Are all AAP centers (including LLIVs) created equal?

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a (speculated) hierarchy among FCPS LIV centers and in-house programs. What do you like about your DC's AAP center/LLIV ? What made you switch to. a center / stay at base school ?

[Anonymous]

There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

Are you talking about one local level IV school? They are not uniformly implemented. I also wonder how you can even make a comparison to the center school if you only did level IV. The OP asked for help- these generalizations without substance isn't helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

Are you talking about one local level IV school? They are not uniformly implemented. I also wonder how you can even make a comparison to the center school if you only did level IV. The OP asked for help- these generalizations without substance isn't helpful.

The idea, at least in McLean and parts of Vienna would be to eventually put LLIV in local schools where there is critical mass, so that ultimately busing to a center (and out of a local school) becomes unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

Are you talking about one local level IV school? They are not uniformly implemented. I also wonder how you can even make a comparison to the center school if you only did level IV. The OP asked for help- these generalizations without substance isn't helpful.

The idea, at least in McLean and parts of Vienna would be to eventually put LLIV in local schools where there is critical mass, so that ultimately busing to a center (and out of a local school) becomes unnecessary.

There was a thread at some point where numbers were actually shared. I think there were 8 schools with 25+ kids per year.

I am wondering if 20 is a reasonable cutoff, though.

Any way, there are some schools where offering the center as an option is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I have taught at a LLIV and a center. Same curriculum. Fidelity of implementation depends on the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

Are you talking about one local level IV school? They are not uniformly implemented. I also wonder how you can even make a comparison to the center school if you only did level IV. The OP asked for help- these generalizations without substance isn't helpful.

The idea, at least in McLean and parts of Vienna would be to eventually put LLIV in local schools where there is critical mass, so that ultimately busing to a center (and out of a local school) becomes unnecessary.

There was a thread at some point where numbers were actually shared. I think there were 8 schools with 25+ kids per year.

I am wondering if 20 is a reasonable cutoff, though.

Any way, there are some schools where offering the center as an option is ridiculous.

Yep. Great Falls, Forestville, Spring Hill, Wolf Trap, to name just a few.

[Anonymous]

Great Falls ESi is the CROWN JEWEL of FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is A LOT of misunderstanding about some LLIV vs. Center programs. Some people seem to be under the impression that there is a special curriculum at centers (which is not true; teachers are teaching extensions in the curriculum that is set by FCPS for ALL students) or that the teachers have some special training/certification (which is not true; most teachers hold an endorsement in GT and/or AAP, but that's true of teachers at MANY schools, certainly not just at centers).

I think some of the LLIV settings are the hidden secret. I wish more people recognized how fantastic some of the LLIV settings are.

They likely will when LLIV becomes the only option at many schools in the area.

Is this actually under consideration? I sure as hell hope so.

Me too. I only wish they could have implemented this change years ago.

Are you talking about one local level IV school? They are not uniformly implemented. I also wonder how you can even make a comparison to the center school if you only did level IV. The OP asked for help- these generalizations without substance isn't helpful.

The idea, at least in McLean and parts of Vienna would be to eventually put LLIV in local schools where there is critical mass, so that ultimately busing to a center (and out of a local school) becomes unnecessary.

There was a thread at some point where numbers were actually shared. I think there were 8 schools with 25+ kids per year.

I am wondering if 20 is a reasonable cutoff, though.

Any way, there are some schools where offering the center as an option is ridiculous.

Yep. Great Falls, Forestville, Spring Hill, Wolf Trap, to name just a few.

Yes we are at Forestville, and I was just talking to a parent of a child referred to AAP next year. Our AAP center is Forest Edge. He said that last year only one student went to the center at Forest Edge and all the other AAP kids stayed at Forestville. They are staying at Forestville too for Local Level IV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a (speculated) hierarchy among FCPS LIV centers and in-house programs. What do you like about your DC's AAP center/LLIV ? What made you switch to. a center / stay at base school ?

Center classes are all AAP all the time in the core academic classes, and the entire class is kids who qualified for AAP. I understand that in local level IV there are not usually enough AAP kids to create entire classes so principals can choose other kids to be in the class. I'm sure it works out fine. Full disclosure, our child did AAP centers from third through eighth grades and had excellent teachers and great instruction. I can only speak to centers and not any personal experience of LL IV. I just know that the class makeup can be somewhat different.

A key reason we went with the center is that our experience in K through 2 was that "differentiation in the classroom" that was supposed to meet the needs of all kids did not meet the needs of kids who could move faster or who could be challenged more. Our base school had issues and teachers had to focus on bringing up overall test scores and helping a lot of remedial learners. That's essential of course but meant that the idea of differentiation to keep other learners engaged wasn't really done at all. This was before there was all the talk about LL IV in more schools etc. so staying at our base was just not an option at all at that time.

If you are looking at a choice between a center and an LLIV at a base school, visit the center and take your child with you, and ask your question of the center staff as well as the LLIV staff at the base school, and see how they compare things. Ask for specific examples -- "Lay out for me how the same curriculum works in AAP and in general ed" and ask them to give a few specific examples.

[Anonymous]

I still think it comes down to some schools have critical mass and some don't. If you can fill a classroom with center-eligible children year after year, then there is zero reason for a center option to be offered - place a LLIV teacher for each grade level in that school and leave the centers for the kids at schools without that many center eligible students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still think it comes down to some schools have critical mass and some don't. If you can fill a classroom with center-eligible children year after year, then there is zero reason for a center option to be offered - place a LLIV teacher for each grade level in that school and leave the centers for the kids at schools without that many center eligible students.

I'm sorry, your suggestion is entirely too reasonable.