Turn AAP on its head

[Anonymous]

I think Fairfax should just do a 180 on the AAP program.

Make the AAP schools the standard curriculum and designate some schools for children who need more help.

Abolish the testing and the tiers. It would be a smarter way to do things, although I'm sure ubercompetitive parents would get their noses bent out of shape.

[Anonymous]

I call TROLL, but if you aren't a troll here is some food for thought...

There are laws that entitle those with special needs to the "least restrictive environment". That means we don't gather all the kid with SN and dump them in a school together. Everyone benefits from inclusion in so many ways.

For the record my child with SN is gifted in several areas of learning. He is delayed with social skills and motor skills and that's where he gets more help. You cannot cast a broad stroke when referring to those with SN nor should you. Even a child with delays accross the board has plenty to offer to his mainstream class.

[Anonymous]

How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

[Anonymous]

AAP standards are based on the SOL. In a normal classroom they do more drill and practice and less projects. But the standards are the same. There is no SOL for AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AAP standards are based on the SOL. In a normal classroom they do more drill and practice and less projects. But the standards are the same. There is no SOL for AAP.

You just contradicted yourself. I don't think that's what you were trying to say. But I can't figure out what you WERE trying to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

[Anonymous]

How about we treat entrance into AAP like we do for special education--make it really hard to get into and do everything we can to accommodate the child in the classroom before qualifying them for special education. Make it for the kids who have demonstrated through a variety of assessments and observations that they need specialized instruction.

We keep LD kids in the base school and in the general education classroom. We staff schools with special education teachers who push in and co-teach with the general education teacher. They provide accommodations and help differentiate. Couldn't the same model be used for AAP? Pull all the Center teachers out and redistribute them. Special education teachers are assigned to schools based on the numbers of special education students. The same could be done for AAP.

I'm sure my idea will be shot down quickly though because it doesn't provide the status of getting "selected" to go to another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about we treat entrance into AAP like we do for special education--make it really hard to get into and do everything we can to accommodate the child in the classroom before qualifying them for special education. Make it for the kids who have demonstrated through a variety of assessments and observations that they need specialized instruction.

We keep LD kids in the base school and in the general education classroom. We staff schools with special education teachers who push in and co-teach with the general education teacher. They provide accommodations and help differentiate. Couldn't the same model be used for AAP? Pull all the Center teachers out and redistribute them. Special education teachers are assigned to schools based on the numbers of special education students. The same could be done for AAP.

I'm sure my idea will be shot down quickly though because it doesn't provide the status of getting "selected" to go to another school.

No, it will get shot down because that is a very, very expensive idea.

Research how much more it costs to educate a LD or special ed kid in a mainstreamed classroom compared to putting a group of 30 kids together with one teacher and no specialists.

The difference is astronomical. Doing the same thing on the other end of the spectrum will blow an enormous hole in the district budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

I think it's more, but even 20% strikes me as a statistical improbability that most of the 20 are really gifted. And therein lies the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

Appearantly 18% is a majority in hyperbole-land...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

I think it's more, but even 20% strikes me as a statistical improbability that most of the 20 are really gifted. And therein lies the problem.

First, nobody said these are the gifted kids, or that this program is for only the gifted.
And then, why is it a problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

I think it's more, but even 20% strikes me as a statistical improbability that most of the 20 are really gifted. And therein lies the problem.

First, nobody said these are the gifted kids, or that this program is for only the gifted.
And then, why is it a problem?

Because it has a spawned a cottage industry of tutors and testers and psychologists whose sole purpose is to help marginal kids get into these programs. It also creates unhealthy dynamics in this Type A land, whereby parents chest-thump and trying to "game" the system to appease their own egos, rather than serve their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would that help anyone, but parents who feel bad that their kids didn't get into AAP?

Kids who are advanced wouldn't be challenged in school. Kids who are on grade level would be left behind by the speed of the program, especially math. Kids who are behind grade level would be stigamized as going to the dumb school.

That is just a terrible terrible terrible idea.

How so? I said make the AAP curriculum standard. It seems like they're in the majority anyway, and the kids who are "left behind" are fewer and farther between. So, get rid of the tier system, make the smart kid program the standard, and sequester the remedial programs.

Don't give me the argument about stigmatize. That already exists. So, really, what you're trying to do is remove the illusion of exclusivity of AAP. Make it so that AAP is no longer a commodity.

I thought AAP was 20%...not the majority.

I think it's more, but even 20% strikes me as a statistical improbability that most of the 20 are really gifted. And therein lies the problem.

First, nobody said these are the gifted kids, or that this program is for only the gifted.
And then, why is it a problem?

Because it has a spawned a cottage industry of tutors and testers and psychologists whose sole purpose is to help marginal kids get into these programs. It also creates unhealthy dynamics in this Type A land, whereby parents chest-thump and trying to "game" the system to appease their own egos, rather than serve their kids.

Yeah. Is this a great county or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP standards are based on the SOL. In a normal classroom they do more drill and practice and less projects. But the standards are the same. There is no SOL for AAP.

You just contradicted yourself. I don't think that's what you were trying to say. But I can't figure out what you WERE trying to say.

I should have said there are no SPECIFIC SOL for AAP: AAP takes the same SOL as everyone else.