Basal Training

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does AAP classes and GE classes both use basal?

Maybe

Yes. It’s for all students K-6.

Last I heard, it had not been finalized whether AAP ELA would be identical or abbreviated/test out.

AAP teachers are being told quarter 1 to just do basal.

Then what would they do instead? Is the county going to write a special AAP LA program?

Just quarter 1? They told you that in the training?

My teammate went to training. They want all teachers focused on using basal for quarter 1 and then slowly can introduce AAP stuff starting quarter 2 if time allows. I would say AAP Language Arts will look extremely different this year and parents/teachers don’t have much say in this change. The science of reading is law now in VA so this isn’t an FCPS thing but VA thing.

But Benchmark continues to get used. That’s the impression I got from the parking lot questions.

[Anonymous]

I am mostly OK with this new adventure. But the assessment piece is a lot. I teach Kindergarten so I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around these assessments especially during our testing window for our other tests. And 1-3 are doing the VALLS too so it’s a lot to get used to for everyone.

And it seems to be very time consuming. I am thinking that gone are the crafts and more fun things but at least we still have choice time.

And we can choose other read alouds from their list and when asked if we can still read other books that we’ve always loved, we were told yes- if you have the time which you won’t. LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does AAP classes and GE classes both use basal?

Yes.

100% yes. I’ve heard the AAP office is not very happy about this.

They shouldn’t be. THIS is the major issue with the science of reading curriculums coming out right now. They are using direct instruction with zero differentiation to accelerate children who naturally/early and have mastered the basics. Phonics curriculums are important, but they still need to meet kids where they are. They claim whole group direct instruction is the only way. It is solving the problem in a clumsy way. Even medicine is moving to more personalized medicine, but not schools. It is going backwards, when we should move the science forwards.

Upper elementary, where AAP is found, doesn’t teach phonics to the class. There will be morphology, and spelling, and a TON of writing. The program has extension for kids who need that. I can’t imagine how you would “test out” of a unit. The reading level of most of the materials are much higher than the average 5th grader but probably not as high as many kids could go. Some parents of AAP claim their kid is reading high enough to read Chaucer but it doesn’t mean they’d understand all of the complexities of the text. There is plenty to be learned in the curriculum, though I’m not really a fan of the topics of some units.

Doesn’t AAP start in at least 2nd with level 2?

No. Level 2 is not AAP.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs

FCPS offers a continuum of services for elementary students to meet their current academic needs. The continuum of services supports the two main goals of the Advanced Academic Programs Office:

Talent Development
Meeting the Needs of the Advanced Learner
Access to Rigor (level I): Grades K-6 – All students receive talent development lessons with critical and creative thinking strategies and AAP curriculum lessons.

Subject Specific Advanced Differentiation (level II): Grades K-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in the general education setting in areas of academic strength.

Part-Time Services (level III): Grades 3-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in more than one academic content area. The Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) leads these lessons. Programming has increased depth and complexity in several content areas.

Full-Time Services (level IV): Grades 3-8 –Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons full-time. Programming has increased depth, complexity, and pace in all academic content areas.

Yes, it apparently is and level 2 is in grades K-6 and children are supposed to receive AAP lessons in gen ed.
It happened to my kid in grades 1 and 2 before he went to full time AAP in third.

So, yes I can see why the AAP office isn’t happy.

The way level 2 and 3 are addressed in gen ed is usually by a monthly whole class lesson by the AART or something similar. They are not getting daily AAP services like the level 4 class.

Oh- how is the AART differentiating between the gen ed and AAP students and giving each AAP student “curriculum lessons in their area of strength”

Sounds more like they just come in and do a cut and paste worksheet with a few kids and then leave without addressing the extensions of curriculum in each child’s “area of strength”

Ahhh, I see you think gen ed kids are stupid and can’t do “AAP” level 2 work. Areas of strength = math, reading, science or social studies. A level 2 student generally has only one area of strength. The whole class can do an AAP lesson and the teacher differentiates up and down with supports or extensions. And many lessons are cross-curricular, so 2 birds, 1 stone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does AAP classes and GE classes both use basal?

Yes.

100% yes. I’ve heard the AAP office is not very happy about this.

They shouldn’t be. THIS is the major issue with the science of reading curriculums coming out right now. They are using direct instruction with zero differentiation to accelerate children who naturally/early and have mastered the basics. Phonics curriculums are important, but they still need to meet kids where they are. They claim whole group direct instruction is the only way. It is solving the problem in a clumsy way. Even medicine is moving to more personalized medicine, but not schools. It is going backwards, when we should move the science forwards.

Upper elementary, where AAP is found, doesn’t teach phonics to the class. There will be morphology, and spelling, and a TON of writing. The program has extension for kids who need that. I can’t imagine how you would “test out” of a unit. The reading level of most of the materials are much higher than the average 5th grader but probably not as high as many kids could go. Some parents of AAP claim their kid is reading high enough to read Chaucer but it doesn’t mean they’d understand all of the complexities of the text. There is plenty to be learned in the curriculum, though I’m not really a fan of the topics of some units.

