Overwhelmed

[Anonymous]

Have young kids due to start FCPS soon. Overwhelmed at the amount of information here. Was wondering if there is a place to start/acronym list/helpful thread or if someone can even just give me a run down of how it all works. Am I to understand kids test into something called APS sometime in elementary school? And TJ is the same, but for high school? Sorry, obviously I am very new.

[Anonymous]

APS=Arlington Public School
ACPS= Alexandria City Public School

You're thinking of AAP (Advanced Academic Program), which has its own section in the Forum Index. In FCPS students are tested in 2nd for 3rd grade placement, so you have time to learn more about it. Level III would usually mean they get pulled out of class for extra enrichment maybe once a week. Local level IV means they stay at their base (i.e. neighborhood) school but are placed in a class where most (sometimes all?) of the other students are also in the advanced program. Then there are Level IV centers, where all the AAP students are in class together with less mixing. If your neighborhood school is not an AAP center and your child tests in, then you'd have to decide if you want to bus your child to a different elementary for the center or keep them at the base school. AAP also exists at the middle school level, but not high school.
TJ is the science and technology magnet school for Ffx County, and yes, kids have to test into it.
For high school you could search IB vs.AP although that's a long way off for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS=Arlington Public School
ACPS= Alexandria City Public School

You're thinking of AAP (Advanced Academic Program), which has its own section in the Forum Index. In FCPS students are tested in 2nd for 3rd grade placement, so you have time to learn more about it. Level III would usually mean they get pulled out of class for extra enrichment maybe once a week. Local level IV means they stay at their base (i.e. neighborhood) school but are placed in a class where most (sometimes all?) of the other students are also in the advanced program. Then there are Level IV centers, where all the AAP students are in class together with less mixing. If your neighborhood school is not an AAP center and your child tests in, then you'd have to decide if you want to bus your child to a different elementary for the center or keep them at the base school. AAP also exists at the middle school level, but not high school.
TJ is the science and technology magnet school for Ffx County, and yes, kids have to test into it.
For high school you could search IB vs.AP although that's a long way off for you.

Thanks for your help.

The Level III and IV - are those immediately determined by a placement test in 2nd for 3rd? (I also assume kids get rested after second or can be reconsidered)

[Anonymous]

What happens if you move into the system? We may move there for 4th grade... would my child be tested before school starts/start of the year or spend teh whole first year in a general course until they determine if she needs to go up/down?

[Anonymous]

You'll get better answers to the above questions if you ask in the AAP forum. Definitely kids that move into the system can be in AAP but I am not sure about timing or if you need to request the screening or whether it's done automatically.
I know there is an appeals process if your child misses the cut for AAP, but have not navigated that myself.

[Anonymous]

Try not to stress. Just send your child, and the school will guide you. For the PP who queried about moving into the district after the AAP testing, you can either pay for testing yourself, or just not worry about it if your school is good.

We moved into the district when my older kids were in 5th and 6th grade and decided not to test. Regardless, my kids were pulled out for advanced academics, even though they are not in the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about AAP (Level iv services) as yet. I assume your child will be in Kindergarten? If yes, register them for KG now and leave it there. The school will run information sessions for AAP once a year that you can attend. AAP starts in 3rd grade and kids test into it. During 1st and 2nd, they can receive level ii and iii services but the teacher will let you know if they qualify.

[Anonymous]

Just send your kids to school. You will get the information as you need it.

[Anonymous]

AAP is too much stress and too many nasty parents. Just go to school and enjoy what this area has to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have young kids due to start FCPS soon. Overwhelmed at the amount of information here. Was wondering if there is a place to start/acronym list/helpful thread or if someone can even just give me a run down of how it all works. Am I to understand kids test into something called APS sometime in elementary school? And TJ is the same, but for high school? Sorry, obviously I am very new.

If you can at alll afford it, put your kids in private. I can't the six years I had my kids in FCPS as one of the worst decisions in my life. There is so much propaganda put out by the schools AND parents on how great FCPS is. It is not. Don't fall for the spin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have young kids due to start FCPS soon. Overwhelmed at the amount of information here. Was wondering if there is a place to start/acronym list/helpful thread or if someone can even just give me a run down of how it all works. Am I to understand kids test into something called APS sometime in elementary school? And TJ is the same, but for high school? Sorry, obviously I am very new.

If you can at alll afford it, put your kids in private. I can't the six years I had my kids in FCPS as one of the worst decisions in my life. There is so much propaganda put out by the schools AND parents on how great FCPS is. It is not. Don't fall for the spin.

*count*

[Anonymous]

If your oldest is starting kindergarten soon, contact your local elementary school and find out when you should register them and when the open house is. That is all you need to do right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your oldest is starting kindergarten soon, contact your local elementary school and find out when you should register them and when the open house is. That is all you need to do right now.

This. Exactly. Don't put the cart in front of the horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your oldest is starting kindergarten soon, contact your local elementary school and find out when you should register them and when the open house is. That is all you need to do right now.

If you need before/after school childcare, consider signing up for SACC the summer before the year before your child will start Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your oldest is starting kindergarten soon, contact your local elementary school and find out when you should register them and when the open house is. That is all you need to do right now.

If you need before/after school childcare, consider signing up for SACC the summer before the year before your child will start Kindergarten.

Good call.