Dumbing down Flint Hill AAP?

[Anonymous]

At the AAP orientation at Flint Hill, we were told that from this fall, there would be no separate AAP class for 3rd grade. Instead, all the AAP students who are found eligible for Level 4 services and who remain at Flint Hill, would be distributed across all the 4 3rd grade sections. AAP students would be brought together for Math and Language arts only.

They would use this model for 3rd grade this coming fall and in following years the same model would be used for 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

To me this looks like dumbing down of the AAP program. We were originally planning to stay at Flint Hill, but with this change, I am not sure if Flint Hill program would be even close to the AAP program at the center school.

This is the impression I got after hearing the presentation and I could be wrong in this assessment. Please share your thoughts on this.

Thank you

[Anonymous]

Your subject is really offensive.

I had heard that this change was coming and I think it's a really interesting approach and I'm interested to see how it pans out. I think it will help to lessen the "us vs. them" mentality that exists. Had it been an option when we were making the decision for our child (we chose to move to LAES), it would have made the decision much more difficult as I found the biggest negative of the LLIV to be the fact that the children remained in class with the same students for four straight years.

[Anonymous]

I personally would avoid any program that does abrupt changes like this - your child is the guinea pig to see whether it works. yes, I am aware of other schools that do this model but there are always kinks to any new program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the AAP orientation at Flint Hill, we were told that from this fall, there would be no separate AAP class for 3rd grade. Instead, all the AAP students who are found eligible for Level 4 services and who remain at Flint Hill, would be distributed across all the 4 3rd grade sections. AAP students would be brought together for Math and Language arts only.

They would use this model for 3rd grade this coming fall and in following years the same model would be used for 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

To me this looks like dumbing down of the AAP program. We were originally planning to stay at Flint Hill, but with this change, I am not sure if Flint Hill program would be even close to the AAP program at the center school.

This is the impression I got after hearing the presentation and I could be wrong in this assessment. Please share your thoughts on this.

Thank you

Wow, pretty arrogant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your subject is really offensive.

I had heard that this change was coming and I think it's a really interesting approach and I'm interested to see how it pans out. I think it will help to lessen the "us vs. them" mentality that exists. Had it been an option when we were making the decision for our child (we chose to move to LAES), it would have made the decision much more difficult as I found the biggest negative of the LLIV to be the fact that the children remained in class with the same students for four straight years.

+1
IMO, this would be a huge plus. So sick of the kids always being separate from one another when there's just no need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the AAP orientation at Flint Hill, we were told that from this fall, there would be no separate AAP class for 3rd grade. Instead, all the AAP students who are found eligible for Level 4 services and who remain at Flint Hill, would be distributed across all the 4 3rd grade sections. AAP students would be brought together for Math and Language arts only.

They would use this model for 3rd grade this coming fall and in following years the same model would be used for 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

To me this looks like dumbing down of the AAP program. We were originally planning to stay at Flint Hill, but with this change, I am not sure if Flint Hill program would be even close to the AAP program at the center school.

This is the impression I got after hearing the presentation and I could be wrong in this assessment. Please share your thoughts on this.

Thank you

Wow, pretty arrogant.

Not really. It's natural to wonder how science and social studies might differ under such a plan as compared to full course AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the AAP orientation at Flint Hill, we were told that from this fall, there would be no separate AAP class for 3rd grade. Instead, all the AAP students who are found eligible for Level 4 services and who remain at Flint Hill, would be distributed across all the 4 3rd grade sections. AAP students would be brought together for Math and Language arts only.

They would use this model for 3rd grade this coming fall and in following years the same model would be used for 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

To me this looks like dumbing down of the AAP program. We were originally planning to stay at Flint Hill, but with this change, I am not sure if Flint Hill program would be even close to the AAP program at the center school.

This is the impression I got after hearing the presentation and I could be wrong in this assessment. Please share your thoughts on this.

Thank you

Wow, pretty arrogant.

Not really. It's natural to wonder how science and social studies might differ under such a plan as compared to full course AAP.

My understanding is that the school provides the advanced level of those subjects (more as supplement).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally would avoid any program that does abrupt changes like this - your child is the guinea pig to see whether it works. yes, I am aware of other schools that do this model but there are always kinks to any new program.

I totally agree. It could work really well, or not. How many other schools do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the AAP orientation at Flint Hill, we were told that from this fall, there would be no separate AAP class for 3rd grade. Instead, all the AAP students who are found eligible for Level 4 services and who remain at Flint Hill, would be distributed across all the 4 3rd grade sections. AAP students would be brought together for Math and Language arts only.

They would use this model for 3rd grade this coming fall and in following years the same model would be used for 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

To me this looks like dumbing down of the AAP program. We were originally planning to stay at Flint Hill, but with this change, I am not sure if Flint Hill program would be even close to the AAP program at the center school.

This is the impression I got after hearing the presentation and I could be wrong in this assessment. Please share your thoughts on this.

Thank you

Wow, pretty arrogant.

Not really. It's natural to wonder how science and social studies might differ under such a plan as compared to full course AAP.

I know some schools have instituted the full AAP curriculum for all students in science and social studies. Perhaps, Flint Hill will be doing that as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally would avoid any program that does abrupt changes like this - your child is the guinea pig to see whether it works. yes, I am aware of other schools that do this model but there are always kinks to any new program.

I totally agree. It could work really well, or not. How many other schools do this?

Many schools in McLean have been doing this for years. It works very well. Flint Hill is a similar school- one where there are many smart kids in Gen-Ed and the line between AAP and Gen-ED is blurred. They use the AAP curriculum for science and social studies for all students.

[Anonymous]

This is what they are doing at Wolftrap, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what they are doing at Wolftrap, right?

Yes, they are. Wolftrap has previously had a full class of AAP eligible students and then also has a large group who qualify for level 2 and 3 services to the point where more than half the school is above grade level in some subject. So most of the parents don't really care that for about 3 hours out of the week, their kids are mixed for science and social studies since at least half of any class is above grade level anyway. There is an enrichment/remedial time where kids can get extra help if needed or do additional project. The science and social studies program allows for advancement without being so fast that all the kids can't keep up. Many parents also like that the entire grade is integrated for lunch, recess, and specials. Wolftrap is lucky that each grade can go to the cafeteria and have recess all at the same time so there is a lot of mixing. If your kid only gets along with nerdy kids, they can still do so for most of the day but they also get exposed to children who might not be as strong in academics but strong in something else and I think this is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

The one complaint I've heard at Wolftrap is that the teachers aren't on the same page all the time, but often the teacher who is most liked for science and social studies isn't the AAP teacher, but a general ed teacher. Before the program started, I think there was less of a need for the teachers to communicate with one another. Now that the program is integrated it becomes more important for them to meet as a team.

[Anonymous]

Dumb and proud of it is their motto. If you want a challenge for your DC, go to the center school.

[Anonymous]

My child is at a different Local level 4 AAP. If I had heard this before he had started AAP a few years ago, I wouldn't have liked it. Now that he is in his fourth year (6th grade) of being with the same kids every year, I think I would have liked this new approach by Flint Hill better. Why? Because at first it was great to always be with the same kids, but then cliques happen and everyone is always in the same clique, and they don't have to try to make new friends. Plus when there has been trouble with friends, then your kid is stuck, still there the next year and the year after with the same kids.