Enrichment to keep up with AAP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a family having a kid at AAP in ES, and their child does enrichment at home on math and reading throughout the school year & summer time. Parents work from home, so they get a lot of workbooks for her to work on. She does not do any sports, music/art class, summer camp but academic only. Parents tell me that they prepare her a year ahead to get through AAP easier.

What is the purpose of AAP if kids have to be enriched this way to keep up? Does most AAP kids in ES have to do enrichment to keep up or else struggling or falling behind? I though AAP is designed for kids that are naturally born smart.

I'm a parent of borderline AAP student in the IV program. I can't tell you the relief I have with my kid in that classroom. YMMV in every scenario, but this is my experience. I would - and did exert a lot of effort (at home enrichment in math, prep) to ensure my child was admitted. We've since scaled back the at-home work now that I see DC actually being taught... The predominant reason for this is that borderline children will be lost in the general ed classroom. Achieving grade level means they don't get any teacher attention, who will be diverted to ensure that other students catch up with remedial materials. Your child will be doing computer work and will largely be on their own (as I saw in 2nd grade, as well as from other close family children). Contrast to the AAP classroom, where the student will get a dis-proportionate amount of attention from the teacher in their favor to bring up the entire classroom. Heck, the less enrichment I give at home now, the more the school does to keep DC up...

I honestly think the borderline students left in the Gen-ed classroom get the rawest deal. Did I take advantgage of the system? Were there other equally competent children who could have taken my child's place? Maybe... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat for the advantages gained!

I mean, I get where you're coming from. The irony is of course that you're basically admitting you're doing to the other AAP kids what you don't want done to your kid - the other AAP kids who were likely getting even less attention than your kid.

But I get it, because we all are going to do what is in the best interests of our own kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a family having a kid at AAP in ES, and their child does enrichment at home on math and reading throughout the school year & summer time. Parents work from home, so they get a lot of workbooks for her to work on. She does not do any sports, music/art class, summer camp but academic only. Parents tell me that they prepare her a year ahead to get through AAP easier.

What is the purpose of AAP if kids have to be enriched this way to keep up? Does most AAP kids in ES have to do enrichment to keep up or else struggling or falling behind? I though AAP is designed for kids that are naturally born smart.

I'm a parent of borderline AAP student in the IV program. I can't tell you the relief I have with my kid in that classroom. YMMV in every scenario, but this is my experience. I would - and did exert a lot of effort (at home enrichment in math, prep) to ensure my child was admitted. We've since scaled back the at-home work now that I see DC actually being taught... The predominant reason for this is that borderline children will be lost in the general ed classroom. Achieving grade level means they don't get any teacher attention, who will be diverted to ensure that other students catch up with remedial materials. Your child will be doing computer work and will largely be on their own (as I saw in 2nd grade, as well as from other close family children). Contrast to the AAP classroom, where the student will get a dis-proportionate amount of attention from the teacher in their favor to bring up the entire classroom. Heck, the less enrichment I give at home now, the more the school does to keep DC up...

I honestly think the borderline students left in the Gen-ed classroom get the rawest deal. Did I take advantgage of the system? Were there other equally competent children who could have taken my child's place? Maybe... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat for the advantages gained!

I mean, I get where you're coming from. The irony is of course that you're basically admitting you're doing to the other AAP kids what you don't want done to your kid - the other AAP kids who were likely getting even less attention than your kid.

But I get it, because we all are going to do what is in the best interests of our own kid.

Yep - I have no delusions that my child is gifted... They certainly can keep up to the bottom tier of the class with no issue and largely get 4's. I worked within the parameters of a system I was given to maximize my personal (or my child's) gain. I think that's the job of any parent. I'm not an administrator trying to develop a better system (which would just be gamed in a different way).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a family having a kid at AAP in ES, and their child does enrichment at home on math and reading throughout the school year & summer time. Parents work from home, so they get a lot of workbooks for her to work on. She does not do any sports, music/art class, summer camp but academic only. Parents tell me that they prepare her a year ahead to get through AAP easier.

What is the purpose of AAP if kids have to be enriched this way to keep up? Does most AAP kids in ES have to do enrichment to keep up or else struggling or falling behind? I though AAP is designed for kids that are naturally born smart.

