Not to sound too stupid, but what exactly is AAP?

[Anonymous]

I understand AAP = Advanced Academic Programs -- however I'm just curious how that works exactly? We are considering moving to the area. Do kids in certain grades (?) take tests, and if they score high enough are they then sent to special schools that are considered to be Advanced Schools?

Sorry but I'm just a bit confused by what this all is and how it works, and wondered if someone could give a quick explanation.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It is Fairfax County's gifted program. There are levels ranging from pull-out services in subjects where the kid is strong, up to full time programs at schools that have been designated AAP centers. On DCUM, "AAP" mostly refers to the full time program. Full time AAP at a school that is not an AAP center is called Local Level IV.

Kids take a test in second grade and AAP starts in third. In general, AAP classes are larger and require more independent work.

Every elementary and middle school in FCPS either is an AAP center or has another school in the pyramid designated for AAP students to attend. For example, my in-bounds elementary is an AAP center but our in-bounds middle offers only Local Level IV, so if my middle school student is in AAP we can opt to send her to a different nearby middle school that is a center.

[Anonymous]

Kids take a test in first grade, NNAT, and second grade, CogAT. Kids with high enough scores on one or both of the exams, 132 seems to be the baseline but it can be adjusted, are considered in pool. The school will put together a packet of work samples and a teacher evaluation (GBRS) for the child. The parents don’t have to do anything.

If your child's scores are below the threshold, you can parent refer. You inform the school you are referring, fill out a form that explains why you think your child should be in AAP. The school will prepare work samples and complete an evaluation for your child.

All parents have the option of submitting their own work samples and completing the referral form regardless of in pool or out of pool.

After the deadline, the packets are sent to evaluators. Five people will review each packet, if 3 suggest AAP the child is accepted into AAP. If 3 say no, the child is not accepted into AAP. Parents then have a chance to appeal if their child is not accepted. They need to provide some new reason why their child should be considered. That could be new work samples or a letter that addresses shortfalls in the teacher evaluation or a WISC score.

AAP Level IV services are for 3-8 grade, in high school the child can take AP or IB classes. The classes are suppose to be faster paced and cover the curriculm in greater depth.

We have friends whose kids go to the center, our school does not have a local level IV, and they love it. We have had friend defer AAP services at the center opting for level III pullouts in subjects because the parents did not want to move their kids. Both groups appear happy. Most of our friends with older kids are in the general education classes and are very happy there.

[Anonymous]

The program is for kids in 3rd -8th grade, and it includes about 20% of the kids in each grade. If you move from out of state, there's a way to apply before the school year for immediate placement. They will look at any test scores, grades, and recommendations from your previous schools. Otherwise, they'll give your child the CogAT in October, and you can apply for placement starting in January. If your child will be entering K-2nd, you don't need to do anything now. If your child is entering 7th or 8th, you might just want to do Honors and not bother with AAP.

Basically, if think your kid is bright (like 90th percentile or higher) and motivated to learn, you should apply. If your kid will need to take the CogAT here, it doesn't hurt to get some practice tests from Amazon, since so many other people seem to do that.

If you don't apply or your kid doesn't get in, the school will give your child a math placement test and a reading test at the beginning of the year, and your child will be placed in the appropriate groups. Many schools still have wonderful gen ed programs, and your child will be fine there, too.

For middle school, there is a separate AAP program, but honors classes are supposed to be comparable to the AAP classes, and anyone can enroll in the honors classes. For high school, there is no AAP, and anyone can enroll in the Honors or Advanced Placement classes. The high school AP classes will be a mix of kids who were in AAP and kids who were in general education.

[whatshername]

Oh, this is all very interesting. Thank you so much for all your replies.

Three more questions...

- If your child gets in to a language immersion program, then they will "just" do language immersion and not also be put in any kind of AAP?
- I gather Arlington public schools don't have anything like this?
- I wonder how the kids who don't get in feel?

We will be moving to the area soon. Oldest is still a toddler. We have not decided yet on Arlington or Fairfax County.

I have mixed feelings about it - on the one hand it sounds like a great way for the 20% to get a learning experience more geared towards their level, which is wonderful. On the other hand, I imagine it must create a certain amount of stress. I suspect some kids spend the summer between first and second grade going to test prep classes.

[Anonymous]

Yes, yes, and it varies. At base schools, it's mostly not a subject of angst or negative feelings. At center schools, they vary.

[whatshername]

What is the difference between a base school and a center school? Is a base school where they have regular and advanced classes, and a center school where they only have advanced classes?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

The base school is where your address says you should go. Every elementary school in FCPS is a base school for the kids who are zoned to go there. A few base schools also have an AAP center housed within them. Your base school can include your center, or you might be bussed to your center, if DC gets in the program.

[Anonymous]

whatshername wrote:Oh, this is all very interesting.
- If your child gets in to a language immersion program, then they will "just" do language immersion and not also be put in any kind of AAP?
- I gather Arlington public schools don't have anything like this?
- I wonder how the kids who don't get in feel?

We will be moving to the area soon. Oldest is still a toddler. We have not decided yet on Arlington or Fairfax County.

I have mixed feelings about it - on the one hand it sounds like a great way for the 20% to get a learning experience more geared towards their level, which is wonderful. On the other hand, I imagine it must create a certain amount of stress. I suspect some kids spend the summer between first and second grade going to test prep classes.

