How hard is it to test into AAP in 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

After being on the fence about sending our kids to private school, we decided to try out public schools first. We are zoned for a not great elementary school. After doing some research, I realized the reason the neighborhood elementary school does not do well in rankings and test scores is because the smarter kids in the school test out into the AAP center that is half a mile away. The kids who are left in 3rd grade are the kids who did not test into AAP. The elementary school also has a large (~30%) ESOL population.

How hard is this test in 2nd grade to get into AAP?

Is it top 20% of all of Fairfax County test scores?

[Anonymous]

Why do you assume your children are smart enough for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume your children are smart enough for this?

I'm not assuming anything. I'm just trying to understand admission into AAP. My son will be starting kindergarten next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume your children are smart enough for this?

Why be nasty? Dial it back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume your children are smart enough for this?

Why be nasty? Dial it back.

It's not nasty. It's an honest question. Everyone seems to approach AAP with a sense of entitlement or like it's some sort of system to be gained. So, it's a legitimate question: Why do you think your kid can handle this?

[Anonymous]

Alot of people go private, test for AAP at 2nd grade and make a decision about public once they get the test scores. Many do the opposite and go public and test for AAP and when they get the scores they decide if they want to go private, go AAP, or if they don't have the AAP option, stay regular public. OP is asking about options and what makes sense. There's no EXPECTATION that her child will be accepted to AAP simply because DC tests. Or may not decide to test. You know that and everyone knows that and your post had a nasty tone. We also know that. It's ok. Some people are just like that.

[Anonymous]

Just because the school's overall test scores are lower, doesn't mean the school is bad or the teaching is bad. We tend to speak of the "good" schools and the "bad" schools, but REALLY what we're talking about is the socio-economics of the population that attends that school. The test scores reflect a lot more about who is taking the test than who is giving the test.

If you compare your child's demographic group to kids (in the same group) in another so-called "good" school and then you see a big disparity, o.k. -- then you can lay the blame/credit on the teachers. It's just not rationally defendible to compare overall test scores of a school with 50% FARMS or ESOL with a school that is 2% FARMS or ESOL. It's usually not a case of the teachers/school failing.

[Anonymous]

If you want an idea of whether your child will qualify for AAP have him/her take the WISC IV. If your kid scores high - I think this means about 135+ - then it will be easy to get into AAP.

FWIW, I have one kid in AAP and yes it was easy for him to test in (we moved him from private). My 2nd kid would struggle in AAP, and I doubt he could test in anyway.

I disagree with some of the statements above regarding bad test scores not resulting in a bad school - this depends on your child. If you have a middle-of-the road kid (like my kid no. 2), a poor-performing school is not going to ensure the child's success. Yes, this is my personal experience and not a generalization. We moved to ensure my middle kid would be in a great public school - best thing we could have ever done for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alot of people go private, test for AAP at 2nd grade and make a decision about public once they get the test scores. Many do the opposite and go public and test for AAP and when they get the scores they decide if they want to go private, go AAP, or if they don't have the AAP option, stay regular public. OP is asking about options and what makes sense. There's no EXPECTATION that her child will be accepted to AAP simply because DC tests. Or may not decide to test. You know that and everyone knows that and your post had a nasty tone. We also know that. It's ok. Some people are just like that.

Thank you for explaining for me. I read another thread where a parent had a similar dilemma. DH and I are leaning towards trying out our public school option first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want an idea of whether your child will qualify for AAP have him/her take the WISC IV. If your kid scores high - I think this means about 135+ - then it will be easy to get into AAP.

FWIW, I have one kid in AAP and yes it was easy for him to test in (we moved him from private). My 2nd kid would struggle in AAP, and I doubt he could test in anyway.

I disagree with some of the statements above regarding bad test scores not resulting in a bad school - this depends on your child. If you have a middle-of-the road kid (like my kid no. 2), a poor-performing school is not going to ensure the child's success. Yes, this is my personal experience and not a generalization. We moved to ensure my middle kid would be in a great public school - best thing we could have ever done for him.

Our kids are young and have never been tested for anything yet.

We are going to try out public school and reevaluate our housing and private school options when the time comes. As of now, DH and I are enjoying our short commutes to work and the friends we have made in our immediate area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because the school's overall test scores are lower, doesn't mean the school is bad or the teaching is bad. We tend to speak of the "good" schools and the "bad" schools, but REALLY what we're talking about is the socio-economics of the population that attends that school. The test scores reflect a lot more about who is taking the test than who is giving the test.

If you compare your child's demographic group to kids (in the same group) in another so-called "good" school and then you see a big disparity, o.k. -- then you can lay the blame/credit on the teachers. It's just not rationally defendible to compare overall test scores of a school with 50% FARMS or ESOL with a school that is 2% FARMS or ESOL. It's usually not a case of the teachers/school failing.

Where can you find out the breakout of demographics? We are Asian-American. DH and I are of different descent and only speak English in the house so our kids are not ESOL. I've been told me that some Asian kids are put into the ESOL category even if they do not attend ESOL classes because they speak a second language at home.

[Anonymous]

For all of Fairfax County the percentage in 3rd grade AAP is curently something like 18%. When the program first started, I believe that it was around 8% but the percentage has been steadily increasing.

I did hear a rumor, that at Wolftrap this year that 75% of the rising 3rd graders qualified for AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For all of Fairfax County the percentage in 3rd grade AAP is curently something like 18%. When the program first started, I believe that it was around 8% but the percentage has been steadily increasing.

I did hear a rumor, that at Wolftrap this year that 75% of the rising 3rd graders qualified for AAP.

Despite the 18% (if that is in fact true), this past year, a child who scored in the 98 percentile based on national scores for the CogAt was not automatically considered in the pool of applicants for AAP. I think it's saying something (and it's not good) that a 98%-ile kid is not an automatic admit much less an automatic "in pool." Welcome to Lake Wobegon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For all of Fairfax County the percentage in 3rd grade AAP is curently something like 18%. When the program first started, I believe that it was around 8% but the percentage has been steadily increasing.

I did hear a rumor, that at Wolftrap this year that 75% of the rising 3rd graders qualified for AAP.

And Wolftrap has virtually a 0% free and reduced lunch rate with mainly affluent families. So, everyone blames the teachers and the schools for student performance, but this is just more evidence that parents matter more than teachers when it comes to educational success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Where can you find out the breakout of demographics? We are Asian-American. DH and I are of different descent and only speak English in the house so our kids are not ESOL. I've been told me that some Asian kids are put into the ESOL category even if they do not attend ESOL classes because they speak a second language at home.

That is true. We were in the same boat.

ESL (English as a second language) became ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) and if you admit another language is spoken at home (regardless if your kid speaks it) your kid will be "ESOL". It doesn't really hurt, they get pulled out for some testing and that's about it. Waste of time and money but your kid will not have any problems. It's part of the fraud to get more federal funding by inflating the numbers.