What are the qualifications for an AART?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the qualifications for an AART? Do they have sufficient training in developmental psychology, or cognitive science? I would assume that they have to hold a degree in one or more technical areas, since they are responsible for teaching "critical reasoning" and assessing the students on their Gifted Behavior - is there a place where any of this is published? It seems that the AAP program is growing at a much faster pace than they would be able to hire reasonably qualified individuals.

Given the low salaries throughout FCPS compared to other systems in the county, parents whose schools actually have AARTs, should be happy they get the people they get.

Respectfully, the AART's role is heavy on administration and less w. working with students so low salary isn't what make parents grateful - it's that not every school has a part time AART and that should be appreciated.

And an earnest desire to have the AART more student facing and less pushing paperwork

The AART's role (link to PDF slide presentation):
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/pdfs/RoleofAART.pdf

Great info - thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Also, our school's AART didn't even know what "GAI score" from WISC-4 was. I had to explain to her!

And they are responsible for rating our children on their abilities...ugh.

This post and the lack of objective, well-trained qualifications mentioned on this thread are yet another glimpse into the bizarre, political and poorly designed ways our schools are determining how to educate our children. It baffles me.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Exactly, the whole process is designed to obfuscate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Also, our school's AART didn't even know what "GAI score" from WISC-4 was. I had to explain to her!

And they are responsible for rating our children on their abilities...ugh.

This post and the lack of objective, well-trained qualifications mentioned on this thread are yet another glimpse into the bizarre, political and poorly designed ways our schools are determining how to educate our children. It baffles me.

Our AART is supposed to lead the students in critical thinking exercises, but I have not seen very good examples. I noticed some errors in my kid's AAP file (I asked for it after we got in), and asked about them. She said that the reason she had him listed as being of "more than one ethnic background" is because he had had the tag "Non-Hispanic". She didn't seem to think there was a mistake on her part.

This is nothing that he/she can control. AARTs don't have access to change these items in the information system. All the student background info (DOB, Ethnicity, address, etc) are pulled straight from the student information sysem. The AART didn't have any control over what was labeled there. That is something to take up with the Student information person in the front office. There is not a mistake the AART can make there due to the fact that they can't access any of it.

And good luck getting it changed. I've been trying for 4 years to get my kids race changed. Every-time we get it changed, it comes back.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Also, our school's AART didn't even know what "GAI score" from WISC-4 was. I had to explain to her!

And they are responsible for rating our children on their abilities...ugh.

Since the AAP committee usually doesn't consider the GAI unless there is more than a 7 point difference between that and the full scale WISC AND there is a clinical explanation for the large difference, it typically doesn't matter. (Well, it matters to parents who try to push the higher GAI score as a way to label their kids as gifted). What was your child's full scale?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the qualifications for an AART? Do they have sufficient training in developmental psychology, or cognitive science? I would assume that they have to hold a degree in one or more technical areas, since they are responsible for teaching "critical reasoning" and assessing the students on their Gifted Behavior - is there a place where any of this is published? It seems that the AAP program is growing at a much faster pace than they would be able to hire reasonably qualified individuals.

Given the low salaries throughout FCPS compared to other systems in the county, parents whose schools actually have AARTs, should be happy they get the people they get.

Respectfully, the AART's role is heavy on administration and less w. working with students so low salary isn't what make parents grateful - it's that not every school has a part time AART and that should be appreciated.

This simply isn't true. Our AART works with 1st - 6th pull out and push in groups all year long. She does also provide some enrichment worksheets for teachers or assist them in planning curriculum, but this is not a huge part of the day. Yes, during the AAP process, she cuts back on her pullout groupings, but this is only for about 1 month out of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Exactly, the whole process is designed to obfuscate.

That's why the entire process is posted on the website and each school's AART does a presentation for parents every year.

(And the GBRS is first prepared in K.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Also, our school's AART didn't even know what "GAI score" from WISC-4 was. I had to explain to her!

The GAI is often not used clinically, typically disregarded by the AAP committee, and is insignificant unless there is more than a 7 point difference between the full scale and the GAI. So if it is typically disregarded by the AAP committee, I see no reason why the AART "needs" to know about it.

The GIA is so commonly used. It isn't exactly necessary for many cases, but it is not uncommon with regard to the gifted population. Especially 2E kids. They AART should be well aware of the GIA. It is very reliable and scientifically sound.

Not true. There needs to be at least a 7 point different b/w the two to have any clinical significance. Also, the AAP committee does NOT generally use the GAI as it considers it the massaging of the true data.

Curious to know what is the clinical significance? My kid's GAI is 139 and FSIQ is 130 due to low processing speed. Does this mean that GAI is more accurate than FSIQ?

No, it means that your son MAY have extreme anxiety, ADHD or possibly something else going on to account for the larger spread between the two numbers. He may not, but he may. The GAI won't be considered, however, by the committee unless possibly he is diagnosed with something AND treatment starts thereafter (i.e. he took WISC, saw discrepancy, was diagnosed, started treatment, can't redo WISC b/c hasn't been a year, but you believe that explains the lower processing speed.)

AAP absolutely considers GAI. My son has ADHD with lower scores in both processing speed and working memory - not unusual for a kid with ADHD. When we moved here in the summer, we submitted his WISC, standardized testing from the former school district, report cards (which are good, but not outstanding considering the ADHD - very mixed - very good in math/science - OK SS - not so great writing), & the parent input. He was accepted immediately with no need for appeal. I watched the woman fill out the summary sheet when I dropped off his info & she ONLY wrote down GAI for IQ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Exactly, the whole process is designed to obfuscate.

That's why the entire process is posted on the website and each school's AART does a presentation for parents every year.

(And the GBRS is first prepared in K.)

There certainly are a lot of words on the website but it doesn't actually say anything. Bureaucratic babbling designed to allow the "committee" to come to any conclusion without accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here,

In my opinion, "the commitee" is made to avoid blaming game for the teacher. Principal and aart would not really know every kids in the 2nd grade.
I think GBRS is mainly the teacher's subjective opinion but s/he wouldn't want to be blamed when parents complain.

Exactly, the whole process is designed to obfuscate.

That's why the entire process is posted on the website and each school's AART does a presentation for parents every year.

(And the GBRS is first prepared in K.)

There certainly are a lot of words on the website but it doesn't actually say anything. Bureaucratic babbling designed to allow the "committee" to come to any conclusion without accountability.

Yes, there is no accountability. There there, sweetie. We understand.