Sound off if you think AAP is BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

The program is not 25-50% of the kids.

The vast majority of schools do not send 25-50% of their kids to AAP.

There are a small handful of TJ feeders that have an extraordinary amout of kids in AAP, but many of that sample is self selected in that parents specifically moved into those schools to maximize TJ potential.

Using that handful of kids in the few TJ feeder areas makes as much sense as citing AAP enrollment from the schools along the Hwy 1 corridor then vehemently insisting that AAP only takes 1-5 kids per grade.

You are not relying on facts and actual data and are only talking about the extremes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will report from MoCo, where the gifted program is in fact as small as you suggest (a couple of kids get selected from each elementary tops). Helicoptet parents here also prep their kids way beyond what the schools want them to do. But it is probably a saner system because most everyone who gets left behind in the home school is pretty bright too, and an excellent education isn't reserved only for those called gifted.

I wish fcps would run things the same way as MoCo. This seems way more reasonable and fair.

+1

Dumb. FCPS runs circles around MCPS, where the focus is on reducing the achievement gap by making sure smarter kids aren't challenged or allowed to get too far ahead of the low-achievers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

Again, where are the official stats? Otherwise, this is still all just conjecture or assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will report from MoCo, where the gifted program is in fact as small as you suggest (a couple of kids get selected from each elementary tops). Helicoptet parents here also prep their kids way beyond what the schools want them to do. But it is probably a saner system because most everyone who gets left behind in the home school is pretty bright too, and an excellent education isn't reserved only for those called gifted.

I wish fcps would run things the same way as MoCo. This seems way more reasonable and fair.

+1

Dumb. FCPS runs circles around MCPS, where the focus is on reducing the achievement gap by making sure smarter kids aren't challenged or allowed to get too far ahead of the low-achievers.

That is such an ignorant statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

Are there actual published stats by FCPS? Seems like people are just speaking from their own personal knowledge rather than what comes out of the central office, if there are any such stats.

FCPS says 14%: http://www2.fcps.edu/is/aap/column/columnidentification.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

Ok, so if 12% are true Level IV AAP, then what about the other 23% who are in class with the level IV, but they are not qualified to be there? Why is it so horrible for them to mix (gasp!) with the Gen Ed kids? You must admit this system is broken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

Ok, so if 12% are true Level IV AAP, then what about the other 23% who are in class with the level IV, but they are not qualified to be there? Why is it so horrible for them to mix (gasp!) with the Gen Ed kids? You must admit this system is broken.

That other group is not center eligible kids. They are level 3 pull out or local level 4 (non center).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will report from MoCo, where the gifted program is in fact as small as you suggest (a couple of kids get selected from each elementary tops). Helicoptet parents here also prep their kids way beyond what the schools want them to do. But it is probably a saner system because most everyone who gets left behind in the home school is pretty bright too, and an excellent education isn't reserved only for those called gifted.

I wish fcps would run things the same way as MoCo. This seems way more reasonable and fair.

+1

Dumb. FCPS runs circles around MCPS, where the focus is on reducing the achievement gap by making sure smarter kids aren't challenged or allowed to get too far ahead of the low-achievers.

lol.. well, apparently last year TJ had to put some kids in remedial math, and the assumption is that this was caused by the "wholistic" approach to the admissions process. So, I guess FCPS is doing a fine job of closing the achievement gap with this.

And, I'm pretty sure the "gifted" kids of MCPS are being challenged in their Highly Gifted centers. In case you missed it, this thread is about "gifted" programs, or in FCPS' case, "Advanced" program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

Ok, so if 12% are true Level IV AAP, then what about the other 23% who are in class with the level IV, but they are not qualified to be there? Why is it so horrible for them to mix (gasp!) with the Gen Ed kids? You must admit this system is broken.

Where are you getting that 23% figure?

Annecdotal claims from disgruntled dcumers does not count as official stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

As you know, your experience is not representative. DCPS is a very very large district with over 100 elementary schools and many centers. Overall, approximately 12% of students receive full time level 4 services. Others receive part time services.

Ok, so if 12% are true Level IV AAP, then what about the other 23% who are in class with the level IV, but they are not qualified to be there? Why is it so horrible for them to mix (gasp!) with the Gen Ed kids? You must admit this system is broken.

Ok-- logical and rational though-- not so much your strong suit.

1. Where did you get 23%? Schools with LLIV programs tend to be the schools in highly educated affluent areas where considerably more than 12% qualify. That's why LLIV is an attractive option. Kids can stay at the base school with friends, not bus and get a strong program. In DS's LLIV class 18 kids qualified, 6 were principal placed. DD is in the 7th grade "bulge" class and 30 qualified. None were principal placed.

2. Kids who are principal placed are not just any random GE kids. They are (or should be) the handful of kids who just missed the cut, often kids who are punching below their weight in terms of test scores. The should be the kids who are qualified to be there, and just missed it. Otherwise, the school is doing them a disservice by placing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

To the extent AAP serves kids, like mine, who are 2e, it does everyone a service. My GT/ADHD kids did have problems in standard classrooms and were a distraction to the other students. We have not had these issues in AAP classrooms. In part because the work is more challenging and boredom plus ADHD is a bad mix, and in part because AAP certified teachers have a better understanding of/ training in 2e issues, and deal much better with 2e kids than GE teachers. Also, AAP Centers have significant experience implementing 2e 504s, and are good at making sure kids have the right interventions. My 2 kids have spent a combined total of 12 years thus far in AAP classrooms, and have done LLIV, Center ES and MS Center ES between them. They have never been in a disruptive class, and I have never heard of AAP parents complaining of disruptive classes. I have heard GE parents complain, especially when emotionally challenged kids are "pushed in" to their child's class, or they have ELL push ins.

Do you have any actually experience with AAP classrooms?

Do you think it's fair for a bright gen ed kid with a Cogat of 127 to be stuck with other kids who are prematurely "pushed" into their classes? Why is THAT fair?

Not in the least. And if this happens to their kids, I would hope parents would push back. But it really doesn't have anything to do with AAP.

[Anonymous]

We LOVE aap. All 3 are/were in the program. None ever cried, needed to be pushed.

[Anonymous]

Disruptive classes in app? Yes! There are too many kids in aap who need meds!