Possible AAP changes at ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

It's hard to see, when your kid has an easy time with school, but many many kids actually don't. They have a hard time with 3rd grade, with 4th, 5th, 6th grade. They have a hard time with 2nd grade and 1st grade.

Not every kid needs, wants, or should have the AAP curriculum. Get out of your bubble.

Absolutely agree. I am perplexed when my DC's friends ask me to spell words when they're crafting, like "great" or "money." These are 5th graders. There's no chance they would be successful in an AAP classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Received word of a meeting coming up highlighting some proposed changes to "class placement" for next year. Some of the bulleted items include:

1. Additional classroom for student receiving Level IV services (i.e. a 2nd AAP classroom)
2. Teachers 3-6th provide Level IV curriculum to ALL (yes, it was capitalized)
3. Specific differentiation to groups

the Why? Access and Opportunity to ALL students (again, capitalized)

Our school is local level IV and our child is already in AAP, so it shouldn't affect us. Just wondering if there are other ES's going the same route. I have heard from some parents that there are a multitude of kids designated as "Level III" but the AAP can't accommodate them all (the AART teacher has taken on the load), so maybe that's what's driving it?

It would be really great if they piloted an AAP for all where all kids were put into the highest AAP level in order to raise everyone up.

That’s what Shrevewood is doing with the cluster. But it doesn’t work because of the peers. If half the class isn’t ready to do x, then guess what happens…

If you give kids a chance and believe in them they often rise to the occasion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

It's hard to see, when your kid has an easy time with school, but many many kids actually don't. They have a hard time with 3rd grade, with 4th, 5th, 6th grade. They have a hard time with 2nd grade and 1st grade.

Not every kid needs, wants, or should have the AAP curriculum. Get out of your bubble.

Absolutely agree. I am perplexed when my DC's friends ask me to spell words when they're crafting, like "great" or "money." These are 5th graders. There's no chance they would be successful in an AAP classroom.

The ability to spell has nothing to do with intelligence. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, has dyslexia and still can’t do cross wards but he is a genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

They can't succeed in General Ed because it's very difficult for ONE teacher to teach effectively to a group of 30 8yr olds from all walks of life. Should the teacher have smaller class sizes and more support (sped or ESOL), I can guarantee that every student in FCPS could access the Level IV curriculum over time. The Level IV curriculum is really not all that different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

It's hard to see, when your kid has an easy time with school, but many many kids actually don't. They have a hard time with 3rd grade, with 4th, 5th, 6th grade. They have a hard time with 2nd grade and 1st grade.

Not every kid needs, wants, or should have the AAP curriculum. Get out of your bubble.

Absolutely agree. I am perplexed when my DC's friends ask me to spell words when they're crafting, like "great" or "money." These are 5th graders. There's no chance they would be successful in an AAP classroom.

The ability to spell has nothing to do with intelligence. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, has dyslexia and still can’t do cross wards but he is a genius.

Are you at all serious? Do you really think kids in Level IV are master spellers? They can't spell either. AAP doesn't judge on spelling.

[Anonymous]

ESOL should be seen as a gift not a disadvantage. These kids are fluent in a foreign language and have functional knowledge of English. Teachers of History, Social Science and civics in particular should see a goldmine there. Give them an assignment of looking up newspaper reports of an event online from the POV of their or parents country of origin and let the class discuss write itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

They can't succeed in General Ed because it's very difficult for ONE teacher to teach effectively to a group of 30 8yr olds from all walks of life. Should the teacher have smaller class sizes and more support (sped or ESOL), I can guarantee that every student in FCPS could access the Level IV curriculum over time. The Level IV curriculum is really not all that different.

DP. Part of the point of AAP is that it's fast paced. Designed for kids who hear something once and then are ready to move on, who don't need a concept repeated and presented eight times.

Yes, the curriculum can be presented more slowly, with repetitions. But then it's gen ed and not AAP.

[Anonymous]

Oh please. How many AAP students where tutored to pass the entrance test and then continue it to keep up. How many are kids of educated parents who exposed them to the material early and often?

