AART is not helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Maybe this is her way of telling you that, in her view, LLIV isn't appropriate for your kid

This. You have applied twice before. I have no idea what the past GBRSs have said but it very much feels like there is a difference in what the OP thinks about her child and what multiple teachers think about the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Agreed on AARTs not being very helpful for purposes of getting into AAP. They very deliberately seem to try to stay neutral in the whole process. I remember going to a presentation by our AART for AAP and they basically read from a script. It was not helpful at all.

The whole AAP application process is set up so that no one person can be held responsible for anything. Every person in the process can say that someone else is responsible. Your child's teacher will say that he/she just submits a review to a central committee who decides. The local committee members will say that they are just gathering information and sending it on to the Central Committee. The Central Committee will say that they've never actually met your kid and so they are just going off of the package that they receive. There's no standard and there's no rubric explaining how the evaluation is done.

I really don't understand why this needs to be so complicated. They should just set a clear bar, whether it be test scores, grades, GBRS or whatever and then let anyone in who passes any one of the clear bars. Nothing prevents schools from having more AAP class sections, as teachers can easily be retrained. Sure, it dilutes the program a bit, but there's no more fighting about who is and who isn't in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Go on and tell us what school, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed on AARTs not being very helpful for purposes of getting into AAP. They very deliberately seem to try to stay neutral in the whole process. I remember going to a presentation by our AART for AAP and they basically read from a script. It was not helpful at all.

The whole AAP application process is set up so that no one person can be held responsible for anything. Every person in the process can say that someone else is responsible. Your child's teacher will say that he/she just submits a review to a central committee who decides. The local committee members will say that they are just gathering information and sending it on to the Central Committee. The Central Committee will say that they've never actually met your kid and so they are just going off of the package that they receive. There's no standard and there's no rubric explaining how the evaluation is done.

I really don't understand why this needs to be so complicated. They should just set a clear bar, whether it be test scores, grades, GBRS or whatever and then let anyone in who passes any one of the clear bars. Nothing prevents schools from having more AAP class sections, as teachers can easily be retrained. Sure, it dilutes the program a bit, but there's no more fighting about who is and who isn't in.

This is really well-written. And true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

There is a big difference between you begging the principal to let your child in AAP every year and him saying yes (because he always says yes to everyone, FYI) and your child actually deserving to get in. We all know that you called the week before 3rd grade to beg him to let your kid in because you didn't like the cohort your child was placed with and the fact that the teacher was new to the school, and then because your child was successful in class in 3rd, you asked that they put your kid in one of the advanced classes this year. That STILL doesn't mean your child deserves to be LLIV. Just keep begging and the principal will let your child stay advanced for 5th and 6th, and then you can place your kid in Honors in middle school, which is the same thing as AAP. As for the AART, she's just doing her job, leave her alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

OP's child is principal placed and will continue to be principal placed until elementary school ends. OP wants her child to be AAP officially because she is concerned about what will happen in middle school when she's no longer guaranteed an AAP spot because of the relationship she's developed with the principal and she can't just pick up the phone and ask the middle school principal, who doesn't know or care who she is, to put her kid in AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

OP's child is principal placed and will continue to be principal placed until elementary school ends. OP wants her child to be AAP officially because she is concerned about what will happen in middle school when she's no longer guaranteed an AAP spot because of the relationship she's developed with the principal and she can't just pick up the phone and ask the middle school principal, who doesn't know or care who she is, to put her kid in AAP.

Or the AART could help. Honestly the process is so unfair if she helps some but not others.

[Anonymous]

The process is fair - the AART is neutral. OP wants to game the system and is frustrated that they cannot. Why can’t OP understand her kid isn’t a good fit for AAP and move on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

OP's child is principal placed and will continue to be principal placed until elementary school ends. OP wants her child to be AAP officially because she is concerned about what will happen in middle school when she's no longer guaranteed an AAP spot because of the relationship she's developed with the principal and she can't just pick up the phone and ask the middle school principal, who doesn't know or care who she is, to put her kid in AAP.

You completely missed my point. If the center is at full capacity, they're not going to give another kid the right to attend the center, even if the kid was planning to stick with the LLIV. The central panel will keep rejecting OP's kid under the assumption that the kid can continue being principal placed in the LLIV. If OP applies again in 6th grade, OP's kid is more likely to get in for middle school AAP, since there won't be a capacity issue. Many kids with strong academic track records get accepted for MS AAP.

The AART is not necessarily being unhelpful. They don't always understand why some kids get rejected and others get in. My school's AART said that every year, there are around 5 kids who get rejected that the AART thought would easily get in, and another 5 kids who get accepted with very mediocre packets all around, as well as another 40 kids who are appropriately accepted or rejected. There's not much they can do when they feel like your child has a strong packet, but isn't getting accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

OP's child is principal placed and will continue to be principal placed until elementary school ends. OP wants her child to be AAP officially because she is concerned about what will happen in middle school when she's no longer guaranteed an AAP spot because of the relationship she's developed with the principal and she can't just pick up the phone and ask the middle school principal, who doesn't know or care who she is, to put her kid in AAP.

Or the AART could help. Honestly the process is so unfair if she helps some but not others.

OP doesn't KNOW this, she's just guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is not a center school. I was under the impression that AART are there to help parents/act as a resource/be a guide in the process. Getting scripted answers feels fake and doesn't accomplish those goals. And I know she's been more helpful to some others.

Well, in that case, just do the best you can with the samples. My son is in a center school and the AART wasn’t helpful at all. But you can always try for principal placement if the child doesn’t get in.

OP. Child is already principal placed. Our school does clusters but kid has been in an AAP cluster but I've just really been hoping to get DC admitted into AAP before MS and I've been desperate for more guidance given past year rejections.

Have you requested the packets that were submitted each year to see what the quality of the school work samples were and the GBRS? If they are principal-placed and doing well with Level IV material, something is off.

OP again, GBRS scores aren't perfect but they are better than many who post that have been accepted. I just don't know if we are writing a good application and the help we aren't receiving is frustrating us. It all seems like a political game.

I bet the center is full, so they aren't going to admit anyone to AAP who would be zoned to that center. Your kid will have an easier time getting in when applying in 6th grade for middle school placement, since program capacity will not be an issue.

OP's child is principal placed and will continue to be principal placed until elementary school ends. OP wants her child to be AAP officially because she is concerned about what will happen in middle school when she's no longer guaranteed an AAP spot because of the relationship she's developed with the principal and she can't just pick up the phone and ask the middle school principal, who doesn't know or care who she is, to put her kid in AAP.

You completely missed my point. If the center is at full capacity, they're not going to give another kid the right to attend the center, even if the kid was planning to stick with the LLIV. The central panel will keep rejecting OP's kid under the assumption that the kid can continue being principal placed in the LLIV. If OP applies again in 6th grade, OP's kid is more likely to get in for middle school AAP, since there won't be a capacity issue. Many kids with strong academic track records get accepted for MS AAP.

The AART is not necessarily being unhelpful. They don't always understand why some kids get rejected and others get in. My school's AART said that every year, there are around 5 kids who get rejected that the AART thought would easily get in, and another 5 kids who get accepted with very mediocre packets all around, as well as another 40 kids who are appropriately accepted or rejected. There's not much they can do when they feel like your child has a strong packet, but isn't getting accepted.

I don't think that's how this works, PP, especially not when schools have LLIV programs. But nice justification!