I'm a parent of borderline AAP student in the IV program. I can't tell you the relief I have with my kid in that classroom. YMMV in every scenario, but this is my experience. I would - and did exert a lot of effort (at home enrichment in math, prep) to ensure my child was admitted. We've since scaled back the at-home work now that I see DC actually being taught... The predominant reason for this is that borderline children will be lost in the general ed classroom. Achieving grade level means they don't get any teacher attention, who will be diverted to ensure that other students catch up with remedial materials. Your child will be doing computer work and will largely be on their own (as I saw in 2nd grade, as well as from other close family children). Contrast to the AAP classroom, where the student will get a dis-proportionate amount of attention from the teacher in their favor to bring up the entire classroom. Heck, the less enrichment I give at home now, the more the school does to keep DC up...

I honestly think the borderline students left in the Gen-ed classroom get the rawest deal. Did I take advantgage of the system? Were there other equally competent children who could have taken my child's place? Maybe... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat for the advantages gained!

I mean, I get where you're coming from. The irony is of course that you're basically admitting you're doing to the other AAP kids what you don't want done to your kid - the other AAP kids who were likely getting even less attention than your kid.

But I get it, because we all are going to do what is in the best interests of our own kid.

Yep - I have no delusions that my child is gifted... They certainly can keep up to the bottom tier of the class with no issue and largely get 4's. I worked within the parameters of a system I was given to maximize my personal (or my child's) gain. I think that's the job of any parent. I'm not an administrator trying to develop a better system (which would just be gamed in a different way).

Yep AAP is just regular school from 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a family having a kid at AAP in ES, and their child does enrichment at home on math and reading throughout the school year & summer time. Parents work from home, so they get a lot of workbooks for her to work on. She does not do any sports, music/art class, summer camp but academic only. Parents tell me that they prepare her a year ahead to get through AAP easier.

What is the purpose of AAP if kids have to be enriched this way to keep up? Does most AAP kids in ES have to do enrichment to keep up or else struggling or falling behind? I though AAP is designed for kids that are naturally born smart.

I'm a parent of borderline AAP student in the IV program. I can't tell you the relief I have with my kid in that classroom. YMMV in every scenario, but this is my experience. I would - and did exert a lot of effort (at home enrichment in math, prep) to ensure my child was admitted. We've since scaled back the at-home work now that I see DC actually being taught... The predominant reason for this is that borderline children will be lost in the general ed classroom. Achieving grade level means they don't get any teacher attention, who will be diverted to ensure that other students catch up with remedial materials. Your child will be doing computer work and will largely be on their own (as I saw in 2nd grade, as well as from other close family children). Contrast to the AAP classroom, where the student will get a dis-proportionate amount of attention from the teacher in their favor to bring up the entire classroom. Heck, the less enrichment I give at home now, the more the school does to keep DC up...

I honestly think the borderline students left in the Gen-ed classroom get the rawest deal. Did I take advantgage of the system? Were there other equally competent children who could have taken my child's place? Maybe... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat for the advantages gained!

I mean, I get where you're coming from. The irony is of course that you're basically admitting you're doing to the other AAP kids what you don't want done to your kid - the other AAP kids who were likely getting even less attention than your kid.

But I get it, because we all are going to do what is in the best interests of our own kid.

Yep - I have no delusions that my child is gifted... They certainly can keep up to the bottom tier of the class with no issue and largely get 4's. I worked within the parameters of a system I was given to maximize my personal (or my child's) gain. I think that's the job of any parent. I'm not an administrator trying to develop a better system (which would just be gamed in a different way).

I don't think you did anything wrong with this. Parents advocating for their kids aren't the problem. Teachers and admins who coddle the low performers in AAP are the problem.

"Contrast to the AAP classroom, where the student will get a dis-proportionate amount of attention from the teacher in their favor to bring up the entire classroom. Heck, the less enrichment I give at home now, the more the school does to keep DC up..."

The AAP teachers should not give a disproportionate amount of attention to the lowest performers in AAP. AAP should be sink or swim, since every child struggling within the program can drop back down to gen ed. My experience was the same as yours. The kids who didn't belong in AAP sucked up all of the teachers' time, and the class as a whole slowed down to a point where it wasn't meeting the needs of the most advanced kids. But that's not on you or your kid. It's on the teachers and principal who let your kid slow the class down.

