AAP vs. Private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

I feel like this is not correct. My kids are all doing math far beyond what I was doing in FCPS in the same grades. There is no way they are lowering “math rigor”.

Objectively between last school year and this school year they changed the 3rd grade math standards to accelerate significantly less. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/1226968.page#28331524

Is this why my third grader is complaining about not being challenged in math class? (We have a meeting with the aart teacher this week)

My third grader complained about the lack of challenge in math 3 years ago, we sent him to RSM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

I feel like this is not correct. My kids are all doing math far beyond what I was doing in FCPS in the same grades. There is no way they are lowering “math rigor”.

Far less math rigor now. Previously, a 3rd grader in AAP would learn that 1/2 = 0.5. Now, they have to wait until 4th grade to learn the existence of decimal equivalent.

I assume PP was not in 3rd grade FCPS last year though. If PP was not in GT (or whatever it's predecessor was called) in the 90s or whenever then yeah, if they have a kid in 4th or later that kid is probably doing more advanced math. Only if PP has a 3rd grader would they see what's happening.

And it's clear from the lack of outcry on this topic that most people really don't care. Either their kids are older or they don't have a vested interest in AAP for whatever reason.

Nope, I had a kid in Advanced Math, he is taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade this year. Third grade math was boring when he took it. We supplemented.

This is public school. The school is not going to meet the needs of the high achieving kids and the kids with serious learning issues, it just isn't. If you want that then you have to pay for a private school that specializes in gifted kids. Or you supplement.

[Anonymous]

Current AAP = Gen Ed math of the 90s, and
Current Gen Ed = Remedial math of the 90s

[Anonymous]

Not in elementary. Feels like private wants everyone to be on the same track. If advanced you get more worksheets that are the same context.


[



quote=Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally, writing is better in privates but math and science is better at Haycock/Longfellow/McLean. It depends on your priorities.

This has long been the case but private schools are catching up on STEM while public schools don't really seem to be catching up on writing.

Which privates track as aggressively as publics in math?

[Anonymous]

[makes sense, classes need to be inclusive.



quote=Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just reduced the vigor of AAP math this year.

They did this by explaining the E3 math curriculum from a pilot to county-wide (including reducing the AAP curriculum).

Liar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally, writing is better in privates but math and science is better at Haycock/Longfellow/McLean. It depends on your priorities.

This has long been the case but private schools are catching up on STEM while public schools don't really seem to be catching up on writing.

Which privates track as aggressively as publics in math?

Not in elementary. Feels like private wants everyone to be on the same track. If advanced you get more worksheets that are the same context.

A few of the independent Christian ones I know offer acceleration in 5th or 6th (ex: was talking to a 5th grade teacher who said her school has a separate advanced math class in 5th and our private school offers 5th graders the option to be in 6th grade math and 7th graders can take Honors Algebra 1). I don't know of any that offer acceleration as early as 3rd outside of the STEM magnets like Nysmith or BIM.

Have not seen any private that offers the fairly rare but doable track of Geometry in 7th outside of again, the STEM magnets.

Not sure about the other non-religious independents and haven't heard anything from my friends at parochial school about math acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

This is sad because the one thing that public schools had over private schools was STEM, but now that STEM has gotten so important the private schools are spending more time and effort to get all the students good at it, and public schools are lowering standards so everybody can meet the standards for STEM (now they can say that all the kids are qualified so you can pick whoever you want, because they're all equally qualified).

It's not dead yet because they still allow kids to accelerate but STEM rigor in FCPS is dying. Hopefully parents fight back.

FCPS added “A” for arts; you need to use the correct acronym: it is now “STEAM” and no longer “STEM.”

FCPS site:

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/curriculum/subject-area/science/steam-and-computer-science

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

This is sad because the one thing that public schools had over private schools was STEM, but now that STEM has gotten so important the private schools are spending more time and effort to get all the students good at it, and public schools are lowering standards so everybody can meet the standards for STEM (now they can say that all the kids are qualified so you can pick whoever you want, because they're all equally qualified).

It's not dead yet because they still allow kids to accelerate but STEM rigor in FCPS is dying. Hopefully parents fight back.

FCPS added “A” for arts; you need to use the correct acronym: it is now “STEAM” and no longer “STEM.”

FCPS site:

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/curriculum/subject-area/science/steam-and-computer-science

This is not “lowering standards.” It is adding greater “depth.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

This is sad because the one thing that public schools had over private schools was STEM, but now that STEM has gotten so important the private schools are spending more time and effort to get all the students good at it, and public schools are lowering standards so everybody can meet the standards for STEM (now they can say that all the kids are qualified so you can pick whoever you want, because they're all equally qualified).

It's not dead yet because they still allow kids to accelerate but STEM rigor in FCPS is dying. Hopefully parents fight back.

FCPS added “A” for arts; you need to use the correct acronym: it is now “STEAM” and no longer “STEM.”

FCPS site:

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/curriculum/subject-area/science/steam-and-computer-science

FCPS didn't make this change. It's been broadly used.

They are slowly but surely recreating the idea of the quadrivium and the liberal arts.

[Anonymous]

Glad to see the Arts included! Math and science can get complicated and is hard to learn, similarly tech and engineering, but the Arts most get it. Now, STEM isn’t just for the nerds—thanks to the Arts, we can all be a part of STEAM! Cultural diversity and inclusivity opportunities exist with incorporation of Arts, and people dont feel alienated by traditional STEM subjects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see the Arts included! Math and science can get complicated and is hard to learn, similarly tech and engineering, but the Arts most get it. Now, STEM isn’t just for the nerds—thanks to the Arts, we can all be a part of STEAM! Cultural diversity and inclusivity opportunities exist with incorporation of Arts, and people dont feel alienated by traditional STEM subjects.