Doesn’t AAP start in at least 2nd with level 2?

No. Level 2 is not AAP.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs

FCPS offers a continuum of services for elementary students to meet their current academic needs. The continuum of services supports the two main goals of the Advanced Academic Programs Office:

Talent Development
Meeting the Needs of the Advanced Learner
Access to Rigor (level I): Grades K-6 – All students receive talent development lessons with critical and creative thinking strategies and AAP curriculum lessons.

Subject Specific Advanced Differentiation (level II): Grades K-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in the general education setting in areas of academic strength.

Part-Time Services (level III): Grades 3-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in more than one academic content area. The Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) leads these lessons. Programming has increased depth and complexity in several content areas.

Full-Time Services (level IV): Grades 3-8 –Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons full-time. Programming has increased depth, complexity, and pace in all academic content areas.

Yes, it apparently is and level 2 is in grades K-6 and children are supposed to receive AAP lessons in gen ed.
It happened to my kid in grades 1 and 2 before he went to full time AAP in third.

So, yes I can see why the AAP office isn’t happy.

The way level 2 and 3 are addressed in gen ed is usually by a monthly whole class lesson by the AART or something similar. They are not getting daily AAP services like the level 4 class.

Oh- how is the AART differentiating between the gen ed and AAP students and giving each AAP student “curriculum lessons in their area of strength”

Sounds more like they just come in and do a cut and paste worksheet with a few kids and then leave without addressing the extensions of curriculum in each child’s “area of strength”

Ahhh, I see you think gen ed kids are stupid and can’t do “AAP” level 2 work. Areas of strength = math, reading, science or social studies. A level 2 student generally has only one area of strength. The whole class can do an AAP lesson and the teacher differentiates up and down with supports or extensions. And many lessons are cross-curricular, so 2 birds, 1 stone.

Noooooo I think AAP level 2 is a joke and the county shouldn’t even bother listing it on their website if it doesn’t involve what it claims to. Especially now with the basal coming in and not allowing differentiation. If a kid is “advanced” in 4 areas, the teacher how is a teacher really differentiating 4 times in each area with that kid. If it is “cross -curricular” then the kid isn’t receiving special instruction in 1 area, they are receiving it in all areas regardless of the area of need.
So, they are just pretending to give differentiated instruction, when in fact, they are giving the same thing to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does AAP classes and GE classes both use basal?

Yes.

100% yes. I’ve heard the AAP office is not very happy about this.

They shouldn’t be. THIS is the major issue with the science of reading curriculums coming out right now. They are using direct instruction with zero differentiation to accelerate children who naturally/early and have mastered the basics. Phonics curriculums are important, but they still need to meet kids where they are. They claim whole group direct instruction is the only way. It is solving the problem in a clumsy way. Even medicine is moving to more personalized medicine, but not schools. It is going backwards, when we should move the science forwards.

Upper elementary, where AAP is found, doesn’t teach phonics to the class. There will be morphology, and spelling, and a TON of writing. The program has extension for kids who need that. I can’t imagine how you would “test out” of a unit. The reading level of most of the materials are much higher than the average 5th grader but probably not as high as many kids could go. Some parents of AAP claim their kid is reading high enough to read Chaucer but it doesn’t mean they’d understand all of the complexities of the text. There is plenty to be learned in the curriculum, though I’m not really a fan of the topics of some units.

Doesn’t AAP start in at least 2nd with level 2?

No. Level 2 is not AAP.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs

FCPS offers a continuum of services for elementary students to meet their current academic needs. The continuum of services supports the two main goals of the Advanced Academic Programs Office:

Talent Development
Meeting the Needs of the Advanced Learner
Access to Rigor (level I): Grades K-6 – All students receive talent development lessons with critical and creative thinking strategies and AAP curriculum lessons.

Subject Specific Advanced Differentiation (level II): Grades K-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in the general education setting in areas of academic strength.

Part-Time Services (level III): Grades 3-6 – Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons in more than one academic content area. The Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) leads these lessons. Programming has increased depth and complexity in several content areas.

Full-Time Services (level IV): Grades 3-8 –Identified students receive AAP curriculum lessons full-time. Programming has increased depth, complexity, and pace in all academic content areas.

Yes, it apparently is and level 2 is in grades K-6 and children are supposed to receive AAP lessons in gen ed.
It happened to my kid in grades 1 and 2 before he went to full time AAP in third.

So, yes I can see why the AAP office isn’t happy.

The way level 2 and 3 are addressed in gen ed is usually by a monthly whole class lesson by the AART or something similar. They are not getting daily AAP services like the level 4 class.

Oh- how is the AART differentiating between the gen ed and AAP students and giving each AAP student “curriculum lessons in their area of strength”

Sounds more like they just come in and do a cut and paste worksheet with a few kids and then leave without addressing the extensions of curriculum in each child’s “area of strength”

Any differentiation comes from the teacher the AART just comes in once a month and does a canned lesson that’s the same every year.