[Anonymous]

Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

It depends. I would not fault the teacher. I would work with my child to keep them up to the current pace. For example, our school does not give homework in 3rd grade; I would supplement at home to ensure their ability to keep up. I would rely and lean on the teacher to help guide me in the best methods of helping at home other than generic "read for 30 mins" or "do ST Math". I might even throw money at the problem with tutoring. If it's truly not a match and affecting my child's self-esteem or social interactions, I would consider moving from the center back to the LLIV program, and then back to Gen-ed if necessary. More than anything, I want my child to succeed in their endeavors and feel confident; I'm not just focused on status as an AAP student/parent. However, I have more faith in the IV teachers and their ability to teach and intervene, so I find this unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

It depends. I would not fault the teacher. I would work with my child to keep them up to the current pace. For example, our school does not give homework in 3rd grade; I would supplement at home to ensure their ability to keep up. I would rely and lean on the teacher to help guide me in the best methods of helping at home other than generic "read for 30 mins" or "do ST Math". I might even throw money at the problem with tutoring. If it's truly not a match and affecting my child's self-esteem or social interactions, I would consider moving from the center back to the LLIV program, and then back to Gen-ed if necessary. More than anything, I want my child to succeed in their endeavors and feel confident; I'm not just focused on status as an AAP student/parent. However, I have more faith in the IV teachers and their ability to teach and intervene, so I find this unlikely.

Sorry - Same poster as above... I meant to add - This is entirely the exact scenario that the Original Poster brought up... Why does an AAP student need enrichment to keep up on class-level. Again - this is hypothetical; I'm not in that scenario, but I could envision myself doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

I would move my kid back. I'd much rather have my kid at the top of the gen ed classroom than the bottom of the AAP one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

When my older one was in 5th grade, for the first quarter, many kids in the whole grade including AAP classes got 1 or 2 for Language Art. Teacher emailed parents explaining that the 5th grade become more rigor, this was normal and students grade would increase and teachers expected majority to get 3/4 at the end of the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

It depends. I would not fault the teacher. I would work with my child to keep them up to the current pace. For example, our school does not give homework in 3rd grade; I would supplement at home to ensure their ability to keep up. I would rely and lean on the teacher to help guide me in the best methods of helping at home other than generic "read for 30 mins" or "do ST Math". I might even throw money at the problem with tutoring. If it's truly not a match and affecting my child's self-esteem or social interactions, I would consider moving from the center back to the LLIV program, and then back to Gen-ed if necessary. More than anything, I want my child to succeed in their endeavors and feel confident; I'm not just focused on status as an AAP student/parent. However, I have more faith in the IV teachers and their ability to teach and intervene, so I find this unlikely.

You are saying that kids don't ever receive a 2? That's just a blatant lie. Kids in gen-ed get a "2" all the time and the principal doesn't say "it's the teacher's resposanbilitity that kids get a 4". Same in APP. Stop the drama. Go chill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

Meant to respond to this PP.

You are saying that kids don't ever receive a 2? That's just a blatant lie. Kids in gen-ed get a "2" all the time and the principal doesn't say "it's the teacher's responsibility that kids get a 4". Same in APP. Stop the drama. Go chill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would either of you move your child back to the Gen Ed classroom if they were getting 2's in AAP? I am guessing the answer is no. You would complain that the Teacher is not doing their job and not admit that they know that their kid does not belong in LIV.

The unfortunate reality is that once you are committee selected into LIV you cannot be removed from LIV. The Teachers are not going to be allowed to say "It's LIV, the kids who can't hack it are getting 2's." The Parents would throw a fit and the Principal is going to tell the Teachers that it is their responsibility to work with those kids. The only way to do so is to slow down LIV so that the kids who don't belong there are able to keep up.

It depends. I would not fault the teacher. I would work with my child to keep them up to the current pace. For example, our school does not give homework in 3rd grade; I would supplement at home to ensure their ability to keep up. I would rely and lean on the teacher to help guide me in the best methods of helping at home other than generic "read for 30 mins" or "do ST Math". I might even throw money at the problem with tutoring. If it's truly not a match and affecting my child's self-esteem or social interactions, I would consider moving from the center back to the LLIV program, and then back to Gen-ed if necessary. More than anything, I want my child to succeed in their endeavors and feel confident; I'm not just focused on status as an AAP student/parent. However, I have more faith in the IV teachers and their ability to teach and intervene, so I find this unlikely.

Sorry - Same poster as above... I meant to add - This is entirely the exact scenario that the Original Poster brought up... Why does an AAP student need enrichment to keep up on class-level. Again - this is hypothetical; I'm not in that scenario, but I could envision myself doing so.

This is a normal side effect of an imperfect selection process. If not a single child struggled at all, that would mean the AAP class would be going far too slowly.