MCPS versus Northern Virginia
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
For a very advanced kid, which school system is better? We are trying to make a decision on where to buy a house.
|
Anonymous
Depends on how much money you have to spend. |
Anonymous
|
OP, this question is a bit fluid.
There is a plan being floated by the district to reassign many of the elementary schools' center placement so that there is one AAP center elementary per school pyramid. So for our center school per example, 2 entire feeder schools (ours and one other) will switch to an entirely new center school. In their place, 4 elementary schools will switch over to our center school. We moved into this neighborhood to get our kids into our specific center school and base school. However, if this plan is approved by the district, all current level IV 3rd-4th graders from our neighborhood and the adjacent neighborhood will need to go to a new school next year, switching center schools to one that is not as strong as the one we are currently at. This problem will be repeated in schools throughout the district. According to the AAP office, the decision will be made by school board sometime this fall/winter. It is worth taking a second look at if you are buying a house specifically to get your child to attend a certain Level IV AAP center. Call the AAP office for more information. You might get more current info than I have. |
Anonymous
|
I only have real experience in MCPS but here are my thoughts:
1. Depends a lot on how advanced and what age. GT in MCPS is much more limited than AAP in NoVa. GT is great if your kid is at that level. The plus of that is that the good base schools in MCPS remain pretty strong because most of the smart kids are still there. But if AAP is important than NoVa is a better bet. My kids are too old for Curriculum 2.0 but some people on this board seem to hate it. 2. For HS, if your kid is math science oriented, TJ is a great option and while it's super competitive it has more spots than Blair Magnet in MCPS (which only has about 100/grade). There are various IB programs in MCPS (some selective like RM, some not like BCC) and in NoVa. I think beyond that it is very school, rather than school system based. Langley and McLean and Whitman and Churchill are probably pretty comparable. But there are plenty of weaker HSs on both sides of the river. |
Anonymous
|
Thank you for the detailed answer. Since I don't know anything about Fairfax county schools, I couldn't follow some of your explanations. For example, what is Level IV AAP center? (I assume it is some sort of a magnet program. Is that true?) Are there different level AAP centers? What percentage of the kids are admitted to the program?
If you could summarize the gifted programs in Northern Virginia, I would highly appreciate that. We have a 3rd grader, off the chart by big margins so we try to do the best we can to address that. If we move to Fairfax county, it would be at the beginning of the 4th grade. To answer the previous PP, the budget is around 900K. |
Anonymous
| http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/index.shtml has your info for fairfax county and various forums on AAP if you do a search. |
Anonymous
| FCPS GT programs (for elementary) are for about the top 10%. MCPS is only the top 2%. So..if you get in to MCPS's program it is a higher level group of kids..but you also have less of a chance of getting in. It is not just based on test scores. You can have top test scores and still not get in. The MS magnets are not very well located for many parts of the county in MCPS. Not sure how that works in FC. |
Anonymous
| FCPS AAP is around 18% for Level IV services. (basically full-time GT program). |
Anonymous
|
Fairfax AND Arlington counties are superb.
Arlington gets dwarfed by the larger population of Fairfax posters on this board--but it is superb. I grew up in Fairfax County---elem-High School--and I chose Arlington County for my kids. If you like a more personal feel and a much smaller county size where results are seen and heard--Arlington may be better for you. Also-closer to DC if that is important. |
Anonymous
The problem with Arlington (at least North Arlington) when we looked was that the housing inventory was so limited. The prices on cracker boxes that need to be demolished were out of sight, worse than Bethesda prices. South Arlington is much better but the Wakefield district gets slammed on this board. Whether that's warranted, I don't know. |
Anonymous
| Maryland and arlington have higher farms |
Anonymous
| Another difference I hear about between FCPS and MCPS is that FCPS has more specials, especially with PE and foreign language. That may translate into less time for academics, lunch, and recess especially since FCPS students are in school less hours overall than MCPS students are. |
Anonymous
Depends where you are. Our MoCo HS has less than 5% FARMS. I'm sure other schools in both MD and VA have higher FARMS rates than that. |
Anonymous
| FFX County AAP does harder work that MoCo GT - even if one is 10% and one is 2% of the students. I have compared the work. You cannot beat the Churchill AAP & Longfellow MS track in McLean for going to TJ - that is the major feeder track (and the bonus is that they are in really nice neighborhoods, inside the Beltway). If your children are strong in math/science, there is no better public option than TJ. Blows Blair away. |
Anonymous
| If you have the income/cash, buy in McLean. Churchill, Spring Hill or Chesterbrooke and your child will be well challenged. Haycock is also a good option with cheaper housing, but the average income and test scores of the kids is lower than the big three McLean schools. |