FCPS AAP Center statistics in presentation for School Board April 16

[Anonymous]

Found this posted on BoardDocs for the upcoming School Board work session on "Level IV Services AAP Programs"

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8T4E7238FA72/$file/APR16%20-pptforSBworksessionHIGHRESOLUTION_weblink.pdf

The last slide is a quote by Albert Einstein, and the next two preceding slides provide specifics on center enrollment and student placement decisions.

[Anonymous]

Wow, look at the jump from 2012. From 6% of students to 18% of students in the AAP centers? Is it really 18%? That seems crazy.

[Anonymous]

16:34, please re-read the slide carefully. You have misinterpreted it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16:34, please re-read the slide carefully. You have misinterpreted it.

Then what does it mean? I came to the same conclusion.

[Anonymous]

It isn't crazy to recognize whatever percentage of kids test in the 98-99-100th percentile on national objective tests as academically gifted - around FFX county, that is a high percentage of the kids. And the number of centers has grown too since 2000

[Anonymous]

Add me to the list. It sure seems like 18% to me....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't crazy to recognize whatever percentage of kids test in the 98-99-100th percentile on national objective tests as academically gifted - around FFX county, that is a high percentage of the kids. And the number of centers has grown too since 2000

18% of fcps kids didn't test in the 98th percentile and up. That figure includes kids who had lower scores, but got in with a great GBRS or based on other data, and kids who were prepped extensively to get that magic score. I would say that the 10-13% numbers from a few years ago were likely more accurate. The craze of prepping and gaming the system is a relatively new development.

[Anonymous]

It's definitely not a "Gifted" program any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16:34, please re-read the slide carefully. You have misinterpreted it.

Please explain how to read the slide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't crazy to recognize whatever percentage of kids test in the 98-99-100th percentile on national objective tests as academically gifted - around FFX county, that is a high percentage of the kids. And the number of centers has grown too since 2000

18% of fcps kids didn't test in the 98th percentile and up. That figure includes kids who had lower scores, but got in with a great GBRS or based on other data, and kids who were prepped extensively to get that magic score. I would say that the 10-13% numbers from a few years ago were likely more accurate. The craze of prepping and gaming the system is a relatively new development.

I suspect it's more that FCPS has relaxed the admissions standards, not that the prepping caused such a big jump in the last two years.

It's definitely not a "Gifted" program any more.

Now AAP stands for "Above Average Program."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect it's more that FCPS has relaxed the admissions standards, not that the prepping caused such a big jump in the last two years.

Exactly right. The central screening committee controls how many kids to let in, and thus the percentage of kids in the program.
Inflated test scores would only increase the number of kids they have to screen, not how many get in.

[Anonymous]

Before everybody bashes the AAP program as 'above average", there are many, many other gifted programs out there that set their criteria for admission at 90-97% and many of those programs start in kindergarten or 1st.

Except for the percentage of parent referrals of kids who get in (who mostly have a high WISC score supporting their admission), the kids in the AAP program scored 98% or better and were tested at an age where IQ flattens out, unlike the K or 1st kids in other gifted programs.

Whether FCPS needs a two-tiered program (1 for gifted & 1 for the profoundly gifted) is another question, but you really can't argue that the kids don't belong there if they test that high.

I know NYC makes the kids score high on 2 different tests (not just one) but their cut-off is lower so maybe that is the answer.

[Anonymous]

The percent of students that were eligible for level IV AAP services, however, did not change between these two years (actually the 2007-2008 school year is slightly higher). It's just the percent that ended up in a center (vs. in school AAP services and deferals) that changed. I see no evidence of a relaxing of standards or an increase in "teaching" how to get in to AAP.

[Anonymous]

PP here. What's really interesting is that this would imply that approximately 30% of enrolled 3-8th graders are elidgible for level IV AAP services. A number higher than I would have expected.

[Anonymous]

18% of fcps kids didn't test in the 98th percentile and up. That figure includes kids who had lower scores, but got in with a great GBRS or based on other data, and kids who were prepped extensively to get that magic score. I would say that the 10-13% numbers from a few years ago were likely more accurate. The craze of prepping and gaming the system is a relatively new development

I doubt this. Today, more folk are simply out of the closet!