AAP "Centers" vs Schools with Local Level IV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I wonder if Providence "sold" their program better or if people are generally happier at Providence as a whole (culture, environment, etc) and just didn't want to leave. Just anecdotally, a couple of parents I've spoken with who left DR for MW had older children that had had the Center experience and loved it and they didn't think DR's local program would compare.

That's the reason. Before the LLIV opened, Providence had a lot of LIV eligible students stay there for Level III.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wonder if Providence "sold" their program better or if people are generally happier at Providence as a whole (culture, environment, etc) and just didn't want to leave. Just anecdotally, a couple of parents I've spoken with who left DR for MW had older children that had had the Center experience and loved it and they didn't think DR's local program would compare.

That's the reason. Before the LLIV opened, Providence had a lot of LIV eligible students stay there for Level III.

I'd like to know more about the rigor of the local program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wonder if Providence "sold" their program better or if people are generally happier at Providence as a whole (culture, environment, etc) and just didn't want to leave. Just anecdotally, a couple of parents I've spoken with who left DR for MW had older children that had had the Center experience and loved it and they didn't think DR's local program would compare.

That's the reason. Before the LLIV opened, Providence had a lot of LIV eligible students stay there for Level III.

I'd like to know more about the rigor of the local program.

My kids attended Providence before the LLIV opened, so I don't know what the LLIV program has to offer. Level III was advanced math starting in 2nd grade, differentiated reading groups, really cool Science pull outs for Level III, Science Olympiad as a free extracurricular, and Math Olympiad given in the advanced math classes. Providence also had fairly small classes and a cool STEAM lab, where kids would do 1 science or engineering project each quarter. They've also had fantastic principals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wonder if Providence "sold" their program better or if people are generally happier at Providence as a whole (culture, environment, etc) and just didn't want to leave. Just anecdotally, a couple of parents I've spoken with who left DR for MW had older children that had had the Center experience and loved it and they didn't think DR's local program would compare.

That's the reason. Before the LLIV opened, Providence had a lot of LIV eligible students stay there for Level III.

I'd like to know more about the rigor of the local program.

My kids attended Providence before the LLIV opened, so I don't know what the LLIV program has to offer. Level III was advanced math starting in 2nd grade, differentiated reading groups, really cool Science pull outs for Level III, Science Olympiad as a free extracurricular, and Math Olympiad given in the advanced math classes. Providence also had fairly small classes and a cool STEAM lab, where kids would do 1 science or engineering project each quarter. They've also had fantastic principals.

We’re your kids eligible for Lwvwl IV and you declined sevices?

[Anonymous]

What about LLIV at Marshall Road ES versus Center at Mosby Woods?

[Anonymous]

What about Level IV at Clermont vs Bush Hill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Level IV at Clermont vs Bush Hill?

Was just at the AAP meeting this morning at Clermont and the coordinator was talking about how Bush Hill will be a new Level IV center, I think when the construction is done? Sorry I don't know more, my kid is too little at this point for me to know if this will even be a thing for us.

[Anonymous]

Bush Hill became a center last year.

[Anonymous]

Any thoughts about Sunrise Valley Elementary School (Center) vs Flint Hill Elementary School (Local LIV)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Kent Gardens for local vs. Churchill for Center.

Also, how's about Camelot Local IV vs. Mantua? (Center)

We have been VERY happy with Camelot local level IV and glad we decided to stay.

Another Camelot parent that stayed. We LOVE the school and all the AAP teachers are fantastic. We were also very taken aback after speaking with the Center school as it was vey clear they didn’t want you to choose them. They highlighted every negative they could think of.

If our 2nd gets in this year we will stay at our local level IV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westgate local vs. Lemon Road center?

Definitely lemon, westgate is not good and the smart kids leave

[Anonymous]

Looks at the school profile statistics to check how many kids stay and what the participants consist of , if they are staying and have all level 4 it is a good program, if they leave and have level 3s it's fake aap and bad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the fcps school profile numbers, if a large amount stay then it's good

Where can you find this?

go to each school profile page, look at the demographics tab, look at the Advanced Academics - Level IV % and look at the mobility rate. If the AAP level is low and the mobility is high then it's not a strong level iv

ideal should be at least 20% in AAP (higher is better)
mobility should be below 10%

This is interesting. We are at Fox Mill, Local Level IV starts next year so there is no AAP specific numbers to look at. I would assume the 19 entries are JI kids. There are 18 departures, I know that there are around 10 kids on average accepted into AAP (AART said so) so I am assuming that 18 would be kids leaving for Oak Hill and kids who left the school but there is no way to know which is which.

We deferred placement in favor of the JI program with Advanced Math and Level III pull outs. I get the feeling that this is a common decision at the school.

[Anonymous]

And yet they all end up in the same AAP classes in middle school. Are local level IV kids then failing classes in MS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot to be said for the “neighborhood “ angle— even in a place like Vienna. I think it is one of the drawbacks to a Center school. At places like Louise Archt (even though it is a very nice school) parents of kids with multiples get torn between multiple children at different schools. I don’t think the parent community (or PTA) is nearly as active at LAES as it is at Wolftrap or Flint Hill.

Ad to whether a center school is better than lical level IV, that depends a lot on the local school. If your kid comes from a local scool where only 3-5 kids get into AAP each year, they’re not likely to have a strong Level IV program. But schools like Wolftrap and Flint Hill tend to have 15-30 kids get in each year. That’s enough for a good local program.

DS is at Fox Mill, his center school is Oak Hill. The one communication we received from them last year said that there was room for siblings in every grade and they would approve transfers. Clearly some of the Centers are aware that the sibling split is an issue for many parents.