Fairfax County (AAP) vs Prince William County (Gifted Kids) Program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But I really doubt those 1 hour programs are having kids take IQ tests to get in either. It's too expensive. They probably are doing a similar thing: an IQ equivalent group test like the Cogat/Naglieri with a 130ish cut-off but some wiggle room.

Many programs seem to have much less wiggle room than AAP. In other systems, it can be very hard to get in with scores below the cutoff without some sort of amazing portfolio. In FCPS, it seems like many kids who are good students with scores in the 120s get accepted into AAP. I'm not yet sure whether the inclusion of many non-gifted high achievers in AAP is a good thing or a bad thing.

This is false. My youngest child was denied this year with a FSIQ of 133.

It seems they were more stringent this year than in past years. Maybe because Horne left.

This year was weird. I know quite a few parent referrals who got in, but on this forum, a lot of high WISCs were rejected. Perhaps this year, they placed more emphasis on GBRS and work samples, and less on test scores. Or perhaps they were much more strict about needing 2 indications and not just a high FSIQ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the poster who mentioned Davidson before but who's happy enough with FCPS AAP. I think above 150 IQ, no public schools are likely to be able to do this--same as at the profound other end of the intellectual spectrum. That's why there are a national programs to help the statistically few students in those situations. I think kids with IQs in the 140s benefit from being in classes with motivated kids in the 120s and vice versa. But I think kids who meet the 132 criteria from a reputable tester on a FSIQ should by default be eligible for AAP (though there may be some reasons why it makes more sense for them not to enroll--e.g., social factors, special services better at the base school ). As for the in-pool/out-pool don't let that make you think the kids who get in must have lower numbers--they might on the group screening tests, but not necessarily on 1 on 1 which are considered far more rigorous, accurate measures.

I agree that the 140s kids benefit from being around motivated 120s kids. A lot of the angst is the arbitrariness of deciding which motivated, high-achieving 120s kids are AAP material and which ones are not. Also, there are many more 130s kids than 140s kids, and there are many more 120s kids than 130s kids, so the balance in the classroom shifts lower when all of the motivated 120s kids are included. I completely agree that kids who score a 132 FSIQ from a reputable tester should be guaranteed admission to AAP.

[Anonymous]

I think I do probably most qualified to address this comparison. I recently moved out of PWC SPECIFICALLY so my kids could be in a higher achieving group of kids. Based on my research, it's no contest. Stats dont lie.

I was very unimpressed by the gifted teachers that served my kids schools (Gainseville district). When you have non-gifted kids getting passing grades after receiving < 40% on tests it doesn't say much for the school district.
Big thumbs down for PWC. I have my 8yh grader attending Franklin MS and I know he is going to soar.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for all the typos. I'm typing this on my cell phone which has a mini keyboard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS - Advanced program starts at 3rd grade and if you decide to go to a center school for AAP advanced classes and the AAP teachers rotate for the AAP kids to teach LA, Math Social St, and Science all day and every day until 6th grade. All students for the grade mix together for specials - art and gym and strings, chorus. Any student showing mastery of math can go to advance math classes even if not in AAP program. PW has one day when the kids are pulled out for advanced activities. I think that generates a more elitist sentiment because it is a change once a week. At FCPS, all the kids get a new classroom teacher for the year but the teacher is an AAP teacher.

Not all AAP centers have teachers rotate to teach core classes. At my kids' center the kids have the same teacher for all core classes and are mixed for things like music and PE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I do probably most qualified to address this comparison. I recently moved out of PWC SPECIFICALLY so my kids could be in a higher achieving group of kids. Based on my research, it's no contest. Stats dont lie.

I was very unimpressed by the gifted teachers that served my kids schools (Gainseville district). When you have non-gifted kids getting passing grades after receiving < 40% on tests it doesn't say much for the school district.
Big thumbs down for PWC. I have my 8yh grader attending Franklin MS and I know he is going to soar.

I live in PWC, and have two middle school daughters who have been in the gifted program since first grade. First off, someone previously said they only get a one hour pull out a week. That is NOT true. Prior to third grade they got about a 1.5 hour enrichment pull out once a week, but at that age it's not technically gifted. It's sort of a pre-gifted program. There is screening to get into it, but the kids won't automatically make it into the real gifted program (SIGNET) that starts in 4th grade. Once Signet started my kids got practically a full day of enrichment once a week. Their school had an in house SIGNET program, so there were able to get a bit more time, than students who have to travel to another school, but many of the schools do have their own in house programs as well.

Admittedly, I would love for my girls to have been part of a program like AAP, where all of their instruction is differentiated, but the AAP program is highly unusual. Most school divisions' Gifted programs are like Prince William County's. And despite what the poster above said, there are plenty of schools in PWC where students can be in a high achieving group. If looking for more house for the money, I would definitely recommend the move to PWC, assuming that you could still have a reasonable commute.