Most of them are not “ hear once and are ready to move on” they just have the invisible infrastructure available to them to make it appear that they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

They can't succeed in General Ed because it's very difficult for ONE teacher to teach effectively to a group of 30 8yr olds from all walks of life. Should the teacher have smaller class sizes and more support (sped or ESOL), I can guarantee that every student in FCPS could access the Level IV curriculum over time. The Level IV curriculum is really not all that different.

DP. Part of the point of AAP is that it's fast paced. Designed for kids who hear something once and then are ready to move on, who don't need a concept repeated and presented eight times.

Yes, the curriculum can be presented more slowly, with repetitions. But then it's gen ed and not AAP.

It's not all that fast paced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. How many AAP students where tutored to pass the entrance test and then continue it to keep up. How many are kids of educated parents who exposed them to the material early and often?

Most of them are not “ hear once and are ready to move on” they just have the invisible infrastructure available to them to make it appear that they are.

Seems to vary by center; some slow down for struggling students and others stay on pace, letting some kids fall behind and get lost.

[Anonymous]

Another Shrevewood parent here, with an AAP 6th grader and an older child who went through AAP at Shrevewood. For us, the cluster model has been fine. We were most disappointed that our 6th grader never got to have a certain AAP teacher (other than for math) whereas my older student got that teacher twice.

We also try to keep perspective on schooling - school gets harder in the upper grades, and the cohort will be constantly mixing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

They can't succeed in General Ed because it's very difficult for ONE teacher to teach effectively to a group of 30 8yr olds from all walks of life. Should the teacher have smaller class sizes and more support (sped or ESOL), I can guarantee that every student in FCPS could access the Level IV curriculum over time. The Level IV curriculum is really not all that different.

DP. Part of the point of AAP is that it's fast paced. Designed for kids who hear something once and then are ready to move on, who don't need a concept repeated and presented eight times.

Yes, the curriculum can be presented more slowly, with repetitions. But then it's gen ed and not AAP.

It's not all that fast paced.

Are you speaking from experience or assumption? I can assure you my DC's class moves at a much greater clip because the kids grasp the concepts faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

It's hard to see, when your kid has an easy time with school, but many many kids actually don't. They have a hard time with 3rd grade, with 4th, 5th, 6th grade. They have a hard time with 2nd grade and 1st grade.

Not every kid needs, wants, or should have the AAP curriculum. Get out of your bubble.

Absolutely agree. I am perplexed when my DC's friends ask me to spell words when they're crafting, like "great" or "money." These are 5th graders. There's no chance they would be successful in an AAP classroom.

The ability to spell has nothing to do with intelligence. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, has dyslexia and still can’t do cross wards but he is a genius.

Are you at all serious? Do you really think kids in Level IV are master spellers? They can't spell either. AAP doesn't judge on spelling.

I certainly don't think they are master spellers, but they have the motivation to try versus asking an adult or Alexa to spell every little word for them. That's my experience, YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard in AAP isn't all that high. People need to get over it. Every kid in FCPS can and should be able to succeed in an AAP classroom. The notion that AAP is special is ridiculous. Let's stop watering down our school curriculums and push every kid towards excellence.

Every kid can't even succeed in gen ed. Come on. Let's meet kids where they are and gently push them to the upper levels of their abilities without throwing them into the deep end on their 2nd swim lesson.

They can't succeed in General Ed because it's very difficult for ONE teacher to teach effectively to a group of 30 8yr olds from all walks of life. Should the teacher have smaller class sizes and more support (sped or ESOL), I can guarantee that every student in FCPS could access the Level IV curriculum over time. The Level IV curriculum is really not all that different.

DP. Part of the point of AAP is that it's fast paced. Designed for kids who hear something once and then are ready to move on, who don't need a concept repeated and presented eight times.

Yes, the curriculum can be presented more slowly, with repetitions. But then it's gen ed and not AAP.

It's not all that fast paced.

Are you speaking from experience or assumption? I can assure you my DC's class moves at a much greater clip because the kids grasp the concepts faster.

From experience. I have two kids in FCPS. One in AAP and one not. The content does not move that much faster or go that much deeper. Math being the exception but even that, the standards are low.