in Chantilly and Oakton will be overcrowded still within 2 year's time?

The only schools I keep hearing about that are overcrowded with AAP students are Colvin Run, Haycock, and Churchhill. Colvin Run only has one other school, Great Falls, feeding into it and that school is under capacity. Simple fix to make both schools LLIV and you don't need to involve the entire county to fix this. Just work with your Dranesville supervisor. Mclean seems to be the only place where every school has a LLIV program that can fill close to one class or more in each school. So change things there and leave the rest of the county alone.

THAT'S WHAT WEVE BEEN SAYING.

Some people have been saying this. But this one Colvin Run parent keeps coming on these boards to complain about AAP as if the entire county needs to get involved to fix things at that school. It can all be done within the Dranesville District with no impact to boundaries.

Umm... I'm a Colvin Run parent and I know several other CR parents who post here as we all talk about it IRL! So please stop trying to make it look like there's just "the one". I assure you, there are plenty of us who feel the same way. And we're not trying to change the entire county, just the areas already mentioned that are saturated with AAP kids.

There may be more than one of you, but really your issue does not need to involve anyone except the Great Falls and Colvin Run principals and the Dranesville school board member. It's an easy fix since Great Falls is under capacity and does not involve posting about how the entire AAP program needs to change every day or week. Get it fixed at your school so there are more GE kids than AAP kids and then see if the AAP program is really a problem anymore. Your school is now one of about 3 schools left that have more AAP students than general ed students or at least one of 3 that will have this issue within a 2 year timeframe. Overcrowded GE centers really isn't as prevalent a problem anymore as it used to be.

[Anonymous]

Colvin Run parents: I looked up Colvin Run and Great Falls statistics. Great Falls is at least 85 children under capacity. Around 50 children in AAP from Great Falls are attending at Colvin Run. Colvin Run has more AAP transfers as well because for a year or two it took the overflow from Louise Archer. Colvin Run and Great Falls also seems to have a ton of teacher's student transfers. I'm not sure what can be done about existing grades that have AAP, but there is more than enough space at Great Falls for new AAP children to stay at their base school for AAP and then Great Falls can have 2 AAP classes like Forestville which is even more than at some AAP centers. Colvin Run is also slightly under capacity, so there may at some point be a boundary change to include some of the Westbriar kids, but then your school would have a mix of AAP and general ed students coming in and not just AAP students. Sorry if this change probably wouldn't affect kids currently in grades 3-6th, but really you should have spent your time these past several years arguing for this change to your school board member rather than just ranting here. Great Falls has been under capacity for some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colvin Run parents: I looked up Colvin Run and Great Falls statistics. Great Falls is at least 85 children under capacity. Around 50 children in AAP from Great Falls are attending at Colvin Run. Colvin Run has more AAP transfers as well because for a year or two it took the overflow from Louise Archer. Colvin Run and Great Falls also seems to have a ton of teacher's student transfers. I'm not sure what can be done about existing grades that have AAP, but there is more than enough space at Great Falls for new AAP children to stay at their base school for AAP and then Great Falls can have 2 AAP classes like Forestville which is even more than at some AAP centers. Colvin Run is also slightly under capacity, so there may at some point be a boundary change to include some of the Westbriar kids, but then your school would have a mix of AAP and general ed students coming in and not just AAP students. Sorry if this change probably wouldn't affect kids currently in grades 3-6th, but really you should have spent your time these past several years arguing for this change to your school board member rather than just ranting here. Great Falls has been under capacity for some time.

Nice research, 10:49!

Would be great questions to ask of the candidates for the Dranesville School Board seat.

https://www.facebook.com/PeteKurzenhauserSchoolBoard/

https://www.facebook.com/votejaniestrauss/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colvin Run parents: I looked up Colvin Run and Great Falls statistics. Great Falls is at least 85 children under capacity. Around 50 children in AAP from Great Falls are attending at Colvin Run. Colvin Run has more AAP transfers as well because for a year or two it took the overflow from Louise Archer. Colvin Run and Great Falls also seems to have a ton of teacher's student transfers. I'm not sure what can be done about existing grades that have AAP, but there is more than enough space at Great Falls for new AAP children to stay at their base school for AAP and then Great Falls can have 2 AAP classes like Forestville which is even more than at some AAP centers. Colvin Run is also slightly under capacity, so there may at some point be a boundary change to include some of the Westbriar kids, but then your school would have a mix of AAP and general ed students coming in and not just AAP students. Sorry if this change probably wouldn't affect kids currently in grades 3-6th, but really you should have spent your time these past several years arguing for this change to your school board member rather than just ranting here. Great Falls has been under capacity for some time.

All this griping and CR is UNDER capacity? And there are only 3 ESs in the entire county where AAP > GE?? *smh*

[Anonymous]

10:49 again. Dashboard is not yet updated for this year's numbers. Looking at 3rd and sometimes 4th grade though from last year, there are a few more than 3 schools with more AAP students than general ed students. Still, there are only four schools with 30 or more students in each grade in AAP compared to general ed. Colvin Run only has this issue for their 5th and 6th grade classes where the Louise Archer boundary kids were sent due to overcapacity. They actually have more general ed kids than AAP for 3rd and 4th grade. This year only the 6th grade should have a high AAP number. I haven't been tracking which boundaries have been recently adjusted, but these were the schools that last year had more AAP students than general ed students: Belevedere (24 more per grade), Canterbury Woods (5 more per grade), Churchill Road (30-50 more per grade), Greenbriar West (80 more per grade), Haycock (30 more per grade), Keen Mill (15 more per grade), Oak Hill (30 more per grade), Springfield Estates (30-50 more per grade), Stratford Landing (20 more per grade), and Willow Springs (10 more per grade). I know they are working on a solution for Greenbriar West. Any others that should be more balanced in a couple of years? I'm trying to figure out how many schools really will be unbalanced with the new boundaries once the 5th and 6th graders graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any others that should be more balanced in a couple of years? I'm trying to figure out how many schools really will be unbalanced with the new boundaries once the 5th and 6th graders graduate.

The only other shifting boundaries I know are centered on the new Ft. Belvoir school.

I found minutes from the September 2015 FPAC meeting:
http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/fpac/meetingminutes/9-15-2015.pdf

where there is mention of boundary changes, but these are a few (several?) years out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any others that should be more balanced in a couple of years? I'm trying to figure out how many schools really will be unbalanced with the new boundaries once the 5th and 6th graders graduate.

The only other shifting boundaries I know are centered on the new Ft. Belvoir school.

I found minutes from the September 2015 FPAC meeting:
http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/fpac/meetingminutes/9-15-2015.pdf

where there is mention of boundary changes, but these are a few (several?) years out.

So then I think that just leaves Belvedere, Churchill Road, Haycock, Oak Hill, Springfield Estates, and Stratford Landing having significantly more AAP kids than GE kids.