What is the big deal about AAP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD did not go to a center. She did better in high school than most of her center friends. Aberration? Don't know. Would love to see stats on this.

How does one measure "did better?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My DD did not go to a center. She did better in high school than most of her center friends. Aberration? Don't know. Would love to see stats on this.

How does one measure "did better?"

Better grades. Better on National Merit. Better on awards. Better college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My DD did not go to a center. She did better in high school than most of her center friends. Aberration? Don't know. Would love to see stats on this.

How does one measure "did better?"

Better grades. Better on National Merit. Better on awards. Better college.

Sounds like the proverbial "Q: What's better -- taking an AP class and getting a B or taking an honors class and getting an A? A: Taking an AP class and getting an A" metric.

[Anonymous]

New poster here. So is the opposite true?

If a kid didnot get into AAP, then the chances of the kid not getting into TJ reduces substantially? Can the kid still take IOWA test in 6th grade?

DC is extremely good at Math. Not into AAP. Very shy and does not stand out.

What are the remedies sans AAP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. So is the opposite true?

If a kid didnot get into AAP, then the chances of the kid not getting into TJ reduces substantially? Can the kid still take IOWA test in 6th grade?

DC is extremely good at Math. Not into AAP. Very shy and does not stand out.

What are the remedies sans AAP?

No, not getting into AAP does not reduce a student's chances of getting into TJ or taking Algebra I Honors in 7th grade. The student is still the same student. AAP sends more to TJ because they both attract the same types of students. The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters). Math is open to all students whether or not they have the AAP designation or not, they all have to meet the same requirements. If your child is in the accelerated math class in ES, he/she will have the opportunity to take the Iowa test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. So is the opposite true?

If a kid didnot get into AAP, then the chances of the kid not getting into TJ reduces substantially? Can the kid still take IOWA test in 6th grade?

DC is extremely good at Math. Not into AAP. Very shy and does not stand out.

What are the remedies sans AAP?

No, not getting into AAP does not reduce a student's chances of getting into TJ or taking Algebra I Honors in 7th grade. The student is still the same student. AAP sends more to TJ because they both attract the same types of students. The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters). Math is open to all students whether or not they have the AAP designation or not, they all have to meet the same requirements. If your child is in the accelerated math class in ES, he/she will have the opportunity to take the Iowa test.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters).

A class is more than simply curriculum.

And I agree that the AAP and Honors classes cover the same curriculum.

I do not agree that AAP and Honors classes are the same.

(And yes, I mean more than the peer group.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters).

A class is more than simply curriculum.

And I agree that the AAP and Honors classes cover the same curriculum.

I do not agree that AAP and Honors classes are the same.

(And yes, I mean more than the peer group.)

It should be noted that there are no separate AAP math classes in middle school. They only offer the honors track, which all students can test into if they qualify, and the general track. The student does need to be in compacts/advanced math in elementary to take the year ahead SOL in elementary to qualify for Honor Algebra I in 7th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters).

A class is more than simply curriculum.

And I agree that the AAP and Honors classes cover the same curriculum.

I do not agree that AAP and Honors classes are the same.

(And yes, I mean more than the peer group.)

What do you mean "more than the peer group"? How are they different?

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your replies.

AP classes have the same curriculum as honors - great.

But only AAP kids do AP classes and GE kids go to honors classes if they clear the test. So basically the honors kids get a step-child treatment inspite of clearing a test at MS level?

Now what if a AAP kid under performs say in Math around MS level. They still get to take AP math and my kid just gets to go to honors class and not AP class - because someone decided 5 years back that my kid is not a stellar candidate?!!

Now think about the GE kids in MS.

This is whole process is humiliating at many levels!!

[Anonymous]

Is the curriculum the same? Is a test required for honors? I hear different things on this. Sometimes the subject matter can be the same, but the actual books and what's studied is different.

[Anonymous]

Non AAP kids are required to wear a scarlet letter which lets everyone know that they are GenEd. This way AAP parents are easily able to identify the students with whom their kids should not associate.

[Anonymous]

Awful! Shame on FFX Schools!

Is fairfax county the only unfair county or does Loudoun county follow this same unreasonable procedures in the name of AAP? Anyone knows how Loudoun county works. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Honors classes in MS are excellent and the same curriculum as the AAP classes (AAP parents will dispute this and link to the FCPS page that shows the "difference" between AP and Honors, but there is no substantial difference (IME,individual teachers are a bigger determinants of the rigor of the class than the AAP or Honors designation.- My experience is at Longfellow with both AAP and Honors classes), and then they back off and say it is the cohort that matters).

A class is more than simply curriculum.

And I agree that the AAP and Honors classes cover the same curriculum.

I do not agree that AAP and Honors classes are the same.

(And yes, I mean more than the peer group.)

What do you mean "more than the peer group"? How are they different?

The depth and breadth is greater in AAP than Honors. The projects are different in AAP than Honors. There is a greater amount of project work vs. worksheets in AAP as compared to Honors. There are more applied problems in AAP than Honors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the curriculum the same? Is a test required for honors? I hear different things on this. Sometimes the subject matter can be the same, but the actual books and what's studied is different.

Honors is open to all students in middle school, except math courses have different requirements.

See:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/math/middleschool/documents/MSCourseSequence.pdf