Recognizing the sarcasm... I never "got" art. Unless people find value in my ability to draw stick figures, I certainly lack this skill, and therefore don't value it much personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP has been lowering math rigor for years. If you can afford it, consider private schools. For low-income families, explore affordable afterschool math enrichment programs.

I feel like this is not correct. My kids are all doing math far beyond what I was doing in FCPS in the same grades. There is no way they are lowering “math rigor”.

Far less math rigor now. Previously, a 3rd grader in AAP would learn that 1/2 = 0.5. Now, they have to wait until 4th grade to learn the existence of decimal equivalent.

I assume PP was not in 3rd grade FCPS last year though. If PP was not in GT (or whatever it's predecessor was called) in the 90s or whenever then yeah, if they have a kid in 4th or later that kid is probably doing more advanced math. Only if PP has a 3rd grader would they see what's happening.

And it's clear from the lack of outcry on this topic that most people really don't care. Either their kids are older or they don't have a vested interest in AAP for whatever reason.

Nope, I had a kid in Advanced Math, he is taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade this year. Third grade math was boring when he took it. We supplemented.

This is public school. The school is not going to meet the needs of the high achieving kids and the kids with serious learning issues, it just isn't. If you want that then you have to pay for a private school that specializes in gifted kids. Or you supplement.

Your last paragraph succinctly addresses the question posited in this thread's title.

An additional consideration is FCPS's recent decision to lower the level of elementary instruction for AAP math.

There is a separate thread on what FCPS has done to lower the quality of AAP math. That decision, and the continuing philosophy of the Board members/Reid/Gatehouse officials who lowered the level of AAP math, weighs heavily against keeping advanced and accelerated students in public school, but instead, considering private school alternatives.

[Anonymous]

If she bored at private then switch to public, you can always switch back if it doesn’t work. I heard the private that offer rigor academic is Basis, I don’t have personal experience though.

[Anonymous]

Recognizing that Equity Troll is here in full force—

E3 has not been expanded to all schools.

The changes in 3rd grade advanced math ARE bumping more of the 4th grade standards to 4th grade advanced math. 3rd advanced math includes about 50% of the 4th grade standards, whereas it used to be 80% of the 4th grade standards. So all of the 3rd grade standards and about 1/2 of 4th are now being taught in advanced math. Next year, 4th advanced math will include the other 50% of the 4th grade standards and all of 5th— it’s still under construction.

5th advanced math will continue to teach all of the 6th grade content and 5th advanced math students will continue to take the 6th grade SOL.

People are confusing the change in standards from the VDOE (we had the normal every 7 years update— it’s mostly minor tweaks) with shifting 3rd and 4th grade advanced math so the “extra” standards are more evenly distributed across the two grades.

None of this is E3, which is a whole different program. If someone said it was going district wide at AAP orientation they were mistaken— I run that orientation at my school and there was nothing about E3.

All that said, I currently teach full time AAP, and prior to this I spent several years at one of a highly regarded area independent school. Students who came to us from FCPS AAP were able typically ahead in math.

People need to not get too excited about the new LA curriculum in FCPS though. There is plenty of phonics. Lots and lots of phonics. Lots of snippets of text with comprehension strategy lessons. But very little reading of actual books. The book clubs and in depth exploration of literature we were able to do in full time AAP— even in elementary— are no more. There are AAP “supplements” which again are isolated lessons without real depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recognizing that Equity Troll is here in full force—

E3 has not been expanded to all schools.

The changes in 3rd grade advanced math ARE bumping more of the 4th grade standards to 4th grade advanced math. 3rd advanced math includes about 50% of the 4th grade standards, whereas it used to be 80% of the 4th grade standards. So all of the 3rd grade standards and about 1/2 of 4th are now being taught in advanced math. Next year, 4th advanced math will include the other 50% of the 4th grade standards and all of 5th— it’s still under construction.

5th advanced math will continue to teach all of the 6th grade content and 5th advanced math students will continue to take the 6th grade SOL.

People are confusing the change in standards from the VDOE (we had the normal every 7 years update— it’s mostly minor tweaks) with shifting 3rd and 4th grade advanced math so the “extra” standards are more evenly distributed across the two grades.

None of this is E3, which is a whole different program. If someone said it was going district wide at AAP orientation they were mistaken— I run that orientation at my school and there was nothing about E3.

All that said, I currently teach full time AAP, and prior to this I spent several years at one of a highly regarded area independent school. Students who came to us from FCPS AAP were able typically ahead in math.

People need to not get too excited about the new LA curriculum in FCPS though. There is plenty of phonics. Lots and lots of phonics. Lots of snippets of text with comprehension strategy lessons. But very little reading of actual books. The book clubs and in depth exploration of literature we were able to do in full time AAP— even in elementary— are no more. There are AAP “supplements” which again are isolated lessons without real depth.

I'm sorry, but those book clubs have absolutely nothing on the level of reading comprehension my kids are getting in private school. Nothing. There is simply no substitute for a knowledge based curriculum with real whole class books. I'm sure you were proud of what you did in your class and I'm sure you did your best, but the modern way of teaching language arts is terrible. Even if you slap phonics on it (though that helps).

And as far as E3, if an AART at an E3 school said the pilot was done because the standards were shifting, that doesn't mean they told all schools that. The changes to the 3rd grade standards are real and you confirmed it.