Sound off if you think AAP is BS

[Anonymous]

Anytime the top is taken away in academic or sports, it hurts the group that is left behind.

[Anonymous]

I think all of the curriculum in fcps needs rework. AAP and non AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the original concept - where there exists a very small percentage of kids that have a high IQ and at one time were not able to access a curriculum that met their needs. I do believe maybe *AT MOST* and I'm being generous - 5% of FCPS kids have a very high IQ and have exceptionally gifted capabilities. Those kids should have special resources. Fine.

That being said, the situation that has devolved over the past 3 decades is a joke. I am seeing overbearing parents pushing their kids to steal a ticket into the program and I am getting sick of it. Schools have between 25% - 50% gifted students across the board. What is the point of that?

What if we decided to create a special classroom for children gifted in sports? Why not? Time and time again, those gifted in sports become our brilliant leaders of the future? Why not continue to foster those values in the classroom?

What if we decided to create special classrooms for children gifted in beauty? How would society react to that? One could argue that beauty is a major factor to success. Intelligence is not a definitive indicator of success.

Anyone else see how ridiculous and unequal this has all become? If you don't then please help me understand otherwise.

I am most interested in hearing responses from parents of kids who are non-AAP.

+100

haha This is perhaps the dopiest post I've seen so far. And then someone adds +100 Durrrrrrs to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

Yes! These classrooms can be a bit chaotic with all the different trains of thought, competition, and a number of students with ADHD!

I've two in AAP. There are a few - as in maybe 1-2 in each class they've had who are kids who clearly have something going on that it is obvious to an outsider but not THAT disruptive that it affects my kids' learning. This is always thrown in (along with AAP classes being "so big") as the sour grapes reasons why you don't want those classes for your kids anyway. The type of thing you might see is ONE kid who has a little more difficulty controlling himself so he might call out ON OCCASSION or zone out when the teacher is looking for hand raising type thing. You're not looking at kids who are climbing like monkeys and grooming each other, type of chaos. It is not a zoo by any means whatsoever. Between my two, I've seen 4 full years of AAP classes (almost 5 by the end of this year). I also taught in the county at a center school for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

Yes! These classrooms can be a bit chaotic with all the different trains of thought, competition, and a number of students with ADHD!

I've two in AAP. There are a few - as in maybe 1-2 in each class they've had who are kids who clearly have something going on that it is obvious to an outsider but not THAT disruptive that it affects my kids' learning. This is always thrown in (along with AAP classes being "so big") as the sour grapes reasons why you don't want those classes for your kids anyway. The type of thing you might see is ONE kid who has a little more difficulty controlling himself so he might call out ON OCCASSION or zone out when the teacher is looking for hand raising type thing. You're not looking at kids who are climbing like monkeys and grooming each other, type of chaos. It is not a zoo by any means whatsoever. Between my two, I've seen 4 full years of AAP classes (almost 5 by the end of this year). I also taught in the county at a center school for years.

I found the comment about kids in AAP having ADHD to be offensive.

[Anonymous]

^^ to clarify, I thought it was offensive to those kids insinuating they are behavior problems.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally, my neighbor had a child in an FCPS ED center who easily qualified for AAP but they said they didn't have the staffing to support him at the center so he couldn't go. Since kids who are in self-contained classes often join the general ed classes for part of the day, it seems to logically follow that the AAP center classes would have fewer disruptive kids or kids who need extra help.

I assume this means at schools with a lot of AAP classes, the non-AAP classes have a much higher concentration of ESOL and kids with SN who need more teacher attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

It is not a gifted program. FCPS did away with its gifted program (in early 2000s??). Now it is Advanced Academics. There is a difference - AAP is intended to be more inclusive. It is not intended to be only for the gifted. So gifted still has its meaning - it just doesn't apply to FCPS AAP.

Thank you for this clarification. Lots of AAP parents think their student is gifted when they are just "high performers."

Scores don't lie

NP. Reading through the recent admission thread, some kids scored well above the required numbers and didn't get in, whereas others scored below the threshold and were offered admission on the first go. I'm new to all this, but that seems very fishy to me.

[Anonymous]

PP it seems even stranger that the AAP designation remains with the child through the child's career through middle school. You activate/deactivate it at will. However, if your kid is getting IV advanced math at our base or a few other schools -- he/she has to be re-qualified each year. In other words, a kid can be in an advanced math this year, but next year the school he/she may not be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

Yes! These classrooms can be a bit chaotic with all the different trains of thought, competition, and a number of students with ADHD!

I've two in AAP. There are a few - as in maybe 1-2 in each class they've had who are kids who clearly have something going on that it is obvious to an outsider but not THAT disruptive that it affects my kids' learning. This is always thrown in (along with AAP classes being "so big") as the sour grapes reasons why you don't want those classes for your kids anyway. The type of thing you might see is ONE kid who has a little more difficulty controlling himself so he might call out ON OCCASSION or zone out when the teacher is looking for hand raising type thing. You're not looking at kids who are climbing like monkeys and grooming each other, type of chaos. It is not a zoo by any means whatsoever. Between my two, I've seen 4 full years of AAP classes (almost 5 by the end of this year). I also taught in the county at a center school for years.

I found the comment about kids in AAP having ADHD to be offensive.

This...and neither of mine have ADHD.