AAP appeal declined

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well, the ineligibility letter says the the program is for students whose needs are not being met in the regular classroom. So if you're going to appeal, you need to make sure your appeal responds to this point.

That's absurd. Many of the kids in AAP can't have their needs met in the regular classroom because they're smart. OP's kid should be in that category, as evidenced by test scores and school recommendations.

They also seem to have a catch-22 set up regarding whether your child's needs can be met. If your child isn't getting good grades, they could argue that the child is struggling in gen ed and thus unsuited to the additional rigor of AAP. If your child is getting straight 4s and is deemed above grade level in all metrics, they could argue that your child is thriving in gen ed and thus doesn't need AAP. If they aren't largely using scores and school recommendations, how on earth can people possibly decide whether a child needs AAP or doesn't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, the ineligibility letter says the the program is for students whose needs are not being met in the regular classroom. So if you're going to appeal, you need to make sure your appeal responds to this point.

That's absurd. Many of the kids in AAP can't have their needs met in the regular classroom because they're smart. OP's kid should be in that category, as evidenced by test scores and school recommendations.

They also seem to have a catch-22 set up regarding whether your child's needs can be met. If your child isn't getting good grades, they could argue that the child is struggling in gen ed and thus unsuited to the additional rigor of AAP. If your child is getting straight 4s and is deemed above grade level in all metrics, they could argue that your child is thriving in gen ed and thus doesn't need AAP. If they aren't largely using scores and school recommendations, how on earth can people possibly decide whether a child needs AAP or doesn't?

That's why a parent writing an appeal letter needs to be very specific and give examples of reasons the child's needs cannot be met in the regular classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, we went through a very similar situation with our child who was in a private school and only took the WISC - he crushed it, had a very strong case (we thought and our information told us, 15/16 on the GBRS, etc), yet he was initially rejected which was shocking to us. We appealed and he was accepted. He never took the NNAT or CoGat. What we found out, and what I think is very true, is that our child scored in the 99th in all parts of the WISC except the processing. During our talk with the person who administered the WISC (at GMU), they explained (and wrote up as well) that many private school kids score poorly in this area because they don't have the experience or volume of timed exams and don't feel the need to rush and go fast. It's a "weakness" in the private school environment. We asked that she send us a note saying exactly that and we elaborated on this point in the appeal. I also think that the committee does not give much credit to private school information which is their prerogative. It's a shame they have not answered.

As for throwing your hands up, please do not. It matters. People will say it doesn't, but it does. Our kid is now one year into the AAP program. Before he was even in, he was constantly confronted with teammates or friends who were in FCPS talking about AAP. From what we know and what we've seen, AAP does mean better teachers, more ambitious material, and the absolute KEY, more involved parents. I use this term carefully. To us it basically means the kids know what the deal is and if they behave better and try harder. It's a subtle difference but means the world when you're trying to deal with 25/30 kids. 2 kids can crush a class. AAP has less of those kids just because they either know better or their parents make them know better (which is pretty much the same thing). It's the environment more than the intelligence. It's not a perfect system at all, but it is what's on offer. Those test scores should be slam dunk. Good luck

Then AAP has changed drastically from when my now 10th grader was in elementary.

AAP was full of 2E mids, ADHD kids, kids working far ahead who daydreamed a lot, kids who were very vocal opinionated and active, and kids that wouldn't shut up.

The well behaved good students were mostly in general ed.

I hope it hasn't changed that much. My kid doesn't shut up.

[Anonymous]

Op, any news?

[Anonymous]

Op here

Got a call today from the coordinator

- she said many communities prepare for NNAT and cogat so they want to see samples showing critical thinking
- I accepted we did not do well with work samples but asked her Wisc cannot be prepared or coached and in that one on one assessment my son has been evaluated for critical thinking, processing etc so why that has been denied too
- there was no straight answer for this but she said he can be referred for level II or level Iii immediately or even level IV from second semester

So we got to know why the original application was denied but no info on appeal decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here

Got a call today from the coordinator

- she said many communities prepare for NNAT and cogat so they want to see samples showing critical thinking
- I accepted we did not do well with work samples but asked her Wisc cannot be prepared or coached and in that one on one assessment my son has been evaluated for critical thinking, processing etc so why that has been denied too
- there was no straight answer for this but she said he can be referred for level II or level Iii immediately or even level IV from second semester

So we got to know why the original application was denied but no info on appeal decision.

Did you prep?

[Anonymous]

No we did not

We got a sample book from amazon to understand the format that’s it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No we did not

We got a sample book from amazon to understand the format that’s it

Well, yes, that's prepping.

They've given you an explanation and a recommendation for what to do next. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

It's irrelevant if she prepped. You can't bring a 100 to a 160, no matter the prepping.

[Anonymous]

That makes no sense. Can you appeal than with better work samples? I'm a little appalled that FCPS would need better work samples to consider your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here

Got a call today from the coordinator

- she said many communities prepare for NNAT and cogat so they want to see samples showing critical thinking

The coordinator actually said that? She more or less said that they're discounting all test results, including WISC, due to the possibility of prepping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here

Got a call today from the coordinator

- she said many communities prepare for NNAT and cogat so they want to see samples showing critical thinking
- I accepted we did not do well with work samples but asked her Wisc cannot be prepared or coached and in that one on one assessment my son has been evaluated for critical thinking, processing etc so why that has been denied too
- there was no straight answer for this but she said he can be referred for level II or level Iii immediately or even level IV from second semester

So we got to know why the original application was denied but no info on appeal decision.

Everybody knows that even though FCPS has a holistic approach for AAP the test scores are weighed most. If they tell you that even with perfect scores your child can't be accepted because of work samples, you know that's the answer that they tried to come up with. I bet the same application is from a FCPS student, you're definitely in without any issue.

[Anonymous]

What kind of critical thinking work samples do 7 year olds produce, anyway? This sounds like so much BS. There is no earthly way anyone can prep any kid sufficiently to get him 28 points above the cutoff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here

Got a call today from the coordinator

- she said many communities prepare for NNAT and cogat so they want to see samples showing critical thinking

The coordinator actually said that? She more or less said that they're discounting all test results, including WISC, due to the possibility of prepping?

OP had mentioned that they were coming from a private school that had talked about this process and there were other kids with similar scores from the school in the same boat.

It sounds like that might be what the coordinator means by that...and yes you can prep a smart kid for almost any test. Which is why they like to see work that reflects the abstract/creative thinking.

[Anonymous]

OP - if he is going to a public elementary, go see the principal and make the case for local Level IV.