Thoreau AAP

[Anonymous]

The forms were due today and we turned them in. We got both the Jackson and TMS forms. The Jackson form has a checkbox for AAP for the required courses (__Student has been accepted in the Level 4 AAP Program).

On the Thoreau form, there is a checkbox on the top that is pre-checked for Level 1V AAP. However, in the details section, the Honors option is pre-checked for History and Science and we have a choice for English. There's a note that says all courses at TMS are Honors. Confused whether this applies to AAP kids as well. If not, why are the History and Science options pre-checked?

For math, there's a note that says "final determination for Alg 1 will be made over the summer, after SOLs, etc". However, the math options include a Alg 1 that I guess we are expected to check?

Confused..

[Anonymous]

Ask the school.

[Anonymous]

I don't have the form anymore, but I thinkyou check the box for AAP and you don't have to worry about the Eng/Hist/Sci. boxes.

The math section -- we checked both b/c we aren't sure yet which one our kid will take. They automatically put your kid in Math 7 Hon. unless your child passes both IAAT and SOL high enough... and if your child does, then they automatically put the kid in Alg. I Hon. So, the math selection for any MS AAP program is just undetermined at this point unless you are sure your child is taking Math 7 Hon.

We did not check anything for the other core classes except marking the "AAP" part.

[Anonymous]

Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

But the deadline passed

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure any Level IV-eligible student can decide to enroll at the AAP Center at any point between now and the end of 8th grade. I know a number of kids moved from Thoreau to Jackson when my child was at Jackson a few years back. It might take a couple of phone calls and an additional form or two, but I'm sure that it would not be difficult to accomplish a move between the designated base school and the designated AAP Center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

It's LL4.

You are wrong in your advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

OP here. I'm aware of this. Older DC went to LJ. We decided on TMS for DC2. At the open house/info. session they clearly told us that AAP classes were quite different from Honors classes hence the question on the actual form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

OP here. I'm aware of this. Older DC went to LJ. We decided on TMS for DC2. At the open house/info. session they clearly told us that AAP classes were quite different from Honors classes hence the question on the actual form.

I wouldn't say it was "quite clearly" as other than the mumbo jumbo about breadth and depth, there wasn't a whole lot said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

The nomenclature is largely a fig leaf to maintain the fiction that the AAP center at Jackson will be vibrant after FCPS redistricted many of the higher-income neighborhoods zoned for Jackson to Thoreau. Most expect the LLIV program at Thoreau to grow in size and prestige, which is exactly what you’d expect when you move wealthier students to one school and concentrate poverty at another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

OP here. I'm aware of this. Older DC went to LJ. We decided on TMS for DC2. At the open house/info. session they clearly told us that AAP classes were quite different from Honors classes hence the question on the actual form.

I wouldn't say it was "quite clearly" as other than the mumbo jumbo about breadth and depth, there wasn't a whole lot said.

Oh well! Too late anyways. Everyone from DC's AAP class is going to TMS so did not them to be the only kid to go to LJ and come back to a school (madison) where they didn't know anyone. So TMS, it is.

[Anonymous]

Im sure we all made the best decisions we could BUT I didn’t base ours on friends or following the masses, though. I don’t want my kid making big decisions for those reasons ever!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

OP here. I'm aware of this. Older DC went to LJ. We decided on TMS for DC2. At the open house/info. session they clearly told us that AAP classes were quite different from Honors classes hence the question on the actual form.

I wouldn't say it was "quite clearly" as other than the mumbo jumbo about breadth and depth, there wasn't a whole lot said.

Oh well! Too late anyways. Everyone from DC's AAP class is going to TMS so did not them to be the only kid to go to LJ and come back to a school (madison) where they didn't know anyone. So TMS, it is.

You aren’t alone - see you at Thoreau next fall!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau is not an AAP Center like Jackson or Kilmer so the core courses at Thoreau are not "AAP" in any official sense. I understand that Thoreau groups Level IV-eligible students together in some classes, but it still is not an AAP Center, which may explain some of the ambiguity in the forms. AAP students with Thoreau as their base school have the option to attend the well-established AAP Center at Jackson if they are looking for strong AAP instruction in their core courses, as well as a large AAP peer group.

The nomenclature is largely a fig leaf to maintain the fiction that the AAP center at Jackson will be vibrant after FCPS redistricted many of the higher-income neighborhoods zoned for Jackson to Thoreau. Most expect the LLIV program at Thoreau to grow in size and prestige, which is exactly what you’d expect when you move wealthier students to one school and concentrate poverty at another.

Which is why it was a stupid decision on top of letting Thoreau have their own AAP center. The AAP center was put at Jackson to lift up the school. Only this board would decide to both redistrict the wealthy out of Jackson and dilute the center with the LLIV program at Thoreau all while saying they support lower income families. They are such hypocrites.

[Anonymous]

Only the base school kids assigned to Jackson were redistricted. All of the AAP kids from the affected Oakton/Vienna schools are still assigned to the Jackson AAP Center, which will continue to be strong due to the outstanding teachers, rigorous academics, and large AAP peer group. Thoreau does not have "their own AAP center." Thoreau groups some Level IV-eligible students together in core classes, but it is not a Level IV Center supported as such by FCPS. With regard to academics, academic extracurricular opportunities, critical mass of AAP students, TJ placement, and other factors, the Center designation matters.