-Some language immersion programs also have AAP. Many don't. In that case, you would choose to either stick with the language immersion or drop out of the language immersion and instead do AAP.
-Arlington has gifted services, but they don't have a self contained program
-It depends. There is a lot of overlap between the kids who get in and the top kids left behind. Many of those top kids who didn't get in do feel bad about it. Also, kids not in AAP but attending a school with a center program might feel like second class citizens.

I think about 15% of the kids get a great learning experience in AAP. The other 5% are split between kids who are still bored out of their minds in AAP and kids who were pushed in by their parents and struggle to keep up. It probably creates more stress for the parents than it does for the kids, but it can be stressful for kids to be left behind while their friends go to AAP, or for the kids to feel like they're not smart if they don't get in. Yep. Lots of kids are prepping. If they're not specifically prepping for the Cogat, they're doing tutoring of some kind.

[Anonymous]

whatshername wrote:Oh, this is all very interesting. Thank you so much for all your replies.

Three more questions...

- If your child gets in to a language immersion program, then they will "just" do language immersion and not also be put in any kind of AAP?
- I gather Arlington public schools don't have anything like this?
- I wonder how the kids who don't get in feel?

We will be moving to the area soon. Oldest is still a toddler. We have not decided yet on Arlington or Fairfax County.

I have mixed feelings about it - on the one hand it sounds like a great way for the 20% to get a learning experience more geared towards their level, which is wonderful. On the other hand, I imagine it must create a certain amount of stress. I suspect some kids spend the summer between first and second grade going to test prep classes.

Kids in language immersion programs have a variety of options. My DS is in language immersion. We know people who choose not to move to the center and are using level III services, taught in the immersion language for math, and then level III services for English and the like. Other kids have chosen to leave the language immersion program and move to the center school for AAP. So language immersion programs do not prevent kids from participating in AAP but offer a different option for a child accepted into AAP.

I have no idea what Arlington's program is. I think I have read on this board that it is pretty much differentiated groups in the regular classroom but there is no class for kids identified as being advanced.

As for the kids not accepted, I have no clue. Our base school does not have local level IV so kids might not even be aware that there is an AAP program. I do know that there is a bit of a divide at our school between the kids in language immersion and general education because the kids do not have classes together. Some Gen Ed parents grumble about the language program getting more resources but I don't hear much of that. I have read on this site that there are schools were there is a divide between AAP and Gen Ed kids at centers and even the local level IV programs at some schools. I am sure that there are kids who feel lesser then because they are not in AAP but I suspect most kids could care less. I have heard people grumble about some kids in AAP who talk about how much smarter they are.

I know families where one kid is in AAP and attends the center and another child was not accepted and is at the base school. They seem to be just fine. I suspect that it depends on the individual child and how the family deals with things.

And yes, there are some kids whose parents are very hell bent on getting their kids into AAP and Honors Algebra in 7th grade and TJ that I am sure it creates a lot of stress for the kid. I think most parents are pretty level headed about things and just let it be. AAP is not a topic of discussion amongst most of my friends. Kids will get a good to great education in Gen Ed if that is where they land if their parents are involved and make sure that thier kid does their work.

[Anonymous]

whatshername wrote:What is the difference between a base school and a center school? Is a base school where they have regular and advanced classes, and a center school where they only have advanced classes?

Thanks so much!

Technically, the school you're zoned for is your base school. On this forum, though, people usually use "base school" to refer to schools that don't have a LIV program. There are actually 3 different types of schools in FCPS:
-Center schools, which will bus kids in from neighboring schools for AAP and often have as many or more AAP classes than gen ed classes.
-Local Level IV schools, which usually have only one AAP classroom per grade level and will often have bright non-AAP kids placed in the AAP classroom. If your base school has a Local Level IV, then if your child is accepted for AAP, you can choose either the local program or the designated AAP center.
-Schools with no Level IV. If your child gets accepted into AAP, that child can attend the designated center.

[whatshername]

Thank you all so much for these answers. I appreciate everyone's input, this has been really interesting.

[Anonymous]

Also consider your own commute to work when making a decision about location. The traffic around here is awful.

[Anonymous]

OP- FCPS doesn’t have a gifted program anymore. AAP admits about 25% of second grade. Those students are the best in the class but certainly not all of them are gifted. If the teacher thinks the child will do well, the child will get in to AAP. Gifted students are obviously fewer- the top 2% of class. Alternatively , you can have a gifted child and your child might not make it into AAP if your child hasn’t impressed his or her second grade teacher. It’s a holistic approach to acceptance. In other words, your child can get 99% on cogat and might not get in. Again, your child can get an average score but still get in. AAP is one of FCPS S biggest problems.

[Anonymous]

whatshername wrote:Oh, this is all very interesting. Thank you so much for all your replies.

Three more questions...

- If your child gets in to a language immersion program, then they will "just" do language immersion and not also be put in any kind of AAP?
- I gather Arlington public schools don't have anything like this?
- I wonder how the kids who don't get in feel?

We will be moving to the area soon. Oldest is still a toddler. We have not decided yet on Arlington or Fairfax County.

I have mixed feelings about it - on the one hand it sounds like a great way for the 20% to get a learning experience more geared towards their level, which is wonderful. On the other hand, I imagine it must create a certain amount of stress. I suspect some kids spend the summer between first and second grade going to test prep classes.

Yes, there is a lot of test prep. But most people will downplay it.