Why won't FCPS kick kids out of AAP or re-evaluate them annually?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need to go back to GT. Having an entire curriculum for "advanced" kids without having a separate entire curriculum for "behind" kids is inequitable. Why doesn't my kid who is bad at math have her own curriculum?? WHY???

First off, math is just accelerated. Not a separate curriculum. The only things kids will be getting different this year is some slight variations in SS/Science, but content is the same. Language Arts will be the same all across the board with the new basal. The AAP plans for LA are literally a joke/minimal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know they don't belong? Do the teachers discuss others' grades with you?

OP is gatekeeping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The “truly advanced” kids will be okay.

Let's remove AAP then, since they'll be okay anyways

I have long advocated this. Do away with program. Would solve a LOT of problems. And money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The “truly advanced” kids will be okay.

Let's remove AAP then, since they'll be okay anyways

I have long advocated this. Do away with program. Would solve a LOT of problems. And money.

Advocated? Anonymously online?

Do you understand how much AAP benefits Fairfax County overall? High SES families in the DMV literally choose to buy in Fairfax over other areas because of it. That benefits you and your kids, whether your kids are in AAP or not. So clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wondered about this when my kid was going through the program. Annual reevaluation for all kids would be a waste of time and overkill, but kids who are consistently failing the SOLs and unable to keep up with the work should be kicked out. On the flip side, passing advanced on both SOLs and getting 4s across the board should be a guaranteed in. There are very few kids who pass advanced on both reading and math who couldn't handle the pace and curriculum of AAP.

+1

My kid failed to get in (we didn’t prep and he didn’t care about school or tests when he was 6-7 years old) but in 3rd grade he was excelling in the regular classroom and was extremely confused and upset as to why he wasn’t in the advanced class. (Local level 4 at his school.). He got 4s across the board and pass advanced both SOLs so in 4th he was principal placed into AAP and he excelled in that class as well.

He is not gifted, although he is certainly above average in terms of intelligence. But that’s the case for the vast majority of kids in AAP. It’s not actually a gifted program even though many parents are desperate to pretend it is. Any reasonably smart, motivated kid can easily do the work and keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know they don't belong? Do the teachers discuss others' grades with you?

OP is gatekeeping

The entire program is gatekeeping. What’s your point?

[Anonymous]

🍿 I’ll be on the blue ribbon steering committee and survey the stakeholders on annual re evaluations to AAP suitability.

First up: “anonymous” survey via FCPS email

[Anonymous]

This is the most ridiculous post. The criteria for being accepted into AAP is largely subjective, as anyone can tell you. Being "prepped" implies being prepared for testing? Quantitative scores are routinely overlooked by the committee in favor of teacher HOPE scores, parent referral/ appeal letters, and work samples. It's a hot mess, but the OP appears to be a better judge of who "belongs", based on her kid's tattles? What would solve the OP's issue is academic ability groupings by subject area that flexed over time based on quantitative performance, however I suspect loosing the esteem of her kid "belonging" to AAP would not fly here. OP would need to find someone else to feel superior over, pity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the most ridiculous post. The criteria for being accepted into AAP is largely subjective, as anyone can tell you. Being "prepped" implies being prepared for testing? Quantitative scores are routinely overlooked by the committee in favor of teacher HOPE scores, parent referral/ appeal letters, and work samples. It's a hot mess, but the OP appears to be a better judge of who "belongs", based on her kid's tattles? What would solve the OP's issue is academic ability groupings by subject area that flexed over time based on quantitative performance, however I suspect loosing the esteem of her kid "belonging" to AAP would not fly here. OP would need to find someone else to feel superior over, pity.

Thank you for this reply, I feel it's on point. My kid is likely one of the kids that the OP's kid is targeting. She was a big fish in a small pond, now she is a small fish in a bigger pond (academically speaking). It's been tough on her to keep up. After 2 years, I think she finally feels like she belongs. It has taken her longer to spread her wings and carve out her place it would seem. She said, conversely, some of the smarter kids are jerks who know it all. She did like her previous group of classmates better in 2nd grade, but now in 5th she feels like she belongs and has a good friend group at our AAP center. As parents, we wondered if she would have been removed based on her initial performance. Of course the administration said "no," and I am glad we didn't elect to remove her. Removal clearly would have been devastating for her self esteem.

If you kid feels like the slower kids are slowing them down, please maintain some perspective and compassion, because surely, one day, that will not be the case and you would hope the other kids wouldn't feel that way about your own child.

[Anonymous]

I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

This is such a terrible argument! If you admit that any other kid could swap in with yours, and that the environment is better, why would you think you can lay claim to a spot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

This is such a terrible argument! If you admit that any other kid could swap in with yours, and that the environment is better, why would you think you can lay claim to a spot?

Not to mention the weird social implications for the gen ed kids at a center who aren't in, but would do just as well. Constantly being told that you're not smart enough by other kids who think they are superior to you (even when you have all 4s and pass advanced) is just as much of an OUCH.
If it wasn't too much paperwork for the schools I would be all for making kids earn their spots each year. We're supposed to be meeting kids where they're at and giving everyone the education they need, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

This is such a terrible argument! If you admit that any other kid could swap in with yours, and that the environment is better, why would you think you can lay claim to a spot?

I didn't say it was fair. I asked that you stay away from all these "silly" ideas! I selfishly don't want to have to go through that process again and get lucky each and every year. If my child was kicked out, I'd be raising up a storm of litigation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

This is such a terrible argument! If you admit that any other kid could swap in with yours, and that the environment is better, why would you think you can lay claim to a spot?

I didn't say it was fair. I asked that you stay away from all these "silly" ideas! I selfishly don't want to have to go through that process again and get lucky each and every year. If my child was kicked out, I'd be raising up a storm of litigation.

Wow! Is it really worth all that effort?
I'm asking this as a parent of a gen ed kid who has benefited from the smaller class sizes our center school has for gen ed kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm under no delusions my child is "gifted". We worked hard on a parent packet to get him into AAP partially because AAP classrooms have less distractions, move faster, and cover a larger depth of materials. More importantly, as poor and elitist as it sounds, the peer groups tend to be better.

He's not falling behind, but he's not the smartest kid at his table either. I'm fully aware there are just as qualified kids as him in General Ed that could be swapped out with no difference.

All that to say, OP, stay away from your silly ideas that I'd have to re-qualify every year! It was stressful enough the first time, and kid (and parents) don't need the added hardship year to year! Also imagine the social implications of being relegated... Ouch!

This is such a terrible argument! If you admit that any other kid could swap in with yours, and that the environment is better, why would you think you can lay claim to a spot?

I didn't say it was fair. I asked that you stay away from all these "silly" ideas! I selfishly don't want to have to go through that process again and get lucky each and every year. If my child was kicked out, I'd be raising up a storm of litigation.

If you could afford litigation, you could afford private